Voces de los Idiotas

Wanna know something?

I speak Spanish.

And I don't just speak "classroom" Spanish. Despite six years of Spanish classes throughout junior high and high school, I've picked up far more Spanish from my Central American friends than my blonde haired, blue eyed Anglo-Saxon Spanish teacher ever taught me (which essentially means I couldn't conjugate a verb properly to save my life).

But I am familiar enough with the language to come up with nifty little things like Voces de los Idiotas. Not only is it always amazing to me that you can simply add a vowel to an English word and make it Spanish, but how appropriate the translation is.

(In case you're truly lost, it means "voices of the idiots.")

Why?

Because, for some odd reason, they think that exercising First Amendment rights comes without reprecussions. Let me translate that one for you as well: they think it means you can skip out of work to attend a protest and expect your employer to have your job waiting for you when you decide to show up for your next shift.

In case anyone from Voces de los Idiotas is reading this now, allow me to point out that the First Amendment protects you from the government persecuting you for what you say. But whatever anyone else has to say or do about it, within reason, is fair game.

I'm an American through and through who enjoys all the rights the Constitution has to offer. But if I chose to not show up to work so I could attend a protest, I'd be fired. And I wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

Welcome to America.

Or as Elliot, who brought this story to my attention, had to say:

News flash: the First Amendment protects the right to speak. It does not protect a theoretical right to speak without consequences.

If you want to come to America, you’ve got to live by our rules. (I know that seems hard to believe because Voces contends everybody should be able to come live here regardless of the rules.) If you don’t come to work when y0u’re supposed to you can be fired.

Here's some advice for Voces: Si queres vivir en este pais, aprende las leyes.

(FYI, my Central American friends are here legally. And they're not to crazy about anyone trying to do it any other way.)