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Across the Fence:  National Sovergienty  |
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jo Thompson
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jo
the mountainside of the Chugach
in Alaska
USA
603 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 18 2007 : 10:24:29 AM
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I agree Elizabeth, immigrants pick our fruits and vegetables and do many tasks most people would not even consider. If I were a recent immigrant I would feel most comfortable walking into a restaraunt where I heard people speaking my own language, etc. It all comes eventually, we are not an island here. People will come and go.......
I'll never forget being in Venice Italy and spotting a Burger King near a canal. Americans were crushing the place. How awful is that!! I haven't been in a McDonald's in years! jo
"life is drab without a lab"
http://web.mac.com/thomja/ |
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janetinva123
True Blue Farmgirl
363 Posts
Janet
newport news
va
USA
363 Posts |
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a rose
True Blue Farmgirl
443 Posts
Linda
Waterford
NY
USA
443 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2007 : 3:36:37 PM
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What if this happened in Mexico and the nationalities were reversed?
Remember me as a rose. |
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laluna
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
New York
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2007 : 4:04:37 PM
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I find it rather ironic that many of the people complaining about this being an English language issue seem to be having some trouble with the language themselves. 
And to further fan the flames, it's hardly the influx of immigrants that are responsible for weakening our country, since we've always had immigrants (and unless you're a Native American, you're of immigrant ancestry). Rather, I'd say it has more to do with the Current Occupant.  |
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Carolinagirl
True Blue Farmgirl
486 Posts
Kim
Rutherfordton
NC
USA
486 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2007 : 4:56:30 PM
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I don't have any issue at all with people speaking their native tongues within their communities, in the lines at the WalMart, to each other at the bank. I do have an issue with having to press one if I speak English when I call my phone company, my power company, my insurance provider. I'm in the US, folks, why should I have to press anything other than the language that is commonly spoken here? And before we go down the "lots of languages in the US" road, let me point out that we aren't asked to press two if we speak Irish, Indian, Portuguese, German or French. Just Spanish. Why are we not expecting someone to assimiliate in situations where the language spoken is English?
My ancestors were also Irish, though they didn't settle in NY- they moved on down South. They did not come with the notion, though, that they would change America, the place they dreamed of living and thriving, to be an Ireland away from home. They were here to be Americans, to be part of America and to become part of the melting pot, not a side item. I think people desire to come to America because it is America, for Pete's sake, and if they are looking to establish a little relocation country, then they shouldn't expect to be welcome.
And still, what this all boils down to, for me, is that people are crossing the border ILLEGALLY and DEMANDING that we treat them the same as a citizen. There's no way to dice that differently. It's wrong. Until you are a citizen, you have no rights here as a citizen. You have rights as a human being, which is why there aren't guards knocking every border crosser off with a gun, but you have no rights as a citizen. When those false privileges (sp) are granted to criminals, which is what one is called when one breaks the law, that weakens every citizen's rights. I don't expect to be treated differently than any other citizen when it comes to the law. Why are we allowing people who aren't even legal citizens to trample the law this way? Any logical explanation would be appreciated...
Kim in NC, clinging madly to her American flag
PS- Rosemary, your argument and words slap in the face of anyone who is tired of trying to understand and be lenient, caring... whatever. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2007 : 5:09:57 PM
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Okay ladies-
Lets all take a deep breath and take a step back from this conversation for a moment please. Remember the people who you are addressing are normally people you consider to be friends. One of the great things about our country is the freedom of speech, but with that freedom comes responsibility.
Please, remember when you are posting there are not facial expressions or body language so something that you might not have meant to be hurtful can really come across that way. And again- these are friends who will be reading the postings, so please treat everyone with kindness and respect. If you don't like what someone is posting, please either politely disagree and move on or ignore the posting. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but please lets try not to trample on the toes of others just to express it.
Just my two cents worth.
Thanks
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
http://home.test-afl.tulix.com/aleeandnora/ |
Edited by - Alee on Aug 18 2007 5:18:45 PM |
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happymama58
True Blue Farmgirl
1210 Posts
Patti
Missouri
USA
1210 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2007 : 5:17:05 PM
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With all due respect, Rosemary, the question about the situation being reversed is not at all specious. Even among the small number of people I know in the small midwest town I lived in and still work in, I know 3 people who own homes or have life-leases on homes & land in Mexico. (On a side note, they can't buy land since they aren't citizens, if I understood correctly from one of them). According to several travel and lifestyle publications (Retirement Living is one of them) that I read regularly at the library, buying/leasing land in Mexico is very popular with Americans of all income levels who want a 2nd home in a warm climate and don't mind it being out of the U.S. Land/housing there is cheap, labor is cheap, etc.
When dh was still in the military and was stationed on the Mexican border (this was 21 years ago), this was already quite common according to what we were told. Of course, military members were strongly cautioned not to do this because of the Mexican government issues.
Some people search for happiness; others create it.
Please email me for all your Mary Kay needs! |
Edited by - happymama58 on Aug 18 2007 5:18:32 PM |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2007 : 5:24:53 PM
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| I've deleted my message. It was much too harsh, and I apologize to everyone for having expressed myself as I did. |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2007 : 5:32:43 PM
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Patti, I did want to respond to your comment before exiting this thread. I realize that some Americans with the means to do so are finding it financially advantageous to relocate in Mexico and either working there or telecommuting back to jobs in the U.S., or, as you say, choosing to live there as retirees. I was talking about desperately poor people on both sides of the border, not relatively well-to-do Americans who have a variety of choices available to them.
Interestingly, the Americans you mention have begun to create a reversal of the poor illegal immigrant issue here. Some Mexican property and business owners are raising their prices to take advantage of this influx of US dollars, making some services more expensive for Mexican citizens. If this continues, I guess eventually it would begin to make Mexico less affordable for Americans, too. Ironic, isn't it? |
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Bonne
True Blue Farmgirl
3003 Posts
Bonne
Littleton
CO
USA
3003 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2007 : 5:39:49 PM
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At American Embassies all over the world, people are standing in line waiting to immigrate to the USA. Why should illegals be allowed to butt ahead in line?
I'm all for Teddy Roosevelt in his 1907 speech:
Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.
"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."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907
http://www.bonne1313.homestead.com/spiritspace.htmlSoap
http://groups.msn.com/spiritspaceCrafting Group |
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laluna
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
New York
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2007 : 6:11:15 PM
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| Too bad you deleted your post, Rosemary, as it was not only passionate but articulately reasoned as well. No need to apologize for speaking your mind. I personally was offended by the initial post, yet I'm sure it won't be deleted. Now, the original post was not even about the illegal immigration issue, rather, it was about hearing Spanish being spoken in McDonald's. Perhaps, as a former ESL teacher, I'm more than a little sensitive to the ignorance that I frequently encounter in terms of foreign language use and minority cultures (though I hope everyone realizes that in a few short years, Caucasians will in fact be in the minority population in the U.S.). I taught in an urban district for a number of years, in a neighborhood that was predominantly Hispanic, and 100% poverty. The people I encountered there were some of the hardest working people I'd ever met, trying to improve their families' situations. And I can also tell you that on parent conference days, they would show up, clearly interested in or concerned about their children's education, wanting to be sure their children were doing well with English because they knew the kids needed it to be successful in school and life! However, many parents were also clearly terrified and intimidated by the whole idea of coming into the school in the first place because they did not speak English that well. It's about feeling comfortable. (As somewhat of an aside, I've also spent time in a Spanish-speaking third-world country, and it's easy to see why people have always wanted to come to the U.S.) |
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Across the Fence: National Sovergienty |
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National Sovergienty
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