Obama Embarrassed by single language Americans

Obama embarrassed by Americans who can’t speak two languages.

OY!!! This Obama .. :shk:

This story was on TV this morning. I looked for a MSM outlet that would have links with the video or with quotes. I didn’t find any. (no surprise) What I found were these. They have the video and quotes of what was on TV this morning.
Salon.com is carrying this.

Blog carrying the story

Gateway pundit has a video.

Obama quote #1 – “Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English -- they'll learn English -- you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish.”

My response -

- LEGAL immigrants have to know a certain amount of English to get into this country. However, the ILLEGALS are a different story. His comment – they’ll learn English – is completely misleading and false.

- OF COURSE we should all be worried about immigrants (legal and illegal) learning English. The fact that so many can’t is a drag on our economy and a hardship for them as well as the rest of us.

- Not all immigrants to this country speak Spanish. There are MANY different immigrants coming to this country.

- What if my kid doesn’t want to learn Spanish? (she does … and is). English is the official language of this country and is ‘THE” international language (not French). She shouldn’t have to learn it if she doesn’t want to.

- NEWSFLASH to Obama … Most schools have foreign language programs. In our town we can pick Spanish, French, Italian, or Greek. Most schools where we live (and have lived) REQUIRE it.

Obama quote #2 – ” You know, it's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe, and all we can say [is], "Merci beaucoup." Right? “

WRONG Obama. My Response -

- MANY Americans speak foreign languages just fine. And even if there are those who travel and don’t speak the native language, it means nothing. We are NOT Europeans. We don’t want to be. We are Americans.

- The Euros that speak English and French and German do so because they have little countries all stuck together and they travel from little country to little country so it makes sense for them to know 3 or 4 languages. America is NOT built that way. We speak English. So does most of Canada. Mexico speaks Spanish and most schools in America offer Spanish.

This is just more eurocentricism and elitism from Obama, either that or he must not realize that most schools in America offer foreign languages and many even require it.

edited right away to fix links

[edit on 7/9/2008 by FlyersFan]

Hell, I'm embarrassed by this, too. It's a generalization, with all the dangers inherent with such, and yes, some Americans are multi-lingual, but the huge vast majority are not. In fact, based on what I see in these forums, as well as technical documents, of which I read far too many, a lot of "well educated" Americans are barely literate in English. For example, there seems to be a huge degree of confusion over which form of the word there/their/they're should be used in a given situation.

Effective education in other languages is not, at least here, available in the way it should be. For example, in our local area, there are multiple free classes for learning English as a second language, but to learn any other language as a second costs hundreds of dollars...

This is not 'eurocentrism' or 'elitism' on Obama's part... it is recognition of one more area in which education in the US is not up to the task... we keep hearing about the 'global marketplace' and all that noise, but too many Americans can't even communicate effectively in English, let alone another language.

you asked what if my child doesn't want to learn Spanish? That is fine, but your child will be at a sizable disadvantage. The US is sadly falling behind. And for no better reason than foolish pride. Most kids in the world today know at least two.

The earth doesn't revolve around us in America.

Maybe he should concentrate on getting the kids educated first and stop the drop outs and restore music and shop before trying to conquer the language. Just another iditic remark from His Majesty.

GREAT!

Now, if elected, i will expect a free, government paid for, Rosetta Stone CD complete set. I want the Japanese one!!!!!

I'm embarrassed by presidential candidates that open their/they're/there mouth. The whole circus of hollow men acting like they are there/they're/their to help the public is just getting real old. How many of these puppets do we have to go through/threw before people realize it's all a bunch of male bovine excrement?

reply to post by dgtempe


I don't think you'll ever receive one under Obama.

I do however think you will certainly pay a lot more taxes so that "someone" gets them.

Can Obama speak Spanish? I say take the government out of our school systems and Americans can learn what we really need to know. Entrepreneurship, Economics, Personal Finances & Investing, Ethics, Technology & Social Media, Politics & Conflict Resolution etc... Teach Americans how to become successful not failures.

I think we need to learn other languages, but it should be our choice of which ones to learn. In my personal opinion, Obama is a nut!

Originally posted by Open_Minded Skeptic
some Americans are multi-lingual, but the huge vast majority are not.

Most schools require a language. In this part of the country children are given Spanish classes beginning in KINDERGARDEN and this continues all the way through high school.

For those that are not multi-lingual. SO WHAT? America is English orientated. If the people who don't speak multiple langauges want to travel to Europe then they can take a little phrase book along for their two week vacation. No need to learn a whole new langauge just for a two week Euro vacation.

a lot of "well educated" Americans are barely literate in English.

then shouldn't they be learning ENGLISH first before being forced to learn a second and third language?

This is not 'eurocentrism' or 'elitism' on Obama's part...

In my opinion it definately IS.

He (again) wants us to be like Europe. But America is DIFFERENT from Europe. We have different foreign language choices in the classroom but most Americans have no need to learn French and German and Italian and ...etc etc. The Northern part of the Western Hemisphere speaks English and some Spanish. That is what is offered in most American schools.

Edited to add -

Originally posted by Solarskye
Can Obama speak Spanish?

No.

In my personal opinion, Obama is a nut!

More like a squirrel with a mouth full of nuts.



[edit on 7/9/2008 by FlyersFan]

Schools are supposed to teach children how to think. Learning math, reading, science, languages, etc. is usless if that child hasn't learned HOW TO USE that knowledge. From what I have seen, they only want children to reguritate test answers.

Originally posted by phineasJwhoopie
The earth doesn't revolve around us in America.

Obama is talking about Americans who travel to Europe for a vacation and don't speak the language. He makes it sound like no one speaks a second language. This is false.

In our schools Americans are offered many lanugages. Most of the time it's Spanish because that's what makes the most sense for us here. Euros NEED to know German, Italian, French, etc etc because those countries are stuffed right next to each other. It is totally different situation here.

Our school offers Spanish and Italian. We went the Spanish route. Other schools in this area offer Spanish, Greek, French ...

I don't know if Obama actually speaks Spanish himself, but he had a commercial in Spanish. He apparently does pretty well. I wouldn't know, but it sure sounds pretty.

I'm a bit embarrassed, too. Like OMS said, we went to take Spanish language classes and discovered that while English lessons were free, Spanish was expensive. I would like to see that changed. I would LOVE to learn Spanish. But the current set-up is unfair.

I agree with the writer of the Salon Article:

There's nothing particularly exceptional about Obama's position, unless you are an English-only partisan cowering in fear of your cultural identity being swamped by funny-looking people from strange lands. Or one of the similarly insecure patriots who believe any criticism of the U.S. is a sign of "blame-America-first" treachery. And I suppose the whole comment about "going to Europe" opens Obama up to more charges of elitism, and disconnection from the lives of those who, right now, can't afford to even think about going to Europe.

But to most people who actually grasp the fact that we live in a complex, interconnected global economy, being able to speak more than one language just makes a lot of sense. Maybe those of us who do feel threatened by Spanish-language signs in government offices would sleep a little easier if we understood what they they were saying.

No one should be worried about English. It's the business language of the world. I don't mind pressing 1 for English. I'll even press 3 for Swahili.

- NEWSFLASH to FlyersFan - Obama is making the arguement that people who don't know a second language will be at a disadvantage. The world is smaller now and many people are studying other languages to have a competitive advantage. Think of all the Japanese businessmen who learned English to do business here. Think of all the people in India learning English to get jobs that were once American.

If your supporting foreign language programs in our schools, then you are basically supporting what Obama is arguing for.

Failure to adapt to a changing world is not a sign of pride, it is a sign of laziness. If America does not adapt to the ever changing global system, it will get left behind.

It's complete BS, Obama is an idiot. Every few weeks he sticks one foot or the other in this mouth.

We have a different culture here. I took SEVEN years of french in school. All the way from beginner stuff in 6th grade to AP French in 12th grade which was a college level course. I wouldn't say I was fluent by any means, at least not at a normal conversational speed, but I knew enough to get by.

The only time I have ever used this was during my senior year of high school on a class trip to Toronto. We had a french speaking family sitting near us and I was able to understand a good deal of what they were saying. Since then, I have never applied it. Instead of teaching french, they should have been teaching personal finance then maybe the average person wouldn't be up to their eyes in debt.

Originally posted by DoBravery
- NEWSFLASH to FlyersFan - Obama is making the arguement that people who don't know a second language will be at a disadvantage.

NEWSFLAHS to DoBravery - That's NOT what Obama said. He said he was 'embarrassed' by Americans who travel to Europe and don't speak the langauge. He said nothing about us being at a 'disadvantage'. It was completely that HE was EMBARRASSED.

Sorry, but you are projecting.

I think Americans should be embarrassed by headgear worn by the Lefties.

I HAD to learn 3 languages English, Spanish and French. Why? Because my family knows how the world works and knows that knowing these languages will get you into places and will help you out when you're abroad. The only one I don't speak very fluently but I can communicate with is French. I was forced to learn French and I wanted to learn German the language of my Grandfather. Right now I want to learn Arabic the language of my other Grandfather (my mother's side).

Any way, I got a little off topic there... I think us as Americans SHOULD learn other languages and SHOULD feel how very important it is!! In the Army they use Rosetta stone online to teach almost all the languages. I think that's great! How about our children now and using it for good purposes like peace?

Personally I think that the American youth is down the drain, they rather learn nothing and just watch dumb shows on the TV. I have seen it with the people my age (25) they can't sustain an intelligent conversation and they don't know any COMMON knowledge at all.

It's very sad...

[edit on 7/9/2008 by jamiros]

[edit on 7/9/2008 by jamiros]

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by DoBravery
- NEWSFLASH to FlyersFan - Obama is making the arguement that people who don't know a second language will be at a disadvantage.

NEWSFLAHS to DoBravery - That's NOT what Obama said. He said he was 'embarrassed' by Americans who travel to Europe and don't speak the langauge. He said nothing about us being at a 'disadvantage'. It was completely that HE was EMBARRASSED.

Sorry, but you are projecting.

Well, let's look at the WHOLE context about what Obama said. I know it is difficult flyersfan to look at the REASON why he said it instead of pulling a line out of context to smear him.

You know, it's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe, and all we can say [is], "Merci beaucoup." Right?

Then he goes on to say:

We should understand that our young people, if you have a foreign language, that is a powerful tool to get ajob. You are so much more employable. You can be part of international business.

You make this thread to seem like something it is not.

- MANY Americans speak foreign languages just fine. And even if there are those who travel and don’t speak the native language, it means nothing. We are NOT Europeans. We don’t want to be. We are Americans.

Is it not true that people who speak many languages have a greater advantage in the international business community? I think that was his point.

You should really work for Fox News. Your spin is really incredible.

im an American
i grew up in Texas

i had to learn Spanish (2years), French(3years), and Latin(2years)

so i guess obama is a complete tard afterall

Brash generalizations, whats next ? Spit on my face and call it rain? wtf

i mean seriously people would elect an idiot that makes pointless generalizations like this? maybe hes embarassed for himself, cuz i can speak LATIN a dead language for over 1000years

i can read it too

and i was one of the mid-range students in the courses

in texas 3years of other languages was Required! or u dont get a diploma!

maybe this obama fellow (and every other politician) needs to actually visit normal america and see how things REALLY work....

anyways, on another note, that grammer nazi on page one missed several punctuation marks
i love the irony