Posted on 08/26/2011 11:00:08 AM PDT by Kaslin
Blunt. Brash. Bold. Politically incorrect. Unapologetically patriotic. Philadelphia cheese-steak king Joey Vento was all that and a side of freedom fries. The 71-year-old owner of Geno's Steaks died of a heart attack this week, but he reignited a national debate over radical multiculturalism that will burn for years to come.
Five years ago, Vento garnered national headlines when a local newspaper profiled his outspoken views on customers who couldn't speak English. He hung a sign in his order window that read: "This is America. When ordering, speak English." Though he never turned anyone away, the grandson of Italian immigrants informed hungry patrons that he reserved the "right to refuse service" to those he couldn't understand.
No menus in 10 different languages. No dumbed-down pictographs for the idiocracy. The choice at Geno's is simple: Sink or swim. Learn English or eat somewhere else. "If you can't tell me what you want, I can't serve you," Vento told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's up to you. If you can't read, if you can't say the word 'cheese,' how can I communicate with you -- and why should I have to bend? I got a business to run."
Vento's refusal to coddle triggered a tsunami of complaints from self-appointed civil rights leaders. The ululations of the aggrieved resounded from sea to whining sea.
For exercising his constitutionally protected free speech, both the Philadelphia City Council and Philadelphia Human Relations Commission launched political inquisitions against Vento. Yes, it really happened in the home of Independence Hall. Members of the government bodies demanded that Vento remove his bald eagle-adorned sign and threatened to revoke his business license. After 21 months of investigation, a marathon seven-hour hearing and hysterical testimony likening his innocuous 4-inch-by-9-inch sign to "Jim Crow laws," he was cleared of discrimination charges.
Plainspoken as ever, Vento understood full well why the multi-culti mob wanted to gag him: "I say what everybody's thinking but is afraid to say."
As a fellow Philly-born loudmouth, I cheered Vento on for years during his battles with the anti-assimilationists. He weathered the same old slings, arrows and accusations of being a "racist," "xenophobe," "nativist" and immigrant-basher -- despite the fact that generations of assimilated immigrants and naturalized Americans agree with him. The vast majority of Americans support English as the official language of the United States. Latino parents in California revolted against "bilingual education" mandates that stuck their kids in Spanish-only classes.
Generations of successful immigrant families in America know English is the language of success, not the language of oppression. Yet, politicians in both parties have pandered ceaselessly to the language-Balkanizers.
The Clinton administration gave us Executive Order 13166, effectively requiring all government agencies to provide translations into any language on demand. Rather than rescind the order, the Bush administration went after localities and forced them to provide foreign language materials. In 2004, the Bush administration ordered Harris County, Texas, to provide all voter registration and election information and supplies, including the voting machine ballot, in Vietnamese, as well as English and Spanish.
Under the Obama administration, the Department of Justice threatened to cut off federal funding to the state of Oklahoma over a state constitutional amendment proposal to designate English as its official language. The Obama DOJ also has ordered my home state of Colorado to protect the interests of "language minority populations" by funding free translators for any foreigners -- legal or illegal -- who sue in civil cases here. In the same vein, the Philadelphia Human Rights Commission that tried to silence Vento distributes pamphlets asking "Are you a victim of discrimination?" in seven languages.
"Progressive" politicians pandering for votes treat non-English speakers as hopeless victims of white hegemony, instead of beneficiaries of the American dream. By contrast, small-business man Joey Vento promoted a common culture, a common tongue and common sense. We need more assimilation warriors like him to challenge the infantilizing Babel Lobby.
RIP Joey. Philly won’t be the same witout you.
You have to admire him for having the courage to speak and act upon his convictions.
An excellent post. Thank you for sharing it.
And that is the legacy that the idiot BushBots on this forum are cheering.
The sooner the fake "conservative" Bush family disappears into the South American outback that they dream about the better for America and the Republican party. The rest of us want our country back and have no desire to live in Mexico.
Just imagine what a Perry administration would do.
You’re very welcome
Get over your BDS and PDS and crawl back under your rocks
Trying your best to prove the truth of my post...
I knew this man and his family. I love them. This is a great loss for the family and our country.
Joey will be missed.
Indeed. A "character" with character.
I can. It's a nightmare.
I ran into that when I had to get some forms from a federal office - they asked me if I would understand them better in a Germanic translation. Silly bugger didn't realise I was English with a strong Geordie accent! As I found out:
I still tend to use the spellings and idioms I was taught there, even though I've been here for over 50 years. No matter - seems most understand me. Most of the time. ;^)
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