Brilliant

[thirsty moore]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=573&u=/nm/20030903/od_nm/immigration_dc&printer=1
 
 Facing a 'Britishness' Test??
 
 LONDON (Reuters) - Immigrants to Britain might have to demonstrate English language skills and their "Britishness" to gain citizenship, the government said Wednesday.
 
   
 
 "Life in the United Kingdom," a report which recommends the tests, comes as the government tries to calm fears that the country is becoming swamped with asylum seekers and illegal immigrants.
 
 
 "The new requirements are to be seen not as a new hurdle but as a much needed entitlement," said the government-commissioned report. "Those who become British citizens should ... have a sense of belonging to a wider community."
 
 
 The concept of citizenship tests have been a controversial issue in Britain ever since Norman Tebbit, a leading lieutenant of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, notoriously suggested a "cricket test," under which immigrants could only be classified as British if they cheered for the England cricket team
 
 
 Over 100,000 would take the new tests each year, under the new proposals. Those failing would not be asked to leave, but they would be refused a British passport or the right to vote, said Sir Bernard Crick, who chaired the group behind the report.
 
 
 "We are trying to ensure people are capable of integrating in society," Home Secretary David Blunkett told BBC radio. "How can you build a cohesive society if people can't communicate?"
 
 
 The government has pledged to halve the number of asylum claims within the space of a year. It has until October to meet that pledge.
 
 
 Last year, Britain topped the European league with 103,000 claimants, a 20 percent rise year on year.
 
 
 The report group rejected suggestions that immigrants be coached in British history, instead opting for British democracy; multiculturalism; legal rights and employment opportunities.

[mankie]

YEAH! What a great idea that will never come to be...thanks to the markies of the world.
 
 First rule should be you must be fluent in English and obey all British laws, so get your fucking turbans off or sell your fucking motorbike for starters.

[markie]

Originally posted by mankie:
   the markies of the world.
 
 

I suppose Mankie is a pure bred Englishman? Diversity is a good thing, else you wouldnt get a curry or a sweet and sour.

[mankie]

Originally posted by Anton Newcombe:
   

Originally posted by mankie:
   the markies of the world.
 
 

I suppose Mankie is a pure bred Englishman? Diversity is a good thing, else you wouldnt get a curry or a sweet and sour. [/b]

Oh God, here we go again...I'm all for diversity, but if you move to a foreign country you should respect and obey it's laws and cultures, which you can do without losing your native country's cultures or your personal identity...can I drive on the left side of the road in America.....can I go drink a beer in a bar in Saudi Arabia, could my wife wear clothes that show her ankles in Afghanistan....These are all legal in my native country but not in those places.

[Bags]

Originally posted by mankie:
  Oh God, here we go again...I'm all for diversity, but if you move to a foreign country you should respect and obey it's laws and cultures, which you can do without losing your native country's cultures or your personal identity...
 
 First rule should be you must be fluent in English and obey all British laws, so get your fucking turbans off or sell your fucking motorbike for starters.

So which is it, Mankie.  You can obey English laws and still wear a turban, can't you?  I'm all for English as a national language, but come on.  The rest is culture and is up to you.  As long as you don't try to make me wear a turbin too...

[markie]

Originally posted by bags:
  You can obey English laws and still wear a turban, can't you?  

Dont argue with Mankie about race relations. He just goes all red faced, like he is about to burst.

[mankie]

Originally posted by bags:
   

Originally posted by mankie:
  Oh God, here we go again...I'm all for diversity, but if you move to a foreign country you should respect and obey it's laws and cultures, which you can do without losing your native country's cultures or your personal identity...
 
 First rule should be you must be fluent in English and obey all British laws, so get your fucking turbans off or sell your fucking motorbike for starters.

So which is it, Mankie.  You can obey English laws and still wear a turban, can't you?  I'm all for English as a national language, but come on.  The rest is culture and is up to you.  As long as you don't try to make me wear a turbin too... [/b]

My turban comment was for markie because he knows what I'm talking about, but let me explain to you bags....In Britain it has been law for years that you must wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle...the turban wearing crowd kicked up a fuss that it was unfair to them that they couldn't ride a motorbike so the spineless bastards in the houses of parliament changed OUR laws to suit them, which I happen to have a problem with. Now, the helmet law in itself is a little controversial, but I agree with it in Britain because if you crush your skull the taxpayer pays to fix you because we have socialized medicine, but in the US it's 'nonya' if I wear a helmet or not because my private healthcare will foot the bill. Having said that I've always been a helmet wearer on my bike, but do understand the argument against it in the US.

[Bags]

See Markie, I learned from Mankie!  That's fascinating.  I totally didn't get that from your post, because I didn't know that whole background.  I agree, that's fucked up.  And I shouldn't have to wear a seatbelt because I have big boobs!  Okay, not exactly the same, but the driver of the car in which I get killed may have an argument when my family sues.
 
 Litigious Americans suck, by the way.

[markie]

Originally posted by bags:
    I agree, that's fucked up.  

who are you agreeing with?
 
 I think its fine to make some concessions to appease some people of non-christian religous beliefs. Mankie does not.
 
 How many turban wearing motorcyclists have you ever seen, Mankie?
 
 I believe integration is a 2-way street. I believe there has to be a little give and take. Or else, I guess, there is no diversification. Just pockets of other nationalities, not mixing with their neighbours, which in the end leads to resentment and fighting.

[MaLo]

Originally posted by Anton Newcombe:
   

Originally posted by bags:
    I agree, that's fucked up.  

who are you agreeing with?
 
 I think its fine to make some concessions to appease some people of non-christian religous beliefs. Mankie does not.
 
 How many turban wearing motorcyclists have you ever seen, Mankie?
 
 I believe integration is a 2-way street. I believe there has to be a little give and take. Or else, I guess, there is no diversification. Just pockets of other nationalities, not mixing with their neighbours, which in the end leads to resentment and fighting. [/b]

i saw a guy riding his bike on the w&od trail the other day with a bike helmet ontop of his turban...i thought the helmet was kind of useless since he was wearing it really loose and it was crooked..probably wouldn't have helped him out any if he fell off the bike

[mankie]

Originally posted by Anton Newcombe:
   

Originally posted by bags:
    I agree, that's fucked up.  

who are you agreeing with?
 
 I think its fine to make some concessions to appease some people of non-christian religous beliefs. Mankie does not.
 
 How many turban wearing motorcyclists have you ever seen, Mankie?
 
 I believe integration is a 2-way street. I believe there has to be a little give and take. Or else, I guess, there is no diversification. Just pockets of other nationalities, not mixing with their neighbours, which in the end leads to resentment and fighting. [/b]

I saw quite a few turban bikers in Manc...but that's irrelevant, it's the principal that I think is so wrong.
 
 You comment about not mixing with their neigbours reminded me of something I thought of this morning driving by the huge Jewis community center complex in Rockville today....America is all about integration and forcing people to get along, while at the same time every small faction has it's own little community...the JCC, the muslim education center....concerned black men, Catholic schools.etc. etc....I think these places have a place in society without question, but people tend to put too much emphasis on them and therefore segregate each other because of them. They all seem so un-American somehow.
 
 bags...you have big boobs!    hewyewdew'n!

[Bags]

I agree with Mankie on the helmet law.  Sorry, the reason it's a law is public safety.  If they don't want to say the pledge allegiance, or sing "God Save the Queen" or whatever, more power to them.  They shouldn't have to.
 
 Actually, I recently found out that the "under God" part of the Pledge wasn't instituted until 1953 as a reaction to McCarthyism and Red fear.  This is 75 years after the Pledge was written.  So you tell me, does it need to be there still?  I say no.
 
 So I'm with you as well, Markie.
 
 Yeah, I have big boobs, but the whole package is big so it's not all that amazing.    :p

[markie]

I really dont understand why you object so much to the turban/ helmet law. Why is it so bad?
 
 I agree with you on the rest though Mankie. Although I guess that the Jewish race itself can be viewed like an exclusive club. I guess that insular nature is part of their reason for their persecution.

[bungle bud]

what about the turban wearing pigs? all pigs should wear a tit on there head.

[mankie]

Originally posted by Anton Newcombe:
  I really dont understand why you object so much to the turban/ helmet law. Why is it so bad?
 
 I agree with you on the rest though Mankie. Although I guess that the Jewish race itself can be viewed like an exclusive club. I guess that insular nature is part of their reason for their persecution.

I'm not picking on them because of their beliefs markie...I just think that if you live in a country then you should live within it's laws and not have them changed to suit you...if it was the yorkshire pudding brigade and their cloth caps I would feel exactly the same about the issue.
 
 I have no feelings either way about the Jewish in-crowd or any other group for that matter, but don't segregate yourselves then bitch about being segregated...like the gay pride movement, why can't you all just be gay and shut the hell up? It's not like we have a "straight pride" march.