General Discussion

tclambert

(11,187 posts)

33. I'm reminded of a story I heard here on DU:

Wed Aug 2, 2017, 10:47 PM

Aug 2017

A man standing in line to checkout at the grocery store took a phone call and spoke in a foreign-sounding language. The conservative idiot behind him said, "This is America! Learn to speak English or go back where you came from!"

The man with the phone turned and replied, "I'm speaking Navajo, dumbass."

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As a Professor of English, I Have to Say... [View all] ProudLib72 Aug 2017 OP

The first european Eko Aug 2017 #1

Absolutely! ProudLib72 Aug 2017 #2

Exactly Quanta Aug 2017 #6

What you heard here was some Spanish, but the New Mexican Spanish for the most part spoken here janx Aug 2017 #8

Some might argue it was the Vikings. mwooldri Aug 2017 #23

I'm working on it. The Velveteen Ocelot Aug 2017 #26

Others would argue it was the Irish JustABozoOnThisBus Aug 2017 #41

Wait, what? The first humans came to North America madinmaryland Aug 2017 #52

As a former elementary school teacher in Southern California BigmanPigman Aug 2017 #3

My 20 month old grandbaby... llmart Aug 2017 #4

I truly love to hear other languages bhikkhu Aug 2017 #5

We have new Vietnamese neighbors. brer cat Aug 2017 #7

This is America Mike__M Aug 2017 #9

+1000 janx Aug 2017 #21

Actually, I'm an advocate of "conservatives should speak English only"... JHB Aug 2017 #10

Odd thing I heard growing up after WWII bobbieinok Aug 2017 #11

There has always been a tension with the children PoindexterOglethorpe Aug 2017 #27

Here's the problem with this ridiculous demand from the Trumpsky administration: janx Aug 2017 #12

I have a funny story about this ProudLib72 Aug 2017 #15

Thank god this isn't 60 years ago! janx Aug 2017 #17

True! ProudLib72 Aug 2017 #19

The students I work with are not only dealing with that, but are also studying the sciences. janx Aug 2017 #22

I wish my mom had spoken Spanish at home Awsi Dooger Aug 2017 #13

We are the most ignorant western country about foreign language. haveahart Aug 2017 #14

Any foreign language would be helpful in the early grades. janx Aug 2017 #18

With the exception of Canada, I'd probably argue the whole Anglophone world has language issues. mwooldri Aug 2017 #25

Need dictates. Moreover, public education is not about offering (affording) more these days. WinkyDink Aug 2017 #44

And yet, the same "English only" people kskiska Aug 2017 #16

It is impressive ProudLib72 Aug 2017 #20

. . . janx Aug 2017 #24

Fernando Lamas quote kskiska Aug 2017 #55

I doubt she speaks a number of languages fluently. fierywoman Aug 2017 #29

Purported.... Don't forget her purported college degree lunasun Aug 2017 #30

The "English Only" people Warren DeMontague Aug 2017 #38

Elian Gonzales was illegal and didn't speak English kskiska Aug 2017 #54

I live in New Mexico, PoindexterOglethorpe Aug 2017 #28

The other thing you notice in NM ProudLib72 Aug 2017 #40

Interesting point about the lack of competition between the two cultures. PoindexterOglethorpe Aug 2017 #42

It happened to me maybe four times ProudLib72 Aug 2017 #48

Spent the day at The Grand Canyon, never thought there'd be so many foreigners visiting... czarjak Aug 2017 #31

Every European I know volstork Aug 2017 #32

I'm reminded of a story I heard here on DU: tclambert Aug 2017 #33

Good story, though I can't imagine the Navajos I know Alice11111 Aug 2017 #35

I may not have remembered it correctly word for word. tclambert Aug 2017 #45

Game. Set. Match! 3catwoman3 Aug 2017 #36

Trouble is that most conservative dumbasses ProudLib72 Aug 2017 #49

Canada requires that you speak either English or French to Alice11111 Aug 2017 #34

Can't resist posting this for an English professor. :) area51 Aug 2017 #37

Apostrophe's, and, commas are the bane of my existence! ProudLib72 Aug 2017 #39

"English Only," or "English Official"? Because there's a huge difference in terms of legal forms, WinkyDink Aug 2017 #43

Message auto-removed Name removed Aug 2017 #46

Dear American Citizen, CrispyQ Aug 2017 #47

In eighth grade my English teacher had a clever method of correcting our mistakes ProudLib72 Aug 2017 #50

Joke a German friend told me: thucythucy Aug 2017 #51

If you think about European countries smaller size ProudLib72 Aug 2017 #53

This country has always been more multi-lingual thucythucy Aug 2017 #57

There was a stigma associated with those languages ProudLib72 Aug 2017 #58

One of my favorite classes in school was 'Origins of the English Language' panader0 Aug 2017 #56