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83 % Say Getting Immigrants To Speak English Is Higher Priority Than Creating Bilingual America
National Review Online ^ | 7/10/2008 | Staff

Posted on 07/10/2008 6:58:39 PM PDT by Laissez-faire capitalist

Scott Rasmussen points to these striking results:

Barack Obama said yesterday that "instead of worrying whether immigrants can learn English," Americans "need to make sure your child can speak Spanish." A national telephone survey conducted last month by Rasmussen Reports found that U.S. voters overwhelmingly disagree with the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Eighty-three percent (83%) place a higher priority on encouraging immigrants to speak English...

... A reader noted this is among the pieces of information that voters in Ohio, Pennsylvania and MIchigan need to hear before they make their decision in November.

(Excerpt) Read more at campaignspot.nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Michigan; US: Ohio; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: 2008polls; aliens; barackobama; election; electionpresident; elections; englishfirst; mccain; nohispandering; obama; obamatruthfile
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

17% say ?Que?


61 posted on 07/10/2008 8:23:01 PM PDT by Kozak (Anti Shahada: There is no god named Allah, and Muhammed is a false prophet)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

I thought of some responses to Obama in Spanish, but I’d probably get banned for life for posting them.


62 posted on 07/10/2008 8:31:37 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative (Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less.)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

Obama sure let his “Hate America” core shine through on this one.


63 posted on 07/10/2008 8:36:06 PM PDT by Mad_Tom_Rackham ("The land of the Free...Because of the Brave")
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To: AuntB

I don’t see anything wrong with McCain having a Spanish language website. Why NOT get his word out to everyone? Not everyone who has learned English understands the nuances of the new language, and may still understand concepts better in their native language. There are a lot of citizens of Hispanic origin who vote, and even though THEY may speak English, the folks with whom they spend time, or socialize, may not, and who knows, that site could have a major influence on which party they think has the better ideas for how they can make a future for themselves, the Republicans or the Democrats.


64 posted on 07/10/2008 8:40:37 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: Carry_Okie
With comments this dumb already he may not even make it to the convention.

I'm surprised he's not long gone right now.....

65 posted on 07/10/2008 8:57:05 PM PDT by Niteflyr ("If youÂ’re drawing flak, you know you're over the target".)
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To: AuntB

bttt

English first


66 posted on 07/10/2008 8:59:58 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: dynachrome
Maybe it should come down to the American votes.
To be a full citizen of this country, you must be able to read write and speak English, at least minimally.

If they are citizens, theirs ARE American votes, no matter what language they listen to on the TV or radio, or speak in their homes.

I don't know where in the world YOUR people came from, but mine came from Italy, and there were no more patriotic people than they. My Maternal great-grandparents knew English, became citizens, and spoke nothing but Italian in their home. But THEIR children spoke English well, as, in turn, did THEIR own children. Would you deny that they were good citizens because they didn't speak 'the King's English'? Get over yourself. There are a LOT of people in this country who came from somewhere else, and even when they have learned English, don't THINK in English, they think and reason in their native languages. And sometimes, even though they left their native land for this country, in which they knew they would have myriad opportunities to offer a better life to their families, they still enjoy the culture of their native lands.

Do you scoff at parades on St. Patrick's Day? That's celebrating a different culture, and some folks even try to speak Gaelic for the occasion. How about the Feast of San Gennaro? Do you disparage Italians for celebrating their culture on that day?

The beauty and genius of America is our ability to blend so many different and varied cultures. It has been so since the founding of this nation, and every wave of immigrants who are 'different' has caused unrest among some of the residents who see them as a threat. It was so in the late 18th century with the wave of Eastern European immigrants and Irish immigrants, and in the early part of the 19th century with Italians. Many considered them to be 'less than' the British and the Middle Europeans who had already arrived and made a home for themselves here, and didn't like they way the newcomers spoke their own languages among themselves and created enclaves within the cities to which they moved. Over the generations, however, the children and grandchildren of those immigrants moved from those enclaves and joined the greater society, making their own lives as Americans.

67 posted on 07/10/2008 9:00:04 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

A lot of Americans don’t speak ENGLISH now !!

We have to work on this problem first.

“Yo mamma…….got milk?…..I done got me some….”

I’m sure you can add to the list……….

Obama is simply not a rational thinking person.


68 posted on 07/10/2008 9:00:17 PM PDT by Thinkin
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To: Diogenesis; dynachrome

bttt


69 posted on 07/10/2008 9:03:50 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: LukeL; All
"I am sick and tired of having to state my language when I call any 800 number."

Uncle Sam's Finger

70 posted on 07/10/2008 9:10:42 PM PDT by musicman
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To: Carry_Okie

Unnfortunately, we do not presently have a conservative candidate that could enable us to teach this object lesson.


71 posted on 07/10/2008 9:25:42 PM PDT by Elsiejay (Rev.)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

Count me in that 83%. I have seen first-hand by working as an instructional assistant in public schools that the kids who learn English will excel.


72 posted on 07/10/2008 9:29:50 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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Comment #73 Removed by Moderator

To: Laissez-faire capitalist

> Eighty-three percent (83%) place a higher priority on encouraging immigrants to speak English...

Being Bilingual-or-even-Trilingual is great (I love it!)

Just make sure that the Official language is English, and any other languages are novelty items that you can take-or-leave as you choose.


74 posted on 07/10/2008 9:56:12 PM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

> What say you?

WHAT YOU SAY?

ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US.
YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO SURVIVE.
MAKE YOUR TIME.


75 posted on 07/10/2008 9:57:19 PM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: theBuckwheat
We could find, for example, that some small town located near the Mexican border and with a majority of Spanish-speaking residents could pass laws in Spanish (or some local Mexican Indian dialect).

Another thing to consider: what happens if a referendum is conducted using bilingual ballots and there's some argument over whether the translation is accurate? If people voted for a particular supposed translation of the legislation, but the legislation itself is actually something different, should the vote count? How different could the legislation be without disqualifying the vote?

76 posted on 07/10/2008 9:59:40 PM PDT by supercat
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To: SuziQ
My Maternal great-grandparents knew English, became citizens, and spoke nothing but Italian in their home.

Even though they spoke Italian as their preferred language, you said they still knew English.

How does that contradict the notion that knowing at least some English is a qualification for being a good citizen?

77 posted on 07/10/2008 10:02:18 PM PDT by supercat
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To: TADSLOS

In it to win it at any cost? Including turning the nation into a socialized 3rd world s*^thole? No thanks. It will happen in any event with these two, but not with my vote. McCain can go to hell.”

Don’t kid yourself - EVERY presidential race is about “in it to win it”. My reply to the other post was simply to say that he’s going after key voting blocs, i.e., hispanic in this case. Just as BHO is going after evangelicals (who I don’t think will fall for it).

But, in it to win it at any cost? No, I didn’t mean at ANY cost. John McCain and a few other politicians do stand by their beliefs (whether we agree with them or not) and often, that costs them elections.

No, the ones we should greatly fear are the very smooth, slick ones like BHO - THEY’RE the ones who often win at any cost. I don’t know which is scarier about those types - what their true agendas/beliefs are, or their ease in disguising and/or constantly changing them for the public.


78 posted on 07/10/2008 10:24:55 PM PDT by llandres (I'd rather be alive and bankrupt than dead and solvent)
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To: TADSLOS

In it to win it at any cost?”

Again, I never said “at any cost”. A most important distinction there.


79 posted on 07/10/2008 10:30:47 PM PDT by llandres (I'd rather be alive and bankrupt than dead and solvent)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist
Americans "need to make sure your child can speak Spanish."

To be more useful in the new global economy wouldn't it be better to learn Chinese?

80 posted on 07/10/2008 10:36:09 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Obama's idea of trickle-down economics is to piss on business.)
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