It has been over six months since I last brewed a pot of Morning Coffee, much to the chagrin of my vast readership. Can you believe it? Six months. Well, here we are. Don’t get used to it, because who knows when the Coffee Pot will next be dusted off to brew what you need.
English: Why Speak It?
I just read an article about the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) suing the Salvation Army because a store in Massachusetts required its employees to speak English. Below is a link to said article (which I encourage you to read so you know what it is we’re discussing here). It seems stupid that we’re even discussing such a thing. I simply don’t see the problem with saying, “It’s English, it’s our common language. If you want to be able to work in my shop, you’ve got to be able to communicate with my customers, most of whom happen to speak English exclusively.” I don’t see how that’s racist or, as Rep Charles Gonzales states, “If it is not relevant [to job performance and safety] it is discriminatory, it is gratuitous, it is subterfuge to discriminate against people based on their national origin.” The EEOC contends that the firings of two Spanish employees from the aforementioned Salvation Army was illegal because “the English-only policy was not “relevant” to job performance or safety.” Really? So, being able to communicate effectively with and sell things to customers is not related to job performance? What about safety? If a store was burning down or being robbed, the ability to communicate with customers might just become an issue of safety.
Moving on, Rep Joe Baca, who chairs the Hispanic Caucus was even more irate than Rep Gonzales. He yelled, “This is against me! This is against me personally!” I respectfully disagree with the honorable Representative from California. He can speak English. If he couldn’t, it’s somewhat unlikely that he’d have even been elected to his post. Why? Well, I happen to think that his election to the office which he currently holds is tacit admission by his constituency that the ability to communicate in a common language is vitally important. Rep Baca, who we know speaks English, was elected in part by folks who are probably not happy with the prospects of being forced to learn English. So they elected someone who can effectively communicate their wishes to the nation at large: an English speaker.
http://opinionjournal.com
A Visit to Deutschland.
Last week I was in Ramstein, Germany for business. I’ll tell you, Germany is quite the place. Of course, most of Europe is great if you’re interested in the things that I am. In the course of just two days, I was in four buildings with a combined age of nearly 5,000 years. I took a day trip to the city of Trier, about an hour away from my hotel. The city, billed as the oldest in Germany, was originally founded in 16 BC by the first Roman Emperor, Augustus. It was known then as Augusta Treverorum, or “City of Augustus in the Land of the Treveri.” The Treveri was a Gallic tribe conquered by Julius Caesar. I got to visit the Porta Nigra, a city gate dating to 200 CE which was saved from destruction by a Greek monk named Simeon who decided to take up residency in the Porta in 1028. Had he not done so, it’s quite likely that the Porta would have been destroyed and its sandstone reused in the Middle Ages. I also visited the Cathedral of Trier, which was most impressive, having been started in the 300s CE and built upon by successive rulers. Constantine’s Basilica, despite having the gaudy addition of some 18th century CE abomination on one wing, was still impressive, though it is now a Protestant Church. I was able to see the Roman Baths in Trier as well. Wonderful sights. The next day, I had the chance to visit two castles. I was able, for a small fee, to really walk around one castle, built in 1162. It’s interesting to me the differences between American and European perspective of historical sites. We would have had most of the castle barred off and would have subjected tourists to monotonous tours for exorbitant fees. Not so in Europe. These sites are everywhere, and are perhaps taken for granted. But because of this, I was able to have free reign inside a 1,000 year old castle. Other interesting things included the famous Autobahn, getting inside of a Concorde and a Tu-144, a large marble foot (remnants of an old statue of Constantine), and, well, just being in Germany. I also picked up my first Roman coin, one with Constans’ head on it, minted in Trier sometime around 340 CE.
Since I’m rapidly running out of “Morning,” I’ll go ahead and send this now. Not a real strong reentry into the Morning routine, but it’ll do.
Word of the Day: Deleterious (adj): harmful; destructive; pernicious.
On This Day in History: Christopher Columbus, in 1493, sets foot on the island he saw the day before, naming it San Juan Batista. This island would later be named Puerto Rico. And the Natives said thanks!
Songs I’m Currently Into: RATM “Know Your Enemy”, Maroon 5 “Harder to Breath”, Exeter “Emasculated Truth”
“I’d rather be first in a village than second at Rome.” – Julius Caesar.
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