...to which I replied, "I can't see how that "Your name is Toby" shit could be legal! Guests may need you to speak English to get some towels, but your name doesn't have to be "Mary" for you to do it!"
Thoughts?
Sitting here listening to the news last night I heard the teaser, "Driver gets ticket for not speaking English" - I had to stop what I was doing and look up and listen! Then, I went looking for a more fleshed-out version of the story to make sure I understood what had transpired. I found this - "Dallas police ticketed 39 drivers in 3 years for not speaking English" - (along with some interesting comments that followed).
"I was surprised and stunned that that would happen, particularly in the city of Dallas," Kunkle said. "In my world, you would never tell someone not to speak Spanish."Weren't those 39 cases "in his world" and, since he's the Chief of Police, under his jurisiction?
The case that led to the discovery of all the others occurred Oct. 2, when Ernestina Mondragon was stopped for making an illegal U-turn in the White Rock area. Rookie Officer Gary Bromley cited Mondragon for three violations: disregarding a traffic control device, failure to present a driver's license and "non-English speaking driver."According to officials, the rookie was confused by a pull-down menu on his in-car computer that listed the charge as an option." With a veritable "buffet" of possible charges to choose from, I suppose the young man could get confused. Guess the experienced, training officer who was with him and signed off on the ticket was confused too. (emphasis mine)
But then this "non-English speaking driver" got herself a lawyer - seeing as there's no such law in Dallas for private citizens driving in the state - and then...
Dallas police said they will drop all charges against Mondragon, who speaks limited English and does have a Texas driver's license.What if she hadn't been able to get a lawyer, as the other 38 in three years obviously couldn't? Certainly speaks to that "power" to materially affect a person's life doesn't it?
Attorney Domingo Garcia said he has been hired to represent the Mondragon family..."The issue has nothing to do with whether people should learn English or not. I believe they should," Garcia said. "It's about not following the law and issuing citations against a law that doesn't exist, against a fairly voiceless and helpless population."Couldn't have said it better myself.
"It's the principle of the matter that there are police officers out there representing our city who actually think that it's a crime not to speak English," said Brenda Reyes, a political consultant and member of the League of United Latin American Citizens.Sounds like some flexing to me!
