Originally posted by Bush"I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English, and I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English."
Hmmm...
"We don't believe in planner and deciders making the decisions on behalf of Americans." --9/6/00 in Scranton, PA
"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test." --2/21/01 from a speech in Townsend, TN
"Laura and I are proud to call John & Michelle Engler our friends. I know you're proud to call him governor. What a good man the Englers are." --11/3/00 from speech made in Grand Rapids, MI.
"I made the decision to name the Justice Department building after Robert Kennedy, because he's deservant." --11/20/01 speaking to reporters in the oval office.
"I don't know, maybe I made it up. Anyway, it's an abro-tree-ist, somebody who knows about trees." --8/11/01, from his Texas Ranch, as quoted in USA Today
"If you're asking me whether or not as to the innocence or guilt or if people have had adequate access to the courts in Texas, I believe they have." --6/10/00 answering a question by an AP reporter.
"The most important job is not to be governor, or first lady in my case." --1/30/00 from a speech in Pella, IA and quoted in the San Antonio Express-News.
Obviously this is just a small sample. I guess English skills should be required to move to the U.S., but not to become president?
He should like the anthem being sung by more people from more diverse cultures. But no, instead it's "hehe...and they should be white too...hehe, or as "they" call 'em...hehe...'grim,'...'grind,'...'gringos,' I think. Hehe."
Stick with the topic: are you offended the national anthem got put into a different language than English, in the midst of the illegal immigration controversy, and that some of the lyrics have been changed? (Allegedly, there's an English version of this version on the way, with even more changed lyrics...pretty political, I believe.)
Is this a wholesome, patriotic expression of a particular culture? Or is this an unpatriotic, insulting thing to do, no matter what color you are?
It sure as hell ain't the development I was expecting next in the immigration game.
Wrestling fans...it's time for NWA Wisconsin Happy Hour! Now showing on WI Time Warner Digital Cable On-Demand Channel 998!
Wouldn't people who are truly patriotic want their national anthem (no matter which country) to be translated into as many languages as possible to spread their message of pride/love of the country to people who may not realize otherwise how great it is?
Also, given the somewhat offensive nature of the title of this thread, I agree it should be deleted.
(edited by Zundian on 29.4.06 0613) The kid is all confused and thinks to himself "I'm not calling anyone mommy because the last time I did that, it led to this." -My Wife on adoption
I'd love to go back to those days around here. The Politics forum was once a bustling community of pure, unadulterated vitrol in which every thread, no matter what the topic or intent, decended into the same raging anti-Bush/anti-Kerry smears within ten posts and outright personal attacks within twenty. It was a glorious time to be alive.
I'm only half-joking. Where the hell is Grimis?
"That's my problem - I'm too frank. That's why my mother shoved me down the stairs. But then she is fat."
I welcome stuff like this. Why? It will wake the rest of us up (the ones who abide by the rules and pay taxes) If WE hit the streets, the government just might sing a differant tune.
"A guy from Ohio can make it in life if he works hard enough."--Woody Hayes
I don't intend to respond to the other posts in the thread, because they weren't about the topic at hand.
But please name me another country where the National Anthem is sung in multiple languages. Is even Canada's? I would assume it was, but I have seen ballgames in Canada many times and "O Canada" is always sung in english.
And I don't think it is racist to want your anthem sung in your country's language. Oh, and just as a note: Hispanics are Caucasian, the same race as President Bush. So you might consider your words. Maybe on this topic, you might want to culturalist or something.
Really, I don't see it is a big problem, overall. But singing poems written in other languages is always problematic. Stille Nacht had to be changed quite a bit to become Silent Night, as did Mighty Fortress is our God. Perhaps in a few hundred years, these words will also be accepted as OK.
We'll be back right after order has been restored here in the Omni Center.
Originally posted by AWArulzBut please name me another country where the National Anthem is sung in multiple languages. Is even Canada's? I would assume it was, but I have seen ballgames in Canada many times and "O Canada" is always sung in english.
I'm pretty sure "O Canada" is sung in both languages, as I seem to recall seeing a clip from a Montreal Canadiens game where someone was singing it in French. Is it sad that our familiarity with it doesn't extend past sporting events?
FWIW, the translated lyrics from the Spanish version of the national anthem (NOTE - got this off a blog, so I can't determine its veracity):
By the light of the dawn, do you see arising, what we proudly hailed at twilight's last fall? Its stars, its stripes yesterday streamed above fierce combat a gleaming emblem of victory and the struggle toward liberty. Throughout the night, they proclaimed: "We will defend it!" Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave above the land of the free, the sacred flag? Its stars, its stripes, liberty, we are the same. We are brothers in our anthem. In fierce combat, a gleaming emblem of victory and the struggle toward liberty. My people fight on. The time has come to break the chains. Throughout the night they proclaimed, "We will defend it!" Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave above the land of the free, the sacred flag?
Assuming those are the correct translated lyrics (a google search didn't turn up anything), I don't see any problem with it. More than anything it seems to be a deliberate attempt to get immigrants (legal or illegal) to take pride and wave the American flag just as they would the Mexican flag. I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing.
TO BILL BRASKY!
My LiveJournal, where you can read tons of stuff that you don't give a crap about.
Canada is an officially bilingual country. The lyrics to our anthem were, in fact, originally written in French. The current English lyrics are sort of based on the original French and sort of not. The sentiments aren't vastly different, but the words definitely are.
Since we're officially bilingual, both languages must be represented at official events, so you tend to get a mix of both in these cases. At a Habs' game, however, they generally go with the all-French. And at a Leafs' game, I suspect you'd find they go with the all-English (except maybe when they're playing Montreal).
I prefer the French version, probably because it was written that way and, even to my Anglo mind, flows better in that language.
Hearing my country's anthem partially or wholly in French is a reminder that despite some definite cultural issues in the past, this country is made up of more than just one culture.
I've always believed that a fundamental difference between the US and Canada is with respect to immigration. If you become a citizen of the United States you say the pledge of Allegiance, placing your new culture ahead of your old (hence the historic melting-pot analogy). We don't do that here in Canada, so immigrants have tended to do more in terms of cultural preservation. I believe there are serious up- and down-sides to both. I think this may be where President Bush is coming from, i.e. "Our official language is English; why would you sing our anthem in any another language? That's not who we are as a country."
Originally posted by tarnish"Our official language is English; why would you sing our anthem in any another language? That's not who we are as a country."
English is the de facto language, but I still haven't heard if it was made the official country of the land.
"You want to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing?" --Toby, West Wing
Originally posted by AWArulzBut please name me another country where the National Anthem is sung in multiple languages.
In New Zealand their anthem has a Maori language part first then an English language part. In South Africa there is a Zulu part first, then Afrikaans then English.
Contrary to popular belief, English is not the official language of the United States of America. There simply isn't one. (Isn't one for Sweden or Great Britian for that matter)
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming specify English as their official language.
Three are officially bilingual Louisiana (English and French), New Mexico (English and Spanish), Hawaii (Hawaiian English and Hawaiian)
Originally posted by tarnish"Our official language is English; why would you sing our anthem in any another language? That's not who we are as a country."
English is the de facto language, but I still haven't heard if it was made the official country of the land.
I must admit, I read your post and thought, "well of course language is the official language of the United States."
More casualties of war, only these are Iraqi civilians hit by the cruise missiles and bombs. Warning: Graphic, graphic, GRAPHIC photos. Do not click unless you want to see the reality of war. Really. But I think it's important that we see this ...