Posted on 07/09/2002 10:43:24 AM PDT by Tancredo Fan
Singer's remark riles Hispanics -- Greeley debates 'English' comment
By Michael Riley
Denver Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 09, 2002
A country western singer who told his audience at the Greeley Independence Stampede that immigrants should learn to speak English ignited an emotional debate in a community that has seen an influx of Hispanics over the past decade.
Warner Brothers recording star Chad Brock said Monday that his comments were meant to express his "pride in being American." But Hispanic leaders said they were racist and the failure of Stampede organizers to condemn them shows the refusal to embrace newcomers.
Brock stepped on stage Friday to belt out hits like "Lighting Does the Work," but he salted his performance with some sharp opinions.
In a speech between sets, Brock said he was tired of having to adapt to the widening influence of the country's newcomers. "You are coming to our country. We don't speak Russian. We don't speak Spanish. We speak English here," Brock told an audience of 7,000, according to the Greeley Tribune. While many Hispanics in the audience walked out, people who attended the event said many non-Hispanics cheered.
Brock, a former pro wrestler, said Monday that the comments came out of an honest patriotic fervor, inspired in part by a recent court decision declaring the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional.
"I'm not a racist. I wasn't directing the comments toward any particular group. I was speaking my mind as an American" during the Fourth of July holiday, Brock said.
"But I had no idea there were so many Hispanics in Greeley," he said. "I didn't mean to offend anybody."
Hispanic leaders said "offend" doesn't even begin to cover it.
"His comments were bigoted, inflammatory and hateful," said Roberto Cordova, a local college professor.
The issue goes deeper than Brock, said Jorge Amaya, director of the Northern Colorado Latino Chamber of Commerce. "The problem isn't what Brock said. The problem is that our community leaders didn't step up to condemn it."
At a news conference Monday, the Hispanic leaders demanded an apology from city officials, the event's corporate sponsors and Stampede organizers. They said this isn't the first time the Stampede has offended the city's growing Hispanic population.
Citing poor ticket sales, Stampede organizers last year canceled the fiesta section of the annual event.
Stampede marketing director Kyle Holman said organizers wanted to make the fiesta more inclusive and renamed it Family Night.
"Mr. Brock has the right of free speech just like every other American," Holman said. "But his opinion aren't necessarily the opinions of the Greeley Stampede."
But some here said they share Brock's sentiments.
According to census figures, Greeley's Hispanic population nearly doubled in the 1990s, as immigrants, many with limited English skills, took jobs in the region's meat packing plants and feedlots.
As the ethnic makeup of schools and neighborhoods shifts, some residents say they feel left out. Language has become both a divide and a flashpoint.
"If we're going to communicate, everybody needs to speak the same language," said Billie Messner, a patron at a local coffee shop.
Greeley City Manager Leonard Wiest said the city is working to accommodate newcomers.
Brock said Monday that while he's sorry if his comments offended anyone, he won't apologize.
"I had the guts to speak out, but I think a lot of people feel the same way," he said.
Barney Frank doing the same thing for "Services Rendered" in a brand new language he calls "scoutmaster"
It's already in place.
Are you saying that you want to federalize driver's licenses?
You think that giving the Feds the ability to take the motor-voter concept national will solve the problems you just detailed?
Brother, it will make them worse.
We are a Republic my friend, and we're getting farther and farther away from that rapidly...don't speed up the process.
Try to keep up, kid. I didn't say anything about Chad. I said the rest of us, as in the rest of us who are reading your ridiculous diversionary comments on this thread. I'm calling them what they are, invaders. You insist that they are immigrants, though you call them "illegal immigrants" which is the republican version of "undocumented workers"
What's the use of discussing whether illegal immigrants should learn English anyway? I thought that they weren't supposed to be here at all!
Good point. I don't want these invaders to be here long enough to learn English. I would rather they stay in their own country and overthrow the socialists who are keeping them poor. We have laws which allow us to throw them back over the border. That takes government action, though. Suddenly you've become opposed to any government action because your idol in the white house doesn't want to do his job.
Have you found yourself in a discussion you'd rather not be having? Don't you hate it when that happens?
I am not trying to do so.. But DL's are already "federalized"
That's the red herring behind the (ahem) national ID card. A State Issued ID is already valid anywhere as identification.
Plus, I think we need a standard. We alone (let the British delude themselves) established English as the universal language of pilots. It's to most commonly learned language in the world.
Personally, I see a rougue state turning a (granted) slightly leaning tower of pissa into a tower of babel.
I just see no need for it. If people want to speak spanish, fine.. Do so.
But I would prefer our business be conducted in English. It's our standard and we are divided enough with the identity politics as it is. We certainly need no more sub classes.
Of course they all speak English! How many descendants of Italian immigrants do you find today that speak only Italian?
Answer: none...roughly the same number of descendants of Hispanic immigrants who will speak Spanish only as many years down the road.
BTW...I am not pleased at all that my kids do not speak any Spanish, I wish they would. But kids normally learn a different language if their mother speaks it, or whoever the primary caretaker may be during their formative years if the mom's away at work.
My wife stayed home to raise our kids, and she is a bonafide, native-born American Jew...so my kids are Jews, with Celtic first names, and Hispanic surnames.
In other words...they're Americans.
Senator Byrd, in whatever language he used to communicate in before the humans found him and gave him a box in their back yard.
"I agree with Chad. Grow a pair and quit your whining. Chad's talking about invaders from a socialist hellhole who don't care about our laws, having flouted them by coming here without permission."
180 posted on 7/9/02 8:30 PM Eastern by Twodees
Oh, DeeDee...after shooting yourself on the foot so many times this past year, it's amazing that you can walk at all.
BINGO!!!!!!!
Our "dead"..
Dead the freeper.
?
Okay, in your words, what does this mean? It's obvious you think New Mexico was taken illegally from its "native" inhabitants (since the white newcomers were illegal and all)...just as the Arabs claim their "homeland" was taken and "illegally occupied" by the Israelis. Maybe that's not exactly what you had in mind, but your argument is consistent with that of the Arabs. So are you saying NM is illegally occupied or what?
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
How many Italian markets, deli's and restaurants have you been to where they do not also speak English?
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
I don't see a problem with people of any ethnicity continuing to enjoy and be proud of their cultural heritage.
What I have a problem with is recent immigrants who continue to have allegiance to the country from which they came, as opposed to becoming proud citizens of the United States.
Of course, this is largely the fault of the current liberal mindset that has entrenched itself in our schools and media which espouses multiculturism, and denies ALL our children the proper teaching of American history and civics.
I am!
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