Bill Introduced to Require English for NYC Shop Signs
AP
Concerned with the proliferation of foreign shop signs, two New York City lawmakers are sponsoring a bill that would require that store names and addresses be in English.
City Council members Dan Halloran and Peter Koo say that adding English to signs currently written in foreign languages would help first responders in emergency situations. It would also help merchants file complaints with the city.
According to the New York Post, the law, if passed, would give merchants up to four years to change existing signs and shop awnings.
For new signs, the proposed law would require that 60 percent of the words be in English.
R. Gould
I disagree with the proposal, merchants clearly know who their clientele are and what languages they speak, as our Jewish stores clearly have signs exclusively in Hebrew or Yiddish, this proposal would have a direct impact on our communities.
If the issue is first responders then the issue is address’ being clearly marked on the stores and as no one translates street names i do not see the issue here
yeah!!
great idea!!! next is that anyone who wants to get a drivers license needs to be able to read english. driving tests should not be available in any other language.
yinglish first
why?/ english isn’t the official recognized language of the country ,though it should be.
Anonymous Montrealer
Now it sounds like Bill 101 here in Quebec.. :P
Emes
We must enforce English-first. This is America, and our language is English. I agree 100% with this proposal. The liberal Democrats will block this, in an effort to pander to third-world constituencies.
Al Qaeda al-Sharpton
In hard times like these when immigrant small shopkeepers are especially hard-hit, this is just not right.
Then again, the Arab grocers with the Spanish signs might have to include “A portion of our proceeds support terror against your country” on their awnings.