Abolish bilingual education, Gingrich urges

[Olney Blue]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/31/gingrich.bilingual.ap/index.html


Abolish bilingual education, Gingrich urges

POSTED: 4:58 p.m. EDT, March 31, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich equated bilingual education Saturday with "the language of living in a ghetto" and mocked requirements that ballots be printed in multiple languages.

"The government should quit mandating that various documents be printed in any one of 700 languages depending on who randomly shows up" to vote, said Gingrich, who is considering seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. He made the comments in a speech to the National Federation of Republican Women.

snip

In the past, Gingrich has supported making English the nation's official language. He's also said all American children should learn English and that other languages should be secondary in schools.

In 1995, for example, he said bilingualism poses "long-term dangers to the fabric of our nation" and that "allowing bilingualism to continue to grow is very dangerous."

[Warren Stupidity]

1. WS: abolish Gingrich.

Oh nevermind. He is so last decade anyway.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Abolish Gingrich, bilinguals urge. nt

[WindRavenX]

3. If anything, we should be following most counties and teaching another language concurrently

If you learn a second language when you learn your native language, you will understand that second language much more naturally. Most other countries do this, and I see no reason why we don't here.

But Gingrich is just playing up American's fears of the racialized "other", as usual.

Gingrich is yesterday's news and is still the hypocritical bigot of the days of yore.

[Critters2]

4. This is something my dad feels very strongly about

He grew in a community where a lot of the kids (his classmates) spoke German in their homes. Then they'd start school and all instruction was in English. By the time they were starting to get English, they were behind in math, science and, well, everything else. He used to try to help out by translating during class (and getting in trouble for talking) or helping German-speaking kids after school (he was bilingual). But that experience left a mark. Even when he was conservative on other issues, which has changed thanks to the BFEE, he felt very strongly in favor of bilingual ed.

[evilkumquat]

5. So... All Hispanics Live in Ghettos?

I am surprised he did not find a way to work in abuse against homosexuals as well.

So, who will the GOP target later once it is no longer acceptable to denigrate gays and hispanics?

The Irish?

Oh, sorry, that is SO 19th Century... and the Republicans are shooting more for the 14th Century in terms of where they want this country to be.

Evil Kumquat

[bunkerbuster1]

6. Newt, you will never be president.

You're a legend in your own mind. Give it up already.

[Tom Joad]

7. Gingrich: El Loco de Bushie

[Swamp Rat]

8. ¡bésamelo!

:eyes:

Este es prueba que el pinche Gingrich es más estupido que un mono pelando la banana.

[EFerrari]

21. He would need opposable digits to do that.

:rofl:

Oh and, besame mucho, Newt.

[napi21]

9. That's just stupid, just like Newt is! I WISH they had taught

several other languages beginning when I was in 1st or 2nd grade! It's sooo easy for young children to learn, and I only WISH I could speak more than one language today!

I studied 2 years of German, 2 years of Russian and 3 years of Latinwhile in HS, butI can't get much past Hello & good byin those languages today!

Newt is an ass. I guess he thinks his "base" will love him more if he holds those positions!

[Olney Blue]

12. English is God's language, no?

[napi21]

14. Noooo. English as we know it didn't exist at the time of Jesus.

Don't you remember the Bible was TRANSLATED? No, I really don't have any idea what Newt's thinking, other than to say everything he does is political.

[Olney Blue]

15. Perhaps I should have added this to my post:

:sarcasm:

And you are right- everything Newt says is political.

[baldguy]

10. "If WASPs lose power & influence then America will be destroyed!"

Sounds like a threat, doesn't it?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Does that include my second language - profanity?

Which is especially useful when speaking of politicians or attempting to open shrinkwrap.

[Olney Blue]

13. LOL.

[evilkumquat]

17. For Me, Profanity is More Punctuation Than Language

I use the 'F-word'* like a comma, and 'shit' like a colon.

Evil Kumquat

*Fuck

[Oilwellian]

18. ROFL

Your posts are cracking me up. My husband & I have been "punctuating" a lot lately...I dunno, it's something in the air I guess. In fact, just yesterday we had a discussion about it and both agreed it's a great way to let loose the rage. So I guess we'll continue saying fuck a lot until the Bush crime family is no more.

By the way, I have a son who's a WofWarcraft fan. :hi:

[evilkumquat]

19. What a Coincidence: My Mother Has a Son Who Loves World of WarCraft, too!

The downside of my readiness to use profanity is that my kids pick up on it from time to time.

Once, while parking at the zoo, some idiot shot in front of me and stole the space I was about to take. Naturally, I spat "Fucking asshole!"; and from the backseat, in the dulcet, piping tones of my then three-year-old daughter, the word "Fuck!" came right back at me.

On one hand I was horrified at what I heard; on the other, I was impressed she was able to come up with the root word of "fucking".

Frankly, I am more concerned that my children use proper grammar rather than avoid profanity; however, the last thing I want is a note from a teacher complaining about the language my kids use. After all, my last name is not Osbourne, and most of the country frowns upon parents who allow their children to swear like a ten-thumbed carpenter with pubic lesions.

Evil Kumquat

[scarface2004]

16. what? spanish only from hereon?!?!?

i'm screwed!

[ComerPerro]

20. then why does the GOP have a spanish language website?

www.gop.com/espanol

explain that, Reich wingers!