1168: The Key of Awesome

[starscream]

Originally Posted by picard102

Ya, I don't think that argument holds much value either. But I'm still of the opinion that if you intend to live in a country you should know it's official language.

We have no official language here.

[BrownEyedBtch]

Originally Posted by Junkenstein

It's not racist. It's just a request for a common compromise: we all live in the same country, we have opted for a language, if you want to live there you have to learn it.

That particular argument would have been fine before immigration got completely out of control. The most commonly spoken language outside of English in the US is Spanish. This proposes to intentionally target Spanish-speaking people, regardless of their citizenship. If you create laws intended to target a particular race of people for not being able to conform to another race, that is racist.

Originally Posted by Lord of the Cock Rings

I agree the test should be available in whatever languages are necessary to properly test people. However BEB if you're born in the US and make it 16 years without learning enough English to take a driver's test, you shouldn't be driving.

As I said, the ability to drive and the ability to take a driving test are not one in the same. Anyone can learn to operate a vehicle and figure out road signs. We hear stories of kids doing it all the time.

Are you from CA? Not all children born to Mexican parents enter American society by the rules. Many get home schooled or not schooled at all, thus not giving them enough exposure to English to learn the language.

[Scoe]

It is really annoying how ready Americans are to cut off their nose to spite their face. Would it be nice if everyone who came here spoke and read English? Yes of course it would, however that is not the world we live in and it never will be. Can we please stop creating legislation based on what we wish the world was like and start making laws that actually address a real issue? The only thing that limiting a driving test to English would achieve would be more unlicensed drivers.

Also can we stop using the phrase common sense? The problems we face cannot be solved by little folksy truisms and gut reactions.

[marina]

That MS bit is the gift that keeps on giving. This was a great show.

Originally Posted by starscream

We have no official language here.

This.

[Junkenstein]

Originally Posted by BrownEyedBtch

That particular argument would have been fine before immigration got completely out of control. The most commonly spoken language outside of English in the US is Spanish. This proposes to intentionally target Spanish-speaking people, regardless of their citizenship. If you create laws intended to target a particular race of people for not being able to conform to another race, that is racist.

Yes, that's what i thought too.

On the other side (and if it aint clear already, i always try to look at all sides of an issue, so i aint racist or xenophobic) it would be difficult AND weird to let all members of the multiethnic and multilingual american society to conduct things like driving tests or other social requirements in their own language. You set one precedent and then you would have to conduct tests in chinese, indian, african dialcts (which are almost a hundred and all different).

I think that exactly BECAUSE you are a country with high immigration, you need to have a common language as a main point, or else you would become sort of Babel Tower of cultures with nothing to glue them together.

English isnt "official" but it's the most commonly known. It's simple and manageable.

It's a bad argument, since racist rednecks love to use the "learn english or leave" refrain to go against immigration. But it's a conceptually right argument. A common language is like a set of laws. It's a unifying point.

Italy is disgregating faster lately also becasue some politicians are pushing on the importance of "regional dialects". This has brought people from different regions to feel less part of a unified country and more part of a bunch of separated groups. Personally i think english should be the common language of the world.

[picard102]

Originally Posted by starscream

We have no official language here.

Yes you do. Not federally mandated, but the majority of States have English as their official language. One such state happens to be Alabama, where this discussion originates.

In addition, 96.17% speak English in Alabama and only 3.83% speak something else.

[starscream]

Originally Posted by picard102

Yes you do. Not federally mandated, but the majority of States have English as their official language. One such state happens to be Alabama, where this discussion originates.

That's why we don't have an official language. Some places have more people speaking things besides English than others. And you said "if you intend to live in a country you should know its offical language." So don't pretend now you only were speaking of Alabama.

[Blitzgal]

Originally Posted by starscream

That's why we don't have an official language. Some places have more people speaking things besides English than others. And you said "if you intend to live in a country you should know its offical language." So don't pretend now you only were speaking of Alabama.

And for people who make the argument that the national language is automatically the language that most of its residents speak, then in several decades when Hispanics outnumber whites of European descent I assume these same people will then be in favor of making Spanish the country's official language, and will also learn it themselves.

I will take the teabaggers sentiments seriously on this front when they learn English:

[punk'n]

Loved the guest! He really got the vibe of the show and was very quick witted. Yay!

[Junkenstein]

Agreed my dear anime eyed zumbing friend.

There has been a good run of guests that were immediately at ease with K and C (with the exception of Marina). I think that hangin out during the marathon helped the boinding.