Justice Dept Files Suit Against Arizona.

[Thorne]

I don't know if we still have any monoglot Gaelic or Welsh speakers, but it's not so long ago that we did. Should they have been made to learn English, simply because most people spoke that language?

Why? Most likely they are in their own country (illegally appropriated by the British?). They aren't really all that interested in speaking with the English.

I do believe there are native indians in USA who don't speak English. What are you going to do about that?

I don't know about that! They've had to learn English in order to run their casinos. Either that or they are speaking Spanish, because when Spain, and then Mexico, owned those territories they sure as hell weren't interested in learning Apache!

We do have second generation Asian families in this country who do not speak English: they do not need to. Their friends and acquaintances speak their language, so why should they have to learn an alien language. If they need to communicate with a monoglot English speaker, they'll find an interpreter (who will also be an imigrant). Wouldn't it be a courtesy if some of us learned their language instead?

A courtesy, yes. But it shouldn't be a requirement. It's getting to that point here in the US, if it hasn't already. If WalMart, for example, wants to post bi-lingual signs in order to accommodate Spanish speaking customers, more power to them: it makes good business sense. But if a Mom-and-Pop restaurant doesn't care to entice Spanish speaking customers, because they don't speak Spanish themselves, why should they be required to post signs in Spanish?

The trouble with Americans is that they have inherited from us that dreadful Anglo-Saxon arrogance which leads them to believe that everyone else must learn English, while all an English speaker has to do when in a foreign country is shout louder. All we've succeeded in doing is erase countless cultures.

Oh, so THAT'S where that comes from! Well thanks a pant load!

Fortunately for me I come from Eastern European stock, so I managed to miss that particular disease, though it embarrasses me no end when I hear about such things.

Which language would you have everyone in India speak? What about China? Should everyone be made to learn Cantonese?

Personally, I don't give a damn what they speak. That's their problem, not mine.

Evidently, my sarcasm went straight over your head.

Well, if you're going to make your sarcasm so sensible, it's your own fault.

They are NOT fucking destroying your system, and if only you'd let them, they'd contribute just as much as your forefathers did after they entered America. It's the blinkered, isolationist, self-righteous bigots who want to keep America pure who will destroy the system.

Well let's see now. They come into the country illegally, costing billions of dollars in an effort to keep them out. But wait! You say it's wrong to keep them out! We can do away with the border patrols and the border crossings. We'll just let anyone in who wants to come. Drug dealers, gang members, terrorist. What the hell! They're only looking for their part of the American dream, right?

But they're utilizing infrastructure, despite the fact that they don't pay taxes to help pay for that infrastructure, thereby costing us billions more dollars. Perhaps if we didn't have to pay for illegals we could afford better health care for tax paying citizens.

Wouldn't it be a much better idea simply to improve your education system?

And if we didn't have to pay for educating the children of these illegals we could afford a better education system for our own children.

Just try getting a Green Card and you'll see why so many give up and cross the border illegally.

So basically, you're saying that the American people should feel responsible because the Mexican and Central American governments can't support their own populations? But when we try to do something to help a foreign country regain control of itself we are accused of being modern-day conquistadors, slashing and burning our way through peaceful civilizations.

Well maybe the solution is to send all of the illegals entering the US over to England. After all, you'd be more than happy to help them. Wouldn't you?