English Only Please . . .

[Undave]

I\'m really wary of contributing to threads like this as it\'s such a sensitive subject over here. One of the UKs biggest problems at the moment is to do with immigration but it\'s not because people are fleeing persecution or other hardships it\'s because of our welfare state. Many Eastern Europeans (among others) try to get into the UK where they get social security and benefits etc. They also take many of the low paid jobs. The idea is that they make as much money as they can over here and then return to their home country where what would be a modest sum over here is quite a substantial amount over there. Because they are only intending to stay for a few years they make little or no attempt to learn the local language or customs prefering to keep to their own ethnic circles. There have been several local firms that have been censured for their policies of only hiring immigrant workers who will work for lower wages than natives who require more pay in the long run. There is a shortage of jobs here as it is and the increased immigration has put a huge strain on our ecconomy, especially with all the money leaving the country.

I have no problem whatsoever with people wanting to move to the UK with the intention of becoming integrated and productive members of our society especialy if the situation in their native country is markedly worse than here. What I do take issue with however are those who come over, legal or illegal, simply to make \"a quick buck\" and leeching off our welfare system with no intention of staying or fully integrating themselves into our society.

 

[Friar]

I actually like all the goofy language we got here, hell gettin chinese take out wouldn\'t be nearly as much fun if I couldn\'t make up silly names that they can\'t pronounce, but in seriousness when I was in my early twenties I was looking to move from the US to India for various reasons that move didn\'t happen. But I did learn that while I could get a visa to live there, short of marriage citizenship would be mostly out of reach. Now please correct me if I\'m wrong here but how many countries truly have open immigration is it the UK, Canada, France, China, whichever it might be, to my understanding just bout every country out there has a very limited immigration policy i.e. you can\'t join us unless your rich, famous, or have a super special skill (doctor or some such). Personally I think the fact that we\'ll take anyone in is one of our greatest attributes as a country... you can be an Antarctician Gerbal Farmer and by god you can come here and become a citizen, to me that is a great thing and a wonderous streangth.

Now to those that wanna come here work live and do it all outside the system I think it\'s a damn shame, it\'s straight selfish greed and or a mix of fear and maybe some misconception, but to not become a citizen in the one country that will take anyone is rediculous and I\'m not too happy bout that.

Also screw makin our nation language english, I don\'t speak like a Brit. I speak american a wonderful mutty ass language made up of every other spoken dialect thats on this rock. And if our form of speach gets heavily influenced by all the south of the border frivolity goin on then so be it. I think it\'s kinda nifty bein part of a culture and launguage that is as alive as ours is, we\'re chronically adapting, mutating, and evolving how we go about things here and it is tuff to keep up with at times but it\'s worth it. Also tends to cause alot of growin pains but beter to be a dynamic system then one thats bland and buggered.

I also think this guy can put up his sign so what his choice, tho a bit imbecilic as well. I\'ve worked with, ordered from, and sold stuff to folk that couldn\'t speak to me and by golly we managed to figure all kinds of ways to get our point across, theres alot more to communicaiting then just words. I wonder what would happen if someone who was mute came up to get some food.

We should just see about letting mexico join up as the 51st state

and since I\'m startin to feel like I\'ve been writing a small book I\'ll leave my point at that!

Viva America