Nothing Better to Do?

So Philadelphia's "Commission on Human Relations" -- a city agency with, obviously, too much time on its hands -- has declared the English-only policy of Geno's Steaks to be discriminatory, because it might discourage customers of certain backgrounds from eating there.

How silly. That's like saying that a no-shoes, no-shirt policy (or one requiring men to wear a coat and tie) is discriminatory -- because it, too, will discourage customers with certain preferences or from certain backgrounds from partaking in a Geno's cheesesteak.

Geno's isn't saying that anyone who comes from another country, or whose primary language is something other than English, isn't welcome in his shop. That's discrimination -- same as it would be if he classified based on race, gender or religion. All he's saying is that, when people are in his shop, where he sets the behavioral standards, they must speak English -- just as, presumably, they must wear shoes.

One could, in fact, argue that he's doing immigrants a favor. Speaking English is the only way to get ahead and succeed in American society. If anyone is willing to learn to do it in order to have a Geno's sandwich, more power to him.