idiggory, King of Bards wrote:
But there IS something (a lot) wrong with being so xenophobic that just the idea of "America is beautiful" being said in different languages drives you insane.
WTF? It's not driving me insane. I'm saying that it sends the wrong message. And if you truly agree that encouraging English as the common language of America is a good thing, then you ought to agree.
The problem is that, as I pointed out in the post above, the ad was designed to maximize the association with other emotional issues (like racism, ethnic acceptance, etc), so that your first response to anyone criticizing the ad would be to think they were being racist or bigoted. And once you formed that initial emotional response, it's nearly impossible for you to back out of it and look at the issue with fresh impartial eyes.
Um... which was the point. Grats on being manipulated.
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Because what you're saying isn't "I want them to be able to speak English," what you're saying is "I want them to not be allowed to speak another language."
Nope. You're projecting. How about instead of trying to demand that I agree with what you think my position is, you actually stop, breathe, and
listen to what I'm telling you?
I have no problem with someone speaking other languages. I do have a problem with directly associating the use of other languages with "America the beautiful". It sends a message that a common language isn't part of what makes America, America. It's the singing
of that particular song in multiple languages that I have an issue with. If they had sung a song that was about cultural diversity, I'd have had no problem with it. But they were singing a song that is praising a single specific culture.
By singing it in multiple languages, they're saying that American culture isn't about one language. But, as you, me, and Joph, have all agreed. Part of American culture
is about adopting one common language.
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And that's really freaking different.
Yes. And I"m at a loss why you keep thinking that's what I'm saying after I've repeatedly said "that's not what I'm saying". If it was, I'd be offended by the singing of any song in any language other than English, right? But that's not the case. It's about that particular song, and what that particular song means, and what message is sent when you very intentionally sing it in multiple languages.
Edited, Feb 5th 2014 6:28pm by gbaji