Town Takes Down Anti-Hispanic Signs After Public Outrage

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

Town Takes Down Anti-Hispanic Signs After Public Outrage
By Adam Peck on Jan 7, 2013 at 10:30 am


.............

The small community of Milford, Delaware took swift action over the weekend after a barrage of criticism over signs posted in several public parks that appeared to be anti-Hispanic.

A Daily Kos blogger documented a number of signs that read “parental or guardian supervision is requried for the use of this playground equipment” in English, but warned Spanish-speakers “ustedes debe tener un permiso para jugar en este campo,” or that visitors must obtain a permit in order to play in this park. It goes on to warn that violators of this rule could be subjected to police action.

The sign was repeated in at least four different locations around the town, and according to Daily Kos blogger Delaware Dem, they were all posted in neighborhoods with sizable Hispanic populations.

Conservative radio host Dan Gaffney was the first to publicize the story, posting a photo of one sign on his Facebook page. From there it began to circulate widely until the local newspaper The Wilmington News Journal posted their own story on Sunday.
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130106/NEWS/301060075?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/01/07/1405111/delaware-town-takes-down-anti-hispanic-signs-after-public-outrage/

[onehandle]

1. They should have just translated the Spanish into the English version.

After all, public parks are Socialism.

[Tempest]

2. The one thing that stuck out to me

"Conservative Dan Gaffney".

I guess there are some sane ones out there.

[EC]

3. I haven't seen anything

telling us how those signs got made and posted. Were they ok'd by officials? Was it someone on their own at the print shop? Why were they made and why were they posted?

[Celebration]

5. the most logical explanation

was that they copied Spanish signs from the sports fields, that DO require a permit. This seems to have been done by someone that doesn't know Spanish. I mean, it could all be a consipiracy, but more likely a stupid mistake.

[thesquanderer]

7. I agree...

As the saying goes, "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

[jeff47]

11. I'd buy that if they also copied the English sign.

Yet they didn't. Thus said person was well aware that the Spanish sign was not matching the English sign.

[PatrynXX]

4. actually this tha

Horseshit is also offensive to English speaking people. It just builds into a stereotype that if they aren't speaking English they must not want us to know what they are talking about

[Sarah Ibarruri]

6. Who suggested those signs? Who approved those signs? That's what I'd like to know nt

[Judi Lynn]

9. People that anxious to threaten others shouldn't be protected from public awareness. n/t

[Kelvin Mace]

8. No racism intended

just the kind of mistake that can be made when folks can't read Spanish.

There ARE signs threatening police action in English at some locations. Someone paired a Spanish version of the sign with an English version that did not.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/signs/playground.asp

[jeff47]

12. Except that excuse makes no sense.

Even if the person ordering the signs did not speak Spanish, they had to order a copy of the "field" sign. They could presumably read the English version of the "field" sign. Thus they knew what they were getting even if they could not read Spanish.

[Kelvin Mace]

14. The could read the benign English version

but not the more restrictive Spanish version. So, they are putting up the signs and somebody grabs a Spanish sign and has no idea what it says.

Sorry, as Snopes points out, this looks like an honest mistake.

Also, most racist politicians, when caught, have to be dragged kicking and screaming to do the right thing. These folks acted as soon as they learned of the problem.

[Courtesy Flush]

10. “I certainly assume there was not an intent to discriminate,” Kohel said.

Yeah, let's all assume that. I feel better now.

[obama2terms]

13. How sad

Wow a conservative radio host, I guess there are normal republicans.