<HTML>In a message dated 3/12/02 10:22:49 AM Central Standard Time, sckline@attbi.com (Susan Kline) writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">> > We speak ENGLISH, not = Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, > Japanese, Russian, > or any other = language. Therefore, > if you wish to become part of = our > society, learn the > language! > One little problem with this statement: large portions of our fair nation belonged to Mexico for centuries before the U.S. took them over. Naturally, most of the people who lived there stayed put, SPEAKING SPANISH. And why shouldn't they? And they are a part of our society, a valued part. Just try seeing how the whole west coast would fare without their labor, let alone how dull it would be without them</BLOCKQUOTE>. I completely agree with Susan on this one.  The US invaded and captured what was once part of Mexico.  Similar to Canada, our nation has always been made up of two distinct societies, Anglo and Hispanic.  To try to drive out and eliminate the Spanish language and culture is a form of ethnic cleansing, outright bigotry. Don't forget that the European invaders succeeded in nearly eradicating the Native Americans by the same kind of ethnic cleansing that has been happening elsewhere in the world recently. Yes, immigrants from other parts of the world should learn to speak English but there will always be a place for the French language in the Northeast near Quebec where some American citizens are of the French culture and language and a place for Spanish in Florida and vast areas of the Southwest where the Spanish language and culture existed long before being invaded by the Anglos. I, for one, consider it to be important to know all three North American languages, English, French and Spanish.  Anytime I see the kind of wild-eyed rants such as found in the original post, I am concerned for the safety, security and freedom of everyone. I have often thought that the insistence upon ET only in piano work closely parallels the insistence on English only.  Think about it. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin <A HREF="http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=w w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =-</A> </HTML>