Re: NBC bumpersticker

oops I meant borders!

"genat" <backstreets@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:dVUMj.8925$6w3.577@xxxxxxxxxxx
My grandfather came from Czech and spoke broken English til he passed at
age 91. He came over to America for the dream and was self employed and
made a living for himself and his three sons, the oldest (my dad) put the
younger two through college. He was smart and knew how to invest in the
stock market ect. There is a little place near me where Anna speaks fairly
good English but still with an Italian accent. She is the best cook ever,
her husband passed away years ago so she had to support herself and her
children. I find it endearing and love when she visits Italy and tells me
all about her Italian mother who is still living at age 90 something.
Should she have to learn to speak English better? No, I personally don't
believe so...

I guess I look at it like I would not be here if not for my ancestors so I
don't have a problem with the older folks not speaking English well. OTOH,
I think that folks who are here and young enough should get a grasp of our
language if they are living here. Especially if they are answering phones
in a call center here or taking orders. I think now it should be a
requirement if you become an American citizen you should be able to speak
the language or at least be learning it.

I don't like the bumper sticker either but times have changed and we have
to change with it. I know I'll get slammed by the conservatives here on
the board but there is no way that I believe the National Guard should be
guarding our boarders (they have more important things to do), we just
need to educate the folks here and require them to speak our language with
theirs....it's really not too much to ask in the modern times.


"Ruthless" <oldperson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:oldperson-1404082045070001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Took a good long walk with the dogs today. For the first time in a while
I
was in a genuinely good mood. Then I spotted the bumpersticker on the
pickup truck on my street. It said "You're in America now, speak
English".

This made me think of a Great Uncle that I have actually not met but
about whom I have heard a lot through a cousin. I believe he died within
the past few years at the age of 99. He immigrated from Italy way back
when... a long time ago... as a very young man. Never could get the hang
of English. Languages didn't come easily to him, just as they don't come
easily to my husband and my kid but for some odd reason they came easily
to me .I never became fluent in anything because I didn't have to . I
wish
I had, I had a talent for it. My kid and husband have no talent for it.
Having to learn a new language as an adult would be hell for them. Kind
of
like me having to learn Calculus. My Uncle, spoke, according to my
cousin, broken English at best and was functionally illiterate- He could
read and write in Italian, but not in English. He lived in this country
for at least 70 years. He was a model citizen. Never committed a crime.
Had a good profession ( masonry, like most of my Italian relatives) and
in most ways was probably a more useful member of society than I have
ever
been.

I seriously considered trying to find the owner of that pickup. I
seriously considered yelling at him or her. I wanted to ask him or her
how
many languages he or she spoke. I wanted to discuss my Great Uncle with
that person. However , instead, I burst into tears of frustration ,
sadness, and more than a little anger and walked the rest of the way
home.

I hate what this country has become. I hear and read more of this crap
from my Anglo neighbors every single day. I am so sick of it. I am so
tired .

I am old. I have seen a lot. This place just keeps getting meaner and
meaner.




.

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