New Defense for Tickets: "No hablo Ingles, Senor"

[CageyB]

The best part about this story is that he did speak English to the officer, but "with a heavy Spanish accent". The officer had no idea that he should have asked for an interpreter, hence the problem.

I should've clarified the title to read, "New Defense for Tickets: Make your best Borat impersonation"

[AdRath]

To your first point about Chinatown, why are you embarrassed? I'm not, I can't read Cantonese or Mandarin, yet I know where Chinatown is, and am also quite capable of avoiding it if I so choose. Why would it be embarrassing? Don't like it, Don't go.

Tieing back into the original thread topic...
Being able to live in Chinatown and never have to use English (when I walk through I never hear one word of English) there is no incentive or requirement to learn English other than a few basic rudimentary words. I know of people who's parents moved here 20 years ago and the mother can't speak more than 5 words of English... That is a problem anyway you slice it. When I travel I try to use a few words of the local language as much as possible and that is only for a weeks vacation. If you move to a country it should be manditory to learn/speak English. It doesn't mean you have to give up your native language just learn the host language.

[Fingolfin]

So you support people being here for the rest of their lives, exploiting our country yet having their true loyalties lie with their homeland?

Why does it matter if they don't want to speak English? and what does not speaking english have to do with loyalities?

Who cares if they don't want to become 'canadian.' I know tons of old people who live here and speak there mother tongue because they're old and don't care to learn English, bottom line. When you're 60 years old go move somewhere and see if you care to learn the laungage if you don't have to.

it sucks they don't speak english but who cares... I don't, its annoying as hell, but whatever.

[Avi Singh]

Tieing back into the original thread topic...
Being able to live in Chinatown and never have to use English (when I walk through I never hear one word of English) there is no incentive or requirement to learn English other than a few basic rudimentary words. I know of people who's parents moved here 20 years ago and the mother can't speak more than 5 words of English... That is a problem anyway you slice it. When I travel I try to use a few words of the local language as much as possible and that is only for a weeks vacation. If you move to a country it should be manditory to learn/speak English. It doesn't mean you have to give up your native language just learn the host language.

I like you notice the lack of English when I walk down Dundas St. I also know people who's parent's don't speak English. These non English speaking parents were earning several times what my English speaking parents were! And paying much more in income taxes too! (To an English speaking government).

I think that's part of the beauty of this country, no need to learn anything, just come, set up a business and begin earning. Tell me, since Chinatown seems to be the target, How does a grocery clerk on Dundas or Spadina street learning English make this a better country? Especially considering those of us who speak English, have we made an equal effort to master French?

[Avi Singh]

Why does it matter if they don't want to speak English? and what does not speaking english have to do with loyalities?

Who cares if they don't want to become 'canadian.' I know tons of old people who live here and speak there mother tongue because they're old and don't care to learn English, bottom line. When you're 60 years old go move somewhere and see if you care to learn the laungage if you don't have to.

it sucks they don't speak english but who cares... I don't, its annoying as hell, but whatever.

Amen. As long as they're paying taxes in Canadian dollars. Who cares.

[AdRath]

Why does it matter if they don't want to speak English?

Read the first post! That is why it matters.

[AdRath]

Tell me, since Chinatown seems to be the target, How does a grocery clerk on Dundas or Spadina street learning English make this a better country? Especially considering those of us who speak English, have we made an equal effort to master French?

Chinatown was just an example I used because I walked through on my lunch break. How does learning English make this a better country you ask? Please read the first post again. A drunk driver was let off because he claimed he couldn't understand the officer who charged him. To me convicting drunk drivers (not the warm range but truley drunk) makes Canada a better country wouldn't you agree?

[Metastable]

This is not news BTW... I have a friend that is a prosecutor with Peel Region and the same thing happened in a drunk driving charge, but the guy could supposedly only speak Chinese.... the case was tossed.

Anyhoo - the way I look at it. IF YOU HAVE A LICENCE FROM A CANADIAN PROVINCE OR TERRITORY, you should have taken EVERYTHING in either ENGLISH or FRENCH and that's IT!!!! And you shouldn't be able to have an interpretor helping you out and telling you what the correct answers are on the written test as my wife saw while taking her M1.

So if you pass everything in English, then you should probably be able to understand the laws and signs and be allowed to drive in Canada.

IF YOU ARE A TOURIST with a recognized licence or international drivers licence, then OK. Get an interpretor in order to help them out if they are pulled over.... but for someone with a Canadian licence, that shouldn't be necessary.

Furthermore, if someone wants to come to Canada and live in a little community and not learn English or French.... who cares. As long as they don't have a licence they can live as long as they want. It SHOULDN'T me mandatory for them to learn English.

My problem is with folks that can't read signs and are allowed to drive on our roads and aren't just on vacation or on business.

[ddusseld]

I'm not sure how somebody who works in Canada and pays taxes is exploiting our country.

Like Rob posted I'm all for restricting who is able to immigrate into Canada but I'd never force our culture on anybody. I also don't believe in our gov't supporting anybodies culture. The concept of funding multiculturalism is financially wrong to me.

My requirement is the ability to speak an official language. The government should not be required to provide translators. Rob posted the law and I believe this is a law we should not have.

So you support people being here for the rest of their lives, exploiting our country yet having their true loyalties lie with their homeland? You have thicker skin than I do for sure.


We should have language/culture laws. Its embarassing going into Chinatown and not being able to read anything.



My solutions for Immigration are pretty tough but they are:


Mandatory Probation for any Immigrant, you commit a felony or more than 3 misdemenors in a 10 year period. INSTANT deportation after being found guilty, with the ability to apply 5 years later (with strict review)

Settlement outside of the major cities for 3 years, arriving at Pearson and then settling in Chinatown does nothing to benefit Canada, you're just expanding China (as an example) Go work in the west where we NEED workers.

No welfare for new immigrants. There are tons of jobs in this country. The government should direct people to the jobs instead of giving them welfare on arrival. Maybe a few months but either you have a job or you go back, ya you might be a refugee but if you're faced with deportation you're going to take that 8.00/hour cleaning job for the time being.

Mandatory Language/Culture lessons, an immigrant has chosen Canada as his or her home, thus becoming a Canadian is key. Everyone should be able to converse/do business with everyone else in our country AND we should have a sense of national identity.




I like diversity, and by no means hold anything against other peoples I just feel as though we can celebrate our differences but ultimately we should be the same, we're CANADIANS. If you choose to come here, it'll be a difficult road but a prosperous one, we don't need riff raff we have enough of that already.

[busa_fanatic_gsxr]

damm immigrants i hate em... learn ****ing ENGLISH OR LEAVE.. canadas immigration laws are so weak, a mass murderer from africa or from asia can easily walk in and start killing or commiting crime...

[flightzed]

So you support people being here for the rest of their lives, exploiting our country yet having their true loyalties lie with their homeland? You have thicker skin than I do for sure.


We should have language/culture laws. Its embarassing going into Chinatown and not being able to read anything.



My solutions for Immigration are pretty tough but they are:


Mandatory Probation for any Immigrant, you commit a felony or more than 3 misdemenors in a 10 year period. INSTANT deportation after being found guilty, with the ability to apply 5 years later (with strict review)

Settlement outside of the major cities for 3 years, arriving at Pearson and then settling in Chinatown does nothing to benefit Canada, you're just expanding China (as an example) Go work in the west where we NEED workers.

No welfare for new immigrants. There are tons of jobs in this country. The government should direct people to the jobs instead of giving them welfare on arrival. Maybe a few months but either you have a job or you go back, ya you might be a refugee but if you're faced with deportation you're going to take that 8.00/hour cleaning job for the time being.

Mandatory Language/Culture lessons, an immigrant has chosen Canada as his or her home, thus becoming a Canadian is key. Everyone should be able to converse/do business with everyone else in our country AND we should have a sense of national identity.




I like diversity, and by no means hold anything against other peoples I just feel as though we can celebrate our differences but ultimately we should be the same, we're CANADIANS. If you choose to come here, it'll be a difficult road but a prosperous one, we don't need riff raff we have enough of that already.

++1

[mat2312]

To your first point about Chinatown, why are you embarrassed? I'm not, I can't read Cantonese or Mandarin, yet I know where Chinatown is, and am also quite capable of avoiding it if I so choose. Why would it be embarrassing? Don't like it, Don't go.

Please expand on your Canadian Culture lessons.... I'm Canadian born and would be interested in what you would teach? Might it be something that we would all benefit from?

I'm embarassed because I'd have to AVOID a place in Canada because its not Canadian. No matter how you slice it, a street lined with chinese people, chinese stores, chinese culture with chinese signs and chinese languages spoken is well CHINESE, not Canadian.

I have no issues with people speaking whatever language at home, celebrating festivus or whatever holidays they want. I do however take exception when the Canadianism gets pushed aside. I just don't get it, if people like their homeland and culture so much, why do they leave?


As for the cultural lessons, I'd give immigrants a solid background on how Canada was founded, all the wars we've fought in, the pride we take in our country, its freedoms, its LAWS!!!!! and what it means to be a CANADIAN first and foremost. We accept anyone, we should just ask that they accept us as their country once they've come here to make a new life.

[mat2312]

Why does it matter if they don't want to speak English? and what does not speaking english have to do with loyalities?

Who cares if they don't want to become 'canadian.' I know tons of old people who live here and speak there mother tongue because they're old and don't care to learn English, bottom line. When you're 60 years old go move somewhere and see if you care to learn the laungage if you don't have to.

it sucks they don't speak english but who cares... I don't, its annoying as hell, but whatever.

If you don't care enough to learn English in an English speaking country, you obviously don't care about the country or its people. Such a person should be on a plane out of here whether they're 18 or 88.

Not speaking English does have something to do with loyalties. Language is just the first step in INTEGRATING into a new country. If I immigrated to Thailand, do you really think the people would accept me if I didnt try to learn their culture or language? Age is irrelevant. A friend of mine has been in Canada for 5 years! yet can speak English relatively well (he's Persian and never took an english class in his life) but he tries hard because guess what?? He likes being a Canadian!

Nobody is asking for them to master the language, but a legitimate attempt regardless of age should be made, its called respect for the country that's taken you in. We do not have to accept immigrants.

[Rob MacLennan]

Predictably, the thread turns toward hatred of immigrants. Language has nothing to do with the ideals that we, as a nation, hold dear. Yes, it would be nice if everyone spoke one of the two official languages, but in practical terms even someone who has a functional knowledge of one of them can request a translator, because learning a language in later life does not give the in depth understanding of the nuances that using a language from birth does.

Wake up people. Cultural diversity is more than being able to buy samosa at 3:00am.

[mat2312]

I don't harbour any hatred towards immigrants, my mother is an immigrant. I work with every type of people out there in my job.

Our ideals are seperate from language, but our culture is not. English and French are the official languages and ALL business/courts etc. should be conducted in them. If you have functional English/French then you have enough to get by, if you require a translator you can pay for it yourself or bring a relative. Nobody is asking someone to master an official language after being here a year but there SHOULD be an attempt, nothing irritates me more in my job than dealing with people who do not speak a word of English.

Why should our country have to conform each and everytime someone has a problem? I have no problem with cultural diversity, so long as people come here to be Canadians, not turn Canada into their previous home country.


People will label me anti-immigrant or racist for these views because we've all been programed to not 'rock the boat' or say anything which may not be politically correct.

[Rob MacLennan]

You said the key word; culture. We're a multi-cultural society, by design.

You can't have just anyone act as an interpreter in court. It must be someone who is going to give as faithful and true an interpretation as possible. Uncle Joe isn't good enough.

[Gnu]

Predictably, the thread turns toward hatred of immigrants. Language has nothing to do with the ideals that we, as a nation, hold dear. Yes, it would be nice if everyone spoke one of the two official languages, but in practical terms even someone who has a functional knowledge of one of them can request a translator, because learning a language in later life does not give the in depth understanding of the nuances that using a language from birth does.

Wake up people. Cultural diversity is more than being able to buy samosa at 3:00am.

Why do you equate the pride of being Canadian with the hating of immigrants?

[Rob MacLennan]

Why do you equate the pride of being Canadian with the hating of immigrants?

I don't, though the word "pride" seems to have taken on a different meaning these days. Someone who is proud of who and what he is has no need to beat down others, for who and what THEY are.

[AdRath]

I don't think asking people to learn the language of a country they suposedly love is a big stretch. If you don't bother to learn the language of a country you obviously don't care about becoming part of that country. How can you claim to love and be proud to be a citizen of a county and not bother to learn language, customs and laws. Those should be the basic requirements for citizenship.

[GSPLover]

Why does it matter if they don't want to speak English? and what does not speaking english have to do with loyalities?

Who cares if they don't want to become 'canadian.' I know tons of old people who live here and speak there mother tongue because they're old and don't care to learn English, bottom line. When you're 60 years old go move somewhere and see if you care to learn the laungage if you don't have to.

it sucks they don't speak english but who cares... I don't, its annoying as hell, but whatever.

If you are to lazy to learn the language of the country you are moving to then you have no business moving there, taking advantage of things like medical care, democracy and any other benefits the country provides.
Lets face it, you move to another country to make a better life for you and or your family. You should atleast make an EFFORT to learn the language spoken there. You think if you moved to Saudi Arabia that they would change their laws, language and customs to suit you? No bloody way!!!
You need to learn the language of the country for the very reason this thread was started!!
The guy was drunk, proven drunk by a breathalyzer. Another example of immigrants abusing the system.
Im not against people moving to Canada as long as they are CONTRIBUTING to the country but to sit here expecting handouts is pathetic.