Cops, Firefighters Forced to Learn Spanish

NewsMax.com ^ | July 10, 2002 | Michael L. Betsch

[Illbay]

For some reason the Chinese I've known and worked with didn't really speak English very well. They understood it far better than they spoke, and when I was supervising an engineering group a few years ago, where we had four Chinese on staff, there were some amusing lapses in communication from time to time.

Phillipines, my experience has been they tend to learn English in school from an early age. Vietnamese, either they never learn it till they come here or their English pedagogy must be terrible there. They tend to be the toughest to understand, and to be understood by.

As I said before, English is typically taught in the schools in Latin America. The biggest problem with Mexico, however, is that so few of the rural kids get much more than a few years of education. They just don't think it's important there, compared to the need to go to work to earn a living for the family, etc. Much as it was in frontier America back 150-200 years ago.

When these people come to this country, as so many do, they are ill-equipped in many ways to deal with our culture.

One of the interesting, though sad, things that happens very often here in southeast Texas, for example, is that many Mexican immigrants are often hit by cars trying to cross busy thoroughfares.

Where they come from, the fastest vehicle they will ever see is a bus or an occasional truck traveling on unpaved roads. They are simply not used to the concept of "traffic" and don't have a feel for how fast a REALLY fast-moving vehicle can come upon you, they try to cross a street and *splat!*

We have probably not had as uneducated and backward a people immigrating en masse to the U.S. since the Sicilians a hundred years ago. The Irish from the mid-1800s are similar.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

she has a somewhat amusing tendency to get gender pronouns wrong...

That's funny.    =;^)

I'll bet it's fun times at your place at Thanksgiving.

[jiggyboy]

If the fireman can't get any sensible information out of anybody, it's the same situation as if he comes up to a house and either there's nobody in sight or the only people in sight are passed out already. The fireman knows what to do in either case, so he does it. If it's "shrug and squirt", then that's what it is. And if there are charred remains of children and puppies inside, well, that happens and will continue to happen even when there's no language problem. That's "acceptable", I guess, that people die in fires despite best efforts.

I suppose it is arguable that in this hypothetical case the victims did not do enough to help themselves to survive.

[Schatze]

You missed the point, which is that the immigrants should learn to speak English. They want to reap the fruits of America, and I have no problem with that -- I hope they succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Asking them to learn English is a small price to pay.

We must have a common language if we are to communicate; speaking different languages in one country contributes to Balkanization.

[luvmysuv]

Its easy to see why you start your handle with an "I".. Its all about Illbay. Get a life---outside of yourself.

[FITZ]

is that many Mexican immigrants are often hit by cars trying to cross busy thoroughfares.

Here too --and some pro-illegals actually suggested stop signs be put up on I-10 for the Mexicans who were running over the Rio Grande and then over I-10 because we shouldn't expect them to be used to our Interstates. No one liked dodging a dozen Mexicans on their way to work and worse running over some.

[Consort]

The melting pot is melting down and being replaced by the melting olla and the melting wok.

[FITZ]

The fireman knows what to do in either case

I'd rather have a competent and strong fireman rescuing my family than a weak but multilingual one. We wouldn't expect them to learn sign language before they can save a deaf person. They also rescue babies who can't speak any language.

[Richard Kimball]

Agree with your sentiments. True story. We got a call on a multiple vehicle wreck on the interstate. I, unfortunately do not speak Spanish. Multiple patients, not enough rescuers. During quick triage I look into one of the vehicles, see several people, and ask if anyone needs medical assistance. Everyone shakes their head no. I proceeded to other vehicles. During secondary triage, found three people in vehicle needing medical treatment, and I'm talking closed head injuries, broken ribs.

None of the occupants spoke English, and had, in fact, been shaking their heads indicating they did not understand me. Fortunately, no one died because of this, and all were discharged from the hospital and fully recovered.

I'm not smart enough to solve the problems of the world, and I strongly believe that everyone coming to this country should learn English. However, my job is to save lives and protect property. Any tool that helps me to achieve that goal is worth while, and in Texas, you need to be able to speak Spanish to work with many of the people who are injured or need your help.

[hchutch]

You made an excellent point I did not think about.

My concern was that a misunderstanding could be fatal to the law enforcement officer or firefighter. I view having them learn Spanish as a means of protecting them, both on the street and possibly in the courtroom.

[ARA]

Pouge Mahon Ya Bollacks and GTFYCVQ....

The Irish...? You Ba$>ard! (I'm Assuming your male) LOL

[Illbay]

I strongly believe that everyone coming to this country should learn English. However, my job is to save lives and protect property.

That's all I'm saying. Thanks for saying it better than I could.

[Consort]

You have to speak other languages to know whether or not to spray water, agua, eau, wasser, vann, a água, l'acqua, etc. on the fire. Otherwise, everything will get hosed up.

[TXFireman]

No reply?

[been_lurking]

Okay, so here's your "dream scenario":

Alarm comes in to station, Fire & Rescue 1 & 2 respond. Within minutes of the alarm first going out, they arrive on the scene, to find nobody sitting on the curb...

So how does your silly little "dream scenario" play out now???

[Illbay]

You come up with your own scenarios, and I'll come up with mine. Mine happens to include people sitting there in a daze. Firemen will tell you this is pretty common.

[been_lurking]

But if nobody is sitting there in a daze, then the language spoken or not spoken by the firemen is pretty much irrelevant, no???

[Illbay]

It is my observation that typically emergency personnel train to prepare for problems that could reasonably come up. They don't worry about the politics of it, as you do. They don't try to tell themselves "it won't happen," because too often, it does.

[stuartcr]

The odds are, the immigrants that are causing the police these problems, are probably the last ones that would even consider learning english. I'm trying to be realistic.

[dennisw]

Yes, I well remember Illbay going on at length about his illegal alien housekeeper who made great Mexican breakfasts. And how he could give a **** if she was legal or illegal.