Comments on Conservative Pundits Quote Obama: "Force Our Children To Learn Spanish"

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No problemo, Smittenheimer. And I'd like to thank my family, friends,
and members of the Academy...

posted by saul_relative on July 18, 2008 at 4:55 PM | link to this | reply

I had several years of Spanish myself, Ciel, none of which stuck very well.
However, I do wish I was more fluent and think that it is important, especially when conducting business in this hemisphere, to know a little Spanish...

posted by saul_relative on July 18, 2008 at 4:54 PM | link to this | reply

Ah, mysteria, basketball metaphors...

posted by saul_relative on July 18, 2008 at 4:52 PM | link to this | reply

The point, OTA, is that he did not say "force" at all. And if you listen
to the sound bite, you can tell he said Spanish as a catch-all language while he was speaking.  He meant that we should want our children to be bilingual -- and we should.  Hell, almost every nation in the world teaches their children English as a second language.  Why are we the only country that is arrogant enough to think that we should be unilingual? 

posted by saul_relative on July 18, 2008 at 4:51 PM | link to this | reply

Yo hablamos...
espaniol ? - Mayamo es smittenheimer, quien sabe -  Well said dear friend - Blog it on

posted by Smittenheimer on July 17, 2008 at 12:24 PM | link to this | reply

Being multi-lingual is a goal best achieved in childhood--
though my exposure to French lessons in 3rd grade was  painful one.  But that was because of the teacher and Do it or else attitude. 

posted by Ciel on July 17, 2008 at 10:10 AM | link to this | reply

bleh!!! ....the dribble some people pass off for words....

posted by mysteria on July 14, 2008 at 10:29 PM | link to this | reply

Saul, Force is such a harsh word in my mind. I think it is wonderful and good to know more than one language, but to force that upon anyone seems unnecessary. And why spanish? Why not french? or Chinese? I understand about the imigration of hispanics to the United States but if the US is in the global community to stay, why not encourage our children to indeed learn more than their native tounge. Just thinking outloud this morning.... ~Peace, OTA

posted by Blue_feathers on July 13, 2008 at 5:28 AM | link to this | reply