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Originally posted by hotbakedtater
He knows English, and it is his constitutionally protected right to speak in any language he sees fit. There is NO official language in the melting pot.
Originally posted by tamusan
I try to learn the native tongue for every country I live in. It's only a common courtesy. I have also studied Spanish for several years, beginning in grade school. I speak Spanish when I visit countries where that language is predominant. While in the United States, I greet Spanish speakers with a blank stare, despite usually understanding what they say to me.
He was here for 22 years and still won't try English? How pathetic.
Originally posted by Merigold
But that wasn't a conversation. It was testimony in a legal context. As such I can fully understand his wanting to testify in his native tongue.
Originally posted by Scoriada
Seriously? You have been in the country for 23 YEARS and you still feel more comfortable speaking Spanish? You're either LAZY or STUPID or both.
Originally posted by Sherlock Holmes
Originally posted by Scoriada
I did not know "racism" was a crime in the UK. Isn't that kind of like "snobbishness" being a crime? or "vanity"? or "stupidity"?
''Inciting racial or religious hatred'' is a crime in Britain.
No, it's absolutely nothing like vanity or snobbishness being a crime. The legislation is intended to protect minorities from any insidious and nefarious actions which may come from the majority.
You see, in the UK and other countries in Western Europe, we adopt a logical, common sense and fair approach to our way of life.
In the USA, on the other hand, you fashion your society and way of life around a 200-year-old document which was written and composed by people who believed that it was acceptable to ''own'' another human being as property.
Originally posted by totalmetal
Maybe he's just expressing his freedom to speak whatever language he pleases? The united states doesn't even have an official language.
Unfortunately this is a fact. If I ever get a chance to vote change this fact I will do so.
Originally posted by LargeFries
reply to post by Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes makes an excellent point:
"The US has no official language."
Originally posted by LargeFries
reply to post by Sherlock Holmes
"The US has no official language."
Our guvmint cares enough about us to tax us 57 ways till Sunday, fill our youngsters with lies & false patriotism so they scurry off to die in the military, but not enough to make English the declared language of the USA.
Taxes & war, yes. Communicating w/ each other? No. Uncle Sam says 'divide & conquer, comrade'.
The USA would be a great country if the people actually formed independent and intelligent ideas for themselves, rather than hiding behind a dog-eared, ridiculous parchment in an attempt to impose their reactionary views on everybody else.