[9V4i8xw1]

More information would certainly be helpful, but from what I am scanning, it does sound like it was likely an inarticulacy by the school bus driver from what I am reading, though.

The bus in question serves a language academy for children learning to speak English. Other kids go to other schools and particular busses serve each one.

It could have been handled better, but this kind of event just appears to be something I could easily envision, and the event getting misconstrued and mangled into something more than it really was.

The driver obviously detected that these kids were not supposed to be on the bus because the driver spotted these kids speaking fluent English and in a manner indicating they were run-of-the-mill American kids speaking English, and thus naturally assumed that they could not be in the school that the bus serves. And maybe the bus driver got the feeling the kids were poaching a ride on this bus knowing they weren't supposed to be there too, something I remember as a child many students doing so they could ride with their friends, get dropped off somewhere different, get a better dropoff because their own assigned bus and its stop stinks by comparison, etc.

I can envision a bus driver finally hearing them and telling them to get off the bus, and with the kids asking why, the driver saying "because you kids speak English"--i.e., you know what bus this serves, and you know you are not supposed to be on the bus.

No offence meant to school bus drivers and many were great people and had the patience of saints from my own recollection of the school bus experience, but the ones I knew weren't exactly Oxford postgraduates with excelling eloquence and precision in communication and conflict resolution. They were working stiffs hustling around piles of wild school kids to and from school, the scene of which makes the atmosphere a lousy one for precise and diplomatic exchanges between the driver and kids.

This story really brings me back down memory lane to remember all the red tape school bus procedures, antics, the chaotic school kid atmosphere and the personalities of school bus drivers and the kinds of exchanges we all had with them.

I understand every word you say, what keeps bugging me is the kids had rode the bus all year - and that there is no other bus that runs pass their house - so now the mother has to take them to school everyday - granted they did live in an area not serviced by that particular school, but again the driver had no problem for 4 months.
There may be another side to the story - perhaps the kids are trouble makers and the bus driver simply used existing rules to finally kick them off - but seeing the schools letter that did not appear to be the case.

Now - we are unfortunately never going to get the truth, for now this story is running rampant on the net with more versions than you can possibly decipher.

[9V4i8xw1]

Just another alarmist reaction by American bigots. The story is fake.

Next.

OK Sam I'll let you know when this story is on moveon.org or america_sucks.com - then perhaps you will believe it.

[fabrizioitwloch]

OK Sam I'll let you know when this story is on moveon.org or america_sucks.com - then perhaps you will believe it.

Perhaps she'll believe it? No doubt the story would be twisted to include Bush being the driver and Sam will swear it happened....

[Giselle]

Oh really? Care to share the logic behind this pearl of wisdom?



So you'd rather make English a national language, thereby disregarding the wishes of many Spanish/Indian/Mexican/Chinese/other immigrants and other ethnic races in the US who may not wish for English to be a national language?

Newsflash: The US is a country of immigrants, not all of whom are necessarily English speakers.

NewsFlash......the majority does speak english (for now).

[Giselle]

Not in all areas. For instance, do more people speak Spanish in Miami than English or the other way around?

And you have not answered these:

I have no interest in sharing my logic.....IMO, The language should be English and that is that.......I they want to live here, they should speak it.

[Giselle]

So basically then, your position is illogical since you have failed to provide any logic behind your thinking. Thank you for confirming my suspicions ...

No problem, think what you'd like...

[sarasaraseda]

Seeing people defending a situation where American children are prohibited from speaking english ANYWHERE is proof positive that this "America" we now live in is as fucked up as a soup sandwich.

Don't forget to dummy up on April 15 and pay those taxes.............the people that we're giving our country to are counting on them!

[nvmrfgopyy]

Seeing people defending a situation where American children are prohibited from speaking english ANYWHERE is proof positive that this "America" we now live in is as fucked up as a soup sandwich. Um, OK, again, WHY? And did you read the whole story because that's not what happened. I just got back from a vacation in Curacao, an amazing Island where everyone speaks 4 languages. English, Spanish, Dutch and Papimiento. And you know what, they still know they are Curacoan have a Curacaoan culture and no one's any worse for the wiser. On the other hand as an American tourists we looked a bit boorish and backwards only being able to speak English and a bit of Spanish. This Language issue is leaving us behind the rest of the world and there's just no need for it anymore.

[Xavier_Spinner_Wheels]

I have no interest in sharing my logic.....IMO, The language should be English and that is that.......I they want to live here, they should speak it.

So why didn't the Republican controlled Congress pass a measure about it? I say in a poll that approximately half of all Americans would like to make English the national/official language of the country. Would you say it's because Republicans are lazy?

[medio]

FIRST ON 5: Kids kicked off school bus for speaking english

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A school bus driver let Rachel Armstrong's three children board the bus Monday morning, but he warned them that he wouldn't give them a ride home that afternoon, nor could they ever ride his route again.

The problem: Armstrong's 10-year-old twin girls and 8-year-old son speak English. According to their mother, the driver told them the route had been designated for non-English speakers only.

FIRST ON 5: Kids kicked off school bus

This takes the cake.
School admits mistake, but kids will still not be able to ride bus now because technically they live out of the busses route - although they have been riding it all year.

These ass clowns expose themselves and what they do when they don’t have/use common sense.
You can take French or any language you wish in collage, but you wont master it until you’re around it… There seems to be a moonbat movement preventing Spanish people from learning English. Now what would be the point of that???

[Cajlwdvx]

Just another alarmist reaction by American bigots. The story is fake.

Next.

of course that's alarmist reactionary it's not like we have a problem with the invasion of america by mexicans or anything

Varus

[annouhMus]

If they are in this country, they need to speak ENGLISH, period !

It is high time that the English language becomes our national language, if it doesn't, it is only a matter of time when Spanish or French will become it and then forced down our throats like a throne bush.

I agree with the first part, altho I don't think tht has anything to do with this issue.

What it really does is point out the fact that the country has gotten too specialized even to the point of separate Busses for specific classes. If they are truely different schools, then it would be foolish for the children to ride to the wrong school. I don't think that was the case.

Once more I beleive you have posted a "IRONIC" TYPO. Funny, "A Throne Bush"? HEH HEH

[annouhMus]

The idea of a "national language" reeks of big government to me.

We DO have a National Language, and no reason not to acknowlge it Or point out the obvious benefits.of it's use, and even run the country on it. . But to require it? NOPE, People must sink or swim on their own.

[Eromereorybig]

OK Sam I'll let you know when this story is on moveon.org or america_sucks.com - then perhaps you will believe it.

This is a story for the right wingers to cry about and exaggerate, it won't show up on the left wing blogs. Lefties are tolerant of other languages and don't feel the need to complain and whine that people are speaking another language nearby. Maybe it's insecurity that causes the right to be so upset about other languages being spoken, are you afraid they are saying something bad about you?

[Eromereorybig]

Seeing people defending a situation where American children are prohibited from speaking english ANYWHERE is proof positive that this "America" we now live in is as fucked up as a soup sandwich.

Don't forget to dummy up on April 15 and pay those taxes.............the people that we're giving our country to are counting on them!

Sadly you are believing a lie. No children are being prohibited from speaking English.

[N95FzmMw]

Seeing people defending a situation where American children are prohibited from speaking english ANYWHERE is proof positive that this "America" we now live in is as fucked up as a soup sandwich.

Don't forget to dummy up on April 15 and pay those taxes.............the people that we're giving our country to are counting on them!

And here we see the perfect example of what this story was intended to do. Appeal to people's ignorance of a situation to get them riled up. AHHH! PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO SPEAK ENGLISH ANYMORE AHH! AHH!!!!! Amazing.

Does this sound like anybody is keeping their kids from speaking english?
St. Paul schools spokeswoman Dayna Kennedy acknowledged Thursday that school officials handled the situation poorly, but said the reason Armstrong's children were ineligible to ride the bus was because they lived outside the school's attendance area - not because they spoke English.

The bus route was meant to serve a language academy at Phalen Lake for Hmong kids learning English, and the district's academies all have separate bus routes to keep their students together.
Kennedy said the breakdown happened when officials discovered the family lived outside of Phalen Lake's attendance area. The family moved last year. The plan had been to tell them they would not be legally eligible for bus service after the winter break.

"We made a mistake. The family was not properly notified," she said.