This is America. When ordering, "Speak English."

Meet the owner of the famous Philly cheesesteak shop Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia Joey Vento. Vento makes the meanest and best Philly cheesesteak sandwich I have ever ate. Seriously, if you have never been to Geno’s and tried one of these; you are definitely missing out. If you get the chance to get to Geno’s make sure you order in English.

Veto doesn’t know how to say or understand Cheesesteak in Spanish, Japanese, Chinese or any other language other than English, and quite frankly he doesn’t care to learn.

Just read the sign displayed at his South Philly shop: This is America. When Ordering, “Speak English.”

“If you can’t tell me what you want, I can’t serve you,” said Vento. “It’s up to you. If you can’t say the word cheese, how can I communicate with you – and why should I have to bend? I got a business to run.”

Vento put up the signs in October 2005 because of his concerns over illegal immigration and the increasing number of people in the area who could not order in English.

Some citizens of Philadelphia didn’t particularly care for Vento’s “Speak English” sign and notified The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, which enforces civil-rights and mediates inter-group disputes.

In February 2007 the commission investigated and found probable cause to open a case against Geno’s for discrimination, alleging the policy discourages customers of certain backgrounds from eating there, and the sign may violate the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance, which bans businesses from discriminating on the basis of nationality or ethnicity.

Vento, whose grandparents struggled to learn English after arriving from Sicily in the 1920’s, said the sign is freedom of speech and has refused to remove the sign. He has been in a legal battle with the commission ever since.

He also claimed the sign is not discriminating and testified he has never turned anyone away because they couldn’t order in English.

Well the battle is now over and Vento can keep his sign up without fines. The commission has ruled 2-1 that the sign does not violate the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance because the sign did not say business will be “refused, withheld, or denied.”

The commission thankfully ruled right, but I have to ask why the hell did they have to get involved in the first place?

This is Vento’s shop. It is private property and a privately ran business. Vento should be allowed to hang any sign with any message he wants. If customers find it offensive they don’t have to eat there.

When the government at any level gets involved with how a successful philly cheesesteak shop is run, it is time to take another look at the governmental laws, and commissions that are being used by bureaucrats to waste tax payer money and harass US citizens. These ridiculous commissions should be de-funded and the bureaucrats made redundant.