Should all foreigners be required to speak English?

Question

Most Americans think so. Then why isn’t President Bush held to the same standard? Clearly, he is borderline illiterate.

"Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?"

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."

"I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein."

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

"Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die."
"You're working hard to put food on your family."

Too many ob/gyns aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country."

"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."

"This is still a dangerous world. It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mential losses."

"They misunderestimated ..."

Here's more:
"It seemed like to me they based some of their decisions on the word of ... people that had been trained in some instances to disassemble—that means not tell the truth."

"I appreciate preservation. It's what you do when you run for President, you've got to preserve."

"This investigation is taking a long time, kind of being drug out."

And let’s not forget: “tacular”, “mexed missages”, “terriers and bariffs”, “nucular”, “suiciders”, “Internets”, and “the Google.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushism

Sorry folks, some of you really missed the point. Is it really that far over your heads?

Answer 1

Perhaps people are not answering your posting because it is more of a poorly composed rant, rather than a question.

George Walker Bush is not illiterate. He is a graduate of one of the nation's finest prep schools, Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. From there he went to Yale University in Connecticut, his father's alma mater, where he was an average student. He received an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

President Bush has made his share of speaking gaffes as do all elected and public officials, not to mention business people who must do public speaking.

Television and radio folks make mistakes all the time. The Today Show airs segments all the time in which they make fun of some of their more outrageous moments.

Print journalists would be humiliated if their stories ran unedited.

And, yet, here you sit ranting about a well-educated Commander-in-Chief ot the most powerful country in the world just because he made a few speaking mistakes.

Where did you attend school? Your question is not particularly well-written, but I applaud your right to put it on here.

I do not like the fact that you made a decision to deride the few people who responded to you.

When I travel, I am welcomed into foreign countries without being forced to speak their language. I try, but most people around the world want to accomodate American tourism and so they generally cater to us.

It seems to me that a question more to the point should be:

Should immigrants, as a requirement for citizenship, be required to pass an English literacy test? And, my response would be: Yes, as long as it is a fair test which the average American-born citizen could also pass.

Answer 2

Let me tell you this since I myself is an immigrant.
First, George Bush have a speech impediment and he gets nervous a lot.
Second, all immigrants that wants to move to America and get a job should do it correctly and legally and that they should have the knowledge to speak english without heavy accent and speak it very well.
When I came to America, I learned to speak english and I paid all the fees to get my social security number and my green card. After that instead of going to college I went and joined the NAVY and served for six years and now, I'm medically retired from the navy and I am a proud American Citizen because I did my due to served this country.

Why can't many people from Mexico do the same thing? Come here legally and do everything right? If I can do it why can't they?

Answer 3

I don't think that immigrants should be forced to learn English, but we should encourage them to learn English by making it the US Goverment's Official Language, and by repealing Clinton's Multilingualism Order.

The Senate's amnesty bill is worse than you think.
Take Action - http://capwiz.com/ef/issues/alert/?alertid=9778936&queueid=1203422271
Amnesty immediately. English maybe. Lots of PC.

Let me share with you some of the things I've discovered hiding in this bad bill:
(1) The English requirements are few and easily evaded:
Section 702 Declaration of English
(a) English is the common language of the United States.
(b) Preserving and Enhancing the Role of the English
Language. The Government of the United States shall
preserve and enhance the role of English as the language
of the United States of America. Nothing herein shall
diminish or expand any existing rights under the laws
of the United States relative to services or materials
provided by the Government of the United States in
any language other than English.
(c) Definition: For the purposes of this section, law is
defined as including provisions of the United States
Constitution, the United States Code, controlling
judicial decisions, regulations, and Presidential
Executive Orders.
Section 702 pretends to protect English but actually
mandates multilingualism. A more concise version would
read, "English is OK unless the government decides otherwise."

Answer 4

I speak several languages and have spoken the language in the countries I visited.

However, this "concern" that we all speak English is not born out of a love for the language or even a real concern for humankind, but rather bigotry and discrimination.

In my opinion, people should learn the language of the country they live in to navigate around it and be respectful of it...

Nevertheless, many of the people who don't know the language here are busy working, unable to take the classes necessary to learn the language.

My great grandparents went back to school to get their high school diplomas, after having migrated from a rural area to a metropolitan one. After establishing themselves and working hard and raising their families, they then went to school.

Whilst working the fields and being maids and chauffeurs, I am sure they would have loved (they told me so) to have the luxury of sitting in a classroom.

Try living someone's life before you tell someone "what they should do".

You know what YOU would do, but not what someone else would do.

And know that your making English mandatory is born out of hatred and not concern.

Answer 5

The US does not have an official language, so it really It depends on which state the person wants to reside in. A large minority of states do have made English their official language, but many do not. Some states and US territories are officially bilingual. The US is built on immigration and expansion, but remember Spanish speakers have resided in Western & Southern States far longer than English speaker have.

Answer 6

Is-real News " English speaking Christians committing suicide by jumping off bridges in Disgrace after supporting Bush in 2000"

3/29/2006 8:59:00 PM
Jewish adviser becomes Bush chief of staff
by Matthew E. Berger
JTA News and Features


".. Josh Bolten became a member of President George W. Bush's Cabinet in the summer of 2003, he was asked to lead the president and the Cabinet in prayer while the Christians clean the toilets. He chose to pray in Hebrew, a sign of his strong Jewish identity.

Bolton the Jew succeeds Andrew Card. The move comes amid Fox News calling Bush an Idiot.

Before this, he served as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, advising Bush that loan to Israel should be Chrismas gift..."

http://www.washingtonjewishweek.com/main...

White/black Christians that support Bush jumping off bridges in disgraced!!!

Answer 7

Yeah, I get it. Proper English. I think it should be the primary language, to be a US citizen you should have to speak English - a common language is fundamental to an national idnetity. And English is most effective when spoken properly.

Answer 8

Yes, I believe that if you're going to be a citizen of this country that speaking English should be a requirement for those who plan on attending our schools.

Answer 9

Fine. They we need to create English classes to do so. Canada has English classes provided by the states and I've actually met immigrants here in NY who learned their English in Canada through such methods, but whose English learning has halted as they come to the states without such exposure.

Answer 10

I will answer your question and not your silly rant...If a foreigner wants to immigrate to the US then they should at the very least TRY really hard to learn the language. Visitor's don't have to except for convenience.