CONTROVERSIA

School Sign Flap Drawing Accusations of Racial Discrimination

Spanish-speaking readers warned of permit requirement, police action

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Jan 7, 2013 by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t +

Image: Raw Story

They're signs you probably won't read about in the Times.

Two elementary school playground signs that have now been removed from the town of Milford, DE had folks questioning their separate and unequal messages over the weekend. The larger sign, in English, reads "Parental or guardian supervision is required for the use of this playground equipment - play at your own risk." The other, in Spanish, translates into "You must have a permit to play in this field - violators will be subject to police action."

The story, in circulation due to snapshots of the signs taken by radio talk show host Dan Gaffney, has the Milford School District fending off accusations of discrimination.

"I certainly assume there was not an intent to discriminate," assured the district's superintendent, Dr. Phyllis Kohel. "We have a great working relationship with all of the communities at the school, and there is absolutely an understanding that no ethnic group will be discriminated upon."

More like misunderstanding, it would seem. According to Opposing Views, Wilmington, DE Councilwoman Maria Cabrera is seeking a thorough inquiry: "I think the superintendent should conduct a full investigation to find out how and why this happened."

Via Opposing Views.

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?	Is this evidence of racism or merely a mistake?

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It's racism

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233 Comments (view in Forum)

Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

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America, R.I.P.

So sad...
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Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

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America was killed by the PC movement.
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Jan '13

OhWiseOne

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@Neo_NtheMatrix I couldn't agree with you more. How about printing it in English only and requiring the immigrants to learn English? If they didn't like it they are more than welcome to return home.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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What does this have to do with the " PC movement"? Seems like a case of a city not being able to properly cover its ass, liability wise...
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Jan '13

MongoAPillager

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@woodtick57 because it should only be printed in english
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Jan '13

MongoAPillager

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@MongoAPillager problem solved
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Jan '13

DARSB

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There's a follow up story that indicates the signs were posted by a monolingual city worker who placed the sign on the wrong city facility. "Never attribute to conspiracy that which can be explained by stupidity."
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Jan '13

Mogal

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And yet, I can see that the conspiracy theorists are already having a field day with this.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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that makes sense since the playground is not a field.
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Jan '13

stepped_in_it

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very good DARSB....stupidity explains a lot in this world. Just ask Forrest's Mama!
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Jan '13

Waynestew

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Thanks for clearing that up. I never under estimate a racist ability to be racist. (Had very very bad experiences as a child in Texas) Glad to hear it was just a mistake, though I never thought conspiracy. Just thought it was an individual who thought it would be funny.
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Jan '13

MongoAPillager

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it should be either posted in every lanuage know to man or the one legal langauge,American,,Sidenote(th e English say we don,t really speak it
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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Is there a "legal" language in the US?
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Jan '13

Cheenoguy

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@woodtick57
No.
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Jan '13

MongoAPillager

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@woodtick57 used to be all government documents forms had to be in english
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Jan '13

stepped_in_it

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If it was posted in American, it would say: "You break it, you buy it. Now, go call ur Mama" LOL
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@MongoAPillager

So that would be a "No" on your supposed 'legal' US language?
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Jan '13

Dan_Tien

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It looks like discrimination to me, though I question whether discrimination based on language is racism. It would be optimal if those effected would be satisfied with simply removing the sign, but I imagine that some lawyer is drafting a $100 million lawsuit at this moment.
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Jan '13

thejimbo

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According to WXDE radio (the station that Dan Gaffney works for), the Milford schools superintendent said "it appears the Spanish signs referring to a required permit were actually meant for nearby school athletic fields - which are often used by adult organizations - and were not supposed to be placed at the playgrounds."

Source: http://www.delaware1059.com/story.php...
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Jan '13

Bobolinsky

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“Signs with the same message in English and Spanish are posted at the sports fields at the high school complex and the middle school, because you do have to have permission to use those fields,” she said.“The playgrounds at Mispillion and Ross are both relatively new and I think someone put the Spanish signs meant for the athletic fields at those locations by mistake.”
http://www.milfordbeacon.com/article/20130106...

It looks like whoever put up the signs also put up the signs at the ball fields... and also isn't bilingual.
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Jan '13

thejimbo

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Thanks Bobo for confirming what I read on WXDE's website.
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Jan '13

DerivePI

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The spanish sign at the dog park says "¡ atención! minas terrestres"
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Jan '13

thejimbo

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@DerivePI Land mines at a dog park?
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Jan '13

DerivePI

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@jamesmitchell yeah, land mines

http://www.hshartampa.org/whatsthepoop.html
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Jan '13

thejimbo

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@DerivePI I get it. Clever, clever!
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Jan '13

Thunderchicken

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Anyone remember Chevy trying to sell the Nova in Mexico? No va in Spanish means no go. Or more accurately when refering to an object, it dosen't go.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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Again, having a polyglot citizenry can only have positive applications for our nation...
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Jan '13

Thunderchicken

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@woodtick57

I just want to be able to get good Mexican food in MO. These people only know chile as brown hamburger soup with beans.:-(
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Jan '13

Mogal

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@Thunderchicken -Cherokee St in STL!
Better Mexican than I've ever eaten down here in FL!
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@Thunderchicken

man, we have great mexican food in MN. just fgo to the loser East side of St. Paul and you cna hit the Suermarcado and make you own or hit one of the nice, family owned restaurants in the area....

Got some Chorizo here that will knock your socks off and right into the washer..
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@woodtick57 Ummmm...LOWER east side, not loser east side...
man, typos can be funny...
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Jan '13

Your_Name_Here

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Yes, it is racism pure and simple because all the languages currently in use in this country are not represented. Why is only Spanish used in addition to English? Why not German and Polish? Either use English or print every sign in this country using all of the hundred and some odd languages used by US citizens.
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Jan '13

Politicskid

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Or, the small minority of people who don't know English could just learn it and we could save a lot of money and space. Also, knowing English puts them in a far better economic position. Don't you have to know English to become a US Citizen, anyway? I don't see why it should be a problem.
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Jan '13

EMS_Servant

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Seems legit smh
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Jan '13

Sharpshooter

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Time for someone to blame Bush....
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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Suprised you or Neo haven't blamed Obama yet...
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Jan '13

Sharpshooter

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@woodtick57 Obama isn't smart enough to think of it.
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Jan '13
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Jan '13
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Jan '13
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Jan '13

CommonSense

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I don't know Spanish, but just looking at it it seems hard to think this was just a mistake.
Does anyone here know Spanish who can vouch for or against this?
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Jan '13

Politicskid

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You can try Google Translate.
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Jan '13

CommonSense

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@Politicskid
I did. It looks NOTHING like it. Of course there are plenty of synonyms and google translate isn't always reliable.
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Jan '13

Politicskid

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@CommonSense Huh.
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Jan '13

texas_cutie75

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I'm bilingual and even got a second opinion, "you must have a permit to play in this field. Violators will be subject to police action.". We th
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Jan '13

texas_cutie75

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@texas_cutie75 geez, my tablet sent the comment before I was ready.... we think the bottom sign was meant for a different place.
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Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

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Yes. The Spanish version states that a permit is required to use the field, and lack of permit could result in police activity. Further information on this flap reveals that this Spanish sign was meant for the athletic fields, not the playground. Stupidity is much more difficult to "cure" than racism.
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Jan '13

justapirate

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If they'd learn to read friggin' English there wouldn't have been a problem.
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Jan '13

mudpike

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The only mistake is to actually believe there is true diversity. Why aren't there other signs posted in Polish , Italian , Swedish , etc.?? Oh, I forgot , those are Caucasian ethnicities & they just don't fit into the liberals ' create a victim for money' agenda. Ok then , where are the signs in Australlian Aborigine , Ugandan or Tibetian ? What ? Take the Gov't. agenda out of it & just post signs in all the world's languages. Now that's really true politically correct diversity.
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Jan '13

Keyjo

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I don't know if the whole community or school district is racist. I think maybe the person who did the translation is either racist or inept in Spanish.
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Jan '13

Keyjo

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I also agree, that anyone who immigrates to the United State should learn to speak and read English a.s.a.p. And honestly, there are people from many nations, languages coming here, we can't have signs reflecting all of them. The only language that need be catered to is English. We may not have a national language, but we need to make English the official language, legally.
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Jan '13

Politicskid

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I don't understand why their should be people who can't read the top sign but can read the bottom one to begin with. Don't you have to know English to become a citizen?
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Jan '13

Thegrif

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I guess it could be a mistake by a racist, or racism by the mistaken, or option number 3, the often forgotten about honest to goodness screw up.
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Jan '13

tomincali

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that is why all things need to be in english. when things have to be translated those needing that service should be the only ones paying for it.

what is racism is going to a country and not knowing the language and then expect others to cater to you by having it in the language of your homeland which you left.

solve all the problem by stopping it all.
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Jan '13

Vance1

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The other, in Spanish, translates ?
The Other? this is America, arent you supposed to be able to read and write ENGLISH!!!
Hello....Why do we have things is Spanish?
Is this Mexico......No it isnt
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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Because, as the story would have told you isf you read it, they have a large spanish speaking population there.
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Jan '13

Vance1

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@woodtick57
WHY? this is The United States, if your a Legal Citizen, You speak ENGLISH!!!!!
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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@Vance1 not necessarily, Vancie...you should learn about your fellow US citizens...
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Jan '13

tomincali

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@woodtick57 is it no longer required to pass the citizenship test?
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Jan '13

Politicskid

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@tomincali It still is, I checked, this guy knows it.
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Is this evidence of racism or merely a mistake?

Is this evidence of racism or merely a mistake?