Posted on 07/06/2002 8:01:02 AM PDT by Lockbox
The customs you observe in your own home are your business, but when it comes to interacting with society at large, your either with us, or your.........well you know.
"This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity."
How can you type the first statement, and believe it. Then type the second, one paragraph later, and believe that as well?
Our national identity IS made up of the multiple customs, foods, and beliefs brought to these shores by every immigrant that's ever set foot on American soil. That's what defines American culture.
Is it possible that an accommodation to one third world custom would insult another third world immigrant. Therefore are we not opening a Pandora’s box with accommodations? After all most third world countries are such peaceful places.
I'm sure we make some Islamics mad because we are outraged at the Moslems in Pakistan who ordered the sister gang raped because her brother walked with a higher class girl.
____________________________________________________________ Indeed! It appears the current obsession with going public and making hub bub over individual offense being taken, is a big mistake. A population can not be micro managed successfully.
To loss our freedom in the name of freedom is STUPID. We are treading these waters.
When in Rome do as the romans; when in America, do as americans, anon.
A multicultural community means no common language, no common goals for life, and no common beliefs. With limited commonality, it would be very difficult to interact. No one wants to learn German to be able to order food in a German restaurant, and French in order to eat at a French restaurant, etc. But we all enjoy the various foods which immigrants have brought to this country. We just should be able to interact in a common language.
I live in Texas and the City of Houston has the sign for restaurant workers to wash their hands in both English and Spanish posted in all restaurants. Now I eat in Japanese restaurants all the time. Why no City of Houston restaurant sign in Japanese? Why discriminate against the Japanese? Why does the City of Houston force the Japanese restaurant workers to learn Spanish, but the Spanish restaurant workers do not have to learn English?
After all this country allows person of Arab and Jewish background to work and live together. Under pure multiculturalism there would be suicide bombers in America.
Come here, work hard, pay your taxes, obey the laws, and defend the country whenever the need arises.
That's what we should expect from all immigrants. Nothing beyond that, because if they do those things, they have succesfully integrated into our society.
What language people speak is none of my business, if I can't understand someone because they don't speak the common language, that's their problem, not mine. If a merchant hires someone who can't communicate with the general public, that's both his prerogative, and his problem, as his decision to exclude the majority of the population will impact him financially.
Practicing whatever religion they wish to practice is their Constitutionally guaranteed right.
The pre-occupation of some people with immigrants adopting the group-think, and turning their backs on who they are baffles me, because it seems to fly in the face of what I believe America stands for, which is the individual, and his rights.
The common language is English, but it isn't mandated by law. It wasn't even mandated by the Founders.
Goals are all the same: to grow and prosper, to raise a family, and take care of them, to be safe from harm.
The only common belief that I believe Americans should share, is the belief in Freedom...and that my friend. flies in the face of all the "be like everyone else or leave" arguments that anyone could possibly muster.
Because, if you are not free to be yourself, then you are not free at all.
No one is forcing the Japanese to learn Spanish. The only reason the stupid "Wash your hands" sign is printed in Spanish as well as English is for public health reasons. Its likely that 70% or more of the people working in the kitchen areas in Houston speak Spanish and relatively little English. If you want to avoid food poisoning, you post the signs in the languages that can be understood. What cant you understand about that? In other outlets, say stores, if a high percentage of your customers are Spanish speaking it probably pays to post signs you want them to understand in a language they can understand, that is if you want to motivate them to buy your product. Should these same signs be posted in Northern Michigan where few if any Hispanic workers or shoppers are found. No, of course not. Live near a border and you are going to see more than one language being used. You choose to live there.
Time to study other cultures and some of their beliefs regarding safekeeping of children.
I have seen parents in other nations who have mutilated their children to make them more pathetic when they beg money from American Tourists.
I have read about the Arabic Middle Eastern parents who have sent their children to be suicide bombers.
So not everyone has the same common plan for their children.
"No one wants to learn German to be able to order food in a German restaurant, and French in order to eat at a French restaurant, etc."
If I open a Cuban restaurant in the middle of Wyoming, and make the choice of printing the menu's in Spanish only, and hiring only Spanish-speaking staffers, that's my right as a business owner. And you don't have to patronize my eatery...that's YOUR right as a consumer.
Now, my place will probably shut down in a very short period of time, unless I figure out that I better communicate with the available clientele.
One way or another, the issue will resolve itself.
I am waiting for the story about the African who immigrates here but is now upset because he can no longer practice his occupation of "slave trading."
How insenstive can a country get? Don't we know that diversity is our greatest strength?
That was a little joke. But the case still exists that Japanese restaurant workers have only two choices, either English or Spanish, not Japanese. Therefore my point is about discrimination.
Its likely that 70% or more of the people working in the kitchen areas in Houston speak Spanish and relatively little English.
Would this not be called discrimination against the Japanese? Since the Japanese are in the minority, they have to adapt, while the majority (Hispanic) does not? Guess we could use the majority rule for other problems in the country, oops unconstitutional. It’s call discrimination based upon race.
If you want to avoid food poisoning, you post the signs in the languages that can be understood.
What if the restaurant workers do not speak either English or Spanish, say Chinese. Do you know that there are eight main Chinese dialects and over 300 minor Chinese dialects? Or what about a Pakistan restaurant worker who speaks neither English nor Spanish. Therefore a sign only in English and Spanish would not assist these restaurant workers and reduce food poisoning.
If a high percentage of your customers are English speaking, maybe we should stick to just one language. FYI from City Overview of Los Angles
Los Angeles is the country's gateway for immigrants from Asian countries of the Pacific Rim, and from Mexico and Latin America. People from 160 countries, speaking 96 different languages, all call LA home.
Guess they need a few more restaurant signs then Houston?
I have seen parents here mutilate theirs, drown them, grab them by their ankles and swing them against a wall like you would swing a baseball bat, burn them, hook them on drugs, prostitute them, rape them, beat them, starve them, chain them and keep them in a closet, throw the newly-born in trash bins, or drown them in public restrooms.
The parents in others countries who did what you say they did, did it out of a desperate need to survive, the ones here do it out of malice...what does that say about us?
To paint an entire ethnicity with a monochromatic hue based on the actions of a few, is a dangerous thing.
How would the world view us, and our love of our children, when looking at the statistics of child abuse, neglect, and murders in America?
Think again - in August 2000 President Bill Clinton’s Executive Order 13166 directing federal agencies to offer all government services in foreign languages. In the last hours of the Clinton Administration, Janet Reno and other executive department heads issued implementing regulations.
Hable Espanol?
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