Speak English

One upon a time in a past long forgotten, immigrants arriving at Ellis Island were detained if they were not able to speak English. That might have been over-kill but served to inform all that this was the United States of America where everyone learned to assimilate. My family did not arrive at Ellis Island, they came long before that, fleeing the tyranny of England. However, like every other immigrant family, they learned the language and became part of the fabric of America.

Today, we no longer have immigrants who assimilate. We have immigrants who demand we bend to their will. English in our part of the country is not the spoken language. I get calls daily with the caller assuming I am Spanish speaking. I called a local doctor's office to make an appointment and was greeted in Spanish. All the signs in the stores are in English and Spanish. My voter ballot is in English and Spanish. I have to press "1" to continue in English.

So along comes an English speaking Mexican man who wants to buy a custard at Leon's Frozen Custard, a family-owned business that opened in 1942. Ron Schneider said that they have always required their employees to speak English. He is being called a racist because his staff is not allowed to speak Spanish in the store.  

Here's what I think...

1. Mexican in not a race, it is a nationality. Mexicans are considered "white". Therefore, if they want to call names, he is a nationalist.

2. It's his business. He can make his own rules. If the "Mexicans" don't like it, don't buy custard there. I don't use the doctor who speaks in Spanish only. They are actually discriminating against me, refusing to speak in English but they don't want my business and that's fine. I have other choices.

3. Back to my original point. This is America where immigrants (including my family) learned the language, learned to work together, and built this country. The new immigrants do not join our society. They do not work to keep this country growing. They have turned our portion of the country into a third-world country where our laws are ignored. When code enforcement or any other authority figure try to force them to obey the laws, they are called racist and the whining starts again.

4. Leon's is a privately held, family-owned business that has survived a long time in our economy. They are probably immigrants too. Good for the Schneider family for holding on to their business principles. I will certainly be stopping there.