Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Illegal Immigrants

Ok... so I have mixed feelings about this and I don't want to start an argument... but today I heard that there's a bill trying to be passed that would make churches and aid organizations legally responsible for reporting illegal immigrants they have helped. This law would either make many churches and aid organizations act illegally... or decrease their ability to help those that need help. My only frustration with immigrants, legal or illegal, right now are the ones that practically refuse to learn English. At this hospital there are many patients who do not speak English. If they have just moved here, fine, just please attempt to learn or national language. But the ones that have been here 10 years and still don't speak English, that frustrates me. There are plently of opportunites, especially in cities like Chicago, that teach English as a second language. Please attempt to learn English. If I moved to another country I would do my best to learn the primary language of that country. I don't care what language you speak at home with your friends or family at home. But, if you've been here any length of time... English please. It is hard when patients in the fast track part of the emergency room who only speak Spanish are yelling at us because we don't speak Spanish for them and they have to wait for the Spanish intrepeter to come. We're trying, we've paged the Spanish intrepeter. I'm sorry you don't speak English. All I can do is wait for the intrepeter. Ok, I'm done now. You can call me horrible, but I think it's reasonable to learn the langage of the country in which you reside.

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