Firefighters Fired for not speaking Spanish

[dirtyp]

Urgently needed firefighters in Oregon are being fired or demoted because ... they only speak English.
http://waronyou.blogspot.com/2008/03/firefighters-fired-for-not-speaking.html

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Urgently needed firefighters in Oregon are being fired or demoted because ... they only speak English.
http://waronyou.blogspot.com/2008/03/firefighters-fired-for-not-speaking.html

lol how stupid. There shouldn't be any fire departments anyway.

[driller80545]

Why don't they just learn Spanish?

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Why don't they just learn Spanish?

Why can't I open up my own fire department?

[smartguy911]

i don't know if they do that with doctors but these days Spanish is must especially in Emergency cases. You should know basic Spanish if you want to understand your patients especially in case of an emergency.

[JosephTheLibertarian]

i don't know if they do that with doctors but these days Spanish is must especially in Emergency cases. You should know basic Spanish if you want to understand your patients especially in case of an emergency.

Who says so?

[angelatc]

i don't know if they do that with doctors but these days Spanish is must especially in Emergency cases. You should know basic Spanish if you want to understand your patients especially in case of an emergency.

Uh, actually, you should know basic English if you want an AMERICAN doctor to understand you in case of an emergency.

[Worthyone]

Uh, actually, you should know basic English if you want an AMERICAN doctor to understand you in case of an emergency.

Exactly

[Paulitician]

Shame on them! :rolleyes:

[smartguy911]

I am guessing none of you reside in California. Well in CA, you should know Spanish and it's highly recommended. I even took 3 years of Spanish in High school and I am glad I did that. Looks good on resume :-)

The problem is Hispanic/Latino people are not forced into learning English. Spanish signs exist in hospitals, buildings, brochures, maps etc and Spanish speaking people are everywhere. I think Hispanics make around 45% of California's population now. Also, keep in mind illegals are scared to attend any school to learn English. Those who are legal, I guess know the basics but not enough to explain in detail. Like I said Hispanic population is increasing and it's hard for them to learn English when everyone around them speaks Spanish. They also have their on tv (telemundo, univision), spanish newspaper, spanish radio.

[Malakai0]

There are 2 choices in this situation:


a) Make every american who doesn't already learn spanish

b) make english the "official" language


I like japanese, english, and italian. Aside from english, shouldn't I be able to learn the foreign language(s) I want and not be forced into spanish? Back when I was in HS you took foreign languages because you liked them, not because you needed it to function daily. Why did I have to take 10 years of english classes then...

[liberteebell]

Whatever happened to "when in Rome, do as the Romans do"?

Many, many people came to the US from foreign countries and learned to speak English waaaaay before ESL classes, teevee, the internet or any other source of learning the language. My grandparents did it in the late 1800's. Why did they learn English? Because that's the language here. No one forced them to learn it. And many of them were proud to learn the language.

So why should we be "forced" to learn Spanish? I'm all about learning foreign languages, but it's beyond arrogant to think that you can come to a foreign country and expect everyone to learn YOUR language.

[thuja]

when i travelled to spanish speaking places, i took a berlitz course in order to be able to get around better. by now i have forgotten most, and mix up the words for tired and married, and for brown and majenta or purple, etc, and it could be very funny or stupid.
i am home in the usa now, and think people from elsewhere could do this too, learn english so they can get around.
if you ignore the "press 1 for english thing on the telephone, it eventually proceeds in english anyway.

[liberteebell]

when i travelled to spanish speaking places, i took a berlitz course in order to be able to get around better. by now i have forgotten most, and mix up the words for tired and married, and for brown and majenta or purple, etc, and it could be very funny or stupid.
i am home in the usa now, and think people from elsewhere could do this too, learn english so they can get around.
if you ignore the "press 1 for english thing on the telephone, it eventually proceeds in english anyway.


I did the same when I travelled and found that I was treated very well by at least making an attempt to speak the native language (however bad I was at speaking it). The best was my trip to Italy where I was treated like royalty for speaking Italian, despite the fact that most of the Italians I encountered spoke English!

I dunno, for me, it's about respect for other people's language and culture and not wanting to be the typical Ugly American. Maybe I expect too much to want others to do the same. Knowing what my grandparents went through when they (legally) immigrated to the US and how much they adored this country, I have very little patience with anybody who refuses to learn English.

[familydog]

A nation can't survive unless it practices assimilation. But assimilation is evil now a days. We used to practice ethnic pluralism, and that was good. But now it's multiculturalism, and that's bad.

[dirtyp]

This is in Oregon not California. I wonder how much of the spanish population is in the damn forest on fire.
They just want to bring illegals in. When they force Americans to learn spanish and forgo opportunities its a sign of the things to come. Soon they will scale our pay back for the same reason.

[ItsTime]

So can I fire people who can not speak English very well?

[liberteebell]

So can I fire people who can not speak English very well?


Of course you can!! That is, you can if you don't mind finding yourself in federal court with a big discrimination lawsuit on your hands, doncha know...:rolleyes:

[coyote_sprit]

So there are 50 million people in the USA with heavy German ancestry while their are only 44 Million Hispanics. So by that the German language would be more useful then the Spanish language in America but it's not. Why? Because the Germans who immigrated learned English and so did their children. So unless Hispanics are better then Germans they should do the same or GTFO.

[Nirvikalpa]

I would never give in and learn Spanish. I took what I was forced to take (2 years) and I'm never going back. Why should I learn their language when they refuse to learn mine?

Whether you live in California, Arizona, North Carolina, or Oklahoma, WHEREVER you live, just because there is a bigger population of Latino's DOES NOT MEAN you, as an American, should be forced into learning THEIR language. They should be even more forced into learning OURS.

You shouldn't know Spanish just because you reside in California.

If you go to Spain, if you think people are going to let you slide easy because you only speak English you are crazy. Or any other foreign nation for that matter. They make you learn THEIR language, they don't force their people to cope with your negligence.

I am so tired of it. Probably when I have kids it's going to be learning ESL, and this time it's the literal meaning of the word - teach Spanish first, English second.

[ItsTime]

It is liberal racism. The thought is 'Americans are better than Mexicans so Americans must learn Spanish because Mexicans are too stupid to do so' apparently the Germans were not too stupid :)


So there are 50 million people in the USA with heavy German ancestry while their are only 44 Million Hispanics. So by that the German language would be more useful then the Spanish language in America but it's not. Why? Because the Germans who immigrated learned English and so did their children. So unless Hispanics are better then Germans they should do the same or GTFO.

[JosephTheLibertarian]

It is liberal racism. The thought is 'Americans are better than Mexicans so Americans must learn Spanish because Mexicans are too stupid to do so' apparently the Germans were not too stupid :)

If your goal is to give people equality, you will end up with less equality and freedom. If your goal is to give people more freedom, you will have a good amount of both equality and freedom.

[Time for Change]

if they dont speak english, put them directly on a bus and go straight to the border.

No exceptions. "Out you go"

If you are here legally, you CAN communicate sufficiently to function if OUR society.

The ones at the emergency room, getting the free healthcare that WE pay for MUST also learn english, or NO visiti senior doctor.

The pussification of america continues...

[JosephTheLibertarian]

I believe in free market in language BUT it has long been on the socialist agenda to promote artificial multiculturalism.

[freedom-maniac]

I have no problem with what people speak. If someone want's to speak Klingon in America all the more power to them. But don't ask me to bother learning it, or being able to help you in an emergency. I my defense I do study Spanish, German, and a few other languages on my own time, but that's my CHOICE. No one should be forced to learn anything else...

As for the firefighters, it's not their fault they don't understand the illegals when they're yelling, "Socorro! Socorro!"

[coyote_sprit]

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/strange/news-article.aspx?storyid=105689
The tables get kind of turned here.

[driller80545]

It's the New England accent that I have trouble understanding, and some of that rap jargon. Spanish is a beautiful language and easy to learn if you want to. If not, then don't. You have that choice. Can't say the same about English.

[Dr.3D]

People who don't speak the language of the country they are in, are taking the chance an emergency could happen and they won't understand what is happening. It should not be the fault of the country they are in that they don't have a grasp of the language, it should be their own liability. If they don't learn English, then they are just taking a chance something may happen to them and should accept the liability of not learning the language where they are living.

[driller80545]

People who don't speak the language of the country they are in, are taking the chance an emergency could happen and they won't understand what is happening. It should not be the fault of the country they are in that they don't have a grasp of the language, it should be their own liability. If they don't learn English, then they are just taking a chance something may happen to them and should accept the liability of not learning the language where they are living.

This is true. I have travelled extensively in Mexico, Central America, and South America and these Spanish speaking people don't have the same problems we do about language. Mistaken words and pronunciations are always a source of humor, not angst. These countries do not provide welfare, etc. to anyone who is not a citizen. I wonder if that is not why people here get so upset with illegals. Why don't we, as a country, stop supporting illegal immigration with welfare instead of being rude and angry at people. RP says that illegal immigration would stop without welfare, etc. But I am friends with some of these wetbacks and have helped them along and will continue to. I respect the people who are here to better their place in life and their family's.

[VoteForRonPaul]

All Americans should be fired for not learning Arabic :D

[AutoDas]

I am guessing none of you reside in California. Well in CA, you should know Spanish and it's highly recommended. I even took 3 years of Spanish in High school and I am glad I did that. Looks good on resume :-)

The problem is Hispanic/Latino people are not forced into learning English. Spanish signs exist in hospitals, buildings, brochures, maps etc and Spanish speaking people are everywhere. I think Hispanics make around 45% of California's population now. Also, keep in mind illegals are scared to attend any school to learn English. Those who are legal, I guess know the basics but not enough to explain in detail. Like I said Hispanic population is increasing and it's hard for them to learn English when everyone around them speaks Spanish. They also have their on tv (telemundo, univision), spanish newspaper, spanish radio.

HAHA
Do Americans still believe they can learn a new language once they're in highschool? It doesn't matter if you took two or three years of it because public schools hardly challenge the students into actually learning the language. Use it or lose it.

[Nirvikalpa]

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/strange/news-article.aspx?storyid=105689
The tables get kind of turned here.

Thank God for PA. :D

[LEK]

Why don't they just learn Spanish?

Hmmm...yeah, and why don't they just learn Greek too. That's what my husband spoke when he came here on an academic scholarship LEGALLY. It would have made his life so much easier if the university he attended would have taught him in his native tongue. But, sigh, he learned the language of the country he was NOW LIVING IN and graduated with honors and a dual major in engineering.

He also became a citizen 35 years ago - and guess what - the test was written in English!

How did he ever do it...gosh, could it be because he worked his *** off to better himself and become a productive member of a great country?

:p