I hate that English isn’t the official language of this country. You know what else I hate? I hate that you can be a complete moron and still vote. I know that those things don’t necessarily have anything to do with each other. I’m simply telling you two things I hate.
I kind of think you should have to take a short quiz, IN ENGLISH, to be able to vote for the POTUS. And I think the questions should be really basic, like “Name the current President and VP” and “How many states are there in the US” and some other just basic foundational stuff that every person voting should know. AT A MINIMUM.
And you know who shouldn’t be allowed to vote? People that are in this clip:
im-voting-for-obama-no-matter-what1
Gawd.
There is a quiz like that…it’s called the US Citizenship exam. Which, by the way, is in English with questions a lot more difficult than “Name the current president.”
Tsk, tsk, tsk…you’re being racist, intolerant, and culturally insensitive by not posting this twice – once in English, then again in Spanish. Do you know, last July 4th I bought a new U.S. flag for our flagpole, and it actually had instructions on how to hang it in English AND Spanish? Something is seriously wrong with that. If you want to come America, that’s totally fine – but could you please approach the USA respectfully? Like, legally and in ENGLISH? America is a melting pot, so MELT. I’m not saying you should leave your roots behind, but instead of expecting your culture to be accommodated, stop and remember why you came over here in the first place!
As for the voters in the clip…well, prejudice needs no facts, does it? Ugh.
Wow – this took waaaaaaaaaaay more energy than I expected.
My friend just sent me that link right before I got on here. Funny and scary at the same time, especially that last woman who said McCain did not seem educated enough, ahhh ha ha ha ha (hey pot, meet kettle).
Press “one” for English. Try living in Southern California where a quarter of the billboards are in Spanish. “Que es Budweiser?” It drives me nuts that people have been living here for years and don’t speak a lick of English, of course we don’t give them a lot of incentive.
That clip is very irritating and almost embarrassing. I am for Obama but I have educated myself enough to know WHY. I’ve asked around about why people are voting and I’ve gotten answers like ” I guess Obama” And curious me asks, “why?” “I don’t know, I guess because he’s younger.” Morons. Along with knowing who the current president is, voters should have to list atleast one policy of the candidate they are voting for.
Sorry, political rant over.
Wiggity, that reminds me of a girl my exhusband had working for him. We’re military, so you’d think she would be all pro-America and pro-American Dream. She had TWO children, neither spoke English. Why? Her response? “That’s what the schools are for.” Gah! Way to set your kids up for failure.
I know the basics of both candidates, but I’m not voting. I don’t like either and I’m gonna be forced to listen to my Commander in Chief regardless.
Mock – Kudos on the POTUS thing. We love acronyms in the military.
I’m not surprised even a little by that. It’s disgusting and I would love to see restrictions on voting. I would also like to see no voting if you are currently living off the country instead of contributing to it. (Except for ex-military, seniors and disabled)
“McCain sounds uneducated” What a classic lmfwao.
You guys should see the rage that Mr. Mock flies into everytime he gets the “Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish” prompt at the ATM. I mean, RAGE.
Speaking of ATM’s, why is there Braille on DRIVE-UP ATM’s? Seriously. I seriously want to know the answer to that question.
Aww you sound like such a tolerant couple. How romantic
I can ALMOST see some of them getting confused on issues like the war and abortion, but to honestly think that Obama selected Palin for his running mate? Those people are idiots!
I hate it when I make a call and I hear the now standard greeting, “For English press 1″ and before I can even press 1 they start rambling on in spanish. It annoys the crap out of me.
I think there should be restrictions on who should be allowed to register. I think the voting age should be raised to 21, despite the fact that I’m only 17 and can’t vote anyways. (At my age, you can be swayed too easily by teachers and parents rather than opinions and fact.)
There should be a basic test. There needs to be a government-supplied ID requirement (driver’s license, military ID, etc.), and it should be heavily enforced, even for absentees (besides those in the military, you should have to take your ID to a check a few months before you’re going to vote).
There needs to be a check for both birth certificates and death certificates, as well as missing person reports to stop idiots like ACORN.
Also, somebody needs to check what the candidates say in their debates. Obama and McCain say things that totally contradict both each other and themselves, and nobody seems to notice. (McCain contradicts himself much less than Obama. Possibly because he doesn’t lie through his teeth.)
Oh, here is a link to the braille question.http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/946/why-is-there-braille-on-drive-up-teller-machines
I don’t see why it’s such a huge deal not to have some national language. It’s not hard to be conversant in Spanish, or some other language. Our country was founded on freedom, and I don’t think it violates my sacred rights if I have to read a sign posted in two languages. But the braille on the ATM thing… that gives me pause.
I do plan on voting for Obama, and there’s no need to expound on why here haha. But in my daily life, it seems like no matter what party they’re aligned with– if one at all, the loudest, most annoying people are always the ones that want to share their opinions with me. And my job prevents me from telling them to stuff it. Superfun.
All in all, politics is a tricky thing. Both candidates are tolerable, and capable, and it all comes down to personal thought. I just have to hope that some of my fellow citizens (namely, the ones that bother me at work) yank their heads from their behinds and make an informed choice in the voting booth– not one based on trivial matters.
OMG – you guys all HAVE to read the link that Sarah provided. Unbelievable ridiculous bureaucratic nonsense.
I work in a doctor’s office, and it IRRITATES me to have underage children come in to interpret for their parents who cannot speak English! English is supposed to be the language of this country. It wasn’t meant to make those coming into the country feel inferior, but to have a universal language we could all understand. By all means, speak your native language in your home. It’s a shame to lose that part of yourself. It nauseates me that my great-grandparents could come over on the boat from Germany, Ireland, and Hungary (gee, where do you think I got my temper from?), be uneducated, and still be able to learn English! Why should we make accomodations for everyone? By the way, I’ve become pretty good at miming, since some of my patients can’t speak the language! It’s actually pretty funny!
Amen, Punky!
Just out of curiosity, are you equally abhorred by people that will NOT be voting for Obama on the basis of his skin color. Or by the untrue statements of him being a “terrorist”, an “Arab”, or a “Muslim”? That seems a little scarier to me than what you posted. How about the people shouting out, “terrorist”, or “kill him” at Palin rallies? Funny how you don’t mention people like THAT shouldn’t vote. Have fun on Friday btw.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JWCRAWFORD/anatomy.htm
Hey Punky, I just finished up a cultural assignment for my nursing and technically the kids aren’t supposed to be the interpreter, there should be one on staff…or apparently cool telephones that do the work for everyone
Didn’t you do a post on how Obama wanted to encroach upon our freedom to wastefully use fuel? Well, welcome to America, buddy. You can speak whatever language you want.
It’s surprising how easily you pick and choose which freedoms we should be allowed to have.
You should lump these people in the non-voting category, as well.
Both candidates have idiot supporters. Some take it to a more frightening level.
I didn’t know it wouldn’t let me embed, sorry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRqcfqiXCX0
Sorry Mock, I’m not with you on this one. I’m voting for Obama, and I don’t mind when people don’t have a full working understanding of English. This is because I’ve been trying to learn French since high school, and I can still just barely manage to read it. If I can’t learn someone else’s language, I forgive others when they can’t learn to speak mine.
Waaaaaait a minute.
First – Sarah. Dear, dear Sarah. I know you love to bring race into EVERY FREAKING CONVERSATION EVER, but once again, YOU are bringing it up, not me. If you want that to be your favorite pet issue of all time, fine. But leave me out of it.
Anonymous youtube clipper: Absolutely those people should be included. My post was about not letting idiots vote, and they definitely fall into that category. Sarah seems to think that whenever I make a post about ANYTHING, I should include EVERY EXAMPLE OF my point that exists, otherwise the point isn’t valid.
KittyThePooka: Here’s why that’s a problem. Kids that go to American schools who don’t speak English either slow down the class, require special extra costly attention by way of having to hire spanish speaking teachers or have translators, etc. That’s crap and it’s not fair. It would be a problem that you can’t learn French if you LIVED IN FRANCE and expected everyone to accommodate around you. If I moved to another country and wanted to live and work in it, I would consider it a responsibility to learn the language and learn it well – NOT for the entire country to figure out work-arounds so that it’s easier for me.
Ruthie – Yeah. You’re right. In fact, why stop now? We should insist that every school and every business and every book and every single piece of written documentation come in EVERY language spoken on this planet, so as to not take away anyone’s “freedom” of expression and make them feel uncomfortable if they wanna live here. What a load of crap. Expecting citizens of this country to learn and use a common language isn’t taking away their freedom to use whatever language they want in their own home and with each other. My parents speak their native tongue at home, didn’t speak a word of English when they arrived to the US in ’69, but you can bet they learned it and didn’t expect the ENTIRE COUNTRY to start making special accommodations for them just because English wasn’t their first language. Just think about what you’re suggesting. Should we require there to be a teacher in every school or a doctor in every hospital that speaks every possible native language of every possible new immigrant to the US? Your argument is ridiculous. I’m not suggesting we SILENCE people who want to speak their home language. I’m suggesting that in DAILY LIFE AND WORK, we share a common language so that we can freaking get things done.
Chelsea – Yeah, I know that kids shouldn’t interpret at a doctor’s office. When I’m working, myself and the other nurse that works with me insist the translator be at least 18. A child should not have to translate about the genital herpes their parent was infected with (this has happened where the son was over 18 and translating for his dad!). I know that not all of the doctors and nurses insist on the translator being 18.
Mock, I totally agree with you. My uneducated great-grandparents were able to learn English. I don’t think it’s fair to ask the country to accomodate those who are too stubborn or lazy to learn the language. And don’t anyone tell me that this isn’t true! I see it every day, and it’s annoying. A lot of those people come into my office with brand new name brand purses, watches, gold jewelry, and yet they are on welfare. Obviously the know the words “welfare” and “paycheck” in English. Not ALL of these people do this, but I can tell you that more than half of the people I see do this. Sorry for the diatribe!
Hey the clip was CLEARLY black people voting for Obama, because he is black. That was not ME bringing race into it. All I said that if you are on the topic of idiot people voting, one would think death threats would be a little higher on the scale then uneducated people. And its not that you don’t ever include every example that exists, its that you always tend to choose ONE side and not the other. If its not you, its one of your readers, and yes, they HAVE gone there when I didn’t.
Oh and FYI, why would the national language be English, when the people that were ORIGINALLY here were Native Americans that did NOT speak English? The people that took over and raped their land did. Why do you feel so damn entitled ever single day of your life? Typical overprivileged American.
Sara, If you are so tired of the typical overprivilaged Americans why don’t you find another country to live in. You constantly look for an argument on here by questioning others comments, You are all the time accusing people of being racist, while putting down whites as well as Americans in general. You are clearly a little girl who has yet to experience life in the big world. And as for the people that came over and raped the land, that was not any of us. We’re not that old. And while Mock has done a great job with this site mocking people of all types, you have to cry racist all the time. That, is being the real racist.
Dont tell me I am a little girl that has yet to experience anything, believe me, I have endured a lot in my life. All of which I take with me as learning experiences. I am working in a field in which I work with blacks, whites, hispanics, and asians on a daily basis. I work with people who speak english and those who don’t, and I primarily work with poor people. I myself have been quite poor, and when I speak of overprivileged Americans, I speak of those that have the ABILITY to complain about such miniscule things. I on a daily basis see children that won’t have a meal when though go home, and the only one they will get is at the center I am working at. I haven’t overgeneralized white people as whole, yet you have with black people when speaking of Affirmative Action. Sorry, not the racist here buddy. Like Mock said to me, you know nothing about me other than what I have chose to disclose on here.
Punky, I think I just changed my mind… If these parents are mortified about what their children know about them, perhaps it will be motivation to speak directly to the doctor…in ENGLISH:o)
Just because it’s Harlem doesn’t mean they’re automatically black, Sarah. What are you – some kind of racist? No one in that audio said ANYTHING about race. That is ALL YOU.
And yeah – you’re right. We should alert the white house right now that we should immediately revert back to the language of Native Americans. Let’s do that asap, because that makes all sorts of sense.
It’s time to put the past away, Sarah. It’s senseless to keep apologizing for stuff that happened years and years ago, especially since NO ONE LIVING TODAY was responsible. We need to focus on what makes sense TODAY, no matter how bloody your sensitive liberal heart is.
It is not being racist to be able to identify a person by their voice, and you know that as well as I do. I didn’t identify them as black because they are from Harlem, its because I could tell they were black. And I didn’t say we should go back to speaking the language of Native Americans, I am just saying English was NOT the original language, so why should it have to take precedence now? How about I will do us all a favor and stop visiting your site. It really isn’t benefitting anyone, and really just making more drama that likely no one needs in their life.
It’s up to you whether you stay or go. I’m certainly not asking you to leave, I’m just disagreeing with you. If you want to voice your opinion I am happy to provide the forum, but I won’t just sit by and be quiet if I don’t agree with what you’re saying (and neither will others). It’s all part of the deal, and it’s what keeps things interesting.
Your choice – it gets hot in this kitchen and ya gotta be able to take the heat!
I, for one, think it would be a shame if you did that Sarah. It would suck if there was only one viewpoint here. And despite the fact that I am not as post-y as you, I agree that there is a level of intolerance from some of the posts whenever the topic of race or culture comes up. The fact is there are plenty of people living here who are trying quite hard to learn English, going to school in their few spare hours they have between multiple jobs. And for some people it is difficult. History shows that for every large wave of immigrants there is a consistent backlash against that group, be they Irish, Jewish, German, or Hispanic. And, while I am unable to cite references offhand, sociologists have pointed out that the current wave of immigrants are quite similar to previous groups in terms of assimilation into American culture.
Oh, and since age is apparently a prerequisite for having a valid opinion, I’m almost 40.
As for being annoyed at finding instructions in multiple languages on consumer goods…that’s for marketing purposes and is not going to change. I don’t care if there are instructions in Spanish, French, or Japanese. (And let’s face it, no one is offended when there are instructions in Japanese or French) Having recently assembled some products from Sweden, I’d just be grateful if there were some in actual English rather than the nonsensical pseudo-English/pictograph directions it came with.
I fully understand that learning a different language is difficult. I’ve had a hard time with Spanish myself, BUT if I was to move to, let’s say Italy, with my children, I would darn well make it my absolute priority to learn Italian. What if there was some emergency with my children? AND, do I really want my children knowing more of the language than I do. It’s hard enough to sensor what they see and hear in our own language. What if they were listening to Italian Howard Stern and I had no idea.
Sarah, I worked in a place that had whites, asians, blacks, and hispanics too. It was called McDonalds 20 years ago.
I just want the record to reflect that I have absolutely NO PROBLEM with anyone, no matter what their ethnic background, coming to this country LEGALLY to make a life here. I’m awfully glad my parents did. WHo wouldn’t want to come here? America rocks.
I also have no problem, rosie too, with anyone who is TRYING to learn English and I respect their efforts. It’s the people who refuse to learn it, and insist that we spend countless dollars to acommodate them, that I have a problem with. Again, I don’t care if they are Latino or French or Chinese or Martian. This is NOT ABOUT a specific race or social group. This is about MELTING INTO THE POT, like my sister so eloquently put it.
I don’t know where the age reference came from, but I’m as happy to argue with a 20 year old as I am a 40 year old.
I totally agree with you on the pictograph assembly instructions.
Those suck.
Ms. Sarah – I find it interesting that you hate this blog so much, yet you have SEVEN responses to this entry alone. Huh.
If this country is so racist, then how in the hell did a black man get to mere steps from the White House today? Give me a break.
Obama – the PERSON, regardless of his color, gender, age, shoe size, whatever – would never be able to get into the friggin’ FBI or CIA with some of the ties he’s had, but he can run for President? But, I digress. I guess I’m one of those silly overprivileged white women who believes that character counts for something – mainly over looks and the ability to work a crowd.
Everyone has their own perspective. And some of us white pieces of overprivileged crap may choose to perform our own philanthropic work quietly and anonymously without asking for a round of applause or feeling of superiority as a result of doing so. Giving back is indeed a fundamental component of being an American. However, we all have our own perspective – mine includes friends with HIV and Muscular Dystrophy who are facing socialized healthcare in their very near future. My perspective includes the notion of ‘why in the hell I should pay for illegal immigrant’s FREE healthcare when I’d rather use that hard-earned money to send my stepkids to college?’ My perspective is that in America, you are given the OPPORTUNITY to work hard for what you get. Sure, someone will always be richer than you. And someone will always be more poverty-stricken. It’s called capitalism, and it’s the foundation of the greatest country in the world. Take it or leave it. You have the choice, as you know.
The whining sentiments of entitlement get really old – it’s a true cancer of our national culture. It’s the primary reason, in my opinion, that this country is suffering so much. That feeling of “you owe me, America.” The world owes ue nothing. Our government owes us nothing. This is America. You can CHOOSE to go someplace else. In fact, you can even choose to not read this blog. Amazing how that works!
That clip makes me want to scream. How sad….I hope those people don’t show up on November 4th. Thank you Mockarena for posting it! I had heard about it…but had yet to hear it myself.
I’m now changing my vote. I’m writing in Daisy and Mock.
Mock, I agree with you. We shouldn’t spend countless dollars on those who refuse to help themselves.
I have no problem with anyone who comes into my office – unless they’re a full blown a-hole to me or the rest of the staff. I don’t care what language you speak. How do you expect us to help you if I can’t understand what is wrong with you? I also have work with primarily poor people, and am not rolling in money myself, hence working for a living! And let me tell you, my son has to have open-heart surgery in a couple of days, and I would not take too kindly to having to take him to a surgeon the government TOLD me to take him too! As it is, I am able to take him to someone who knows what he is doing, thank God. As for feeling entitled, YES I do feel entitled when I bust my butt for a living, and pay taxes and my family squeaks by on what me and my husband make! Why should I have to share that with others who refuse to work or help themselves? I happen to think this is not a miniscule thing, and I think that if any of you are hard-working, tax-paying citizens, you shouldn’t feel it is miniscule either. I feel sorry for what happened to the Native Americans, really. The reason English is the language is because England is where most of our government’s founding fathers came from, and spoke. After all, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are written in English. How can any immigrant understand their rights if they don’t speak or read English? All right, I’ve said my peace. For anyone I’ve offended, I apologize – it wasn’t my intention, but like Mock said, it is a forum for opinions. I can take the heat!
For the record, I am 35, and I have NEVER gotten a racist vibe from this site. I wouldn’t read it if I did. I’ve always had fun reading everyone’s responses. They’ve always been a sure laugh, especially Bob!
Ah, but Kitty the Pooka, do you live in France? No, you do not I hope. And in France, 90% of the people speak English if you stay in big cities (Paris, namely). In America, 90% do not speak Spanish.
And I agree with Punky that I have never gotten a racist vibe at all from this site, except reverse-racism on Sarah’s part.
Also, may I point out, I have never, EVER met an Asian in America that did not speak near-flawless English (save the accent; I’m talking structure). I know several German exchange students, and they don’t expect their schools to learn German for them.
It’s Hispanics that feel entitled to not learning the main language of our country. And, unfortunately, most of the people who enter this country illegally are Hispanic. That isn’t racism; it’s fact.
Perhaps Sarah suffers from white guilt-a common affliction among young liberals.
Here I go posting away again on this same issue…but I’m hoping you’ll take is as a compliment that I think most of you all are reasonable people who are willing to at least listen to another point of view.
I’m not suggesting, Mock, that your rant was pointed at a particular group of people, but I think you’ll agree that was not the case with some of the replies. I’ve never met any of these “entitled Hispanics” of which you speak, Anonymous, and it makes me wonder if you know any actual Latinos at all. I think that people often confuse an inability to speak English with an unwillingness to learn. Living in Miami for most of my life, I certainly understand the frustrations of trying to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak English, but I assure you it is harder for them. People who are in this country illegally aren’t living off welfare or other government services. Most wouldn’t consider going to ERs or other subsidized facilities because they are worried about being deported. They pay taxes, through sales tax and property tax (through rent) that support our government. In Florida, since we have no state income tax, that is about as much as everyone else pays. The fact that their children are learning English shows that they are trying to raise proud Americans even if assimilation isn’t as easy for them. The Melting Pot is happening, but with waves of immigration, it tends to go a little more slowly. They’re here because they think America rocks, too.
Ok, I’m done. No more posts on this topic from me. Promise. Unless I change my mind, that is.
You are all pathetic, ignorant fools…
And you, sir, are a self-professed Russian Bastard.:o)
Wow. I take a week off and look what I miss! I could go on all day on this topic, but I will just say that I find it interesting how the liberals preach tolerance of everything, but they have NONE for views that differ from their own.
I, too, was liberal when I was young, and I think that’s pretty common. But one day, I grew up and was subjected to the real world. Idealistic vs. Realistic, my friends. Simple as that.
English should be the national language.
My son should not receive an inferior education because of criminals. They are not “undocumented”, they are “illegal”.
I should not be told I can’t discriminate against prospective employees because they can’t speak English. If I can’t communicate with them, how will they know what to do!?
There should be a border fence, serious penalties for those who violate our immigration laws and a mass deportation. For those who say we can’t afford to do that, I ask you – What do you think it will cost to provide social services to the 30-40 million of them that there likely are going forward? Especially considering the exponential growth that number would see considering birth rates? That’s not racism. That’s reality.
So much for keeping it short.
Best. Video. Ever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKFKGrmsBDk
Let common sense prevail!!