Speak English

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I can already feel the backlash from this entry, but I am tired of people living here and not being able to speak English! The other day I was surfing BLOGGER at lunch. Since the name of the place is INTERNET and the internet was in English, I didn�t think much of it.

first click takes me here: http://tumiami.blogspot.com

second click takes me here: http://atasheen.blogspot.com

third click takes me here: http://pksivakumar.blogspot.com

How can you write something on the internet that isn’t in English?

And now I hear people on the radio speaking Spanish and Chinese. I tune to these stations and I don’t understand wht they are saying. Why are they speaking non-English.

This may be a bit extreme, but how about making people who want to post on Blogs or listen to the radio take a test to show at least a basic understanding of the English language?

Looking back, I wish I had taken Spanish in school as well as German.

For a more indepth look at the problem with non-English speaking service workers, check out Page’s Pages.

0 thoughts on “Speak English”

  1. Ignoring this post (which is probably a good idea), I’d like to go back to the Apple Blog. As I am alergic to shopping on Black Friday, maybe someone who is already going shopping could use my gift card and pick one up for me?

    I’d be their best friend.

  3. It takes you a month to comment about something on my blog? While the United States does not have an official language, 23 states (including California) have passed laws designating English as their official language. This is not my explanation for my viewpoint, but since you mentioned the official language in your response to Albert, I thought I would bring it up.

    Perhaps I am taking your blog and your response to Albert’s email the wrong way, but you seem to insinuate that my view is one born out of ignorance. You come across this way a lot. You seem to think when someone has a different viewpoint then you, it is because they are ignorant and you have superior intelligence. This is a naïve way of thinking. I used to think this way as well, but I have grown-up since then.

    I do not feel I deserve for everything around me to be in English. This is a capitalist society and if I do not fall into someone’s target market, then they have no reason to communicate with me in a way I can understand. In my example, this was a restaurant with an English menu and an employee trying to take my order who did not speak English. This is where my frustration came from. If the menu was in Spanish (or any other language for that manner) then I would have known that I need to learn how to say the menu items in Spanish before ordering.

    I speak to a woman every day at work that barely speaks English. I always attempt to speak with her in Spanish. When I go to Germany, I speak German. When I go to Mexico, I speak Spanish. When I go to France, I speak French. I may need a dictionary sometimes to get my point across, but I make the effort.

    I am disappointed that you have known me as long as you have and you apparently think I am an ignorant and a bigot. Sad.

    For another perspective on this, here is a good article:

    http://nj.npri.org/nj97/07/english.htm

  4. To Yakface:
    Of course I will be out for shopping in full force so I will gladly pick up anything you need.
    Call me…

  5. Page, you are taking this way too seriously. I was using your blog entry as sarcasm. That’s way it took so long to happen. I was surfing the web, I cam across the sites and thought, “what would someone think about non-English blog entries”. It’s and extreme example of the feelings some people have regarding people who do not speak English. A parody to your entry and to email that I receive from others (including Albert). I do not feel you are less intelligent or ignorant in any way. I do not think that people who do not share my viewpoint are ignorant and that I have superior intelligence In hindsight, perhaps I should not have linked to your blog entry as it may look as if I am signaling you out as a person who might carry this viewpoint. And I know you do not and would not. So I apologize to Page, of Page’s Pages, my blog entry was not intended to be malicious.

  6. Thanks Mike. I definately take things way too seriously sometimes. I make it a point to talk to people in person at work reather than through email, because it is way too easy to read something into it that isn’t there.

    Thanks again.

  8. From Above:

    It takes heat to bake a heart-shaped pumpkin pie.

    Wow…you two are so civil about squashing the misinterpretations. I do commend both of you (page and mike)…I really mean that; not being sarcastic.

    Now if it were up to me: I would’ve gone “gangster”; enough to get it “taken care of.”

    I think when it comes to race-based issues it’s very difficult to “read expressions” from written words in relation to what Page noted. This is more apparent especially when you don’t know the person writing it except from their blog.

    Case in point: a few weeks ago when I raised the red flag at a comment someone posted on Page’s site. It wasn’t til Brian cleared it up that I understood “the person” was being “his usual self” and was more intended sarcastically than anything else.

    As for the “English only” in this country: I agree with you 100%. It goes to the age-old saying “when in rome”…

    Happy Thanksgiving

  10. From Above:

    I think the beauty in this form of media is in anonymity (did i spell that correctly?)

    soon..page…soon..

    I think there might be one or two “little birds” out there who know my true identity….

  12. From Above:

    That’s the one that got away.

    There are reports that the other “bird” is being prepped up for a proper dinner arrangement on Thursday where he’s the guest of honor.

    haha

    If I said it before, I’ll say it again:

    Happy Thanksgiving!!

  14. From Above:

    Should pablo be out? Vote for Pedro!

    ok…let my high school spanish 3 come in handy here…Translations:

    Que? “What”

    Como? “How”

    Tu pendga me peto? “???”

    Quen es tu “Ojos en las Cielo?”? “Who is EITS”

    Eugene es las duchar-bolsa “Eugene is a showerbag”