Posted on 09/01/2007 4:11:05 AM PDT by Man50D
STUART, Fla. – The battle over a South Florida business ordered out of its location purportedly because the tenant speaks English and not Spanish is now headed for the legal system.
Tom McKenna, who recently sold his Seacoast Water Care business to a competitor, told WND he now plans to sue his landlord for discrimination.
"Not reverse discrimination, but discrimination," McKenna said. "I'm being discriminated against whether I'm Hispanic or whether I'm English. The fact that somebody's singling me out because I don't speak a specific language or I don't fit their criteria of what I should be in this particular plaza I don't think is fair.
"If it were reversed and I was Hispanic and there were two other American businesses in here occupying the other storefronts and the owner of the property said to the Hispanic business owner, 'Guess what? You've got 30 days to move your business outta here because ... I want an English-speaking plaza serving the English people in the area,' there'd be a firestorm from all civil-rights groups across the country including the ACLU."
WND spoke with McKenna during a small "end of an era" ceremony yesterday outside the vacated office where the Stuart, Fla., resident based his water-conditioning business for the last seven years.
An American flag flying from the top of Seacoast's former headquarters was taken down, and a small group of friends and former colleagues were treated to free hot dogs and beer.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
In the pictures in the piece there is a sign for the plaza. Its address is on S.E. Dixie Hwy. Probably going to have to get that changed too.
"Not reverse discrimination, but discrimination," McKenna said. "I'm being discriminated against whether I'm Hispanic or whether I'm English.
Hmm...I'm automatically dubious whenever anyone uses the word "discrimination." Sounds like the property owner was seeking a more profitable tenant. More profitable means one who will conform to a Hispanic theme. If all the stores have Spanish language signs, the burrito restaurant is likely to get more customers.
Here in CA, there are many strip malls that have all Hispanic stores. A few blocks away, you'll see all Asian stores.
All that being said, it does look like the property owner don't want no stinkin' gringos.
I speak English and I'm not English.
In San Francisco a few years back, they changed Army Street to Cesar Chavez. In the future, look for lots of Lincoln or Washington streets across the country to be changed to the names of popular Hispanic heroes.
I can see it now: Diego Maradona Drive.
Doesn’t say what happened. There will be lawsuits over this one.
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