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09/13/2010 Entry: "The Stupid Is Strong In This One"
So here I am in the Post Office at Summit Blvd. I am in line to get a couple of letters with photos mailed out. One of them is going to Bermuda, so I will need to present the letter to the postal agent. There is a slightly above middle aged woman in line in front of me. There are probably about 20 people in line in front of her. A woman and her son just finish with the postal clerk and are leaving as someone in line recognizes them. They exchange a few quick greetings and then move on. The difference here is they Gasp did their exchange of words in Spanish.
The woman in front of me says you know it's in the Florida Constitution that English is the official language. Now this woman doesn't know me from Adam. I look at her and I am not quite certain that it is true. I remember the English only initiative on the ballot years ago but I could not at that moment recalled if it passed. I also let her know as a businessman I only care that their money is green and if learning Spanish helps them pay me I have no problem with it. She seems put off. Waits about 30 seconds and then asks me if I have any kids. To which I tell her not yet, but we are working on it. She states when you have kids in school you will understand the importance of an English only situation. I look at her with a look of disgust and now let her know I have been insulted.
Ma'am I have done work with deaf people and the deaf community. They use sign language. They don't speak English. Should they just be written off? She looks aghast well and says I don't think it's the deaf culture. Also their language is based on a handicap. I point out it still isn't English. She admits she will have to ponder this point. I am wondering if she is capable of thinking that hard. Hearing parents who have children who are deaf don't have to use sign language. However it certainly is beneficial if they do.
I also mentioned I lived in Puerto Rico where English is not the primary language in many ways. Also that many of the other American territories don't use English as a primary language.
I again mention that as a businessman if I thought it would increase my profits I would learn some dialect of Chinese because they are a growing economy. Years back it was the Japaneses. She then got called but the postal clerk.
As I looked further into this matter, I wanted to make sure of a couple of things.
In 1988 Florida changed it's constitution to make English the official language of the state.
SECTION 9. English is the official language of Florida.--
(a) English is the official language of the State of Florida.
(b) The legislature shall have the power to enforce this section by appropriate legislation.
However the matters of how it is enforced are another matter and laws used to enforce I have not looked at yet.
My first language was German. Yes I born in California but I spent some of my young formative years in Germany. I don't remember any of it now. I learned some Spanish while I lived in Puerto Rico, I use it sporadically as my Spanish tends to be pretty bad. I took Latin when I was in High School. I also took Sign Language Courses at Palm Beach Junior College. Amy was the instructor. She still does interpretation for the Palm Beach County Commission.
I also note that most of the Europeans I know speak at least two languages. Most of them speak English better then I do. Also the best time to learn languages in my opinion is when you are young. So I can promise this. If I do have a child I would love to make sure the child is exposed to other languages. I would love it if my child spoke English, Spanish, Greek, Irish, or whatever.
If you are one of the people who spouts off that everyone should learn English if you want to live in the US then you know nothing about this country, it's history or many cultures. You are the ignorant fool that gets picked on for you low I.Q. and you deserve it. Don't revel in ignorance. Use your brain and learn new things. Learn where the English words you speak actually came from.
Replies: 1 Comment
So she seemed to believe that because the FL state language is English, people should not be speaking any other language, even socially?
And if the Spanish-speaking woman was speaking English with the postal worker, I don't know how she could fathom complaining about her casual conversation in Spanish.
Even if the woman only spoke Spanish, what does she know about her situation? Maybe she was a tourist? Maybe she just arrived and is learning? And even if she just didn't want to learn an English just because she hates it, then that's her prerogative.
Americans in Thailand are just as "bad" as those immigrants who choose not to learn English. I've met so many people here who have basically refused to learn Thai, even though they've been here for 3 years, or even the guy who's been here 15. He barely knows any Thai. Lucky for them, the Thai people aren't jerk-faces about it and happily speak English when they can, for the most part.
Posted by Rixie @ 09/14/2010 12:01 AM EST
