Richardson, en Espanol

Posted: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 3:08 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Athena Jones and Domenico Montanaro
In his comments at the news conference naming him President-elect Obama's choice for Commerce Secretary, Richardson made remarks in both English and Spanish.

For those wondering, here is a translation of his remarks in Spanish:

"To our Latino community, thank you for your support and your confidence. Thank you for your votes for our candidate, who is now our president-elect. As he told us 'Yes we can.' Our vote has been our voice. This election has demonstrated our strength and our unity. We have to continue fighting for our rights, while we pursue the American Dream for everyone. To the millions of people of America, Latin America and the Caribbean, we must strengthen our ties and remember the importance of a united hemisphere.

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Comments

RICHARDSON SHOULD DIRECT ALL OF HIS EFFORTS TO INSTRUCTING MEXICO HOW TO BECOME ECONOMICALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT SO ITS PEOPLE WOULD STOP SNEAKING INTO THE USA FOR JOBS & HEALTH CARE.

WE DIDN'T NEED AN OPEN-BORDERS CZAR ! (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 9:22 AM)

Spanish IS an American language, spoken by many Americans even not of Hispanic origin. While the vast majority of people living in the US speak only English, it is time that many of us begin to learn a 2nd language (which helps one to understand their mother tongue as well).
While it is essential for legal purposes to have 'official' means of communication, this need not be one language.
What binds us as a people, what makes us member of the great US experiment is a common assent to ideas of liberty and equality. These ideas should, and can be, expressed in a plurality of languages. What better way of expressing our motto 'E pluribus unum' then articulating our ideas and ideals in a pluralism of languages. Having leaders who speak many languages is a living testimony to the dream of our founders, out of many one.
Think for a second: if the great texts of our culture (say the New Testament) were expressed ONLY in their original language (i.e., Greek) how many people would be able to read it. The transmission and sharing of our great ideas and beliefs are not bound to a single language, but interwoven in the living fabric of many tongues.
As a citizen of this great nation, striving to achieve that more perfect union, I take great pride when my leaders speak in diverse languages. Gov. Richardson, you make me proud.

James Eiswert, Maryville, MO (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 9:30 AM)

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