Australian Prime Minister says it best.

[Woods Walker]

Fence, no fence, whatever. If you're going to LIVE here....LEARN ENGLISH!

And not to further fan the flames, but you never answered my question about why voting materials and signs at polling places are printed in languages other than english when to vote you either have to pass the citizen test (that's in english!) or you were born here.

The CDL commercial driver's license test is english only, but not a regular driver's license. WTF?????

So what exactly is your question for me? Sorry, I'm a little slow.

And will you please address me in a Native American language. I mean after all, if you're going to live here, LEARN THE LANGAUAGE!

LOL! Well, you know, we had a war, and right or wrong, they lost. And if you realy want to nit pick, when we actualy BECAME the United States Of America, the "native" language of that new nation WAS (IS) english.

The question: WHY do they provide voting materials and polling place signage in languages other than english if to be able to legally vote you must be an American citizen, and to be an American citizen you either have to had been born here (in which case you would know english by attending school), or you legally immigrated here and you became naturalized (in which case you would have had to have passed a citizen test IN ENGLISH)?

Quien sabe? (OH THE IRONY!)

[Jslotter]

Sorry for offending your sesitivites JPH. But Im not apologetic of the fact Im a little concerned and fed up up of hearing about border agents being engaged with small arms fire from drug runners while a huge drug war is flooding into our own country from mexico. Maybe you dont see it or hear it everyday like the people do near the border. I was stationed at FT Bliss Texas about two years ago when we were warned as soldiers to NOT go to certain areas of EL Paso and anywhere near the Mexican border for that matter because the high potential of becoming victim to the drug war. You call me racist and you are WRONG! That crosses the line. I want to respectively disagree on the issue and drive on. I do wont debate the issue from here on out. Is that to much to ask for?

[JPH]

I have no hatred of mexicans, I learned what spanish I know while trading lunches, and working right along side them. Good people on the whole. But I do have fear of what come through that border. You say clumsy attempts? There have been a lot of them. How successful do they need to be before you take them seriously? Do you hae a minumum death toll? Does it need to be bloody, like a bomb? Or would anthrax do? Maybe just a few terrorists, with a couple of hundred pounds of C4? That could be done on horse back. This is assuming that ALL of the Mexicans who come accross plan to become productive members of this country and apply to become citizans, not just another drain on an economy that has problems already. As for your documentary. I can't watch anything on this computer and get more than a couple of still shots of the vidio. But I will listen to it if I can find it.

Just for the sake of clarity. You do not hate anyone, you just want to set up remote machine guns to keep them away? You fear Islamic terrorists from Mexico in spite of the fact every act of Islamic terrorism on US soil has been carried out by documented aliens, US citizens and even US soldiers? And if any immigrants are bad people here for bad reasons, all immigrants should be considered guilty?

As for "The Other Side of Immigration"? You can get it on netflix.

[JPH]

And will you please address me in a Native American language. I mean after all, if you're going to live here, LEARN THE LANGAUAGE!

Not a valid argument. The indians took thier land from older indians, and older indians befor that. If you go back far enough, I think just points and grunts would answer your request.

If so, what makes your demand for English valid? Because that's what you speak?

[JPH]

"If we spent half the money we're wasting on border "security" on improving conditions in Mexico and Central America we just might solve the problem" Why do you believe this is our problem to solve? It is really none of our bussiness. That IS ANOTHER COUNTRY. Not just past the south 40, or even in another state, but beyond the reach of our laws. This is that rear property line that you just don't cross without permission. It is someone else's land. Not ours to correct, beautify, clean up, or alter. If we have all this money to spend on adjusting someone else's country, then I am quite sure it would be better spent here, on our econemy, and our people. After all, we earned it, saved it, worked for it, and pay taxes on it. That would define it as "our's" not "thier's" I was raised to take care of your own first, and your neighbors only after your's are secure. In a flood, protect your own, then help your neighbor, or you can lose both houses.

So you'd rather spend twice the money militarizing the border and forcing desperate people into desperate choices? That's smarter than doing something positive? And I thought it was our problem because all those dirty immigrants are taking away our birthdays or something.

"Heck, one of those remote machine guns would be a lot more expensive than a few tractors...but hey this is 'Merica dammit! We do things our way!"

[JPH]

The question: WHY do they provide voting materials and polling place signage in languages other than english if to be able to legally vote you must be an American citizen, and to be an American citizen you either have to had been born here (in which case you would know english by attending school), or you legally immigrated here and you became naturalized (in which case you would have had to have passed a citizen test IN ENGLISH)?

Quien sabe? (OH THE IRONY!)

Okay now I'm on the trolly.
Well, while I am not an election official, I assume it is because there are voters who do not speak English. There are ballots in braille and I think there are accommodations for the illiterate as well. Should we ship those ungrateful s.o.b's back to where they came from too?

I was not aware that the US citizenship test was only offered in printed English. If it is, that is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard of (except Al Quieda using the Mexican border as an invasion route). I mean how the heck are they supposed to vote?

[JPH]

Sorry for offending your sesitivites JPH. But Im not apologetic of the fact Im a little concerned and fed up up of hearing about border agents being engaged with small arms fire from drug runners while a huge drug war is flooding into our own country from mexico. Maybe you dont see it or hear it everyday like the people do near the border. I was stationed at FT Bliss Texas about two years ago when we were warned as soldiers to NOT go to certain areas of EL Paso and anywhere near the Mexican border for that matter because the high potential of becoming victim to the drug war. You call me racist and you are WRONG! That crosses the line. I want to respectively disagree on the issue and drive on. I do wont debate the issue from here on out. Is that to much to ask for?

First things first. I never called anyone a racist.I said that the sentiments being riled up here are xenophobic. That means having an unreasonable fear of outsiders. I stand by that.

Secondly, in the past three years I've been to Juarez, Mexico, Uvalde, TX, Guatemala City, and El Paso twice. My wife has more than doubled my exposure to the border region and beyond during the same period. Do you need to keep your head on when you are on the Mexican (or Guatemalan side)? You bet. As for the US side? I've never had an ounce of trouble. In fact, we've taken nearly 100 teens from small town Iowa to El Paso and we cannot wait to go back. It was far safer and more welcoming than many of the US cities we've visited. And don't kid yourself, we were literally in rock throwing distance of the border most of the time. Not a single problem.

Jslotter, you know GI's better than I do, but we both know GI's. You can take a kid who's an expert in his craft, can lead a patrol far outside the wire and can manage his Army career like a seasoned NCO, but turn him loose on a weekend with a few bucks and he's gonna find trouble. Come on man, you know that's true. The military has been calling places off limits since the first days of a professional army. That does not mean it is a totally unsafe region for "normal" people.

And most importantly, I want you to rest assured that you have not offended me. I am aware of where you've been and I deeply respect you for that. I respect you enough to disagree with you man to man if I think you are wrong, but with no hint of hurt feelings. I hope you feel the same way.

[kellory]

And will you please address me in a Native American language. I mean after all, if you're going to live here, LEARN THE LANGAUAGE!

Not a valid argument. The indians took thier land from older indians, and older indians befor that. If you go back far enough, I think just points and grunts would answer your request.

If so, what makes your demand for English valid? Because that's what you speak?

Check your facts, I did not call for English as our official language, but I would agree with it. I was in Montreal Canada when they were removing all the English from their signs. French only for them for now on. If I were to move to any other country, they would exspect me to learn thier language.If we took a poll now in every home in America as to what language should be our officle language, what do you believe that poll would show? English.

[JPH]

If we took a poll now in every home in America as to what language should be our officle language, what do you believe that poll would show? English.

I don't know, is that how we should decide right from wrong? If we'd done that in the South is the 1950's African Americans would still be in the back of the bus. If we'd done that in 1776 we might not have had a Declaration of Independence. See my point?

I'm tired. give me something to look forward to in the morning.

[Woods Walker]

J'per: And then why is the CDL license test in english only, but not a regular driver's license?

Doesn't a non-commercial vehicle operator have to read the same signs and what not as a commercial vehicle operator?

Or should there be no standard language requiremnt for that either? No borders, no licenses, no laws. Just do whatever you feel you have to do. What's next, bilingual road signs?

Maybe our currency should be printed in spanish too. That'd make it easier for all those who won't adapt to use our money.