Follow Up: English as Official Language

Merrida · 21-Dec-07, 11:02 AM

This is not a continuance of the last thread but given the vote and the preseidency coming up this post sheds light on 2 new points:

Si Habla
TAKE A FEW MOMENTS AND READ THIS LETTER. THESE ARE STRONG, POWERFUL AND COURAGEOUS WORDS COMING FROM A RETIRED COLONEL.

AND READ WHAT LINCOLN HAD TO SAY AT THE END.

WOW!
Subject:
33 Senators Voted Against English as America 's Official Language on June 6, 2007. On Wed. 6 June 2007 23:35:23 - 0500 Colonel Harry Riley , USA , Ret. wrote:
< /B>Senators:
Your vote against an amendment to the immigration Bill 1348......to make English America 's official language is astounding. On D-Day, no less, when we honor those that sacrificed in order to secure the bedrock, character and principles of America , I can only surmise your vote reflects a loyalty to illegal aliens. I don't much care where you come from. What your religion is. Whether you're black, white, or some other color.....male or female......Democrat, Republican or Independent...... But I do care when you are a United States Senator representing Citizens of America ...and vote against English as the official language of the United States .
Your vote reflects Betrayal. Political Surrender. Violates Your Pledge of Allegiance. Dishonors historical principle. Rejects Patriotism. Borders on traitorous action and, in my opinion, makes you unfit to serve as a United States Senator....... Impeachment.......Recall........Or other appropriate action is warranted or worse.
Four of you voting against English as America 's Official Language are Presidential Candidates: Senator Biden, Senator Clinton, Senator Dodd, and Senator Obama. Four Senators vying to lead America, but won't or don't have the courage to cast a vote in favor of "English" as America's Official Language when 91% of American Citizens want English officially designated as our language. This is the second time in the last several months this list of Senators have disgraced themselves as "political hacks"...... Unworthy as Senators and certainly unqualified to serve as President of the United States . If America is as angry as I am, you will realize a backlash so stunning it will literally "rock you out of your panties"......... and preferably totally out of the United States Senate. The entire immigration bill is a farce.... your action only confirms this really isn't about America .....it is about self-serving politics.....despicable at best. It has been said:
"Never Argue with an Idiot....
They'll drag you down to their level!"
The following Senators voted against making English the official language of America :
Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE) Wants to be President?
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Clinton (D-NY) Wants to be President? (GOD FORBID! )
dayton (d-mn)
dodd (d- MN) wan ts to be president
domenici ( R-nm) coward. protecting his senate seat
durbin (d-IL)
feingold (d-win) - not unusual for him
feinstein (d-ca)
Harkin (d-ia)
inouye (d-hi)
jeffords (I-vt)
kennedy - (d-ma)
kerry (d-ma) wanted to be president kohl (d-wi))
lautenberg (d-nj)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT) Disappointment here.....
Menendez (D-NJ)
mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL) Wants to be President? GOD FORBID!
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV) Senate Majority Leader
Sa lazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-M
"congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale, and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged!!!
Presiden t Abraham Lincoln
PLEASE KEEP THIS GOING AROUND THE UNITED STATES TILL THE ELECTION!

TomG · 21-Dec-07, 12:39 PM

Quit YeLLing at me!Learn to spel and use cappitals letters

Then we can have an intelligent conversation. The Lincoln quote was pretty random and off-topic, but what the heck.

Merrida · 21-Dec-07, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomG

Quit YeLLing at me!Learn to spel and use cappitals letters

Then we can have an intelligent conversation. The Lincoln quote was pretty random and off-topic, but what the heck.

Dude, look, I just copy & paste 'em as I get 'em, I don't sit there and sift through all this stuff to edit 'em. I figure the average reader will figure this stuff out all by themselves.

Besides, this isn't MY QUOTE that I'm yellin' atchyer, but if my passion about this subject were to be revealed in such a way, (as yellin') you bet your sweet patootie I'd be YELLIN' ATCHYER just the same,...('cept probably an octave or two higher). I get this guy's newletter, as it happens, because I share his (zealous) belief about this subject.

I don't seem to have a problem sifting through the "yelling bits" to understand the point. I'd imagine whoever first put this thing together either did not fully comprehend how their fonts may translate to some sites,....or,....didn't really give a rat's ass because he felt pretty strong about the subject. Personally, I'm over myself enough to get the jist of what this post is supposed to be about.

If you're offended by this man's YELLIN' or feel that's sufficient reason to disengage from having an opinion about this, then by all means, disengage. I was just sharing something that came across my desk, in the manner in which it came across my desk (font size & all), because I think it's an important issue (font size be damned).

Personally I liked Lincoln's quote, and agree with how it should represent the way we treat those who are having a problem upholding this country. (Even if they're hard of hearing).

21-Dec-07, 02:35 PM

I believe English is the official language in America and believe a law so proclaiming it is a good idea.

TomG · 21-Dec-07, 02:50 PM

The opening post was the equivalent of some poorly hand-scrawled poster carried by a man yelling half-unintelligible rants on a street corner in San Francisco. He may have a point, but who will get it? The thread has one title, and the rant goes in several different directions.

Lincoln's quote is about war, not about making it legally unnecessary to give driving tests in Estonian.

And what does "wanted to be president kohl" mean?

**MAURER** · 21-Dec-07, 04:42 PM

what purpose does a law making english the official language serve?

**Firehawk** · 21-Dec-07, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAURER

what purpose does a law making english the official language serve?

Why CAN"T there be a law proclaiming it? What is wrong with having one? I don't think it's ever gonna happen, but just asking. I know i was taught to never answer a question with another question, but it makes for interesting conversation.

**MAURER** · 21-Dec-07, 07:36 PM

why can't there be one? ...well there COULD be a law for so many things. but i don't see the benefit in making laws that don't serve any function. i don't see what purpose it serves unless it would somehow restrict other languages such as spanish which is kind of silly.

**Gooseneck** · 21-Dec-07, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomG

Quit YeLLing at me!Learn to spel and use cappitals letters

And you're talking about spelling ???

**Firehawk** · 21-Dec-07, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAURER

why can't there be one? ...well there COULD be a law for so many things. but i don't see the benefit in making laws that don't serve any function. i don't see what purpose it serves unless it would somehow restrict other languages such as spanish which is kind of silly.

It will serve a purpose alright, it will serve to get every minority and activist group's panties up in a bunch, that's what it'll do.

**cursor** · 21-Dec-07, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Your vote against an amendment to the immigration Bill 1348......to make English America 's official language is astounding. On D-Day, no less, when we honor those that sacrificed in order to secure the bedrock, character and principles of America , I can only surmise your vote reflects a loyalty to illegal aliens. I don't much care where you come from. What your religion is. Whether you're black, white, or some other color.....male or female......Democrat, Republican or Independent......

Um ... what the hell does D-Day, or the death of US troops (many of whom spoke more languages than just English) have to do with English being the "official" language of the USA? What is the mandatory connection?

Seriously ... (should I add more "dots"?) how bad is this person's English? In making a serious plea for English to be the official language of the United States of America (vs. "America"), wouldn't it make good sense to carefully craft the language using the proper grammatical rules of the English language and reasonable sentence structure?

Quote:

Your vote reflects Betrayal. Political Surrender. Violates Your Pledge of Allegiance. Dishonors historical principle. Rejects Patriotism. Borders on traitorous action and, in my opinion, makes you unfit to serve as a United States Senator....... Impeachment.......Recall........Or other appropriate action is warranted or worse.

Now THAT [segment of his/her] rant certainly a string of nonsense that deserves editing for punctuation correctness. Perhaps IF there is a valid argument for English to be the official language of the USA, then we should also stipulate a minimal level of [rule-based] proficiency.

Quote:

The entire immigration bill is a farce....

If this individual feels that the immigration bill is a farce, then why might he/she have a problem with politicians NOT extending its wording and application?

Quote:

"Never Argue with an Idiot....
They'll drag you down to their level!"

I guess there was really no need to generate this agumentative post, then.

Why homogenize the wonderful cultural melting pot that is America?

¿De los "91% of American Citizens want English officially designated as our language", cuantos tienen experiencia significante con mas idiomas?

**cursor** · 21-Dec-07, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gooseneck

And you're talking about spelling ???

Um ... clearly the author knew what he was doing. The point made is craftfully nested. Did you miss it?

TomG · 21-Dec-07, 11:41 PM

Thank you, Cursor, I was afraid I'd have to essplain my own joke to Lucy.

I enjoyed your first post.

**Gooseneck** · 22-Dec-07, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cursor

Um ... clearly the author knew what he was doing. The point made is craftfully nested. Did you miss it?

Yes I did, thank you for clarifying that for me.

Merrida · 22-Dec-07, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomG

The opening post was the equivalent of some poorly hand-scrawled poster carried by a man yelling half-unintelligible rants on a street corner in San Francisco. He may have a point, but who will get it? The thread has one title, and the rant goes in several different directions.

Lincoln's quote is about war, not about making it legally unnecessary to give driving tests in Estonian.

And what does "wanted to be president kohl" mean?

Discussions, or rants if you will, often go off in different direction. Not all posts or emails or correspondents are singularly concise. The jist of the whole message was clear enough to me (even if he wrote it in a way you don't like). I had no problem and perhaps that's because I believe along a similar line: When we cease to enforce English as our official language, we open ourselves up to all other sorts of invasion (that does not mean military, tactical invasion). When we cannot uphold that which our immigrant forefathers came here seeking, legally, and in doing so, leanred our language, our history, they assimilated (and I'm living proof of their ability to do so WHILE still retaining their original culture). I believe that denouncing God in our pleges and money goes against America. I believe the veterans of our country fought for freedoms which we are regurgitating unappreciatively in their faces, and one way is by illustrating what a hard time "those in power" seem to have by upholding something as simple as English. (That doesn't mean we avoid inclusion of other cultures, it means we stand up for our own FIRST). I see Lincoln's comment very appropriate: We're turning our backs on what was fought for (this is about more than a language, the language is one huge symptom of a country falling apart). The other reason I agree with it is because what they are essentially doing is ripping the threads of this country apart. How can that be viewed as anything but "anti-American?"

English as our primary (not only, but primary, official) language is part of what defines us,...THAT is what it has to do with this.

If you'd rather keep "pressing 1 for English and being forced, not encouraged, there's a difference, if you prefer to interface with people who cannot speak the language of the country they apparently want to live in so badly, then I view your attitude as unpatriotic as well. (These are not attacks on people, but attacks on behavior,....here in my post).

It's easy to see.

I also see how many people like to sit comfortably in their unchallenged armchair passing judgment without interacting with those situations these newsletters are being written about. Controversy is often shunned or attacked, not debated, and as long as we make nice, don't express emotions which may cause others to think or may, Heaven forbid, upset them.

Firey debates (in terms of topics in the mainstream that are causing people in the country to FEEL passionate), can be a joy because we can learn from them,...just take them for what they are.

This was the 2nd voting on this, ergo 2 threads. If you have questions about what the writer of the newsletter may have meant, I cannot help you, it is not my newsletter.

The timing of the newsletter was just meant to show that such a powerful decision was made on a day normally meant to observe the fight for freedom. How,....interesting,....the same day was chosen to turn our backs. That is what it has to do with it.

.