Badmovies.org Forum

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316939,00.html (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316939,00.html)

These is getting ridiculous, are business owner now suppose to hire interpreters to accommodate those that refuse to learn the common language? Seem simple to me if you don't speak the language and go to a store and place an order don't expect the store to know what you are ordering and don't expect to get what you ordered if no one knows what you ordered.
All of our road signs are in English, our constitution is in English, the bill of rights are in English, congressional hearing are held in English, presidential press meeting are in English, pretty much everything in this country is in English so whats the problem? Why can't a business operate in English only.

I get offended when the ATM asks me if I want "English" or "Spanish". 

As far as I'm concerned, business owners can conduct their business in whatever language they want; it's no more offensive to have an "Order in English only" sign than a "VISA or Mastercard, no Discover" sign.  And that's not just for English; I wouldn't find it offensive if restaurant run by an immigrant family catering to an ethnic clientele put up a sign saying "Order in Spanish" or whatever.

I get offended just at the thought of ordering another Philadelphia cheesesteak. When I was in Philadelphia I had to order one, just to say I ordered one, and it was at a place that makes some of the better ones. This is it! I doubt I'll ever order another one.

I am offended that you are offended at philly cheesesteaks.  You malign and profane the holy cheesesteak!  I shall pillage and burn your lands until your infidel blood runs in the direction of Philadelphia!  I shall --

Wait, I'm a Mormon.  We don't do those things.  Never mind.

I'm Methodist, we do ... were do they live?

Oh, BoyScoutKEEEE-vin... Come out and PLAAA-ay...

 For once...I agree with Cheezy....! If you are going to live somewhere...learn the language!!!! It's just common sense and courtesy. We should NOT have to change ourselves to please foriengers. They came here. It's like having someone come to your house and honk the horn...if you want to see me...get out of your dam car and knock on the door. YOU came to ME...not visa versa!

And no...I am NOT a racist...so far from it it isn't funny...but...I AM an AMERICAN...I may hate the people who run the goverment...but I love my country.

  S.O.D....speak English or DIE!!!
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCnEzwdtscc

I do believe this is one of the signs of the apocalypse.

I'm offended by signs of the apocalypse!

Personally, I don't mind if a store has an English only policy or welcomes many other languages.  I just don't think that if a store has an English only policy that it should be fined.  Is every store now going to have to hire an interpreter for Spanish?  What about other languages?  When I lived in Portland Oregon the electric bill would come with a pamphlet in English, Spanish, Japanese(?) Chinese(which language, Cantonese or Mandarin or another) Hindi, Vietnamese, Laotion, Vietnamese, et al.  It's ridiculous to have to make an outlay for so many different languages.  To really have a cohesive nation there needs to be a single language everyone understands.  If I moved to Mexico, I would expect that I'd have to learn Mexican-Spanish.

I think the sign of the Apocalypse Cheese was refering to was me agreeing with him on something beyond our taste in movies... :wink:

I'm offended that people who find cheesesteaks offensive are offending people easily offended...

 :buggedout:

Not to nitpick, but if they can't speak English they won't be able to read the sign anyways...  That seems like a waste of money and is very much making a political point instead of a 'valid business tool'.

That being said, I get this whole learn the language thing, but personally I get very annoyed when I hear things like "This is AMERICA/AUSTRALIA learn the language!!"  It just smacks slightly of racism in my mind..

I think actually, it's just the wording of the sign that annoys me, especially that 'This is AMERICA' [capital letters emphasizing the point that they think the people who apply in this sign are idiots] and the fact that it doesn't even say please. 

I think I'd let it pass if it was a simple 'Please order in English' or something like that, especially in a town with a large amount of non-english-as-a-first-language area [though one could debate then that you can easily hire bi-lingual staff but meh that makes too much sense....]

I'm sure it's annoying when someone comes in and is trying to order and doesn't know the language.  God knows I did it heaps of times in Mexico/Cuba, but usually you can get through it easily enough, so I don't see what the fuss is about really.  I mean, sure, learn the language if you live there, or at least something to get you by at minimum, but what about tourists [if this place is meant to be semi famous like it claims to be I'm sure it'll get some tourist money through the door.]

I'm a big advocate of learning the language of the country you are travelling to but I by no means was an expert when I was away, and I'd get really annoyed if someone turned me away just because I couldn't speak the language.  I can bloody well point at a menu and get my point across [though that may be all the charades practice...]

Still, I understand why people feel like they need to make signs like this, I just think it's more insulting than practical business sense...


So yes, if you have that much trouble with your customers, then for god's sake hire staff who can speak both languages, since obviously there's a population demand for it [and an availability.]  If it's only the occasional customer, then how can that be so bad for business.  I get more annoying customers who can speak English and are idiots than people who can't speak the language well or even at all...  I'd rather they leave...

I think heard this on our local news some time ago.  I live just outside of Harrisburg PA so I hear news like this all the time.  I had no problem with it personally.  It would be like living in another country that English is not it's native tounge then trying to apply for a job in their language but not knowing it at all. 

I think learning some of another langugage is important.  I mean you don't have to have a full mastery of the language I think to be able to have a simple conversation with someone like asking for directions, buying a meal, buying other things etc will suffice.  I would be pleased it someone would learn at least 5 to 10 things in a language and be able to put it in a sentence like asking how are you, or what is the weather like today.  To me that would be enough to know. 

Ideally kids would learn a second language early on in school.  It makes sense in that it helps kids' brains grow and get smarter, not to mention that in a global economy a second language can help in the business world.  One problem I see from my mom's experience as a grade school teacher is that teachers & their aids have too big a class size plus they do lots of social work, rather than teach.  But the whole primary education mess is best left for another ranting thread.

My feelings probably fall closest to Dean's. I have no problem with a private business owner having an "English only" policy for his store. If he wants to limit his customer base that way, go ahead. Just as I wouldn't have a problem with people refusing to patronize his store instead of conforming to his policy. But it does tread that fine line of discrimination. What if the guy refuses people service because their English "isn't good enough"?

But the "This is America...." thing bugs me, it strikes me as too much of a "we were here first" thing. Taken to an extreme, could Indian business (or more likely casino) owners demand that we all use their native languages, since they were here before the rest of us. Oh that's right, we defeated them.

My grandparents were Polish immigrants to the US, they taught themselves English because they had to to function here. They did become naturalized citizens. Their accents have always been thick, I wonder if they would be considered "American" enough for some people? I know in decades past, they weren't.

I understand what you are saying, but if you went to Poland would you expect some small Pierogi and Golabki Shop to speak English?

It's a fact that foreigners understand English if you speak it loud enough.  :smile:

Long ago, 1990, I was in Berlin, eating dinner (alone) and there weren't enough table available.  So a pair of German couples sat down with me.  We had a pretty good conversation, half English, half German.  I'm sure my German was awful, but they appreciated that I at least made the effort.

Exactly, I traveled internationally for many, many years and as long as you made an real effort to speak the local language you got much further. You didn't have to be good at it, just try.
 I saw plenty of the typical ugly Americans in those countries that thought everywhere you went people were suppose to speak English. Granted English is the most commonly spoke language in the world, but some folks think that is you are in some little backwater town of say Russia or China their going to speak English. It was really upsetting to me to see that and it was embarrassing because more often than not it was Americans demanding folks speak English. I being the shy guy that I am had no problem telling them in a very matter of fact way that they should learn the local language and stop being a rude ass as it's people like them giving us a bad name and if they can't stay the hell home.
I always made a effort to learn a few basic phrases in the local language along with carrying a phrase book/pocket translator. I found myself apologizing for the rude behavior of my countrymen. 

Just to take a slightly different tack with this, does it not seem like some folks are using this to fit their own agenda? I mean, the protesters branding this a "hate crime" and the comparison to the Jim Crow south. These are people with axes to grind, and this guy just happened to attract their attention.

And it might seem a little less ridiculous if it were some Anglo-Saxon-looking guy named John Smith, but Joe Vento seems like someone with maybe a couple of generations between him and Italy. I could be wrong about that; the story doesn't say anything about it. But I have a feeling there might be some immigrants in his family for whom English is a second language. It's not like he's some ignorant, anti-immigrant jerk. He just believes that for people to live together, they need a common form of communication. That, and ordering in English keeps the line moving.

When I was in Japan about 5 and half years ago my Japanese was pretty poor, so I got corrrected often when I would speak to someone in Japanese.  It was still poor but I think they at least liked the fact I attmepted it and didn't butcher it too badly. My Japanese is still poor, but I haven't had time to work on it. 

This is America part could be removed.  I mean the English only is fine, but "this is America" part could be taken the wrong way by some people. 

Heh.  When I was in Japan, you could tell just how badly you were speaking the language because the natives would make a point of encouraging you and telling you how skillful (Jozu) your Japanese was... whereas if you actually were jozu, they would just speak with you without mentioning your skills at all.

I understand what you are saying, but if you went to Poland would you expect some small Pierogi and Golabki Shop to speak English?

Others seems to addressed this while I've been away, but no I would not expect them to speak English. I'd hope they wouldn't just flat out refuse my business because I couldn't order in the native tongue, however.

On the other side of the coin, when I lived in DC, quite often I would go to fast food places and none of the staff except maybe a manager seemed to speak English. There was an awesome chicken sandwich restaurant I went to all the time where only the guy working the counter spoke heavily accented English, very badly BTW. I think  they were all Eastern European, possibly Russian of Ukrainian.

Cheesesteak!!!!!

I kept reading cheesecake!!!   *lol*