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Geno's inquisitors show signs of bad judgment(Hearing in English Only)
Philadephia Daily News ^ | 12/17/07 | Stu Bykofsky

Posted on 12/17/2007 12:07:41 PM PST by Kid Shelleen

THEY SAY YOU can't fight City Hall, but last Friday Joey Vento stood tall (at 5-foot-5) in the center ring of the circus to answer a discrimination complaint filed against him by the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations. Vento's been a handy punching bag for the press. Local editorial writers and columnists have vilified him as a racist, a nativist, a know-nothing, a do-badder, because of his (now world-famous) 4-by-9-inch sign at the window of his Geno's Steaks that reads: "This is America. When Ordering, Please Speak English." Some believe that is hate speech.

For some reason (hate, perhaps?) the 6 1/2 -hour hearing was conducted entirely in English, a clear slap in the face to the Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander and Esperanto communities.

(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Delaware; US: New Jersey; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: aliens; cheeseandwhine; cheesesteak; doublestandard; englishonly; politicalwitchhunt
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1 posted on 12/17/2007 12:07:43 PM PST by Kid Shelleen
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To: Kid Shelleen

‘Ey! Geno and Joey learna to speaka da english!

Yoose can too!


2 posted on 12/17/2007 12:09:43 PM PST by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: mylife

The natives do not speak English in South Philly......


3 posted on 12/17/2007 12:12:00 PM PST by Mikey_1962 (Liberals want equality of outcome not opportunity.)
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To: Kid Shelleen

“... a nativist ...”

That is the scary one. Making being proud or protective of being an American illegal, unethical or immoral.


4 posted on 12/17/2007 12:12:52 PM PST by brownsfan (America has "jumped the shark")
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To: Kid Shelleen

This inquisition against Joey is offensive to me.
My human rights are being violated.

Shut it down immediately or I’ll sue.


5 posted on 12/17/2007 12:15:29 PM PST by freespirited (Still a proud member of the Stupid Party. It beats the Evil Party any day of the week.)
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To: Kid Shelleen

If someone doesn’t like Geno’s sign its just about 30 paces to the order window at Pat’s. Just be careful not to get hit by any stray bullets along the way. It is Philly, after all.


6 posted on 12/17/2007 12:15:41 PM PST by BillyBonebrake
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To: Mikey_1962

I’m glad I dont liven there.


7 posted on 12/17/2007 12:16:30 PM PST by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: Kid Shelleen

Allen signed the complaint because the commission - which enforces laws against discrimination - could find no one to testify being denied service for linguistic impropriety at Geno’s, which served 780,000 people last year. Both sides agreed no one has ever been denied service because they no speaka da English.

Geno’s actions aren’t on trial, it’s the wording of the sign, which commission attorney Paul M. Hummer said was (constitutionally protected) political speech when used at a rally, but discriminatory when glued to Geno’s window. Because it is near a sign giving management the right to refuse service to anyone, it’s an “implied threat,” Hummer said.
____________________________________________________________

So I guess the signs that say, “No shoes, No shirt, No service” are implied threats also.


8 posted on 12/17/2007 12:17:27 PM PST by Joiseydude
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To: BillyBonebrake
Killadelphia: The City of Brothers Killing Eachother.

Outside of Center City, Philly might as well be Camden.

9 posted on 12/17/2007 12:19:38 PM PST by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: Kid Shelleen

He was on the radio this morning doing interviews. He says he will close it down before he gets rid of the sign.

Good for him! Stand your ground Joey!


10 posted on 12/17/2007 12:19:52 PM PST by READINABLUESTATE ("life is dangerous")
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To: READINABLUESTATE

It would have been great if he’d hired an attorney who refused to speak anything except, let’s just say, Swahili to the commission. I mean, that’s assuming Joey himself doesn’t speak a foreign language. It should have been turned right around on them like that.


11 posted on 12/17/2007 12:28:10 PM PST by Emmett McCarthy
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To: freespirited
I am a woman, and I don’t feel that this discussion is inclusive. I feel marginalized by the all-male tone of the article, as if I don’t matter in the national dialogue. Human rights are for women, too. Where is the woman’s voice in the proceedings?

Now see, this is how you throw the entire train off the tracks!

12 posted on 12/17/2007 12:33:06 PM PST by ishabibble (ALL-AMERICAN INFIDEL)
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To: Kid Shelleen

Geno makes a great cheesesteak. Not only that, he’s right about this. Libs go to Pat’s.


13 posted on 12/17/2007 12:34:13 PM PST by seanmerc
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To: READINABLUESTATE

What does he win if he closes down? I wouldn’t encourage that particular course of action if I were you.


14 posted on 12/17/2007 12:37:44 PM PST by Melas (Offending stupid people since 1963)
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To: brownsfan
Being a nativist is “wrong”. Being one of the indigenous population is “good”.
15 posted on 12/17/2007 12:37:54 PM PST by weegee (If Bill Clinton can sit in on Hillary's Cabinet Meetings then GWBush should ask to get to sit in too)
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To: ishabibble
Human rights are for women, too.

No, sorry. You only get Huperson rights. (Or is it Huwoman rights?)

16 posted on 12/17/2007 12:38:00 PM PST by tnlibertarian
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To: READINABLUESTATE

He also has a sign that says “we reserve the right to refuse service”. Will they force him to take down that common sign too?


17 posted on 12/17/2007 12:38:44 PM PST by weegee (If Bill Clinton can sit in on Hillary's Cabinet Meetings then GWBush should ask to get to sit in too)
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To: Kid Shelleen

Is this the same govt organization\individual giving the boy scouts in filthydelphia all the grief?


18 posted on 12/17/2007 12:39:09 PM PST by mrmargaritaville
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To: freespirited

If the city claims that they only do business in English, locate a phone line with a “press 2 for Spanish” menu or a foreign language ballot.


19 posted on 12/17/2007 12:39:40 PM PST by weegee (If Bill Clinton can sit in on Hillary's Cabinet Meetings then GWBush should ask to get to sit in too)
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To: tnlibertarian

Sir, I resent your peni-centric spellings.

It’s Womyn, dammit.


20 posted on 12/17/2007 12:40:05 PM PST by SJSAMPLE
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