It’s been over nine months since Philadelphia’s Commission on Human Relations accused the owner of Geno’s Steaks, Joey Vento, of violating the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance. I blogged about it here. His offense, posting two small signs that look something like this:
This is not a photograph of the actual sign. I couldn’t find a clear image on the web, so I did my best to make a duplicate. They are very close.

Yesterday the commission announced their findings.

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.

[...]

Vento has said he never refused service to anyone because they couldn’t speak English. But critics argued that the signs discourage customers of certain backgrounds from eating at the shop.

Commissioners Roxanne E. Covington and Burt Siegel voted to dismiss the complaint, finding that the sign does not communicate that business will be “refused, withheld or denied.”

To commemorate this ruling I believe I’ll head over to a local sandwich shop and order “one wit”. Sadly, they won’t know what I mean and I’ll have to explain myself. Sadder still is that while they make a pretty good cheese steak, nothing south of the Commodore Barry bridge comes close to what you can get there at “home”.

Unbelievable. Mark Tapscott writes:

Oklahoma attorney general Drew Edmondson drew national scorn earlier this year when he arrested Paul Jacob of the Sam Adams Alliance and two colleagues on trumped-up charges that they violated a discredited state law requiring all circulators of initiative petititons in Sooner Land to be residents.

Now the Okie Napoleon is banning Christmas!

I am not making this up (because I am from Oklahoma and this guy is an embarrassment).

Edmondson issued an advisory opinion to officials at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford advising them that the word “Christmas” should not be spoken by any employee of the state school, not written in any official holiday decorations.

The Edmonson opinion is just jaw droppingly sureal. Tapscott quotes from a statement by Matt Staver and Liberty Counsel.

“Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), has issued a disturbing policy which requires all employees to refrain from using the word ‘Christmas’ in oral or written form. This directive was given by the university upon legal advice of the Oklahoma Attorney General, W.A. Drew Edmondson. Liberty Counsel sent a demand letter to SWOSU following a complaint from a university affiliate.

“John Misak, the Director of Human Resources, recently visited various university departments and employee groups and informed everyone that any decorations featuring the word ‘Christmas’ in any work or public areas of the university must be immediately removed. He also instructed everyone to discontinue the use of the term ‘Christmas’ in their speech while on the job. This censorship specifically includes exchanging greetings of ‘Merry Christmas’ among employees or with non-employees, whether initiated by a non-university employee or not.

You need to read the whole thing. Contact information at the link. (h/t Captain’s Quarters)

UPDATE: Acording to Captain Ed the AG’s office is disputing the story.

So I called there myself, and spoke with Emily Lang, spokesperson for the AG. Ms Lang confirms that they are greeting callers with “Merry Christmas” as a means of refuting this story. AG Edmundson did not issue this order, she insists; they are checking with assistant AGs to see if the advisory ever existed at all. At any rate, the AG does not believe state workers should refrain from Christmas greetings.

Ms. Lang wants people to know that they have a Christmas tree in the office, and hopes everyone has a Merry Christmas.

Mark Tapscott has updated his original piece saying that,

I just got off the phone with Matt Staver of Liberty Counsel who took me through the background of his actions in this regard. He’s standing by his news release.

Hmmmm.

Update: Mark Tapscott updates his day.

Nancy Astor: “If I were your wife, I would put poison in your coffee.”
Sir Winston Churchill: “And if I were your husband, I would drink it.”

Blogiversary Database Update

The Blogiversary Database has reached a new milestone. There are now 100 blogs incorporating the BDB display code on their sites! 221 blogs have added and confirmed their information (17 have not confirmed). Add your blog or find out more about the Blogiversary database today.

In The Bullpen (Chad Evans) American Muslim Group Backs ‘John Does’ in CAIR Suit

An American Muslim group I had never heard of before, the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, has pledged to raise legal fees for the ‘John Does’ listed in the CAIR sponsored suit of the six Imams who were ejected from a flight from Minneapolis.

Sister Toldjah Gore accused of violating Environment & Public Works Committee’s hearing rules (UPDATED)

Maybe in order to further accomodate Mr. Oscar-winner, they can provide him with two chairs to sit in. The other one will be for his gigantic ego, which has proved to be much more of a pressing issue than ‘global warming.’

Wizbang (Jay Tea) They don’t know Jack

Recently, Hillary Clinton caught a bit of flak after comparing herself to President Kennedy. Other candidates have also made comparisons, and it occurred to me that it might be entertaining to take a look at some aspects of our 35th president — and which current candidates might best embody them.

This post is not about the theory of evolution. That’s a topic for another time. What has me confused is from this AP story, Ga. school district abandons stickers.

Here is the core of the case:

The school board placed the stickers on the cover of biology books in 2002 after a group of parents complained that evolution was being taught to the exclusion of other theories, including the Biblical story of creation.

And this is the text of those stickers:

This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered.

Straightforward enough, I would think. Then again I’m not a federal judge.

A federal judge ordered the stickers removed in 2005, saying they amount to an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. [my bold]

Please, can anyone show me where the text of that sticker endorses religion? I’m just not seeing it.

Coffee is good for talent, but genius wants prayer. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Captain’s Quarters (Mayor scriptum Ed Morrissey) The Niqab Dismissal — “Multiculturalism sounds great in theory, but in practice it gets expensive and destructive. We need to stop setting the expectation that we will accommodate all differences. When people come to the US to live, they need to understand the rules and comprehend that we will not make hundreds of millions of people bear the burden of accommodation.”

Blue Crab Boulevard An Agenda At Odds — “Pete du Pont, writing in the Opinion Journal brings together all of the things that various Democratic politicians have been saying recently and lays out the agenda the House would follow under Democratic party control. Many of these items are not new to long-time readers here. I have discussed many of them, some many times. But du Pont’s collection of everything in one place is instructive.”

Iowa Voice (Brian) Here’s What Will Happen The Day After The Election — “First, we’ve all seen the rather numerous “Democrats are ahead”, “Independents will vote Dem”, and “GOPers staying home” kind of nonsense out of the media for the last few weeks. We’ve been down this road before, in 2002 and 2004. Each time it was “the Democrats have already won, Republicans need not bother to vote, it’s over” and each time the result was a Republican victory.”

The Jawa Report (Bluto) Hastert Chides Pelosi For Her ‘Irresponsible’ Iraq Withdrawal Scenario — “House Speaker Dennis Hastert calls Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi’s views, expressed Sunday in a CBS “Sixty Minutes” segment, “…foolish, naive and dangerous.” Speaker Hastert was being too kind. Pelosi’s inability to understand the nature of the Global War on Terror was revealed quite clearly in this statement (From CNSNews):”

If you want to get in on the ground floor of the next hot thing, why not consider making and selling protective bubbles. It seems to be a coming trend:

Tag, you’re out! Officials at an elementary school south of Boston have banned kids from playing tag, touch football and any other unsupervised chase game during recess for fear they’ll get hurt and hold the school liable.

Recess is “a time when accidents can happen,” said Willett Elementary School Principal Gaylene Heppe, who approved the ban.

While some will say that the primary purpose is protecting children from injury I have a sneaking suspicion that the liability issue is the larger concern.

Another part of the equation is the trend toward removing all competition from young lives.

Several school administrators around Attleboro, a city of about 45,000 residents, took aim at dodgeball a few years ago, saying it was exclusionary and dangerous.

Many recreational groups are now promoting no-score sports, although you can bet there are more than a few parents in the stands who know the real final score.

Anyone who has ever spent half an hour in the presence of two or more kids knows that they are naturally competitive. When children get together they are going to see who can run faster, who can jump higher, or who can get the dirtiest.

At least one parent gets it.

“I think that it’s unfortunate that kids’ lives are micromanaged and there are social skills they’ll never develop on their own,” said Debbie Laferriere, who has two children at Willett, about 40 miles south of Boston. “Playing tag is just part of being a kid.”

But if the nanny state gets it’s way you can still make a fortune selling those protective bubbles.

That is if you can overcome the competition.

Brian at Iowa Voice has posted a brief interview with Richard Mgrdechian, author of How The Left Was Won. Take the time to read this interview, and Brian’s review of the book as well.

From what I’ve read there I need to pick up a copy.

First, here’s the story:

Bear killed after biting Boy Scout

SPRINGVILLE, Utah – A black bear that bit a sleeping Boy Scout through the wall of his tent was shot after it later returned to the camp, authorities said.

Colton Stewart, 14, woke up early Wednesday to a burning sensation in his upper arm, then realized it was a bear biting his arm through the tent, state wildlife officials said. He pulled away and heard the bear run off through the brush.

“It wasn’t biting viciously. They put their mouth on things to see what they taste like,” said Anis Aoude, regional wildlife manager for the state Division of Wildlife Resources. “In this case, there just happened to be a kid’s arm on the other side of the tent.”

The bite wasn’t serious, but camp officials notified the state, which sent a game warden to the Adventure Park Scout Camp in central Utah.

I’m glad everything turned out OK (well, if you’re not the bear, that is). Still, I’m waiting for the followup stories:

ACLU Sues Boy Scouts for Killing Bear

The state chapter of the ACLU has brought suit against 14 year old Colton Stewart, his Boy Scout Troop, and the BSA, Inc. over the civil rights violations inflicted on this poor innocent bear.

“The number of atrocities committed are unprecedented”, an ACLU spokesperson said, “The bear was excluded from the activities of the group, a clear human rights violation. We believe it was because the bear was homosexual.”

PETA Decries Killing Boy Scout Bear

Come on. You know those stories are just waiting to be written. Add your own headlines in the comments.

Coffee makes us severe, and grave, and philosophical. ~ Jonathan Swift

In The Bullpen (Chad Evans) War in Lebanon Escalates — “This post is an attempt to put some of the more interesting analyses (excerpts thereof) and a few breaking headlines on one post for easier viewing. My comments, when made, are in italics. This post will be updated through tomorrow morning so please check back.”

GOP Bloggers (Jonathan R.) Want Peace? Stop Iran — “From Gaza to Iraq to Lebanon, the prime mover behind events is Iran. Whether arming and supporting Hamas, Hezbollah or Shia militants in Iraq, Iran has its fingerprints on all manner of mischief.”

Dr. Sanity (Dr. Pat Santy) WHAT IRAN IS COUNTING ON — “It is no coincidence–as others have pointed out–that Iran has taken action on the eve of its nuclear deadline. The war it has initiated is designed to 1)deflect attention away from its nuclear program (not quite ready yet, are we?); and to force the U.S.’s hand in the region–i.e., forcing us to act before they think we were quite ready to act.”

Outside The Beltway (James Joyner) House Extends Outdated Voting Rights Act Provisions — “I remain convinced that applying different legal standards to a handful of states is blatantly unconstitutional in addition to being unnecessary. Indeed, I would argue that the preclearance requirement, which requires the federal judiciary to approve something that the Constitution makes a plenary power of state legislatures, is also unconstitutional. But politicians are too afraid of being labeled “racist” than about such trifles.”

You are probably already familiar with the story of Joey Vento, Owner of Geno’s in South Philly. Michelle Malkin posted on it here and here.

Now (AP via Yahoo News) Philadelphia’s Commission on Human Relations,

alleges that the policy at Geno’s Steaks discourages customers of certain backgrounds from eating there, said Rachel Lawton, acting executive director.

Geno’s owner Joseph Vento posted two small signs at his shop in South Philadelphia proclaiming: “This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING ‘PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH.’”

Lawton said that violates the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance, which prohibits discrimination in employment, public accommodation and housing. “It’s discouraging patronage by non-English speaking customers because of their national origin or ancestry,” she said.

I couldn’t find a clear image on the web, so I did my best to make a duplicate. I think Joey should take down his current sign . . .

. . . and post a much bigger one!

**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let us know at what level you would like to participate.

Coffee falls into the stomach … ideas begin to move, things remembered arrive at full gallop … the shafts of wit start up like sharp-shooters, similes arise, the paper is covered with ink… ~ Honore de Balzac

One topic seemed to dominate all others on my blogrolls both today and late yesterday — the story saying that the US Border Patrol, under direction of the government, is providing the Mexican government with the locations of the Minutemen citizen patrols. Here is some of the reaction and commentary. Jim

Michelle Malkin DHS: DENY, HEDGE, SPIN — “Message to the White House: Stop blaming the messengers. Do us all a favor by ending this travesty and apologizing. And please don’t fire Mario Martinez for telling the reporter the truth.” [Michelle's original report on this is here with another update here. Another point she makes in the story quoted above is, "This White House has another burgeoning debacle on its hands." Jim]

Wizbang (Kim Priestap) US Border Control Gives Minutemen Locations to Mexican Government — “The US Border Patrol is supposed to protect US borders from illegal crossings, not encourage them. I thought this issue couldn’t possibly get any more out of control. I was wrong.”

Right Wing News (John Hawkins) The Federal Government Teams Up With Mexico To Thwart The Minutemen — “Not only should Congress demand that the Border Patrol stop working with the Mexican government to circumvent our laws, they should launch an investigation in order to find out who signed off on this unconscionable outrage.”

Iowa Voice (Brian) Who’s Running The Illegal Immigration Show Here, Anyway? — “I’m livid about this. I just fired off a terse email to Senator Grassley, demanding some answers. I’d certainly encourage others to start contacting their Senators and Representatives. This kowtowing to Mexico has simply GOT to stop. We’ve GOT to secure this border, or it’s going to ruin this country.”

Flopping Aces (Curt) Snitching On The Minutemen — “This sends the message to Mexico that we will do everything in our power to help you send us your poverty.”

Stop the ACLU (Jay) U.S. Tipping Mexico to Minuteman Patrols — “Not only absurd and intolerable, but also dangerous! Indeed this threatens our sovereignty to a great degree, however it also threatens our National security.”

Hot Air (Bryan) US Border Patrol Helps Illegals Avoid the Minutemen — I’ve seen several administrations do a lot of outrageous things, but tipping a foreign government to the legal activities of American citizens just might be the most outrageous thing I’ve ever seen any American administration do.”

Confederate Yankee Mexican Handoff — “Bush refuses to protect the territorial integrity of the United States, leaving us exposed to an importation of poverty that strains our social welfare system and artificially depresses wages. At least as important is the fact that President Bush’s border policies leave us naked to the threat of terrorist infiltration.”

Finally, this is by no means an exhaustive list. The outrage on this is palpable and justified. And while several of the posts point out the “corrections” that are trying to be made on this story, the spin just doesn’t wash.

The port purchase story has brought out strong feelings and strange alignments. At Wizbang they’re looking to their readers to answer this puzzler:

Michael Moore is against the ports deal and Jimmy Cater is for it.

Time for a Wizbang opinion poll.

If you had to agree with Moore or Carter which one would you agree with?

Makes your head hurt, doesn’t it?

I have spent the past few days looking at dozens of posts on this. Ignoring the loony left (who are amazingly pro-security all of a sudden) I have still found opposing positions from those who’s opinion have come to regard. While those who don’t like the idea spoke up quickly and loudly, others are now making their position known.

Even those who are now coming out in support of the deal are sometimes doing so with their hand still on the fence. Beth (MVRWC) is one like that.

HOWEVER (and you knew that was coming)…disregarding for the moment the Bush administration’s failure to coherently explain this deal, I’m starting to think this isn’t such a bad idea. I’ve found the arguments for the deal more compelling than those against it, since the arguments against it seem to be simply a visceral reaction. I understand that, of course–my gut tells me “no Arab Muslims!” just like with other opponents (who usually claim that’s not the case). I don’t want to say “it’s OK.” But there’s that “however.” (Note: I am reserving my right to change my mind at will.)

The hesitation is understandable but the support is also well formed.

As I said in the beginning, I’ve got my reservations, but I want to at least try the tactic of “hearts and minds,” beyond what’s already being done by the military on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Why should the military be the only ones to fight the battle to make Muslims friendly with Western values?) If we’re not willing to act on our stated intentions, then we may as well “invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.”

AJ Strata looks beyond the visceral response to the logical possibilities should this plan go forward.

UAE hosts US bases and provides a place for our troops to train and transition into operations. The opportunity to get us has been within their grasp for years now. Rush reminds us that UAE and DPW did not need to spend billions of dollars to send a nuke to our shores, they run the ports that ship to us – they could do it know.

So what we have is the best example of an Arab-Muslim ally we are going to see for a decade at least – and too many want to malign them and shove them away towards our enemies out fo the slightest possibility of mere chance that maybe something could happen.

Mark of Liberty Just in Case cuts through the feelings on security to get to the facts.

Now, let’s set the record straight on a couple of things. Our port security is not run by anyone but the United States. It’s lax, appears to be pretty awful, but is our responsibility. We can’t blame an Arab nation for our port security problems. Port security since 9/11 has been a tug-o-war between getting the shipments into the United States quickly, and slowing things down enough to stay safe. We’ve put significant funds in to port security, but have made a choice to keep the goods flowing at the risk of someday the port, and the surrounding city, going BOOM. The risk is there, but may not be as great as the Media wants to make it look.

Port security doesn’t start when a shipment hits U.S. shores. It ends there. Port security begins at the point of departure, where ever that may be. The deal with Dubai will not change that.

That last is a very important point — One that persuades me as much as any other. None of this eliminates the fact that our port security needs to be improved. But that is a separate issue that needs to be addressed and is not as tied to the current issue as some would have us think.

I have yet to see anything beyond gut feeling that says this would be a bad thing. There’s also something to be said for trusting your gut instincts. But until I see any arguement that gives me more than that, I’ll have to stay in the camp that supports this move.