Joseph Vento, the owner of Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia, put up a sign on his businesses window: “This is America – when ordering, please speak English.” Below it: “Management Reserves the Right to Refuse Service.”
The city’s Commission on Human Relations is charging him with discrimination because the signs are obviously discouraging to non-English speakers.
Vento posted the signs six months ago because he was concerned over the immigration issue and the increasing number of people in his area that can’t speak English.
Vento, whose grandparents immigrated from Sicily in the 1920’s, says he hasn’t refused service to anyone yet. But he still refuses to take the signs down, stating it’s his right as a business owner to require his customers to order in English.
Much as I dispise this kind of narrow-mindedness, I think he’s right. It is a free country, and since he’s not simply refusing to serve non-English speakers (he’s just asking them to speak English when ordering), he should have the right to post the signs. The right to free speech includes, unfortunately, the right to be a complete asshole. Just as anyone who finds this type of jingoistic backlash insulting has the right to boycott the business.
Full story here.
More bigotry…
June 13, 2006 · 1 Comment
Categories: Uncategorized
1 response so far ↓
Tom // June 14, 2006 at 12:40 pm |
20,000 illegals, mostly from Mexico invade S. Philly and take over neighborhoods so quickly and to such degree, they have begun to create there own mini economies. No one feels a the need to speak English because everyone they associate with speaks Spanish. Many have been there for 10 years or longer and still can’t order a cheese steak in English. If there not willing to learn, and don’t tell me there are not people like that, then maybe they need some tough love in the City Of Brotherly Love.
I look for the day when I no longer have to press 1 for English. Mexico has an official language. Can you guess what it is? I don’t think they have to press one for Spanish and they should not have to.
Illegal immigrants and their advocates throw the race card on this one of course. Go ahead get it out of your system. It holds no meaning to me in this debate. My partner for eight years was Cuban. One of my best friends is black. I’ll pull out the assimilation card then. This is what this debate should be about. *ASSIMILATION* It’s about Illegals fear and resistance to change. The fear of losing what you were and resistance to becoming something new, an American. Well sorry pal, that’s part of the package if you want to be a citizen of the US and enjoy all the freedoms and opportunities that your old homeland did not offer. The first sentence in the Oath Of Aligiance states:
“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen”
Hold onto your heritage but your an American first and something else second. Learn the language and assimilate. That’s the deal, take it or leave.
Scryberwitch - rational mystic // June 14, 2006 at 1:11 pm |
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