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Speak English' signs allowed at Philly shop
Topic Started: Mar 20 2008, 04:49 AM (299 Views)
Mystical
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'Speak English' signs allowed at Philly shop
Commission on Human Rights rules Geno's postings do not discriminate

No English, no service
June 15, 2006: Joey Vento, owner of Geno's Steaks, tells Tucker Carlson why he put up the English-only service sign and why he's convinced people who don't speak English aren't offended by it.
MSNBC

updated 8:27 p.m. ET, Wed., March. 19, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - The owner of a famous cheesesteak shop did not discriminate when he posted signs asking customers to speak English, a city panel ruled Wednesday.

In a 2-1 vote, a Commission on Human Relations panel found that two signs at Geno's Steaks telling customers, "This is America: WHEN ORDERING 'PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH,'" do not violate the city's Fair Practices Ordinance.

Shop owner Joe Vento has said he posted the signs in October 2005 because of concerns over immigration reform and an increasing number of people in the area who could not order in English.



Vento has said he never refused service to anyone because they couldn't speak English. But critics argued that the signs discourage customers of certain backgrounds from eating at the shop.

Commissioners Roxanne E. Covington and Burt Siegel voted to dismiss the complaint, finding that the sign does not communicate that business will be "refused, withheld or denied."

In a dissenting opinion, Commissioner Joseph J. Centeno said he thought the signs did discourage some customers.

"The sign appeared immediately above another sign that had the following words: 'Management Reserves the Right to Refuse Service,'" Centeno wrote.

New immigrants in Italian neighborhood
Geno's and its chief rival across the street, Pat's King of Steaks, are two of the city's best known cheesesteak venues. A growing number of Asian and Latin American immigrants have moved into the traditionally Italian neighborhood in recent years.

Vento had threatened to go to court if he lost. His attorney, Albert G. Weiss, said he was "pleasantly surprised" by Wednesday's decision.

"We expected that this was not going to go our way," Weiss said.

In February 2007, the commission found probable cause against Geno's for discrimination, alleging that the policy discourages customers of certain backgrounds from eating there.

The case went to a public hearing, where an attorney for the commission argued that the sign was about intimidation, not political speech. The matter then went to the three-member panel for a ruling.

W. Nick Taliaferro, the commission's executive director, said he would not appeal.

Hmm now that I think of it, this should have been put in the debate section LOL

http://www.msnbc.com/id/23715954/?GT1=43001
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GreatWhiteHorse
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Good. He has every right to post whatever he wants in his private shop....even if IS offensive.
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The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. -Oscar Wilde
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It may be offensive to some, but like you said, the guy has every right to do so.

I'm sure he finds it just as offensive when people can't speak the language.

Some find the fact that there are spanish directions written next to everything in the US offensive too, yet it's still done.
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Mystical
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The over all language spoken in the USA is indeed "English." Or was until other people from other countries came here and now we must speak their language. Hell I can't even find the english directions on some of the things I buy. Which is pretty nerve wracking when your tryin to put your kids toys together after midnight on xmas eve :wall: Then you always end up with extra parts :lmao: Or how bout the telemarketer or customer service representative that you are calling and asking help from and you can't understand a freakin word their saying and when you ask them "Could you please repeat that" they huff and act like their offended :huh:

I think the guy has every right to demand that they order in english. I also think that during immigrants time of becoming an American citizen that it should be a prerequisite that they learn to speak the "English" language!
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Darknight
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I can't blame him for refusing service to none english speaking customers But putting up offensive material to Deterr people from ordering anything seems like a bit much to me.
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Deleted User
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All it is is a sign asking/telling customers to order in English.
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GreatWhiteHorse
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I dont agree with a state sponsored language nor do I agree with telling people they have to speak one language or another to be citizens, but this is this guy's private business and he do whatever he wants.
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The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. -Oscar Wilde
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XNavyGunner
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His shop, his business, his property. Too many whiners trying to dictate to others.
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LarryOldtimer
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GreatWhiteHorse
Mar 21 2008, 09:33 PM
I dont agree with a state sponsored language nor do I agree with telling people they have to speak one language or another to be citizens, but this is this guy's private business and he do whatever he wants.

i rather disagree with you on this one. I don't think that a nation can begin to be united when more than one language is spoken. In the past, learning to speak English, or at least "American" English was a requirement of becoming a US citizen, and it worked quite well, for both those already citizens, and those seeking to become citizens.

If we can't communicate well with those about us, failure will be the result.
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Mystical
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Yep I agree with you Larry.
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Nadia Blue
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Well, the point is, it's his shop. If the sign offends people, it's his business that's being hurt, although from what I know of the place, he'll never have any shortage of customers. What irks me is that if an American goes to another country, it's not any native's problem whether we can speak their language or not. Granted, so many countries also speak English, and that's lovely. But it wouldn't be fair to travel to France and demand people speak English everywhere we go. It's totally ridiculous that if I go down to Miami for the weekend, I can't order at McDonald's unless I can read and speak Spanish, rofl. WTH? It's America. We DO speak English here. Incidently, what language was the sign written in? :unsure:
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Nadia Blue
Apr 6 2008, 02:35 PM
Well, the point is, it's his shop.  If the sign offends people, it's his business that's being hurt, although from what I know of the place, he'll never have any shortage of customers.  What irks me is that if an American goes to another country, it's not any native's problem whether we can speak their language or not.  Granted, so many countries also speak English, and that's lovely.  But it wouldn't be fair to travel to France and demand people speak English everywhere we go.  It's totally ridiculous that if I go down to Miami for the weekend, I can't order at McDonald's unless I can read and speak Spanish, rofl.  WTH?  It's America.  We DO speak English here.  Incidently, what language was the sign written in?   :unsure:

I agree with you...I think. "don't know"

I thought the same thing about what language the sign was written in - and it's it in English, lol. So yea, I bet you're wondering how they're supposed to read it, lol.

Here's the actual sign as it's posted.

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I don't see anything wrong with it.
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Mystical
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I don't see anything wrong with the sign either Left Field but it has offended the non-english speaking people. Hmm is there anything that doesn't offend these people? They come to America to either go to school for free or to become American citizens then they try to change our constitution to serve their needs. If someone is on vacation from another country then that is different and this sign would be offensive for them if they could read it or translate it but I know quite a few Americans who traveled to other countries that didn't speak the english language and they took a course or had a translation book with them to be able to communicate.

I say if your gonna live here at least have knowledge of the American language "Which is English speaking language as a majority" Don't try to change it, if you can't cut it in America then go back to where you came from.
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