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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

That damned quote

What's Mallard raving about today?

Barack Obama, Bilingualism.

The piece of Obama's statement which Mallard oh-so-nonchalantly chooses to excerpt changes the sentiment dramatically:
I don’t understand when people are going around worrying about, we need to have English only. They, they want to pass a law, we want just, uh, we want English only. Now, I agree that immigrants should learn English, I agree with that. But, but understand this, instead of worrying about whether, uh, immigrants can learn English - they’ll learn English - YOU need to make sure YOUR child can speak SPANISH! You should be thinking about how can your child become bilingual.
Even in the piece he excerpted, he left out the part that pretty much contradicts the point he is hoping to make. Dishonesty at its most profound.

And for what? To make the point that Mallard is afraid of people speaking another language or children learning another language. If that isn't the textbook example of being a Reactionary Idiot, I don't know what is.

Still it's hard to put a smack down on this that is superior to the one Senator Obama himself made:
You know, this is an example of some of the problems we get into when somebody attacks you for saying the truth, which is why we should want children with more knowledge.
I, for one, look forward to having a President who is smarter than Mallard. It will be a refreshing change.

22 comments:

Kaitlyn said...

Isn't Obama's quote in the spirit of JFK's?

It helps the country to have a bi- or multilingual population.

Plus, I think knowing another language helps with thinking in other areas.

Anonymous said...

I, for one, look forward to having a President who is smarter than Mallard. It will be a refreshing change.

But is Mallard smarter than Dubya? That's really a close call.

How does the Reagan quote fit in exactly? It was about allowing a nation ravaged by war and internal division to reunite after half of the country endured 45 long years of Soviet occupation and tyranny.

How that relates to cultural acceptance is beyond me.

Kaitlyn said...

Factinista - that quote ended the cold war!

I think that's just celebrated because it's short and simple, and soon after, there was a McDonalds in Red Square and hey, we know what 2 plus 2 is!

Anonymous said...

Ah, good ole Mallarican attitude: everyone in America should speak perfect English. But don't stop there: everyone in the world should speak perfect English.

With an American accent, because the British are too difficult to understand.

I believe in bilingualism taught and encouraged from an early age. Spanish wouldn't be the first tongue, but it's the native tongue of a neighboring country, and we're better served being able to understand what the people next door are saying.

Kaitlyn said...

Ex - bilingual (at the least) education (and the lack of) is yet another reason I envy other countries.

Japan and France and India (well, the growing middle & upper classes) and Iceland, and those are just the ones I care about.

You can pick up the languages easier when you're younger, but hey, it can wait until high school. If at all - after all, there aren't any standardized tests for them, so...

Anonymous said...

Tinshley must be tormented by imaginary little brown people on those rare occasions when he's sober enough to see straight.

Anyway, keep it up, Bruce. Keep treating Hispanics as the Dangerous Other. It's working so well for your party. How's McCain doing in the polls with Hispanic voters, again?

Anthony said...

I think what Mallard was trying to do to Obama what David Letterman does each night with Dubya... he runs a banner saying "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches" and shows clips of two famous stately sounding presidential quotes: quite often the two Mallard uses, showing that he's just blatantly ripping off a routine that's been going on for years. This is usually followed by some moronic soundbite of GWB... like his "sovereignty means your sovereign" speech.

The fact that Letterman can do this every single night speaks volumes about Dubya.

Mallard, trying to find something silly or preposterous on Obama comes up with something that actually has reason and weight... ironically since the big talking point on the right is that all he speaks of is change with nothing to back it up. His jingoistic, ignorant reasons for choosing this quote say just about all that needs to be said.

And good timing again, Tins. After last week, the best weapon to attack Obama with is the notion that he's not a charismatic orator.

Really really pathetic.

Anthony said...

ALSO... since no one has pointed this out: if you draw a caricature of someone, and draw a word balloon pointing to that person and place quote marks around the text inside the word balloon, an asterisk and a footnote is probably superfluous.

Anonymous said...

But scholars use footnotes! And that means that is Bruce marks who said something with a footnote, it must be valid. Right?

Michael Foley said...

Holy moly, that phallic chin rivals even Chet's!

Unknown said...

If Bruce could stop drinking for half a day, he'd find that there are only half as many Hispanics as he thinks there are, due to his constant double vision.

Kaitlyn said...

The caricature is Barack Obama - anyone can see that.

So his source is Barack Obama. No date, not even a news organization.

He is so incredibly lazy.

Anonymous said...

News for the Liberals
SPEAK ENGLISH:

kaitlyn said...
Ex - bilingual (at the least) education (and the lack of) is yet another reason I envy other countries.

kaitlyn, than by all means move to another country if they are so much better than America. You certainly will not be missed here. What is keeping you from learning other languages?


michael said...
Holy moly, that phallic chin rivals even Chet's!

michael, I believe you have made comments on the way BT draws chins in the past, seems to me you have some sort of a sexual fetish, therapy may help you. Or, possibly this is why you follow Mallard, turn-on for you is it?

No one has said that the only language which should be spoken in this country is English. But, if you are not from this country and want to assimilate in the U.S. than learn English. English is the language of our country. If you do not know English am I supposed to hire you to work at my design firm and communicate with others of my staff or deal with our English speaking clients? If you know 4 other languages fine, that may help me, but English is the language of America. Are we supposed to train all workers at McDonald's to speak Spanish so they can understand the Spanish speaking customers who refuse to learn English? I do not think so, but if you read below, most of your favorite liberal Senators and your pick for the next President would like it to happen. This is what BT's cartoon is all about. Understand, Entender,Comprender, Comprends?



SENATORS AGAINST ENGLISH

On Wed, 6 Jun 2007 23:35:23 -0500, Colonel Harry Riley USA wrote:


Senators,

Your vote against an amendment to the Immigration Bill, 1348, to make English

America's official language is astounding. On D-Day no less when we honor those

that sacrificed in order to secure the bedrock character and principles of

America. I can only surmise your vote reflects a loyalty to illegal aliens.



I don't much care where you come from, what your religion is, whether you're

black, white or some other color, male or female, democrat, republican or

independent, but I do care when you're a United States Senator, representing

citizens of America and vote against English as the official language of the

United States.



Your vote reflects betrayal, political surrender, violates your pledge of

allegiance, dishonors historical principle, rejects patriotism, borders on

Traitorous action and, in my opinion makes you unfit to serve as a United States

Senator...impeachment, recall, or other appropriate action is warranted.



Worse, four of you voting against English as America's official language are

presidential candidates: Senator Biden, Senator Clinton, Senator Dodd, and

Senator Obama.



Four Senators vying to lead America but won't or don't have the courage to cast

a vote in favor of English as America's official language when 91% of American

citizens want English officially designated as our language.



This is the second time in the last several months this list of Senators have

disgraced themselves as political hacks.....unworthy as Senators and certainly

unqualified to serve as President of the United States.

The following senators voted against making English the official language of America:

Akaka (D-HI)

Bayh (D-IN)

Biden (D-DE) Wants to be President - out

Bingaman (D-NM)

Boxer (D-CA)

Cantwell (D-WA)

Clinton (D-NY) Wants to be President - out

Dayton (D-MN)

Dodd (D-CT) Wants to be President - out

Domenici (R-NM) Coward, protecting his Senate seat...

Durbin (D-IL)

Feingold (D-WI) Not unusual for him

Feinstein (D-CA)

Harkin (D-IA)

Inouye (D-HI)

Jeffords (I-VT)

Kennedy (D-MA)

Kerry (D-MA) Wanted to be President 2004

Kohl (D-WI)

Lautenberg (D-NJ)

Leahy (D-VT)

Levin (D-MI)

Lieberman (D-CT) Disappointment here.....

Menendez (D-NJ)

Mikulski (D-MD)

Murray (D-WA)

Obama (D-IL) Democrat party choice for President

Reed (D-RI)

Reid (D-NV) Senate Majority Leader

Salazar (D-CO)

Sarbanes (D-MD)

Schumer (D-NY)

Stabenow (D-M

Michael Foley said...

Did someone just copy & paste one of the volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica?

Kaitlyn said...

Anonymous - Just because I want to leave doesn't mean I can.

And I am learning another language. I only wish I could have started earlier.

As for making English out official language, I hate that idea, and I'm glad Obama opposed it.

Kaitlyn said...

How old is that thing anon c&p'd?

That is worthy of impeachment?

Holy crap, our values are screwed.

Anonymous said...

kaitlyn,
Read the date, June 2007. Not so very long ago and the same folks would vote the same way today.

Your values may be screwed but mine are not.

Anonymous said...

Random thoughts on today's MF:
Hmmm two Presidential quotes and one misquote from a candidate. I'd almost think that Tinsley is resigned to Obama being our next president and is treating him as such.

The Soviet Union was a top heavy beureucracy (spelling?) that collapsed under its own weight.

And lastly. Tinsley's ancestors imposed their English language on the Americans who were already living here, instead of taking the time to assimilate and learn Apache, Cherokee, Sioux, etc.

Anonymous said...

Good to have you back Bruce- oh sorry- Anonymous. Where've you been lately?

GeoX, one of the GeoX boys. said...

I know this isn't a particularly clever observation, but still--it's pretty fuckin' rich to hear a semi-literate like Tinzanonymous whining about other people not learning English. Hey, Tinzy--it's not the language they grew up speaking. What's your excuse?

David in NYC said...

Hey "Anonymous" (aka BT) --

Your screed about English and the "official" language of the USofA and all the associated claptrap would be a whole lot more worthwhile and persuasive IF YOU YOURSELF COULD WRITE ENGLISH.

If you are what passes for a role model of English-speaking American-born non-immigrant citizens, I fear for our country. A quick read of your post reveals at least a dozen grammar, spelling, and vocabulary mistakes.

If you would like anyone with an IQ higher than room temperature to take you seriously, I would suggest that you learn English yourself. I'm sure there are remedial courses available to you; have someone who actually knows how to read, write, and speak English look them up for you sometime.

Anonymous said...

Eh, don't be too hard on anon.

All that copying and pasting is hard. A little editing would have been appreciated as well, in addition to a source that was less... emotional? passionate? foaming at the mouth?

But as we all know, the soldiers of WW2 invaded French shores to save us from the horrors that we might find ourselves better able to communicate as a country with spanish. Because we all know Obama wants to wipe out english speakers. It's just so obvious.