Last time we were in Central Washington together, Anne and I went for a drive. We ended up getting hungry around Quincy, so we dropped into a McDonalds. I used the men's room before we ordered. There was some graffiti in the stall I used. It said "The immigration bill is dead. Leave, or you will be too. The Aryan Brotherhood."
It was very upsetting to me, so I approached one of the employees (she was on break and just getting off her cell phone. I said I wanted to speak to a manager. Her eyes got kind of wide and frightened looking, and she put me together with a woman.
I told her what I'd seen, and said that I thought they should remove it immediately, as it was hateful and inflammatory. She called over an employee, and he asked me to repeat what I'd said. I realized that she didn't understand me! So I repeated to him and he smiled and said that he'd seen it, and then he translated what I said to her. She said something back (I have no idea what, as I am also a typical American blockhead who only knows one language) and he thanked me, and that was the end of it.
I pretty much got the impression that they have to put up with that kind of crap all the time, and they tolerate it with a rather Christ-like strength and dignity. Those kids working there that don't speak English will learn it, but those Aryan Brotherhood jerks will never expand their tiny little minds with another language or probably rational thought of any kind.
I admire Klaus because he can speak two languages. My time in Europe was a joy because most people there speak multiple languages. They don't demand everybody speak their language, like the surly jerks in the US (and France).
I'm going to Brazil in January, and I will be able to make out fine there because my Brazilian friends know some English. I have struggled with Portuguese, and have only picked up three words: obrigado (thank you) tchau (goodbye) and foda (fuck).
Hispanics are moving into the occupied territories (thank Clinton and NAFTA for that - Reagan and Bush I wanted it, but couldn't push it through) and taking them back - and moving beyond, into places they never had much of a presence, like Wenatchee. Wenatchee was a deadly dull, all white, racist place when I was growing up. Now it's a lot more colorful and interesting, and a lot of the whites don't like it, including many of my friends and relatives.
Too bad for them, they are the ones that are missing out. Clearly, the big box stores aren't so stupid, all the signs are in English and Spanish, and they made that change without any law telling them too - they were moved by their religion. Capitalism, the state religion of the US.
McDonald's sued for too much English
Posted Jul 27th 2007 4:00PMMcDonald's (NYSE: MCD) was sued in California for, among other things, printing most of its menus only in English. The suit was brought by a lawyer as a class action suit on behalf of illegal Mexicans living in the state.The charge is that Hispanic consumers have a "right to know" what they have paid. Attorney Jose Gonzalez said, "a Happy Meal is not so happy if consumers can't read the menu to know what they are purchasing."California voters in the past struck down a Proposition which would have made English the "official language" of the state. Instead, a flood of new laws have required bilingual -- English and Spanish -- texts at schools, restaurants and the Department of Motor Vehicles.A telephone survey showed that many people are upset with the recent lawsuit. A typical response was one from Billy Bob Johnson who said, "if illegal Mexicans don't like it here, they should make a run for the border -- and I don't mean go to Taco Bell."Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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