Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Santorum, Language, Garbage
One of the best pieces of news I’ve heard lately is that Senator Rick Santorum is trailing his Democratic contender. Santorum and Frist certainly are at the top of my list of uptight anal retentive prigs.
Santorum has lined up with some previously-obscure south Philly cafe owner who has a sign that demands people speak English because “this is America.” The right-wingers would have conniptions if they went into a restaurant in France where a sign, in French, said “This is France: Speak French.” I can’t imagine what someone like Limbaugh would say if he walked into a cafe on an Indian reservation and they were commanded to speak that particular language. Or, say, in parts of New Mexico where people have been speaking Spanish since before the Declaration of Independence was even thought of, and was told to speak Castilian. There really are some times when it would be nice to be a fly on the wall...
The English-only flap is just the same old nativist flap, the one that was used against the Irish and Italians, Jews and Germans, against all immigrants who hadn’t been in America as long as the attackers have. Another synonym of “nativist” in this case would be “racist.”
Posted on Tue, Jun. 20, 2006
In plain English, Rick backs Vento
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/14858258.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
By CHRISTINE OLLEY
olleyc@phillynews.com 215-854-5184
INJECTING HIMSELF in the middle of a South Philly controversy as burning- hot as a stainless-steel grill, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (left) made an unscheduled stop at Geno's Steaks last night to wolf down a cheesesteak and stand behind its owner.
He voiced support - albeit in an odd, indirect way - for owner Joe Vento's much debated "Speak English" sign.
"It makes all the sense in the world to have a sign like this," he told a Daily News reporter after the paper was tipped off to his late-night visit. "There's not really an extensive menu here. I mean, come on, it's cheesesteaks, onions, et cetera. It's not that hard."
Santorum took a quick turn flipping shaved beef on Geno's grill and was cheered on by about 20 T-shirt-wearing supporters, mostly 26th Ward Republicans from South Philly, who'd been told the embattled GOP senator was coming.
"We are all out here for Santorum, mostly from the 26th Ward, big supporters of Vento and the First Amendment," said Andrew Dankanich, a GOP committeeman. "He's [Santorum] here because he's an American. America started in South Philly."
The senator's strange move, not formally announced to the media, seemed to signal his determination to continue using the raging immigration controversy as a means to close the gap with his Democratic election rival, state treasurer Bob Casey Jr. Most polls have shown Casey with a double-digit lead over the two-term incumbent.
Santorum recently aired TV ads charging that Casey had "joined with Ted Kennedy and other liberals in supporting a bill that grants amnesty to millions who've entered our country illegally... . That's just not fair." Casey has said the commercial distorts his position.
In the meantime, the owner of Geno's, cheesesteak impresario Joey Vento, has won national attention for his sign that reads: "This is America. When ordering, 'Speak English.'”
© 2006 Philadelphia Daily News and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.philly.com
Santorum has lined up with some previously-obscure south Philly cafe owner who has a sign that demands people speak English because “this is America.” The right-wingers would have conniptions if they went into a restaurant in France where a sign, in French, said “This is France: Speak French.” I can’t imagine what someone like Limbaugh would say if he walked into a cafe on an Indian reservation and they were commanded to speak that particular language. Or, say, in parts of New Mexico where people have been speaking Spanish since before the Declaration of Independence was even thought of, and was told to speak Castilian. There really are some times when it would be nice to be a fly on the wall...
The English-only flap is just the same old nativist flap, the one that was used against the Irish and Italians, Jews and Germans, against all immigrants who hadn’t been in America as long as the attackers have. Another synonym of “nativist” in this case would be “racist.”
Posted on Tue, Jun. 20, 2006
In plain English, Rick backs Vento
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/14858258.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
By CHRISTINE OLLEY
olleyc@phillynews.com 215-854-5184
INJECTING HIMSELF in the middle of a South Philly controversy as burning- hot as a stainless-steel grill, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (left) made an unscheduled stop at Geno's Steaks last night to wolf down a cheesesteak and stand behind its owner.
He voiced support - albeit in an odd, indirect way - for owner Joe Vento's much debated "Speak English" sign.
"It makes all the sense in the world to have a sign like this," he told a Daily News reporter after the paper was tipped off to his late-night visit. "There's not really an extensive menu here. I mean, come on, it's cheesesteaks, onions, et cetera. It's not that hard."
Santorum took a quick turn flipping shaved beef on Geno's grill and was cheered on by about 20 T-shirt-wearing supporters, mostly 26th Ward Republicans from South Philly, who'd been told the embattled GOP senator was coming.
"We are all out here for Santorum, mostly from the 26th Ward, big supporters of Vento and the First Amendment," said Andrew Dankanich, a GOP committeeman. "He's [Santorum] here because he's an American. America started in South Philly."
The senator's strange move, not formally announced to the media, seemed to signal his determination to continue using the raging immigration controversy as a means to close the gap with his Democratic election rival, state treasurer Bob Casey Jr. Most polls have shown Casey with a double-digit lead over the two-term incumbent.
Santorum recently aired TV ads charging that Casey had "joined with Ted Kennedy and other liberals in supporting a bill that grants amnesty to millions who've entered our country illegally... . That's just not fair." Casey has said the commercial distorts his position.
In the meantime, the owner of Geno's, cheesesteak impresario Joey Vento, has won national attention for his sign that reads: "This is America. When ordering, 'Speak English.'”
© 2006 Philadelphia Daily News and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.philly.com
