Damned Islamophobes!
As reported by Gail Rosenblum of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.Despite the fact that tensions are running high in this political season, they independently confirmed that Minnesota graciousness remains top-notch. At the Crutchee's food stand, the smiling owner offered all three a free cheese-on-a-stick and lemonade (this before learning that a reporter was present). "I want you to like America," she said.Bastards! Islamophobes! (Nada wears a hijab. Go look.)
"People here are so nice," said Nada who, observing Ramadan, waited patiently to eat until sundown. "No one treats me different because I look different," she said.
And I loved this from the simply German guy.
Max, tall and slender, made a beeline for the beef-and-pork dogs and made one disappear like magic. "The best!" he said.They may well have when the families of those serving hot dogs at the state fair today emigrated but things change.
"But," I asked, "no sauerkraut?"
"Nobody eats sauerkraut on hot dogs in Germany," said Max, who will attend Roseville High School.
I learned about this from PowerLine where John Hinderaker cannot resist a parting shot, UTTERLY justified.
A postscript: remember when President Obama (who speaks no language other than English) ridiculed his fellow Americans for their alleged inability to speak foreign languages? The third exchange student, who is from Germany, recounted his experience in the presumed sea of Know-Nothingism that is the Minnesota State Fair:Realize this is in a context where Minnesota has an enormous Somali immigration, parts of which earn some dough and then go back to fight Jihad in Somalia, and many of whom have become taxi drivers in Minnesota and refuse to carry people with alcohol or with guide dogs (firing offences in my view).
Max agreed. "I like how the Americans talk to me, very open-minded," and more than willing to make him really feel at home.
"I don't know why," he said, delighted, "but everyone's talking to me in German."
So who do you trust? The average Minnesotan? Or the pompous ill-educated self-important ass who cannot even do what the average Minnesotan can do and then goes tell them to be more tolerant and learn more languages, something he has nover bothered to do?
posted by Alan Adamson @ 3:20 PM
3 Comments:
Surely you don't want Obama to speak more than one language? It's bad enough that he speaks at all! Can you imagine what we would suffer if he would be our Prime Minister, and forced to be bilingual?
You're much too young to have heard Mackenzie King (in 1939) when he tried to tell Québec that, although he had promised we wouldn't go to war, there would be a conscription. "Mes chers concitoyens, je regrette beaucoup..." It was painful to listen to the few words! Not to go to war. My brother left law school and was gone overseas, as an officer, for 5 years. I was just a young kid of course. But I decided right then that I would learn English so that I would be able to understand the Prime Minister without having to hear his French. Poor William! He tried so hard. We are a silly little country....
No doubt like listening to Harper a few years aqo; what a fine effort he has put in in the interim.
I really don't know about the quality of Mr.Harper's French. I never heard it clearly. I gave up CBC years ago (when it became orgasmic about Pierre Trudeau.) I listen to CTV news. As soon as the Prime Minister says one word in French, a voice comes over to translate. I wrote twice (to no avail) to tell CTV that, in Canada, nobody needs to translate a politician. He/she always repeats, in the other language, what was previously said in the first.
In any case, as I became older, I regretted to have criticised (in my mind) King and Diefenbaker. A country who put up with Chrétien's accent (and mine!) is a very kind country. Now I have an infinite respect for anyone who tries to say a few words in my difficult language. Specially when it's done to appease a difficult (and seldom appreciative) province.
À votre santé, Mr.Adamson!
Post a Comment
<< Home