What "Being an American" Means

[Vudak]

Originally posted by whiteman
i pulled into Jack in the Box on the North side of Houston  and the person talking at the drive thru spoke spanish and enough english to jack my whole order up. I had to go inside to get it staright but only after spanish speaking person decided to back into my car. Of cousre no Insurance, driver's license or state ID. needless to say i have no more sympathy for them.

Just do this:

[Phaser11]

So, what is a true american? [/B]

You have to eat Bork BBQ!!!!!  

[Odee]

*Didn't take long for this to devolve.*  I suggest you Nordelings re-read the opening until you understand what Teddy Roosevelt is saying.  Knowing the words, and understanding what they mean, are two entirely different things.

Originally posted by 68ZooM
It would be if they were planning on going to a spanish speaking country or planning on moving there.

Zoom, I offer this one word solution; ACLU  

Our public education system cannot 'force' a particular second language on any American student.  They can offer a choice of languages if you want to become multi-lingual... but it is unConstitutional for them to force that choice upon your kids.

[ink]

as i read this i am getting ready to go to work, i just put on my tshirt that says "welcome to America  now speak English"

  and i wonder what it means to be American

well for one its about FREEDOM :



"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here.
Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."


how does this statement in anyway proclaim freedom?
it does not
"only one flag...one language...one loyalty..."

you can take this type of "freedom" and well...to put it nicely
no thank you
you wave whatever flag you want...
you can do whatever you want...
BUT every ones freedom stops at someone else's doorstep.

[Odee]

It is about Loyalty to one country...  The one of your citizenship.  
Other than in the minds of some delusioned people, there is no such thing as a hyphenated American... It's just plain AMERICAN.  
Nobody is saying leave your heritage behind... Just don't go trying to change ours.

How can so few of you understand this?  I certainly had thought someone from New Hampshire would.

[VOR]

Originally posted by Eagler
mutts who should be required to speak english as their 1st language

Nah. It's a free country. Required (as in by law) would be rather....unfree.

[Larry]

Originally posted by whiteman
i pulled into Jack in the Box on the North side of Houston  and the person talking at the drive thru spoke spanish and enough english to jack my whole order up. I had to go inside to get it staright but only after spanish speaking person decided to back into my car. Of cousre no Insurance, driver's license or state ID. needless to say i have no more sympathy for them.

I got pulled over one night on the north side of houston first words that the cop said were spanish. Im all for letting you speak whatever language you want, but if you live in america you should have to speak fluent english. Before I droped outa high school to be home schooled we didnt HAVE to take a language class. The three they offered were german, spanish, and french. I chose german, but only took one class before leaving.

[Eagler]

Originally posted by VOR
Nah. It's a free country. Required (as in by law) would be rather....unfree.

then lets have street signs in every language in the world

[moot]

He might have meant to say you oughta speak english, but that you shouldn't necessarily be disqualified for having a native language other than english.

[john9001]

my grandparents on my mothers side came from Italy, when my mother was growing up her mother told her, " you american now, speak american".

[indy007]

Originally posted by whiteman
i pulled into Jack in the Box on the North side of Houston  and the person talking at the drive thru spoke spanish and enough english to jack my whole order up. I had to go inside to get it staright but only after spanish speaking person decided to back into my car. Of cousre no Insurance, driver's license or state ID. needless to say i have no more sympathy for them.

Funny. White people screw up my orders far more frequently than the people speaking spanglish. "No egg" means "No egg".

Yes, I'm white, and do not speak Spanish.

It blows my mind. Orders taken in by spanglish speakers are 95% correct for me. Orders taken by english speakers, 75% or less.

[VOR]

Originally posted by Eagler
then lets have street signs in every language in the world

I think you misunderstood my meaning. Try it literally.

[x0847Marine]

Originally posted by Yeager
Whatever...enter the country legally or get the heck out.  

No amnesty for illegal immigrants!

But it worked so well in Europe... lol

Spain gave amnesty to 600,000 Africans in 2005, since then they have caught more than 5X the number of Africans trying to sneak in just the first 8 months of 2006!! --> 24,000. The lame-o French experienced an identical surge after an amnesty deal in 1997. I guess nobody in congress has time to learn from others mistakes, they're too busy slurping party dribble.

When you feed the Wolves, they won't hunt for themselves.

[whiteman]

Originally posted by indy007
Funny. White people screw up my orders far more frequently than the people speaking spanglish. "No egg" means "No egg".

Yes, I'm white, and do not speak Spanish.

It blows my mind. Orders taken in by spanglish speakers are 95% correct for me. Orders taken by english speakers, 75% or less.

lucky you