Originally Posted By fkurucz >>One thing you have to remember is Quebec is legally a Distinct Society -> this allows them to outlaw English only signs<< Yet we do not outlaw Spanish only signs
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey << <<Well, I normally don't dish up first when I invite people to eat in my home. I serve them first.>> <<It's called COURTESY - ever heard of it?>> Very, very weak arguements. >> The complaint itself is weak. The initial poster is complaining about why the Spanish announcement is made before the English announcement. I'll say it again - WHO THE HECK CARES?!?!? The Spanish annoucement is played first - big fat hairy freaking woo. Next he's going to complain becuase, since it's an American park, Americans aren't allowed to skip ahead of foreigners in line.
Originally Posted By gaston lives I was shocked since I had never heard that before, and was wondering if there was a legitimate reason the Spanish came first at that attraction. And as far as the United States being built on the backs of Native Americans, you're right, it was. However, the United States of America was NOT founded until much later, when English WAS the accepted language of the time. Before it was founded, the pilgrims spoke Dutch and wahtever else they really wanted, but when the Government was set up, and they actually seceeded from England, the preponderance fo the people spoke English. That's all I"m saying. I went into McDonalds over the weekend and was ticked when I saw the menu on the wall. 1/2 in English...1/2 in Spanish. To make matters worse, NONE of the people on staff could speak English! Again, I live in Colorado...does anybody else see a problem with this at all? As far as WDW goes, I didn't intend this to get so deep. It was honestly a question about the Festival of teh Lion King and why Spanish was first. Let it be.
Originally Posted By bobbelee99 My bank is strickly in New England. When I called about a question, I spoke to Stan from Pakistan. He was quite nice, but we had a language problem. At one point we mentioned weather, since I was freezing and wanted to torture myself, I asked what his weather was like. He was in Canada. A Pakistani, working in Canada for a NE bank, I was just a little confused.
Originally Posted By gaston lives That's like the IT field nowadays, too. Most of the people I work with in other countries are nice enough, but it's very difficult to get your points across.
Originally Posted By Any Huis gaston said: >>I went into McDonalds over the weekend and was ticked when I saw the menu on the wall. 1/2 in English...1/2 in Spanish. To make matters worse, NONE of the people on staff could speak English! Again, I live in Colorado...does anybody else see a problem with this at all? NO, I see no problem with this at all !! The only way this would be a problem is IF I was unable to get my meal due to communication problems. Otherwise, quite frankly, Spanish is a BEAUTIFUL language to hear -- I actually enjoy it! Only a bigot would say they don't want to hear another language.
Originally Posted By MPierce Any Huis you really seem to like the word bigot. A very weak over used word. Normally used to shut people up when you disagree with them. I myslef think the English language is beautiful. I had to do alot of reading to catch up on this topic it started before I left for WDW, and here it is still going strong. That shows the strong opinions people have on this topic. Here in Houston they give instructions to the jury pool in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. It seems to be quite common to need a interperter in our criminal court systems here. I believe in a earlier post I pointed out the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States of America both being English only."Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God." This is written on the Tombs of the Unknowns. Very touching, and written in English only, as it should be. I guess that makes me a bigot, so be it.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >> The only way this would be a problem is IF I was unable to get my meal due to communication problems. << I think that was the implication. Sure, anyone can say and understand "Cheesebuger, cheeseburger, chips, chips" (with apologies to the late John Belushi), but what if there is a bigger issue? >>Otherwise, quite frankly, Spanish is a BEAUTIFUL language to hear << Being 100% fluent, I would agree. However, on more than one ocasion, being fluent in Spanish has got me out of a pickle (or a Cheeseburger). But what happens, for instance, when EMS or other emergency workers respond to a situation where English is not spoken? Do LA paramedics need to speak Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Laotian, Mixtec, etc?
Originally Posted By gaston lives There IS a problem when NO employees speak English in America. If you can't see that issue, then I have no clue what to say. Would hte French have an all Russian speaking employee base? nope.
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^Its a native American language spoken in Mexico (in Oaxaca). A non trivial number of people in Mexico only speak Mixtec (it is estimated that a few million Mexicans do not speak Spanish at all, and speak only NA languages like Mixtec, Otomi and Nahuatl), and this is true of some immigrants as well.
Originally Posted By Any Huis OK, I admit and apologize for my overuse of the word "bigot"! I just get frustrated that people can be so easily annoyed at anything "different" -- such as a different language. Believe it or not, I'm NOT some flaming liberal. In fact, I'm most conservative politically. This is one reason why this generates such strong emotions in me. The Republican Party is essentially dead in California -- primarily because of former Governor Pete Wilson's STUPID "English Only" campaigns. Face it, folks! The USA is quickly becoming a bilingual nation, and there's NOTHING bad about that. The world is full of bilingual nations that have thrived -- Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and many more. Americans who learn to speak Spanish will be at an advantage, and they SHOULD be!
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^^Regarding the wonders of multiculturalism, I have a Belgian anecdote: I was visiting Brussels (on business). Our Belgian Flemish host was very cordial, and gave us a quick tour of the city. We passed what would have passed for a SuperWalmart. It was labelled "Cora". So I ask my host what "Cora" was. A supermarket he replies. So I ask him if its a good place to buy Belgian chocolate. "I don't know", he replies, "I've never been in one". "Why?" I ask. His reply was quite telling: "Its caters to French Belgians". >>Americans who learn to speak Spanish will be at an advantage, and they SHOULD be!<< I am 100% percent fluent in Spanish, and other than being useful in talking with monolingual illegals, it has never provided me with an "advantage".
Originally Posted By MPierce Thank you very much for the apology Any Huis. My problem with a multilingual nation is best demonstrated by the problems Canada had, and still is having. I really believe if you ask most Canadians they will tell you the rifts that have occured over this. What makes America great is, people come from all over the world, and do their best to assimilate into this culture. They still maintain their Home countries culture with their family, and friends. We are slowly creating a subculture that will be so riddle with crime, and poverty that it will be a complete, and total drain on this country. I think this is why people become upset when they see places like WDW leaning in the direction of a bilingual resort.
Originally Posted By avromark We are a G8 country, which would make us one of the 8 most powerful countries in the world.
Originally Posted By disneyhabit AnyHuis-The European Union is debatable, Europe doesn't look like it is doing well at all??? Besides it has nothing to do about growing up it has everything to do about our American heritage and what this country stands for: Borders, Language and Culture and on behalf of all true Americans we don't want a North American Union!!! Who cares how many Spanish speaking countries there are, America is a English speaking country and that is the way us American Patriots want to keep it!!
Originally Posted By Labuda Speak for yourself, Disneyhabit. Don't lump all Americans in with your views, please.
