"Must Speak Spanish" rant

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I spent a year in Sicily while in the service and I was amazed at the number of servicemen that never left the base to explore the island. I knew that I would never have gone to Sicily had it been on my own dime so I took advantage of the opportunity while I was there.
 

stevetheupsguy

sʇǝʌǝʇɥǝndsƃnʎ
I spent a year in Sicily while in the service and I was amazed at the number of servicemen that never left the base to explore the island. I knew that I would never have gone to Sicily had it been on my own dime so I took advantage of the opportunity while I was there.
The question now is, were you made?
 
P

pickup

Guest
The question now is, were you made?

This is the kind of "made" he meant , upstate. :


To become made, the inductee is said to be required to take the oath of Omertà or, "code of silence." This ceremony allegedly involves the pricking of the trigger finger of the inductee, then dripping blood onto a picture of a Saint, typically St. Francis of Assisi or the Virgin Mary, which is then set alight in his hand and kept burning until the inductee has sworn the oath of loyalty to his new "family", e.g., "As this card burns, may my soul burn in Hell if I betray the oath of Omertà", or "As burns this saint, so will burn my soul. I enter alive and I will have to get out dead".[3] However, contrary to popular depictions in films, the burning of the image of the family's saint (often a tissue is substituted) is not a test of will. The paper is juggled from hand to hand by the new member and it burns so quickly that no damage is done if he juggles the burning paper.
The ceremony is supposed to take place in a darkened room with at least 2 made men as witnesses. A gun and sword are placed on the table where the mobster will take his oath. While this ceremony is still common among the Sicilian Mafia and Five Families, many families in the U.S. do not perform this ceremony due to increased scrutiny by law enforcement.
After the ceremony the inductee is now a made man and a full member of the Mafia hierarchy. Inducted as a soldier (Italian: soldato), he is given certain responsibilities and privileges. The made man now enjoys the full protection and backing of the Mafia establishment as long as he remains in favor and earns enough money of which a percentage of his earnings are passed further up the hierarchy.
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P

pickup

Guest
It is ignorant to assume that being unable to speak English is the same as being unwilling to speak English.

Did the Europeans who [-]invaded[/-] moved to this country back in the 1600's try to learn the native language?

I am all for enforcing border laws; and the day that the teenagers and welfare queens of this country are willing to go out in the fields in +100 degree heat to pick lettuce for minimum wage, we will be able to put up a Berlin Wall on the Mexican border to keep those "invaders" out. Until then, we need to stop denying the reality that those so-called "invaders" are simply coming here to do the work that many of us are too damn lazy to do.

One other thing to bear in mind; if the situation were reversed, if you and your family were hungry and in poverty, and the only hope for a decent life was to sneak across the Canadian border...you too would be "invading" a foreign country.

We've done it before as a nation, then the invaders bitch about the government under which they are under and secede: look up republic of texas and republic of california. Then when that government enforces its territorial rights, the american government looks at it as an act of war and fights the war and takes the land. Also, take a peak at the history of Hawaii. I could go on.
 

UPSAOT

Active Member
Wow this topic sure took a lot of turns.

Actually, I am in a suburb of Chicago. And as far as I can remember from my History, English has been the primary language since the US was founded. My Grandmother came to this country and no one catered to her, so she learned the language and did it on her own as many immigrants did. She didn't come here and try to change things to fit herself. She was PROUD to be here, and wanted to show she was American by speaking English.

As an aside, I had 4 years of French in High School and we had a group trip over there. Funny thing is, as soon as I tried to practice my French skills at a store or whatever, they would get annoyed and start speaking English.

Anyway, the only language classes offered in the schools near me are to teach immigrant children English. My kids weren't offered language until after middle school. Sure I could teach them at home, but who has time for that. I can barely keep up with helping them with the homework they have already.

Thanks for responses!
 
P

pickup

Guest
Wow this topic sure took a lot of turns.

Actually, I am in a suburb of Chicago. And as far as I can remember from my History, English has been the primary language since the US was founded. My Grandmother came to this country and no one catered to her, so she learned the language and did it on her own as many immigrants did. She didn't come here and try to change things to fit herself. She was PROUD to be here, and wanted to show she was American by speaking English.

As an aside, I had 4 years of French in High School and we had a group trip over there. Funny thing is, as soon as I tried to practice my French skills at a store or whatever, they would get annoyed and start speaking English.

Anyway, the only language classes offered in the schools near me are to teach immigrant children English. My kids weren't offered language until after middle school. Sure I could teach them at home, but who has time for that. I can barely keep up with helping them with the homework they have already.

Thanks for responses!

UpSaot, the spanish language isn't so difficult to learn . Just listen to the current mayor of nyc speak it. He's a billionaire who has a private tutor teaching him every working day for the last decade or so. Mind you, this was scripted so presumably he practiced before saying it on camera.
[video=youtube;8kOMp-KudSA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kOMp-KudSA[/video]
city driver: if you are out there give us an evaluation of michael bloomberg's spanish skills.
 

stevetheupsguy

sʇǝʌǝʇɥǝndsƃnʎ
Actually the Sicilian mob is based in Catania, which I visited.
I thought it was in Corleone.:wink2:

UpSaot, the spanish language isn't so difficult to learn . Just listen to the current mayor of nyc speak it. He's a billionaire who has a private tutor teaching him every working day for the last decade or so. Mind you, this was scripted so presumably he practiced before saying it on camera.
YouTube - Un Nueva York Unido: Mike's Spanish Language Television Ad
city driver: if you are out there give us an evaluation of michael bloomberg's spanish skills.
Mui Mal, needs more practice.
 
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