Pet Peeves

Originally Posted by: magicninjaDoes it really? I'd have to say minamally. I'd say there's a ton of rich people spending more money on European vacations, trips to the Bahamas, skiing in the Alps, a weelend in Rio, ect., than what gets sent out by poor people trying to keep their families afloat. This is a horrible side effect of capitalism. Still you have money coming in too. Rich foreigners come here for vacation too. I don't know why. America has become a huge coast to coast mall in my eyes. Yet you have people like the leaders of Enron who are rich enough to begin with, steal more money and destroy the livelyhood of thousands of people. The hard working people you speak of no less. There are bigger causes for a dragging economy than immigrants sending a few hundred dollars a month to thier family.

I agree with you but I was referring to the middle class folk more like myself. Blue Collar Redneck. :cool:

Originally Posted by: bigbudaI agree with you but I was referring to the middle class folk more like myself. Blue Collar Redneck. :cool:

I'm saying immigrants are just a scapegoat. High gas prices, the war, high energy bills(this months heating bill was 1/4 of what i make in a month) are what kills the economy. They have us spending all our money on this essential stuff not to mention food and other things that are MUST HAVES for survival and still expect us to buy an Ipod or some irrelevent BS (not music gear! Thats a must have for some :D ). Thats why the economy is bad buda. When more than half your countries population is barely scraping by and the necessities are that costly no wonder it's going down the drain man.

Originally Posted by: magicninjaDoes it really? I'd have to say minamally. I'd say there's a ton of rich people spending more money on European vacations, trips to the Bahamas, skiing in the Alps, a weelend in Rio, ect., than what gets sent out by poor people trying to keep their families afloat. This is a horrible side effect of capitalism. Still you have money coming in too. Rich foreigners come here for vacation too. I don't know why. America has become a huge coast to coast mall in my eyes. Yet you have people like the leaders of Enron who are rich enough to begin with, steal more money and destroy the livelyhood of thousands of people. The hard working people you speak of no less. There are bigger causes for a dragging economy than immigrants sending a few hundred dollars a month to thier family. Plus you gotta ask yourself. If you were in thier position would you do the same? I know I would.

on a sidenote. Any cruise to the Bahamas will see alot of American Shoreline workers getting paid. Folks get paid to work on these vacation trips like airline pilots and everyone involved with that industry.

I have a good friend in Houston. He is from Cuba and worked for me as a truck driver for several years before I found out how he came to America. This guy floated here on a raft with two friends and he was the only one that made it. He had a wife, a couple of kids, a job, paid taxes out the wazooo for being a truck driver, and he knew how to speak english fairly well. People like him can do whatever the heck they wanna do with their money. I don't care, but if the money is straight sent out of America to be spent somewhere else and no tax has ever been paid on it. Yeah, I got a problem with that.


On the other hand I have a good friend

Originally Posted by: stacknyOh Im sorry man. Didnt realize there was an age limit on how old you had to be to hold an opinion. Silly me. :o I stand by my thoughts that immigrants should learn our language because I believe when in Rome. You dont come here for the convenience of living in this great country and do things your own way. [/QUOTE]
I never said there's an age limit. All I suggested was that you don't let yourself become opinionated. That's how you lose your ability to learn and if you can't learn anymore then what good are you to the world? I'll agree that it would be respectable if they were to learn English, but I'm not about to oppose the upbringing of the Spanish language. Again, this is an opportunity to grow, so why resist the change?

Originally Posted by: stackny
I never said Americans were perfect. What I am saying is that the people who come in here need to be monitored and some should not be let in at all for safety reasons.

This being the land of equal rights, if they have to be monitored then so should the natives. They're here to live their lives just like the rest. You've even said it yourself. We're not perfect. The Americans' history is littered with crude stains. Thus we're no better than them because we're guilty of our own crimes. Therefore, why should they be the ones to be monitored? That makes no sense and it's complete and blatant hypocrisy.

[QUOTE=stackny]
They dont necessarily owe us for letting them in, but they should pay common courtesy and try their best to be able to function with the majority of society. (And I dont mean function intelectually wise, so dont twist that and make me sound like Im calling immigrants inferior.)

Well, I probably would twist it around if there was much to twist around. I can't say I'm too sure about the point you're trying to get at. What do you mean by functioning with the majority of society? Do you think they should constantly come and conversate with us or something? Are they supposed to join us in our family reunions? Regardless, it's lame. They don't have to function with us if they don't want to because that's a right they've acquired by living here even though coexisting in the same country as us counts as functioning with not just the majority, but the entirity of society.

Originally Posted by: Cryptic Excretions The expectation that one must cater to another's views when entering a new country (especially one that throws around the word "free" like America: Land of the Free does)

In my younger years I was very fortunate to travel around the world and visit and "be allowed to be a guest" at the countries I visited I met a lot of wonderful people . I was not on vacation I was working and I didn't stay for a few days I stayed months. But as I mentioned I was a guest. And as a guest I had to make an effort to learn thier lanquage, and as a guest I had no right to complain about there house or the views of people in their house (country) and I certainly did't have the right to blow up thier people because I didn't believe in their polital views or religious views. If you go into your neighbors house and he speaks spanish you don't say to him learn engish so you can understand me. No you try to speak spanish... And you also don't insult the family of the house by saying the head of the house is a jerk... They tend to get pissed off and want to send you home.. The nice thing about America is that we are free to say our Government sucks, or we can be any religion we want and our laws even let our guests have those same rights. It is not a right to be a guest in a country it is a privlage.

Originally Posted by: magicninjaI'm saying immigrants are just a scapegoat. High gas prices, the war, high energy bills(this months heating bill was 1/4 of what i make in a month) are what kills the economy. They have us spending all our money on this essential stuff not to mention food and other things that are MUST HAVES for survival and still expect us to buy an Ipod or some irrelevent BS (not music gear! Thats a must have for some :D ). Thats why the economy is bad buda. When more than half your countries population is barely scraping by and the necessities are that costly no wonder it's going down the drain man.

Very, Very True. :o

Originally Posted by: sailorjimIn my younger years I was very fortunate to travel around the world and visit and "be allowed to be a guest" at the countries I visited I met a lot of wonderful people . I was not on vacation I was working and I didn't stay for a few days I stayed months. But as I mentioned I was a guest. And as a guest I had to make an effort to learn thier lanquage, and as a guest I had no right to complain about there house or the views of people in their house (country) and I certainly did't have the right to blow up thier people because I didn't believe in their polital views or religious views. If you go into your neighbors house and he speaks spanish you don't say to him learn engish so you can understand me. No you try to speak spanish... And you also don't insult the family of the house by saying the head of the house is a jerk... They tend to get pissed off and want to send you home.. The nice thing about America is that we are free to say our Government sucks, or we can be any religion we want and our laws even let our guests have those same rights. It is not a right to be a guest in a country it is a privlage.

I left myself open for that one, but that wasn't quite the point I was trying to get at. In short my stance is yes it'd be nice if they catered to us a bit, but I don't think they should go all the way. I think we ought to meet them in the happy middle.

Okay here we go. When was the last time anyone here (and I need everyone to answer becasue it's important) went to a store or what have you only to be helped by someone who didn't speak English? I never have. Always the person at the counter spoke English fine. I've never lost out because I speak English. If you can't handle choosing between English or Spanish on an ATM menu or on the phone raise your hand. I wanna meet the person who's time is that valuable. Point being is that THEY are the ones losing out if they don't learn English, not you. They are the one with the problem, not you. I cannot believe what a whiny, selfish society we live in. Oh, but as long as you send your 5 cents a day to the little starvin' children it's ok to think like that. :rolleyes: Humanity is finished if we can't get off of the racial trainwreck.

Originally Posted by: Cryptic ExcretionsI left myself open for that one, but that wasn't quite the point I was trying to get at. In short my stance is yes it'd be nice if they catered to us a bit, but I don't think they should go all the way. I think we ought to meet them in the happy middle.

It is funny to look at how sociaty has changed here. In the 60' and early 70's , (I can't go back to the 50"s). The attitude was The lanquage for this country is English learn it... If you didn't, you got left behind. Somwhere a long the line things changed. I think it started with rest room signs.. Now you can find street signs in 4 or five differnt languagues. You buy a car today and the manual it is wrtten in a slew of languages. (As you notice from my spelling I don't have the english language down pat yet either.) You call your bank today and you get a call center in India you can't understand a darn word they are saying and it is so frustrating. I think I like it better before... Which brings me to my pet peeve. Call centers in India....

Okay, this seems like the kind of thing I'm gonna let a lot of crap back for posting in, but I don't care. I don't believe that anybody should be able to say who you are allowed to be. How can anybody say, "if you want to come to this country for whatever reason that's fine, but leave who you are at the door. Oh, and once you get here don't be surprised if the fact that you weren't born here offends and angers a lot of people." Those people didn't CHOOSE where they were born any more than Americans did. Why do you feel that just because you live in America means you should get to choose how everybody else in America lives their own life? It's really none of your business what language other people speak, there is no time when it will hurt you or really affect you in any way. Maybe it would be easier for an immigrant if they learned english when they came to a largely english-speaking country, but if they choose not to for whatever reason, thats their choice. Not yours. If somebody wants to have keep their own culture and heritage at the cost of inconveniencing themself, that's their choice, and their right as an Amerian. That's right, they are Americans too. And having to choose between a language on a menu is JUST as inconvenient for them as for you. So how about everybody mind their own business, and stop putting down people just because they're different from you. I could go on, but I'm sure I would only open myself to more bull**** from people than I already have. But please go ahead and tell me that I'm wrong or an idiot or whatever you want, I fully expect it, and besides it's your right to tell me that if you want to, and everyone's rights should be valued.

Originally Posted by: acapella rapeme Oh, and once you get here don't be surprised if the fact that you weren't born here offends and angers a lot of people." Those people didn't CHOOSE where they were born any more than Americans did. Why do you feel that just because you live in America means you should get to choose how everybody else in America lives their own life? It's really none of your business what language other people speak, there is no time when it will hurt you or really affect you in any way. .

I think it is only a few people who really care what language other speak. But sometimes it does get weired a few years back in a Boston school a parent was demanding that there be duplicate classes, one for english and one for spanish I don't just mean it was one class it was all the classes needed from 1st to 12th it went to court.. I don't know what happened but I think it got shot down. It would be nice But the cost of duplicating a whole education system seems to be a bit drastic.. It really doesn't get that kid to where he can communicate in a mostly english speaking country and possibly limiting his potential... In the case that a person doesn't want to change his language. This is a great country they can do that.. But in a society which speakes a diffrent language puts you with only the small group you can comunicate with. Most likely limiting thier possiblities. And the same goes for us. If we can comunicate with english langauge and spanish now our horizons open up........

I also agree with all ninja had to say.

Originally Posted by: sailorjimI think it is only a few people who really care what language other speak. But sometimes it does get weired a few years back in a Boston school a parent was demanding that there be duplicate classes, one for english and one for spanish I don't just mean it was one class it was all the classes needed from 1st to 12th it went to court.. I don't know what happened but I think it got shot down. It would be nice But the cost of duplicating a whole education system seems to be a bit drastic.. It really doesn't get that kid to where he can communicate in a mostly english speaking country and possibly limiting his potential... In the case that a person doesn't want to change his language. This is a great country they can do that.. But in a society which speakes a diffrent language puts you with only the small group you can comunicate with. Most likely limiting thier possiblities. And the same goes for us. If we can comunicate with english langauge and spanish now our horizons open up........

Exactly what I am getting at, if people want to speak a language that isn't english, that's their own choice and they aren't hurting anybody except possibly themselves. It is great that people have that choice, now if only more people could respect that choice and those people.

Originally Posted by: stacknyYou dont come here for the convenience of living in this great country and do things your own way.

HA! Hilarious.

Originally Posted by: stacknyThey dont necessarily owe us for letting them in, but they should pay common courtesy and try their best to be able to function with the majority of society. (And I dont mean function intelectually wise, so dont twist that and make me sound like Im calling immigrants inferior.)

If we should all function with the majority of society, then you should hate George W. Bush. His approval rating is, what? 38%? Guess that means the majority of society is functioning a different direction. Straighten up and fly right or go back to Mexico, dude.

And it all comes back to when in Rome people. I say functioning with the majority of society by speaking the dominant language. English. The language of the US and the language of money. Im not gonna go to Japan and bitch and moan that nobody speaks English because Im where? Japan! They speak freekin Japanese. I realize that, and so should immigrants who come here and wanna bitch that we're trying to suck them into the stereotypical American culture. Maybe 200 years ago you came here and did things the way it was in the old land, but we have established some things since then.

PS-Jolly, it all depends on the pole youre looking at chief. ;)

Originally Posted by: stacknyIm not gonna go to Japan and bitch and moan that nobody speaks English because Im where? Japan! They speak freekin Japanese.

Who says that they are bitching about anything? You seem to be the one doing the bitching.

Originally Posted by: stacknyAnd it all comes back to when in Rome people. I say functioning with the majority of society by speaking the dominant language. English. The language of the US and the language of money. Im not gonna go to Japan and bitch and moan that nobody speaks English because Im where? Japan! They speak freekin Japanese. I realize that, and so should immigrants who come here and wanna bitch that we're trying to suck them into the stereotypical American culture. Maybe 200 years ago you came here and did things the way it was in the old land, but we have established some things since then.

Immigrants don't bitch that no one speaks their language! They know what they're getting into when they enter a country. Also, they're generally pretty glad to be where they end up. They often come from oppressive home countries.

I bet if you had your way, you'd change America's motto to "America: Land of the free.......just do everything we do or we'll ship you out."

Originally Posted by: stacknyAnd it all comes back to when in Rome people. I say functioning with the majority of society by speaking the dominant language. English. The language of the US and the language of money. Im not gonna go to Japan and bitch and moan that nobody speaks English because Im where? Japan! They speak freekin Japanese. I realize that, and so should immigrants who come here and wanna bitch that we're trying to suck them into the stereotypical American culture. Maybe 200 years ago you came here and did things the way it was in the old land, but we have established some things since then.

Raise your hand if you recall ever hearing any people pissed because Americans didn't change the dominant language to Spanish because they've moved here. I know there are plenty of people here that speak Spanish who can translate. Magicninja? Have you ever come across anyone that was bitching because English is the most common language? Seems like the only people that are bitching are the ones that have assumed that they're trying to alter things. The people that have catered to their Spanish-biased ways are the people that don't want to lose them as customers. ATMS and phones are Spanish friendly because, even if they can speak English, Spanish is still their native language thus they have a firmer grasp on it and all the more you can use to persuade someone to use your services all the better. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Your house doesn't have an English/Spanish option at the front door, but then again, you're not selling anything. If you had a business, would you want to limit your customers? And for the record, things are never "established." To have something established is to be finished. The human race is a constantly growing entity. As time passes, we discover newer technologies, newer ideas, newer directions, everything. To establish something is to say we're done growing and to finish growing is to finish living.