Thread: Why are we so afraid to voice our opinion?

I agree 100%. It has gone too far. I refuse to ever learn Spanish, just to be sure that I am not accomodating anyone.

We took our kids out of the schools and homeschool for these reasons as well as the level of education. I was told that my daughter (now would be taught Spanish from kindergarten on. No way!!

If they learn a language it will be of either my choosing, or theirs, not the school districts.

Besides, last time I checked, this was the USA and until that changes, I will say what I want to say, no apologies.

When anyone calls a name...whether it's 'racist' or 'xenophobe' or whatever it is they don't have an argument...they just lost the argument.

I reply, "I am not a rascist...I am a patriot'
"I am not a rascist, I am a pragmatist'
"I am not a rascist, I'm an American Indian"

Etc..there are many ways that one can respond to this PC that the illegals think they will use to steal our nation from us. They have NO position...no legal standing so they are confined to insults and lies...don't let it work on you.

The other thing they use is the threat of violence...if those 'marchers' had been searched for weapons the outcome would have been quite different. I'd be willing to wager that 2 out of 3 had a knife in their boot...or a gun concealed somewhere on their persons...

MJ

Those of us who live on the border have seen this trend as it evolved.

Our city governments are pretty well taken over. Many of our congressmen are people who came from somewhere else. Our president has now appointed a guy named Gonzales, former member of LA Raza, I'm told, as attorney general of the United States of America! They're climbing higher and higher up that ladder.

And you are right, Americansunite, we are called racists for not wanting the education of our kids to deteriorate. We are called racists for sounding the alarm from neighborhoods completely taken over by people who are probably illegal immigrants.

I don't have kids in school but I am acutely aware that the kids who are in school today will be running this country tomorrow. I'd like for them to at least have sense enough to come in out of the rain. That isn't going to happen if this trend to reach out to kids whose parents let them stay out all night roaming the streets, kids whose parents don't speak English and don't encourage their kids to learn, kids whose parents use the school system for a babysitting service for children who are ill and spreading diseases throughout our cities are allowed to take over the rest of our nation's schools.

I have personally been denied jobs because I don't speak Spanish. I haven't looked at the ads in the paper in a long time but they used to put Spanish in as a requirement. Then they started saying "bi-lingual," as though the only other language spoken in this country besides English is Spanish. But I must surely be a racist for complaining about that!

I won't speak Spanish! Nor will I let the people around me know that I do have some idea what they are talking about because then I would no longer be privvy to conversations I don't want to hear but I know I need to hear in order to assess the situation. I must be a racist for not wanting to share my knowledge with people who don't want to share their knoweldge with me because I am an outsider.

We on the border have been speaking out for years but nobody wanted to listen. Now that they march around the streets and people in the heartland of America know the danger they have allowed to invade their communities while they closed their eyes and trusted their government-- now that other Americans realize that those of us who have been trying to tell then this would happen if they didn't join with us to fight against it-- I hope it's not too late.

I never say, "I'm an not a racist." That kinda puts you on the defensive -

As to the children learning Spanish, I have a different take on that. For years, I have been livid that we taxpayers have spent millions teaching Mexican children to speak English and at the same time NOT teaching our kids to speak Spanish.

Even if each and every illegal were sent home tomorrow - day dreaming - we would still have the millions that were given amnesty in the 80's and the millions of their offsprings. Then we would have the anchor babies - and the intermarriages with citizens. These people are definitely not going back to Mexico. Even if our government tried, the lawsuits would last a lifetime.

There is a whole raft of Spanish speaking HB workers here and some that come under a provision of NAFTA. All coming with their bi-lingual, often very well educated spouses.

Our children will be at a definite disadvantage in the job market. That is a fact, an hard-to-swallow fact, but fact nonetheless.

I wish the school would teach my grandkids Spanish. I would make them understand - it truly is a 'second language', and be glad.

Think of it not as capitulation, but as an added tool to make the American kids be on a more equal footing. The Mexican kids will get the special privilege of 'minority' status as it is - so anything that gives our kids a leg up - is good.

Also, it could just be a factor of personal survival to know what is being said and going on around you. It is going to get uglier before it gets better - if it does.

My husband speaks Spanish but is able to understand and converse with Italian speakers. So there are advantages.

Just my opinion - I do understand, but this time, they may be doing the American kids a big favor. Probably not intentional.

Something to think about -

I have been livid that we taxpayers have spent millions teaching Mexican children to speak English and at the same time NOT teaching our kids to speak Spanish.

Not quite true. Here it is no longer a matter of choice if the kids will learn Spanish or not-- it is required. For as long as I can remember, Spanish was an elective in high school-- not a requirement.

I see your point and even though I will not speak it, I took Spanish as well as French and Latin in High School, much to the chagrin of my guidance counselor. Later, I took the equivalent of 4 years of spoken Arabic so that I could understand what was going on around me in a foreign land where I was a guest.

Languages come fairly easily to me, for some reason, but the older I get, the more they mix together and create confusion in my mind. Now, with more Spanish speaking people around me than English speaking ones, I find that it comes back. Sometimes I watch the Spanish news stations to become accustomed to that language the same way I used to watch Egyptian soap operas on TV in Egypt.

I still don't think that Spanish should be forced upon our grade schoolers in an attempt to accomodate people who refuse to speak English. I see daily the mess it makes. Do you have any idea what the kids have to learn in grade school these days? There is no conceivable way they can absorb the things they are required to learn, much less be taught a foreign language on top of it. I see it as giving preferential treatment to illegal aliens, not a boon to our children.

When these kids in grade school today are running the country, I probably won't be alive and if I am I probably won't give a darn what is going on. But the future doesn't look good in their hands from my vantage point here on the border.

Yes, in our school, two years of high school spanish is required, or foreign language and Spanish is the choice of the district.

That is a far cry from being able to converse or understand the language.

My children spent 1 period a day for 2 school years, and didn't learn to hold a conversation. My daughter learned more from busboys at the restaurants where she worked during college.

It is/was a complete waste of time.

Young children learn languages much more easily than do older children. They are not afraid of trying to speak. As kids get into high school, they become more reticient to attempt to speak a language. The kids could learn from each other. At the end of kindergarten, the American kids could be conversing in Spanish and the Mexican kids could be speaking English. The cost would be minimal.

I don't mean conjugating verbs - I mean holding conversations.

As for how much they have to learn in school, maybe. I don't see that with my grandkids - and I don't want to argue, but I don't see my grandchildren even being challenged in school these days.



As I said, even if we get the illegals home (IF), they will leave many 'legals' here. Those legals will have the same education as our children - and in addition, will be bi-lingual. Also, they will have 'minority' status and will be given easier college admission, grants, scholarships, etc.

I understand anyone thinking it isn't fair - maybe not. But we do need to face facts. The facts are our kids are going to have a hard row to hoe in getting a higher education and in the workplace. The fact is, not being able to converse in Spanish will be a drawback.

I don't see it as 'accomodating' anyone - but as assuring they will have a better chance for the future. Now the Mexicans or school districts may feel it is 'accomodating' - but whatever their aim, the kids will have the benefit of another language that will serve them in many other areas of the world.

But then I don't see learning anything as useful as another language as being a bad thing. Now being forced to use that language in your own country is a different thing -

So dig in our heels and protest that it is wrong and see our children have even less of a chance - or take advantage of the opportunity.

Also, as I said, I would just like my kids to know what people are saying about them. It might be beneficial to their life and limb.

Our children, for the most part, will have to know more than one or two languages. The rest of the world has known that for some time.

I remember being so shocked when I saw Russian children speaking English during the 50's and 60's.

A young friend married a German girl. She spoke great English and I commented. She said they take 3 years of English.


If a child learns one foreign language is is easier for them to learn another.

Just my thoughts -

Trixie, I can definitely see your point of view, and have thought myself it woud be beneficial, I am just one of the "oppositional" people, that gets really pissed when things get forced on me. My father once told me it was sort of an American trait, not so much personality, through this board, I am seeing that he was mostly right. It is our American stubborness that comes out when people try to shove political or other opinions in our face and wants to force us to beieve it is right, we tend to shove right back.

Since I now homeschool my kids, I am the one responsible to make sure they learn a second language. My 12 year old son said out of spite he wants to learn Spanish so he can understand what these punk kids are saying when they speak. I might accomodate him just for that reason alone, whatever benefits come later, then ok.

A story my oldest daughter told me when she was 15 and in school. She rode the bus to school with her friend who was Russian. The majority of the Russian girls here wear very covering dresses and no make-up, etc... My daughters friend wore jeans, makeup, and so on, she had no accent. She looked like the all American teen. The other Russian girls on the bus would talk amongst themselves about all the other highschool girls (this is a typical girl problem no matter where you come from!!) they would say how one girl looked like a "ho" and how they were this and that. Well her friend this whole time had understood, but they did not know she was Russian. Then they started on her and my daughter. She told my daughter all the stuff they were saying about them both, how nasty they were being. Suddenly her friend spoke up in Russian and told these girls that they need to think about what kind of cr*@ they were talking about people and who might know what they are saying. Boy talk about dead silence!!! They were not only stunned, but totally embarrased. She then told these girls that if they did not have the guts to say it in English, then they should not be saying it in Russian behind everyones back, that was just being chicken#*$@ about it.

Needless to say, they NEVER said a word bad about anyone else again!!

So, there's the point, it paid off for her, and I understand it could pay off more so than just being able to squelch badmouthing!!

Oh, I do understand the stubborness - believe me.

Yes, in our school, two years of high school spanish is required, or foreign language and Spanish is the choice of the district.

In our school district, they start teaching classes in two languages in kindergarten. And that is no joke. Even some of the teachers who are required to teach in two languages are disturbed by this.

What do you mean teach in two languages?

I didn't understand that.