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A federal judge ruled Friday that a Wichita Catholic school policy requiring students to speak only English didn't break any civil rights laws.

Is VFW Post Phone MessageA VFW in Susquehanna County is drawing some attention because of its answering machine message. Some in Montrose wonder if it the right message. The VFW near Montrose is a busy place along Route 706, a place where many in the area come to socialize. But some folks are questioning the post's answering machine message, saying it's not very social at all. "Hello, this is Montrose VFW. We are an English speaking, American establishment. If you do not speak English or believe in America, please hang up," the message says. "Racist. I mean, that's like, this...

In an under-covered moment I only caught by streaming the event online, Sen. Barack Obama told voters today in Powder Springs, Georgia, they should not be worried about making the United States an "English-only" country. He said he agrees immigrants should learn English, but felt the concern should be more about global competitiveness. "Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English, because they will learn English, you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish," he said. "We should have every child speaking more than one language." For comic effect, he added, "It's embarrassing when Europeans come over...

The Bradley Project Releases Its Report, 'E Pluribus Unum' - Calls for National Dialogue on America's National Identity http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-03-2008/0004825455&EDATE= http://tinyurl.com/6jrswk Report Finds That America is Facing an Identity Crisis and is in Danger of Becoming Not "From Many, One" - E Pluribus Unum - But Its Opposite, "From One, Many" June 3, 2008 PR Newswire (press release), NY Sixty-Three Percent of Americans Believe Our National Identity is Weakening, and One in Four Believe the Nation is So Divided That a Common National Identity is Not Possible WASHINGTON, June 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bradley Project on America's National Identity today released...

An Iowa district court ruling has changed the state's online voter registration forms. The decision upheld Iowa's English-only law that went into effect back in 2002. "The rule of law has been reaffirmed by the court," said United States Congressman Steve King. He spent years as an Iowa state senator spearheading the effort to pass the English Reaffirmation Act. It became law in 2002 and required official documents including voter registration forms to be in English-only. "Having a common language binds us together, the most powerful unifying force known throughout history," King said. King and other state leaders thought the...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The federal government is investigating whether the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety violated the civil rights of Iranian immigrants by refusing to provide them with driver's license tests in their native Farsi language. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched the investigation in March after a complaint filed on behalf of two Iranian nationals living in Bartlesville accused the state agency of unlawful discrimination based on their national origin, according to a letter from the NHTSA to Public Safety Commissioner Kevin Ward. Public safety officials said Tuesday that offering state driver's license tests in Farsi could force...

SAN ANTONIO -- A group of passengers were allegedly subjected to a 15-minute berating from a VIA bus driver Friday after he became upset when one rider couldn't speak English. According to one passenger, the driver became upset when an elderly man was 25 cents short on a bus fare. When the driver asked for the extra quarter, the man needed the assistance of a fellow passenger to explain the price discrepancy, said rider Maria Sandoval. After the man paid the remaining fare, the driver was still upset, said Sandoval. "The lady told the bus driver, 'He doesn't understand you...

A cell phone assembly line worker says she is afraid she could lose her job for speaking Spanish at work. Julie Rios said she has received verbal and written warnings for talking in her native language, even though, she said, she was not informed about the rule when she was hired. Rios, who was hired by temp company CoWorx, has been working at a North Texas plant for 10 months. But in February, she was issued a written warning about speaking Spanish. The memo issued by CoWorx read: "You are being issued your first written warning for not adhering to...

It was the small sign that stirred up a legal tornado. Last week, Joey Vento, owner of a popular Philadelphia cheesesteak restaurant, finally won the right to keep his sign: "This is America: When Ordering, Please Speak English." It took him two years, much abuse and hundreds of hours of work by paid and volunteer lawyers, but a local regulatory body finally ruled his sign wasn't discriminatory or offensive. Mr. Vento, owner of Geno's Steaks, says he never refused service to anyone who didn't speak English and put up the sign only as a political statement because so many people...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - 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...

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.

Mandatory School Spanish Classes Anger Texas Parents Thursday , February 07, 2008 A Texas school district is reviewing its second-language requirement after concerns over students being forced to learn Spanish, according to reports. Some parents at Timberline Elementary School in Grapevine, Texas, are outraged their children have to take Spanish as a mandatory second-language requirement, MyFOXDFW.com reported. Leigh Allison, the mother of fifth-grader Ashleigh, said the policy makes life easier for Hispanic immigrants and her daughter shouldn't be forced to conform, according to a report on Star-Telegram.com. "She wants to be that one voice that forces them to learn English,"...

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has taken action against a Salvation Army thrift store in Framingham, Massachusetts BECAUSE THE STORE REQUIRED EMPLOYEES TO SPEAK ENGLISH ON THE JOB! They even gave everyone a year to learn English. Two refused and were fired. This EEOC action is not an isolated incident. The EEOC took action against 200 businesses this past year because they simply wished to require their employees to speak English on the job. This campaign of federal government harassment must STOP! However, somebody is saying “NO MORE! ENOUGH!” Senator Lamar Alexander has introduced a bill that -- if...

Philadelphia police continue to look for two men (in surveillance footage above and below) accused of attacking a Geno's Steaks employee. The owner of the business is offering a reward. Police say it was around 6:30am December 27th when two males started to argue with a female employee at Geno's Steaks about the now notorious sign there "this is America, when ordering please speak English". A male employee, Tony Chestnut, was power-washing the sidewalk when he went to his co-workers aide. Chestnut, who is recovering at his south Philadelphia home, describes what he says happened next. "When I just waved...

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would be blocked from filing lawsuits against businesses that require workers to speak English on the job as part of legislation introduced recently in the Senate. "In America, requiring English in the workplace is not discrimination, it's common sense," said Sen. Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Republican and sponsor of the Protecting English in the Workplace Act of 2007. The former secretary of education tried to amend an appropriation bill for the Justice and Commerce departments earlier this year to stop such lawsuits by the EEOC, but it was blocked by Democrats. He introduced the stand-alone bill...

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...

PHILADELPHIA — A small sign that asked customers to order in English at a famous cheesesteak shop was never meant to be offensive, the shop's owner testified Friday at a hearing to decide whether the policy was discriminatory. Joe Vento, the owner of Geno's Steaks, defended his policy before the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, which filed the discrimination complaint. "This country is a melting pot, but what makes it work is the English language," Vento told the commission. "I'm not stupid. I would never put a sign out to hurt my business." Vento posted two small signs in October...

PHILADELPHIA - A small sign that asked customers to order in English at a famous cheesesteak shop was never meant to be offensive, the shop's owner testified Friday at a hearing to decide whether the policy was discriminatory. Joe Vento, the owner of Geno's Steaks, defended his policy before the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, which filed the discrimination complaint. "This country is a melting pot, but what makes it work is the English language," Vento told the commission. "I'm not stupid. I would never put a sign out to hurt my business." Vento posted two small signs in October...

LANGUAGE BARRIER Some bosses don't want to hear Spanish Lawsuits fuel debate over English-only rules at work WHEN the captain heard three crew members on his container ship chatting in Spanish during breaks, he became enraged. He then brandished a knife to enforce his standing orders: Speak only English on board. The incident, settled for $31,000 after a discrimination suit was filed in a Houston federal court, is an extreme example of cases fueling a growing debate over English-only policies in the workplace, experts say. ''It's a lightning-rod issue, a lot of people get upset," said Rudy Sustaita, a veteran...

An English language advocate is praising Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo for boycotting a recent Spanish language debate with his fellow GOP hopefuls. The debate was held on the University of Miami campus on Sunday and was broadcast on the Spanish language network Univision. Candidates' responses, spoken in English, were simultaneously translated into Spanish. Congressman Tancredo (R-Colorado) was the only GOP candidate who turned down an invitation to attend the debate, saying his fellow candidates were "encouraging violation of the law" by taking part. Tancredo -- who has made a tough stand on illegal immigration the centerpiece of his campaign...

New Haven (AP) _ Five Spanish-speaking immigrants have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a requirement that workers only speak English on the job at a Deep River machine shop. The five, who are in this country legally, have filed a discrimination suit against GC Industries, a company that makes and finishes sheet metal. At GC Industries a "Common Language Policy" posted on the bulletin board requires employees to speak English during work hours, except during breaks and lunch. The company notice cites safety, product quality and efficiency. Policies dictating English in the workplace may be legal if a company can...

In politics, the surest path to irrelevance and powerlessness is to be taken for granted by one party and written off by another. That's the road Latinos are on, thanks to major blunders by the Republicans campaigning for president. In June, all but California's Duncan Hunter blew off an invitation to address the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. In September, a debate on Spanish-language television had to be postponed after all but Arizona Sen. John McCain refused to commit. After taking criticism for the snub, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney have committed to taking part...

A government suit against the Salvation Army has the House and Senate at loggerheads over whether to nullify a law that prohibits employers from firing people who don't speak English on the job. The fight illustrates the explosiveness of immigration as an issue in the 2008 elections. Republicans on Capitol Hill are pushing hard to protect employers who require their workers to speak English, but Democratic leaders have blocked the move despite narrow vote tallies in the GOP's favor. For more than 30 years, federal rules have generally barred employers from establishing English-only requirements for their workers. But Senate Republicans...

MEXICO CITY President Felipe Calderon decried Wednesday what he called "the growing harassment" of Mexicans in the United States and said his government will work to counter it by funding a media campaign to show migrant success stories. Mexican officials have expressed concern over a recent wave of immigration raids and a U.S. political climate perceived as anti-migrant. Calderon said U.S. presidential candidates were using migrants as "symbolic hostages" on the immigration issue. "I am especially worried about the growing harassment and frank persecution of Mexicans in the United States in recent days," Calderon said at a meeting of the...

A surprising yet welcome trend among some moderate House Democrats appears to have taken hold: enforcing our immigration laws and encouraging the cultural integration of legal immigrants. The latest episode in this trend happened late last week, when 36 brave Democrats crossed party lines to support an amendment approving legal protections for employers who designate English as their exclusive work-place language. Adopted by a 218-186 margin, the measure would prevent the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from pursuing civil legal action against employers who require their employees to speak English. A similar measure was adopted earlier this year by the...

Interstate truck and bus drivers across America may find themselves pulled off the highway if state troopers or vehicle inspectors find they can't speak English. The requirement has been on the books for decades, but enforcement has begun before Mexican trucks are allowed in the U.S. interior as of Thursday. "We have found people in violation of this for a number of years, and we're working feverishly to correct it," said John Hill, head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Since 1971, federal law has said that commercial drivers must read and speak English "sufficiently to understand highway traffic...

A commercial truck driver from Monterrey who has crossed Laredos international bridges countless times was stunned earlier this month when he received a ticket from U.S. inspectors because he cant speak English."We were worried," said Samuel Tamez Treviño, owner of the truck that was driven by Rafael Segovia. "We consulted with attorneys. We were somewhat relieved when they told us it would be treated as a warning. But now what are we supposed to do?" Tamez Treviño, whose transportation company is in Montemorelos, is concerned that his drivers may be unable or unwilling to learn English, considering that even a...

MERRIMACK – Latino people remain free and welcome to come swimming at Naticook Lake at Wasserman Park, but they are not going to find any Spanish-language signs to tell them the park rules. The town council last night voted 5-0-0 to update the park rules only in the English language, ending a two-week debate that captured national attention and hit at such nerves as public access and immigration. Finlay Rothhaus, whose grandfather immigrated from Germany in 1921, was the councilor who made the initial objection to the Spanish-language signs, and explained his line of thought to the public last night...

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Charges against a man accused of repeatedly raping and molesting a 7-year-old girl were dismissed last week because the court could not find an interpreter fluent in the suspect's native West African language. Mahamu Kanneh, a Liberian native who received asylum in this country and attended high school and community college here, according to The Washington Post, was denied a speedy trial after three years awaiting a court-appointed interpreter who could speak the tribal language of Vai.

(Charleston) -- South Carolina's Department of Motor Vehicles has about ten thousand drivers manuals printed in Spanish. But after they are distributed the agency says no more will be printed. Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell of Charleston says he was shocked to learn the state had the Spanish manuals. He says the official state language is English and official business should be conducted in English. Department of Motor Vehicles chief of staff Jimmy Early says 40,000 manuals in Spanish were printed five years ago when the agency was a division of the state Department of Public Safety. Early says...

The vast majority of people in the United States believe everybody who calls themselves an American citizen should speak the national language, according to a poll by Hart/Newhouse released by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News. 89 per cent of respondents support having all immigrants applying for citizenship being required to learn English. In May 2006, U.S. president George W. Bush addressed the nation to discuss his immigration proposals. Bush outlined five clear objectives: securing the borders, creating a temporary worker program, holding employers to account for the workers they hire, allowing illegal immigrants "who have roots" in the...

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Latino immigrants who want to learn English more quickly should avoid Spanish-language media. "You’ve got to turn off the Spanish television set,” Schwarzenegger said at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists convention in San Jose on Wednesday. "It’s that simple. You’ve got to learn English. I know this sounds odd and this is the politically incorrect thing to say and I’m going to get myself in trouble. But I know that when I came to this country, I very rarely spoke German to anyone.” Asked how to improve the academic performance of Latinos, the Austrian...

All of the Republican presidential contenders have turned down an invitation to speak in Orlando to the nation's largest gathering of Hispanic elected officials, at a time when their constituents are poised to be a powerful force in the 2008 election. Making the GOP field's absence particularly conspicuous, all of the leading Democratic candidates are planning to address NALEO, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, on June 30. The Republicans were asked to participate in a forum the previous day. About 1,000 Hispanic leaders, representing the fastest-growing part of the electorate, are expected at the conference. Hispanic...

The title of this column is taken from Larry Elder's superb book Ten Things You Can't Say In America, even though we don't cover much of the same ground. Hopefully, Larry won't mind because imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery. 1) The U.S. military should be far less concerned about civilian casualties. We've gotten to the point where the United States is now regularly getting into conflicts with enemy nations that have far less regard for the lives of civilians in their countries than we do. We hold off on hitting high value targets because civilians are in...

NASHVILLE — MAKE no mistake: This is still Guitar Town, and the cavernous Nashville Used Music store is proof. Here, amid rows of new and used six-strings, one finds country music veterans, hirsute rock dudes and honky-tonk strivers picking away most hours of the day in a gloriously dissonant jumble of twang. But in a back corner, co-owner Charlie Shrader has been stocking, in ever-growing numbers, the gaudy symbols of the new Nashville: the Gabbanellis. That is, Gabbanelli brand push-button accordions — bright, spangled things, some tricked out in the red, white and green stripes of the Mexican flag, and...

LOS ANGELES Circulating recall petitions in languages other than English is not necessary, a federal appeals court ruled in a local school board case Tuesday. The 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an earlier decision by a three-judge panel that found the petitions must be translated into other languages. "The expense and trouble of fulfilling the translation requirements are likely to deter proponents who otherwise would launch petitions," the opinion stated. A lawsuit challenging the legality of a 2003 election that resulted in the recall of Santa Ana Unified School District trustee Native Lopez was...

Arcadia rejects immigration proposals The city of Arcadia, Wis., will not pursue a plan to crack down on illegal immigrants and make English the official language. The city’s attorney announced Friday that the city council has backed away from Mayor John Kimmel’s proposed ordinances targeting immigration issues, citing the potential for lawsuits. Kimmel had proposed five ordinances that would: alert federal agents to complaints of undocumented workers; make English the official language of Arcadia; forbid any other nation’s flag from display without an American flag alongside; and ensure all signs and city documents be printed only in English. In August,...

Mr. Wayne LaPierre Executive Vice President National Rifle Association 11250 Waples Mill Road Fairfax VA 22030-9400 Dear Mr. LaPierre: As an NRA member of many years, I was surprised and disturbed to learn that the NRA now has a Spanish language website (www.nraespanol.org). I thought the NRA stood for patriotism and the defense of our nation and our way of life. Why, then, are you encouraging the balkanization of our citizens into English-speaking and Spanish-speaking camps? If people were born in the United States, surely they would have learned enough English to use the main NRA website by the time...

BOGOTA -- A month after he demanded the removal of a Spanish-language billboard, the mayor hopes to make it clear that English is the borough's dominant language.  Mayor Steve Lonegan has proposed a non-binding ballot question asking residents whether they would support an ordinance declaring English the official language of Bogota.  Lonegan plans to ask the Borough Council tonight to authorize the November referendum."The message is that English is the language that binds us together as a community," Lonegan said Wednesday. "We recognize that, and we're striving to maintain that."  Critics said such an ordinance would fan the flames of...

When Massachusetts abolished bilingual education, kids were given one year to learn English. After that, the theory went, kids would know English well since they learn languages fast. That’s a myth. Kids learn languages slowly while adults learn them faster. To be sure, children do have some advantages over adults in learning a language. When they start the study of a language before puberty, they usually manage to acquire a native accent. Adults will almost always keep some kind of foreign accent. Who will know more English six years later? In some ways the father in so far as language...

The mayor of a small Bergen County, New Jersey town is calling for a McDonald's boycott if the fast-food chain does not take down a Spanish-language billboard.... Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan said the advertisement is "offensive" and "divisive"......"The true things that bind us together as neighbors and community is our belief in the American flag and our common language," Lonegan said. "And when McDonald's sends a different message, that we're going to be different now, that causes resentment." Representatives for McDonald's and CBS Outdoor in New York, the company that owns the billboard on River Road in Bogota, defended the...

OLEY, Pa. (AP) - July 19, 2006 - The people who run the Oley Legion Diner in Berks County have put up a new sign poking fun at the English-only cheesesteak flap in Philadelphia. The owner of Geno's Steaks in South Philadelphia has posted signs stating, "This is America: When Ordering Speak English." The Oley Legion Diner's new sign says, "Please Order in PA Dutch." The Pennsylvania German-only request isn't enforced, although some regulars say they often speak the dying dialect. Oley resident Carl Sayer says, "Sometimes that comes out first." Paul Kunkel of Emmaus (eh-MAY'-uhs) has taught the dialect...

A Florida Mayor Turns to an Immigration Curb to Fix a Fading City

Illegal Aliens: A Few Myths to Keep in Mind . . . Mexico City. Last Tuesday the Pew Hispanic Center announced that 41 percent of Mexicans surveyed in February and 46 percent questioned in May stated they would live in the United States if given "the means and opportunity." Indeed, two out of 10 people interviewed said they were prepared to enter the U.S. illegally. These figures could have amazing consequences because our Spanish- speaking neighbor has a population of nearly 106 million inhabitants.

In a challenge to owner, protesters get their cheesesteaks. To test Joey Vento's mantra that he has never refused service to anyone, a group of out-of-towners descended on his South Philadelphia steak shop with one goal: to order cheesesteaks in Spanish, then see what happens. "What we seek is to be served when we order in Spanish," said Gilberto Garcia, a North Jersey lawyer who organized the event Saturday at Geno's Steaks, timed for the Fourth of July weekend. Garcia stood to the side while 30 other Spanish-speaking immigrants lined up, wearing white T-shirts saying, "Pan, Bisteck y Queso, Por...

Utah race stirs calls for a deal on immigration After Bush ally scores a victory in GOP primary, one lawmaker pushes comprehensive bill By GEBE MARTINEZ WASHINGTON - With President Bush's immigration policy surviving fierce criticism in a Utah congressional race, lawmakers on both sides of the debate turned their attention Wednesday to finding a compromise on immigration legislation. Those who oppose Bush's call for immigration reform — which includes a guest worker program and legalization opportunities for millions of illegal immigrants along with tougher border security — saw five-term Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, survive a tough primary challenge after...

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Faced with public protests, the public library board in a county with a large Hispanic population is expected to restore the funding it cut for Spanish-language fiction. Trustees of the Gwinnett County Public Library will meet today to ratify the decision before the library's budget year begins July 1, officials said. "We heard from people on both sides of the issue and we heard from a lot of the press," board Chairman Lloyd Breck said. "We are choosing to restore that line item. ... We were not trying to send any signal, but everyone seemed to think...

It's funny how a small "English Only" sign at a sandwich shop in Philadelphia has caused such "fainting couch vapors" among the PC crowd and makes national news, while just 300 miles West the very large outdoor sign at a suburban Pittsburgh restaurant seen by thousands every day driving busy US Route 30, hardly raises an eye brow. If the Philadelphia sigs are PG rated for the politically correct set, these Pittsburgh signs are without a doubt, Tripple X.

After his colleagues on the Gwinnett library board voted to cease buying Spanish adult fiction, board member Brett Taylor complained that they were thumbing their noses at the county's growing diversity. "This is a melting pot," he said. Unfortunately, the library board is more of a Crock-Pot. The board's excuse for eliminating the meager $3,000 set aside for new Spanish titles is a sham. It wasn't about saving a few pennies; it was about making an inappropriate political statement that the library is an "English-only" zone. The job of the five-member library board is not to stock library shelves based...

An Open Letter from Mayor Lou Barletta: I believe the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth. People who are in this country have an incredible amount of opportunities and blessings. But some people have taken advantage of America’s openness and tolerance. Some come to this country and refuse to learn English, creating a language barrier for city employees. Others enter the country illegally and use government services by not paying taxes or by committing crime on our streets, further draining resources here in Hazleton. Illegal immigration leads to higher crime rates, contributes to overcrowded classrooms and...