well I could counter that with a rant about liberals in the supreme court but i'll pass for now. lets just say i disagree with the burning thing also. I think this law is a very good idea, but sad that we actually had to have this in the books. i don't know anyone who would be comfortable walking down the street and seeing their neighbor's nationality flag proudly displyed on the front yard, wouldn't it just lead to a more factionlike society? I thought that was something that most left of wing people tried to avoid. I don't see why you can't celebrate your heritage and give respect to the USA at the same time.
i don't know anyone who would be comfortable walking down the street and seeing their neighbor's nationality flag proudly displyed on the front yard, wouldn't it just lead to a more factionlike society? But our society and our system of laws really isn't about everybody being comfortable. The beauty of our Constitution and our country is that it protects the unpopular speech as well as the popular speech. There are quite a few ideas that moved this country forward that were widely unpopular in their time.
Except we don't. What harm, exactly, has the nation had over the past 200 years of not having this law? You've had immigrants from Europe hanging their flags all over the place for 200 years. Is Little Italy or Chinatown in many cities destructive to the US (standalone flags are often up in those places)?
The more I think about it, the more I support the flag thing. I mean, I drive through Arlington all the time and see this: FIVE other nation's flags all at once (even though it looks just like the Texas state flag, that's meant to be the Republic of Texas flag). Sure, the U.S. flag is there, too, but it's on a separate pole and it's flying at the same height as all the other ones. This would apparently be illegal in Pahrump, possibly worth $250 in fines. How we've managed to get along with this going on is a miracle. The thing is, I support doing something about illegal aliens. I just don't support giving up our own freedoms in a misguided effort to make it less comfortable for illegal aliens. Honestly, I can't imagine there's a guy standing at the border saying "You know what? I'm staying here in Mexico if I can't fly a Mexican flag."
I don't think Hispanics want to do that at all. However, if I lived in a town where the Anglos went out of their way to try and make me feel unwelcome, I'd work to pass such a law just to piss 'em all off and see their hypocritical opinions turn on a dime. And I think the more people get pushed, the more they're going to eventually push back.
first At least they would be LEGAL that is the operative word for me If you go thru the legal system to become a citizen of this great land...then you have the right to try to enact things the way you think they should be (Within reason) by using legal means of banding together with other likeminded peoples and tryin to effect change. besides....take it from a guy that has half his family(on the maternal side) descended from LEGAL mexican immigrants....they feel that if you come to America, you should be proud to be an american and they would never dream of disrespecting this country. Ive met a pretty good cross section of mexican americans at various functions and masses over the years, and they nearly all would fly an american flag if they flew one.... When doing business in public...whether at a government agency or at a business, they use English...they have no desire to see Spanish as the official language of america....by tradition, the vast majority of our country speaks english, why should they want it to change? If that wasn't the case, they wouldnt have bothered learning English now would they? Its easier to just make everyone else change to suit you. second.......why the resistence to making English the offical language? that part frankly baffles me..
oh no you did not just call me a hypocrite did you?? please You are stretching the purpose of this law and similar ones their purpose is to make uncomfortable ILLEGAL immigrants. I dont know anyone that is against LEGAL immigrants...I dotn even really have that much of a problem with tryin to make sure that folks get help learnign the language when they firs come here.....but I WILL NOT have my laws and ordances disctated to me by someone who couldnt bother to go thru legal channels to become a citizen.
Having been to the Farmers Branch town meetings and hearing what comes out of the mouths of many, many people, I can say that not everyone shares your sentiment that these sorts of things be directed at illegal aliens only. Certainly a law that prohibits any other nation's flag from being flown is not directed solely at illegal aliens as it prohibits me, a natural born American citizen, from flying such a flag, as well. Here in Dallas, the protests where people were carrying Mexican flags were largely undertaken by American citizens. If there was a flag law here, it would be in response to the actions of American citizens, not illegals. And I find the laws/opinions hypocritical because they support a single viewpoint. If the viewpoint were reversed, the support immediately recedes. For example, since there is no national language, shouldn't a town like Farmers Branch that's 40% Hispanic be just as justified in making Spanish the official language as they would English? Would you support such a declaration if they chose to do it? I would venture to bet that the people supporting the English-only law would be falling all over themselves to get to the courthouse to file a challenge to such a law. And whatever the intent of the laws, they apparently do make American citizens of Mexican descent uncomfortable and unwelcome. At least that's what they're saying. I have no reason to doubt them. I assume if I tried to rent an apartment in Farmers Branch and had to prove my citizenship and have it verified. Or I assume when I have to carry my birth certificate around with me to get medical care (should that law introduced in the Legislature come to pass), I will be uncomfortable, too. And, here again is the thing, making it illegal to hire an illegal alien? I can get behind that. Even the apartment thing, though I find it intrusive the way it's written (and it will likely be overturned in court, so it's a wasted effort that costs the city money), I can reluctantly support. But "English-only" and "No Flags We Don't Approve Of" is never going to get my support. I find them distasteful and wasteful. We went hundreds of years without needing them, I don't see the point now.
Americans should love illegal immigrants since they do work that most wouldn't do, for pay that is substandard. That's why the Bush is in such a quandry about this- his base, corporate America and outraged white guys are in conflict about the issue. Bossman likes the cheap labor, while Git 'Er Done Johnson is worried. Frankly, this law is a stupid waste of time and reflects on a nation that ignores most fundamental issues while spazzing out about this kind of thing.
Why the gung-ho desire to make English an official language? We haven't been able to get by without it being the official language for over 200 years and suddenly it's so important to make it so? Plus, I don't know what to call all those things that we use Spanish words for. What is English for burrito? How will I order at Taco Bell if they do away with Spanish words? I know Grande is big, but beyond that, I won't know what I'm ordering. Also, am I still in compliance with the law if I spell color with a "u"? Technically that's still English, it's just not our English. I just don't feel the need to make people who have become legal citizens (and English-only laws would presumably affect them the most) become more fluent than need be just to make people feel like they're doing something to combat illegal aliens. It just doesn't seem like a bad idea to be welcoming of people who are more comfortable speaking another language. By allowing translated official materials, we can help them understand our society, what's happening around them and, perhaps, get them participating (and wanting to get better at communicating - in English or whatever) so that we become a melting pot rather than various factions aligned against each other. Also, plenty of natural-born American citizens don't speak English. My wife's step-father's family, natural-born citizens all, don't speak a word of English. I don't have a problem letting them conduct their business in Spanish. I know this isn't an opinion shared by many countries throughout the world. I can't, for example, go to Mexico and get official documents in English. If I'm going to France, I'd better bone up on my French, etc. But I just think our traditional willingness to be open and accepting language wise is a good thing.
The law is obviously stupid but I think the sentiment has value. People are tired of seeing possible illegal immigrants marching the streets of our country carrying the flag of another country and protesting their "rights".
Do you think people feel any different if it was shown that the people marching weren't illegals by and large? Am I running afoul of the English-only law by saying "different" when I should be saying "differently"? Personally, I think if a person doesn't like the Constitution of the United States, they should leave.
Why? Does their protesting harm you somehow? Is it worth denying people rights that don't affect anyone negatively because you're tired of seeing people use their right of protest?
No, I used the word possible to make clear that I wasn't claiming every protester was an illegal alien. Illegal aliens have rights, the right to be here just doesn't happen to be one of them.
