The Bobcat Nation

we needed some fluff. with all the happenings in the world today it's nice to know there's still time to pick on small business owners.



Philly Official Objects to English-Only Cheesesteak Ordering
Friday, June 09, 2006

PHILADELPHIA — A City Council member jumped into the debate over a sign at one of Philadelphia's best-known cheesesteak joints that reads: "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING 'SPEAK ENGLISH."'

During the council's meeting Thursday, Councilman Jim Kenney asked Geno's Cheesesteaks owner Joseph Vento to take the small sign down. The English-only ordering sign has irritated some activists in the diverse neighborhood of South Philadelphia and drawn national attention.

"It's such an iconic institution and business, one that is that visible for many of our residents, for the region and the world," Kenney said.

Vento, whose grandparents struggled to learn English after immigrating from Sicily in the 1920s, said his staff is glad to help non-native speakers order in English and no one has been turned away because of a language barrier.

"I don't see much of a big deal about learning to say Cheez Whiz," he told ABC-TV's "Good Morning America" on Friday.

Well, many civic leaders in Bozeman spoke out when a private citizen was trying to run for the school board (simply because he had some beliefs that "the man" didn't agree with), so this sort of thing isn't uncommon. The little guy is always getting picked on by the somebody, I guess.

if you mean the Nazi guy that's totally different IMO. This is a business owner, whom obviously had to learn English, as well as his family when they immigrated to America. After all it is OUR language, so what's wrong with asking your customers to speak it? Besides for all those who've been to Philly and ordered a cheese steak for lunch, this is funny because these places have their own "language" anyway. "wit or witouts onions, & peps , extra whiz"

shouldn't have given the example - now I'm craving one!!!!
MMMMMM I'll take mine wit onions & peps and extra whiz too!!

briannell wrote:if you mean the Nazi guy that's totally different IMO. This is a business owner, whom obviously had to learn English, as well as his family when they immigrated to America. After all it is OUR language, so what's wrong with asking your customers to speak it? Besides for all those who've been to Philly and ordered a cheese steak for lunch, this is funny because these places have their own "language" anyway. "wit or witouts onions, & peps , extra whiz"

You disagree with the Nazi but you agree with the owner of Geno's.

That doesn't make the two instances different, though. In both cases public officials expressed their opinions that conflicted with those of the person in question. And in neither case did the public officials try (or had the legal ability) to restict the people from expressing or holding their opinions.

Bay Area Cat wrote:

briannell wrote:if you mean the Nazi guy that's totally different IMO. This is a business owner, whom obviously had to learn English, as well as his family when they immigrated to America. After all it is OUR language, so what's wrong with asking your customers to speak it? Besides for all those who've been to Philly and ordered a cheese steak for lunch, this is funny because these places have their own "language" anyway. "wit or witouts onions, & peps , extra whiz"

You disagree with the Nazi but you agree with the owner of Geno's.

That doesn't make the two instances different, though. In both cases public officials expressed their opinions that conflicted with those of the person in question. And in neither case did the public officials try (or had the legal ability) to restict the people from expressing or holding their opinions.

I can't find it, but I had a great e-mail recently with a picture of the American Flag followed by the words,

Why in the hell do I have to push #1 for English?