For Obama, Spanish remark no landmine

The voters will decide whether Obama's condescending comments are important or not... not Frank James.

Yes, heaven forbid a politician says American children should be more intelligent and talented. How dare he.

A suggestion to the press corps:

"At Obama's next press conference, spontaneously:

Journalist 1: Ask a tough question using only Spanish; do not translate and in the delivery of the question, request that he respond in Spanish
Journalist 2: Ask a tough question using only French; do not translate and in the delivery of the question request that he respond in French
Journalist 3: Ask a tough question using only German; do not translate and in the delivery request that he respond in German

Will he consider himself to be an "embarrassment" if he can't answer?

...I freely admit that I would fail that test but I also would never condemn my fellow flunkers as embarrassing." (from Don Kochon)

But don't worry, St. Barack. The press will never do this, as they're too eager to help you get elected.

Bruce-
No, he'd probably smile and say "Now you see why second language training is a good idea!"

The truth of the matter is, he's right. It's a liability for us that we don't learn a second language, and this business of making it some kind of virtue that we're monolingual is inane at best. America needs, at this time more than any other, to aspire to excellence rather than mediocrity.

The Bible's in English, ain't it?

If English is good enough for God, it ought to work fer them illegals.

I wish often language classes of any kind had been available at an earlier age, when maybe it could have stuck. It's embarrassing to be monolingual and it's going to be especially hard on the kids not getting this form of education to make it in the global marketplace that will be the norm in just a few years.

"One of the world's great cultures." Which one are you referring to? Mexican culture? Cuban culture? Puerto Rican culture? Argentinian culture? They're not the same, just ask them.

Or do you view all Spanish-speakers as belonging to one culture? They don't.

Excusez-moi? What did he say? My children don't have to learn Spanish!

Why not French, German, Italian...

Why so elite Obama? Why did you pick Spanish and mispronounce the elementary French you used?

By the way, Frenchmen expect you to speak French in France, even though most can speak English. It's rude to assume they will accommodate you in their country.

I don't like the changes Obama is trying to make. He's just too controlling for my liking. You think George Bush is bad, Obama is already sounding worse.

Well, Frank, maybe the American people are tired of being insulted by our elected officials as they pander to get more votes. Let's see, there's jobs the Americans won't do, and now there's a language Americans won't learn. Maybe people wouldn't rebel so much if everyone stop trying to shove another country's culture down our throats. I'll tell you what. I spent 4 years in Saudi Arabia. I didn't ask them to learn my language so that I could understand them when I went shopping. I took a class and learned how to speak Arabic. I also covered myself with a robe when I went out, and I covered my hair during Ramadan out of respect for their customs. We haven't seen the same respect from the Hispanics who come here, millions of them illegally, and it's a slap in the face to keep making demands. Obama and McCain will find out come election time the affect their pandering will have on the outcome, because they have both lost the respect of the American people. I don't have anything against learning a second language, but I refuse to be insulted because I won't speak Spanish in my own country.

Advocating better education for our children is a "landmine"? Who are these clowns? Americans for Linguistic Ignorance?

You have got to be kidding me!...You people in the media will do anything to protect this guy. Does Mr. Obama realize that most public and private schools already offer foreign languages as an elective? If a kid wants to speak Spanish he can take a few classes in High School. Does Obama want to make this mandatory? You people in the media might not be offended by this guy..but everyday he seems to be offending more and more Americans.

Per Lynx:

By the way, Frenchmen expect you to speak French in France, even though most can speak English.

---

Actually, it's been my experience that they appreciate your attempting to speak French and, upon recognizing your efforts, they start speaking to you in English, because their English is gobs better than your French and thus it wastes everyone's time to labor through it.

And no: There is nothing -- nothing -- worse than George W. Bush. I oppose McCain but he at least the basic competence to be President. Bush is 8 years on and still not up to the job.

What did he say????
Obama said "we should have every child speaking more than one language". ALIPAC translated this to "Americans should be forced to learn to speak Spanish".

Please note that "some people believe what they want to believe, and disregard the rest." All the data was there in the article (good job Frank). I gather that AILPAC is not speaking for Obama, but against him.

If Obambi is only suggesting that schools should teach children to speak more than one language, he is right. Learning to speak a different language actually makes one conscious of one's own language use, as well as the different ways in which various people conceptualize and translate their perceptions in symbolic terms. It also opens up a person's ability to comprehend and assimilate a vastly greater amount of information from different sources. Thus, it is an extremely important life skill. We severely neglect this valuable training in our school system (along with many other ways of training people to think). There is nothing particularly wrong or offensive with his remark from that standpoint.
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However, I must part company with him to the extent he suggests that learning a foreign language is just as important, or more important, than learning English for American residents. One must be able to comprehend and speak English to get an education, get a job and to understand all forms of communicative media. Moreover, English is the language of Government in this country. All courts and legislatures, both state and federal, conduct all proceedings in English. Thus, one risks depriving themselves of a meaningful way of addressing political representatives and interacting with the court without a good grounding in English. If I were to move to another country, even temporarily, I would make it my business to learn the native language the best I could.
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Although it is an added benefit of learning a language, pleasing others with one's ability to speak their language is not a very good stand-alone reason to learn a language. All the same, he is right in saying one ought to know more than "merci beaucoup" when traveling in France or Quebec. It is equally imprortant to know, "Oł est la toilette?," "Est-ce que vous voudriez boire quelque chose, mon cher?" and, perhaps, "Taisez-vous!" We have to keep up our image, you know.

In Obama I see a lot of good to resurrect our country from the Bush Administration quagmire. But he is complicit in appeasing the illegal alien occupants of our country. MCain in not much better, although he promises to enforce our borders. Out of the whole grouping of political personages, trying to attain the highest office in the world., its unfortunate but none have really given me any hope for the organized chaos our nation is in right now. So now I have to make a compromise to myself,of who I must vote for in November..? Hillary was my best choice, but now I just don't know..? However, I will keep fighting to repatriate the 30 million illegal aliens squatting in this country. Other than the war in Iraq, this is second highest expenditure to Americans. Most citizens or legal residents seem not to care, othwise they would demand the SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) to take our border back from the globalist free traders. still I am an American patriot and believe in our lands sovereignty and a right to enforce our immigration laws. Barbara Jordan stated, ' ā€œIt is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.ā€ I joined the only organization that is benefiting the rights of the American people and it's unlikely either obama or MCCain will carry out THE PEOPLE'S will? NUMBERSUSA.

Spanish is second to Chinese as the most widely spoken native language in the World. There is a case to be made for every U.S. Americans to be able to communicate with Spanish speaking people. This may not have been the case 30 years ago, but today with so many Americans from Mexico and points south we need to be able share our thoughts and ideas, as well as listen to theirs. Of course, we have a tendency to be selfish, the the American way is to share.

Why isn't Barack concerned that today's American born high school can't speak English properly, let alone try to tackle a second language? All he needs to do is look at his hometown's public school system for evidence.

The real issue with Obama's comments is whether we want a president who arrogantly levels hip leftist Euro Chic criticism against this great country and its citizens. The answer, of course, is no.

I am outraged that Obama stated that our children should learn Spanish. WE ARE IN AMERICA AND ENGLISH IS OUR LANGUAGE!

Hey - for all of those "English" only folks - please make sure your children never learn a foreign language - because my child is - and the fewer people that know second and third languages means less competition for my child for jobs that are increasingly paying more for bi- and multi-lingual speakers.

Why your at it - be sure that they don't learn calculus, science and for that fact - they most likely won't even know English that well.

So, yes, please keep your kids limited - America needs cheap labor...

Give me a break.

Obama said immigrants should learn English and Americans should teach their children to speak Spanish. That is exactly what he said and by doing so he took a position pandering to Hispanics and illegal aliens. Legal immigrants are required to know English and while not all legal immigrants can speak English, the language problem is predominantly with the 12-20 million illegal aliens in the nation.

Americans should not have to adjust our culture and our society, which has proven itself successful, in order to accommodate a trend fueled by mass lawlessness.

If one is seeking to become more proficient in education, medicine, science, and technology you would want to learn English, Latin, Russian, Japanese, German, French, or possibly Mandarin Chinese. The only main benefit from learning Spanish would be communicating with people that have come to America without taking proper steps to assimilate.

This is America. Many Americans are rightly offended by people coming into America and demanding we learn their language instead of them learning ours. Obama has taken sides and the side he has taken is very unpopular with over 80% of Americans. Those are the facts.

Why Spanish? Why did he SAY Spanish? I am ALL for learning a second language, but why not French (as many more than just those in France speak French), why not German? Italian? We need to stop thinking of making it easier for the millions of invaders from Hispanic speaking nations, by learning their language so they not only would not have to attempt to assimialte, but also makes it easier for them to get along, although they have no right to be here. No, sorry Obama, my kids will be learning how to make best use of the English language, and also will learn another, but not Spanish, it would be making my kids accomodate invaders.

There are thousands of people coming into the U,S. speaking hundreds of different languages, are these people to be required to learn English and Spanish to get by in the U.S.? There are now whole towns that are predominantly Spanish speaking, Spanish on every building, will this bind Americans....Learning another language is good and generally in high school the student can CHOOSE which language he/she chooses to learn, there are many beautiful languages but if our schools tried to teach them all when will they find time for reading, writing, AMERICAN history or math? This is nothing more than pandering for the Latino vote!

In college I had the chance to take a language and I chose to take Spanish. But it was my choice. I don't want any politician dictating WHAT language I or my children should learn. And why did he pick that particular language? I believe I read his children to not speak Spanish. Just another off the cuff remark that he didn't think through...

I agree that one would be better to speak one or more foreign languages but it's not necessary to be Spanish. It seems to me now Mr. Obama try to lure Spanish Mexican voters and try to make them happy. His tactic every one should know by now. It's another absurd stupid nonsense beside the Obama seal.

blinkin,

Glad you had a pleasant French experience, you must have been conversing with someone that wanted to sell you something.

Not sure why you oppose McCain, he's the Republican's Obama. McCain is even a Democrat that should have switched parties when he ran against Bush, but I guess you don't remember that. McObama are the same man, different party. Both are Socialist, Globalist and pro-illegal immigration. If you have been listening to Obama lately, he's turning into McCain, every time he opens his mouth and speaks about the major issues. He's even getting soft on the war.

Pandering to Hispanics and groups like La Raza and Lulac is exactly what Senator Obama is doing with his comments in regards to learning Spanish. Why should Spanish be the language that he is promoting? English is the language that most other nations know and use besides their own national or official language. When most Americans travel they at least make the effort to learn some of the language to communicate and to do business in another nation. That is more than most illegal aliens do, and they know little, if any English. Most make little effort to learn the language because they live in separated communities, able to live without English. Shameful.

Barack Obama has spent many years wallowing in Black Liberation Theology with its hate America rhetoric in his Chicago church. He finally bailed out for political expediency after defending them and his ranting, racist pastor beyond any logical reason. Heā€™s all for legalizing and giving citizenship to illegal aliens and falsely promises border security and employer accountability in a feeble attempt to mollify critics. He has surrounded himself with every conceivable leftist radical he could find who hates less governmental control, capitalism, free markets, our Constitutional rights, our nationā€™s borders and sovereignty and our right to determine our own destiny via who we allow into our country. He will find a way to cover illegal aliens with his universal health plan, even if he is unable to legalize them through amnesty. He has even associated with people that have committed terrorist acts against America, our institutions and her citizens. His answer to radical Islamic fundamentalismā€™s vow to destroy America is to promise to talk them out of it. He has legislation pending in the U.S. Senate to commit a minimum fixed amount of our GDP to the corrupt U.N. ostensibly to fight world poverty at the expense of damaging our own economy and hurting our own people. Heā€™s all for raising taxes on our citizens who are productive to expand both government and social entitlement programs to the non-producers in our society. He is committed to appointing liberal justices to the Supreme Court who will cast aside the Constitution by trampling on our individual rights and liberty through more governmental control. He speaks well when he has use of a teleprompter but his rhetoric is empty and promises ā€˜changeā€™ with no clarification of change to what. He calls himself a different kind of politician and a Washington outsider but he runs with the same lobbyists and influence peddlers distributing money and favors to gather support of their agenda that all the Senators do. He has such little political experience (143 days in the Senate before he announced he would run for President) and accomplishments that his campaign needs to tout his period as a ā€˜community organizerā€™ and his work in support of ACORN (a group who has been found to recruit and register illegal aliens to vote). This is also the man that states letā€™s not worry about immigrants speaking English but we should ensure our children speak Spanish.
He tells us he is the ā€œuniterā€ but in actuality he is the opposite. Obama is more aptly termed the ā€œdividerā€. He knows little of America outside of the shield of his privileged upbringing while attending the best private schools and upon reaching adulthood, he has surrounded himself with radical socialists. His view of rural Americans is they are ā€œbitter people who cling to guns and religion.ā€ The 20 years he spent in his Chicago church participating in racial separatism and division would tell everyone this man is no uniter.

Obama has exposed himself as the true leftist he is by stating don't worry about immigrants because they'll learn English (hardly since our country accomodates them in every way with Spanish catered in our public schools and all government forms and documents also available in Spanish) but that we should have our children speak Spanish. Over 80% of the American people want English declared the national language of the U.S. and they also want immigrants to learn English.

Oh come on, it's obvious Obama is pandering for votes like most politicians. He doesn't speak Spanish either.
A common language is unifying whereas different languages can be divisive. Some wise words from the past need rereading:
"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...
There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
--Theodore Roosevelt, 1919

"Transformers" the movie says everyone should speak english.

Remember the solders talking to each on the plane.

VJ Machiavelli
ps Iran-Have Missiles Will Fire, see video
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com

Did anyone else notice that Obama messed up his own english.

Look at this YouTube video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZprtPat1Vk

and pay close attention to 0:40 and 0:59.

This is not about learning a second language. This is about changing the American culture to "press 1 for English". I lived in France during college and am fluent in French. Nothing there was in English. They are proud of their language and want to preserve it and we should do the same. As a doctor in LA county I regularly have to speak Spanish to about 75% of patients. And these are people who have lived here ten and twenty years. We should be encouraged to learn other languages but we SHOULD NOT have to speak a different language to get by in our own country!

As a British citizen, I won't commrent on American politics, but I will comment on a linguistic matter. I would like to argue the case for learning and usinf Esperanto. It is a planned language which belongs to no one country or group of states. Take a look at www.esperanto.net

Esperanto works! I've used it in speech and writing in a dozen countries over recent years. What do you think?

Now, don't get me wrongā€¦I agree that bilingualism is an important part in broadening our educational horizons and certainly serves as an elementary way of beginning to understand cultures outside of our own; however, when talking about the immigration problem in the United States and dealing with citizenship here on U.S. soilā€¦the answer is not that we shouldn't worry about others speaking English and that we should make sure our children can speak Spanish. English is the universally accepted language both for commerce and on the high seas (if it wasn't for us, German would be)! Comparing America as a whole to Europe is quite misleading. For one thing, most of those countries equate to the size of the top third most populous states in the U.S. Think of it this way, if each state in the country spoke a different language but traveled as frequently between states for business and recreationā€¦I would venture to guess that most citizens would be able to speak at least one other language (even if it was only the language spoken in their favorite vacation state). However, we don't have that type of set-up here in the United States. I have traveled throughout Europe and their grasp of English is respectable (considering their proximity to Great Britain)ā€¦but nothing astonishing. My ability to learn certain phrases mere weeks before entering ports served me better while traveling around and ordering out in towns. Please, don't also forget that over 40% of the worlds college graduates, graduated from American Universities. Again, I am not saying there is anything wrong with learning Spanish, or any other language for that matter (as I speak fluent Japanese - spent early childhood in Japan since my parents were missionaries)ā€¦all I am saying is that when doing business and living here in the Statesā€¦.my future Children should not HAVE to learn Spanish (and I am definitely NOT going to make sure they can speak it - unless they choose to).

SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY STILL CAN NOT EVEN SPEAK ENGLISH PROPERLY NOR CAN THEY SPELL SO I FEEL, LET IT BE ONES OWN CHOICE AND KEEP THIS ISSUE OUT OF POLITICS. ENGLISH SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE PRIMARY LANQUAGE IN AMERICA. THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE AND WORK. ONLY ONE MORE REASON WHY I WILL VOTE INDEPENDED.

Barrack Obama's remarks on the Spanish language are in my opinion a blatant pandering to Hispanic voters, and nothing more! If this isn't the case, why Spanish rather than any other second language?

I'd be willing to bet that all these Obamabots who are praising the need to speak Spanish, cannot speak a lick of Spanish. Well, I guess they can say things like Taco Bell, Si and amigo.

Hey Rob, maybe you should learn to write before you criticize anyone about speaking other languages. "Why your at it" doesn't make sense. Also, "English" should not be capitalized when referring to the language we speak in this country. I wont elaborate further but you get the message.

This country was orginially going to speak German and they changed it to English. Now, why in the world would America want to change it to Spanish. If we went to South America, they would not care if we knew Spanish. Why should we bow down to another culture. By the way, we don't speak proper English. The children/adults need a class in English, the original dialect.

OBAMA CANNOT POSSIBLY MEET EXPECTATIONS, EVEN HIS OWN ---

Obamaā€™s impossible road ahead:

http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/07/why-obama-will-win-but-cant-deliver.html

Why is Obama HISPANdering? He's pathetic. The 1st Amendment gives us the freedom of speech, NOT FORCES US TO SPEAK 2 LANGUAGES. Gimme a break. How is Obama going to force everyone to learn Spanish? Sounds like a dictator to me.

I believe l speak good English but for the past three years l have been taking spanish classes and my son who is 3 speak English and Spanish very well. This effort has widen my views of other culture and it is good for my brain cells and l am 41 years of age.

Nothing is wrong with what Mr Obama said. please all you people do not get worked up on this issue, it is only a good thing for us all as Americans and non-Americans.

sandra,

What widens a person's view of other cultures is traveling, NOT learning to speak another language. Many people travel only speaking English, and they have gotten along fine. But it's BEING IN ANOTHER COUNTRY that widens your view of the world.

You and your son haven CHOSEN to learn Spanish. You were not forced. THAT is the issue we have with Obama. All of us have the right to choose whether to learn another language or not. Learning another language is no guarantee of success. Does Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Sam Walton speak Spanish? No, but they are successful.

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Also, "English" should not be capitalized when referring to the language we speak in this country. I wont elaborate further but you get the message.
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Posted by: RFB-IL | July 11, 2008 10:48 AM
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If you want to be a grammar snob, you must know the rules. In the sentence case, it is proper English, inter alia, to capitalize proper nouns. (See The Chicago Manual of Style 15th ed. (University of Chicago Press, 2003), at Ā§ 8.167; Strunk & White (Eds.), The Elements of Style (3rd Ed. New York: Penguin Press, 2005), at p. 130.) A proper noun is the "name of a particular person . . . , place . . . , or thing . . ." (Ibid..) The word "English," when referring to our language, is a proper noun since it designates a particular language. Hence, one must always capitalize the word English when designating the name of our language - regardless of whether one is in the U.S., England or any other English-speaking country.

This is just another example of Obama's elitist character and lack of experience in the "real world". I've worked in the real world with people from other countries and they speak English, it the language of success! It's one of the languages of the Olympics and of the UN(as defunct as it is). English should be our official language and you should have to demonstrate proficiency before being allowed to register to vote. Furthermore, we should learn Spanish? What does that say to all of the immigrants from countries that speak something other than English or Spanish, that they aren't as important? Some of the best and the brightest researchers and scientists come here from other countries where English isn't their first language, but hey Barack, here's the shock, they've learned it voluntarily because English is also the language of science and technology. At www.DefeatObama.org we are working to show the American people the real Barack Obama and why he is a dangerous choice for President.

Obama is misleading you! English is the common language of US business. Ask any foreignor doing business with the US. If any foreign business wants to do business with the USA, they speak to us in English! AND VICE VERSA.

So if you don't plan to do business with a foreign country, there is NO NEED for you to learn another language. And if you do, you can always hire a bi-lingual person.

IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS NOT MANDATORY IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS. Use your common sense is all.

Attn Liberals: Why do Americans have to apologize for speaking English?? Why do you say that it makes us "stupid" compared with the rest of the world?? As far as history goes, the USA is the greatest nation on earth and English was the USA's spoken language throughout history. In other words, why fix something that ain't broke? We do not force other nations to speak English. But they want to! Why? coz they want to do business with us and make lots $$. As far as history goes, Spain and the Spanish language lost their edge in the late 1800s, when they were defeated by those who they conquered and those who the conquered sought help from, aka AMERICA.

Get over it. Spanish is not a great language. Spain is not a great country anymore. When was the last time you heard anything newsworthy coming out of Spain??? Nada. English IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE FUTURE. As long as America is #1, English will be #1 in languages also. It's called common sense, folks.

Attn Liberals: Why do Americans have to apologize for speaking English?? Why do you say that it makes us "stupid" compared with the rest of the world?? As far as history goes, the USA is the greatest nation on earth and English was the USA's spoken language throughout history. In other words, why fix something that ain't broke? We do not force other nations to speak English. But they want to! Why? coz they want to do business with us and make lots $$. As far as history goes, Spain and the Spanish language lost their edge in the late 1800s, when they were defeated by those who they conquered and those who the conquered sought help from, aka AMERICA.

Get over it. Spanish is not a great language. Spain is not a great country anymore. When was the last time you heard anything newsworthy coming out of Spain??? Nada. English IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE FUTURE. As long as America is #1, English will be #1 in languages also. It's called common sense, folks.

To the English-only people,

No one is forcing you to learn a second language. In case you don't know this, the best way to get other people to do something is to convince them that it is to their benefit to do so. Most non-English speaking people who immigrated to the U.S. learned English on their own. They don't need English-only law to tell them that they need to do this. They know that to succeed and get ahead in this country English is essential. You don't need to legislate compliance, because they will do it on their own. When you force other people to do something, they tend to get annoyed with you. You should understand this since you get all upset about the suggestion that you should learn a second language.

Attn Liberals: Why do Americans have to apologize for speaking English?? Why do you say that it makes us "stupid" compared with the rest of the world?? As far as history goes, the USA is the greatest nation on earth and English was the USA's spoken language throughout history. In other words, why fix something that ain't broke? We do not force other nations to speak English. But they want to! Why? coz they want to do business with us and make lots $$. As far as history goes, Spain and the Spanish language lost their edge in the late 1800s, when they were defeated by those who they conquered and those who the conquered sought help from, aka AMERICA.

Get over it. Spanish is not a great language. Spain is not a great country anymore. When was the last time you heard anything newsworthy coming out of Spain??? Nada. English IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE FUTURE. As long as America is #1, English will be #1 in languages also. It's called common sense, folks.

I do know French, so I can go to Europe without embarrassing the Senator. Then when I come home I speak English, because I live in the USA not Peru.

Wow, totally blown out of proportion... Read the quote above again: "You should be thinking about how can your child become bilingual."

Obama never said anything about forcing anybody to do anything. That was just ALIPAC's spin...

relax folks...

*******
Why your at it - be sure that they don't learn calculus, science and for that fact - they most likely won't even know English that well.
*******
Surprised you're attempting a second language since obviously you don't know English that well. It should read: While you're at it...etc.
By the way, Spanish is not the only language out there and is in fact number 4 on the list of most spoken languages (Mandarin Chinese, English and Hindu are the first three in that order). I do not believe Obama was saying we had to learn just Spanish but, like most of his remarks lately, was said poorly and in such a way that it left him wide open to misinterpretation. Do Americans need to learn the fundamentals of a second language? Yes. Does it need to be Spanish? No. To say other than that is pandering to the Hispanics.

Jim,

ALIPAC has nothing to do with this. THIS is an individual choice.

So are you saying that we should allow a politician to tell us HOW WE SHOULD THINK??? I think NOT. Obama can think all he wants, but he is not my master.

Obama, IMHO, has gone FAR BEYOND his rights as an American and as a Presidential-nominee. He should think more carefully about what he says, even if he cloaks it as "his opinion." Trying to spin his TRUE intent -- getting the Hispanic vote -- by saying idiotic rhetoric like this IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE USA is quite a stupid move, don't you think? What was he thinking? That we, Americans, would not notice this? Just because he spoke these words in a Latino conference doesn't mean the whole English-speaking world isn't listening! Doesn't he realize that everything he says while he is campaigning to be President of the greatest country on earth isn't going to be read/heard by EVERYONE, Spanish-speaking or not???

You want proof? Ok, then why he is trying NOW to explain his words? Why is he saying now that that is not what he meant? What is that all about? DAMAGE CONTROL is a blinking neon sign that "ooops, I did something wrong and I am trying to fix it."

Obama, IT'S TOO LATE. You have shown your true colors. For you to say this, after Rasmussen and Zogvy polls discovered that 81% of Americans want illegal Hispanics out of here, is utmost stupidity. Obama, you can believe what your inner circle tells you all you want, but if you don't listen to WE THE PEOPLE, you will NOT WIN.

A number of the posters in this thread have said that the "press" will go to any length to elect Obama. That is patently untrue. How many remarks that could be taken as misstatements or screw-ups in the past week have been reported for McCain? Only one or two. Totally missing are his incredible ineptitude on his understanding of Social Security but worse, his incredible failure to remember his own voting record on requiring insurers to cover birth control pills and the contradiction of requiring coverage for Viagra. He hemmed and hawed for three minutes and didn't know what his record was! Totally ignored by the press that wants Obama elected.

His comment makes no sense...how exactly will learning Spanish (btw...American kids routinely take foreign language classes.) help a traveler in France? He was pandering, and doing so by taking a swipe at Americans. If he wants to run for the leadership post in France, let him, I hope Sarkozy cleans his clock.

I am Hispanic, and I speak Spanish. I learned English 4 years ago, when I immigrated to the United States. Now I am also fluent in French. So I'm trilingual.

You English-only people have no idea how useful and rewarding it is to speak more than one language. Better jobs and better opportunities are what my knowledge of 3 languages has given me. I'm more academically competitive than the vast majority of monolingual persons in the US.

Obama said "We should have every child speaking more than one language." He didn't say we should FORCE everyone to exclusively learn Spanish.

Sadly, racism is the only reason some of you are making a huge deal out of this, saying that it is unfair because it would be helping the poor and hard-working Hispanic immigrants be assimilated.

And for those who are just exaggerating and saying Obama was so mean by offending Americans, calling them "stupid" compared to Europeans, open your eyes. It is true. Europeans are so ahead of us in THAT sense.

For a better future for our American children, we should support their learning of a second or even third language.

I am an emigrant. I speak 2 languages. When I arrived my goal was to learn as much English as fast as I can. English holds this country together. First teach our children good English.
Obama using his remarks for political purpose. Language can be a divider not a uniter. Look at the EU.

I believe we everyone, American , or not, should learn English, as well as a second language. That second language needn't be, and perhaps, shouldn't be, Spanish. I think we'd be better off learning Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, Irdu, or whatever. When Americans learn Spanish as a second language, we are like an alcoholic's friends and family who continuously make excuses for the alcoholic. It's time to STOP ENABLING the Spanish speaking people of this country, get them to get off their native language, and get them into the mainstream of world commerce. English is the international language of business, technology, aviation, medicine, diplomacy, travel, and the list goes on. I travel worldwide, and a second language is often spoken and written along with the native language in other countries, and guess what, it's NOT Spanish, but English. By enabling the Spanish speakers in this country, we are ultimately keeping them out of a multitude of good paying jobs and relationships. By the way, my kids, my wife, and I, all speak another language, on top of English. French, German, Latin, Spanish (wishing one of them would have taken Japanese or mandarin, though) Too many people, including, Obama, apparently, according to his specific statement, think that second language means Spanish. I say, stop enabling Spanish speaking people in the U.S., and get them into the mainstream, so they can succeed.

Our education field is already struggling, YES! LETS THROW IN ANOTHER SUBJECT! Are schools going to throw in an extra hour a day to teach the extra language class? In every school I've been to/visited you take 12 years of english/literature, and most people still have horrible grammar. Myself Included, a College Graduate. A 2nd language is a great idea, and it was mandatory in every one of my schools. Elementary, secondary, high school, I took a foreign language. Spanish in elementary school, French in secondary, high school, and 2 years in college, 1 year mandatory and 1 year by choice. But by the sound of this speech, it will be a 12 year course. We need to concentrate on raising the standards of American schools before we add more academics. From what I remember of the last "standards of education" posts on the news sites, some of the states in our country have education levels less of that of 3rd world countries!

Make sure we can speak to each other before we reach out to foreign markets. And why not Chinese? Alot of our jobs are going over there thanks to our failed government. So after we're all made to learn Spanish, will Chinese/Japanese be next? What about L337 speak? (Internet lingo) We're all communicating via the internet now these days. Shouldn't we learn this language as well? Where would it end?

I speak 2 languages by choice and a lot of people I know do as well. I do just fine and have no problems communicating with anyone I have to. And if I visit a foreign country, I learn at least the basics of how to communicate over there.

There are many many more issues in our education system that need to be addressed immediately instead of insisting on everyone learning a minority language (language reference, not race reference, ie French, Spanish, German, Italian, etc).

How about instead of paying for a program to teach everyone Spanish, or any other language than English in this country, you pay for a program that no matter what class, region, race, religion, etc, your college is 100% paid for. Government grants are great and all, but they don't always pay for school. And thats a REAL problem.

Take this as you wish, its just 1 mans opinion after all.

per a blinkin
Actually, it's been my experience that they appreciate your attempting to speak French and, upon recognizing your efforts, they start speaking to you in English, because their English is gobs better than your French and thus it wastes everyone's time to labor through it.
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At least we attempt to speak French. All of the illegals in this country do not attempt to speak English.

La razon que esta presentacion esta en Espanol es porque si usted creias en nuestro nuevo candidato Obama, tu vas aprender el idioma de Espanol porque el dicho que si.

So it's a simple, either you go for it or you don't. Regardless, don't give away your rights and beliefs because it's cool to vote for the hot new black candidate that wants change.

Oh there's change alright......please see the 1st paragraph. Thats all the change you need to look for.

Hasta La Proxima, Salud A Todos

I find it insulting to my ancestors to be told I should or have to speak Spanish. There was no wet foot/dry foot policy when my ancestors were trying to escape the Holocaust. Actually, America was turning ships full of Holocaust victims away refusing them safety.

I am american. When my ancestors came to this country, legally, through Ellis Island, they were so grateful, they imediatly began assimilating and when they recieved citizinship, they were proud to be Americans.

As I remember, when I was in Jr. High School and High School, we were required to take two foreign languages from a short list. English was not taught as a second language, it was the required language. I am outraged.

"Barrack (sic) Obama has stepped on a political land mine by stating Americans should be forced to learn to speak Spanish."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

"[Obamas views] are opposed by approximately 4 out of 5 Americans according to Rasmussen Report polling from last month."

Argumentum ad populum.

My parents came from the" Old Country" as they used to call it. They LEARNED our language. You learn the language of the country that YOU LIVE IN...To try to learn the languages of other countries would be mass confusion !!!
I don't need to learn so many languages. Just to pronounce would be difficult... Mary Semas

English is by far the world's number 1 language.

It's the language every other country has to learn to remain competitive in a world economy.

English is the language of importance, science, aviation, diplomacy, etc...

English may not be number 1 as far as native speakers are concerned; but English is by far the number 1 language as far as the amount of people who know how to speak it is concerned.

Americans already know the world's number 1 language so there's no need for Americans to learn another language.

BTW: instead of getting so hung up on what language our children will speak; why don't we make sure our children learn science and math...

For what is worth!! The Bible was not written in English!!
It was translated to English for us from Greek and Hebrew!

I was laughing out lout when I read this!. :)

"The Bible's in English, ain't it?

If English is good enough for God, it ought to work fer them illegals."