Residents ask Illegal Pete's to change name

[jimnyc]

This is absurd. So now using the term "illegal" is a swear word? Similar to "a racial slur directed at African-Americans"? Are you fricking kidding me? That's EXACTLY what illegal immigrants are - ILLEGAL if they aren't here legally. The PC bullshit is beyond getting out of hand.

And if I were the business owner in this case - I would tell them to pound sand, don't come to my business of you don't like the name. If his food is good enough, he'll get plenty of customers, as he does elsewhere.

---

The Boulder-based restaurant with six locations in Boulder and Denver is modeled after Mexican food from San Francisco's Mission District, specifically over-sized burritos. The name Illegal Pete's, Turner said, is a literary reference to a bar in a novel he read as an English major in Boulder. "Pete" also refers to his own name and his father's. When he started the restaurant in 1995, Turner hoped the name would be ambiguous enough to spark people's interest, perhaps referring to counterculture activity.

But on Wednesday, 30 or so community members explained the negative context of the word illegal, or the "I-word," as some referred to it, and its importance, down to its use as the name of a restaurant.

"Since I know the context, and I have been labeled with (the word illegal), it makes a huge difference to me," said Lucy Gonzalez, 25.

As part of a wider effort to "drop the I-word," Gonzalez and others believe that any use of the word "illegal" connected to people should be stopped.

"Social context is hugely important," Fort Collins immigration attorney and meeting moderator Kim Medina said. "We'll never get to big issues, such as immigration reform, until we can solve these smaller issues of language."

Starting and ending with Medina's urge to Turner to drop "illegal" from Illegal Pete's, the audience discussion ranged from emotional past experiences with racial slurs to accusatory remarks toward Turner: "In a room full of people of color, this is probably a little uncomfortable for you," one woman said.

Others likened the name to a racial slur directed at African-Americans, hanging a Confederate flag in the restaurant's window or calling a restaurant "Smoking Lynching BBQ."

Colorado State University assistant English professor Antero Garcia wrote a letter to Turner that prompted him to drive from Denver for Wednesday's meeting.

http://www.coloradoan.com/story/money/2014/10/22/residents-ask-illegal-petes-change-name/17738197/

[Stiletto]

:bang3:


"Social context is hugely important," Fort Collins immigration attorney and meeting moderator Kim Medina said. "We'll never get to big issues, such as immigration reform, until we can solve these smaller issues of language."

*****

Others likened the name to a racial slur directed at African-Americans, hanging a Confederate flag in the restaurant's window or calling a restaurant "Smoking Lynching BBQ."

"Social context is hugely important," -- No, it isn't, Ms. Medina. When it comes to THE LAW, your supposed field of expertise, there's no fucking context where legality is concerned. There are legal and illegal acts, and if a person commits a crime (say, like border jumping), he or she is a CRIMINAL that is in this country ILLEGALLY, ergo that person is an ILLEGAL ALIEN.

"smaller issues of language." -- What smaller issue of language, Ms. Medina? Your party is the one that plays fast and loose with semantics; you're so goddamned worried about people getting all butt-hurt if anything, no matter how minuscule, dares to offend their delicate sensibilities, you run in every direction, squawking about how the language needs to be changed so that people won't feel bad about themselves. Well guess what, Ms. Medina? Perhaps when someone breaks the fucking law and is a criminal, they in fact SHOULD feel bad about themselves. It's called GUILT. It's about accepting responsibility and blame for one's actions, but that flies in the face of the Progressive, Socialist Nanny-State axioms of "I'm not responsible" and "It's someone else's fault." Your ideologies suck.

You people change the wording and terminology pertaining to various items and issues to the point that it turns into the juvenile game of "Telephone" and the original meaning and understanding is sterilized, buried, and/or forgotten. Oh, wait. Silly me, I forgot that was your intention all along -- by gradually changing things around, the easier your job is to brainwash people into agreeing with your agenda.

"likened the name to a racial slur.....[or] hanging a Confederate flag...." -- They can "liken" it all they want, but they're ignoring a very basic but important issue, namely that an Illegal Immigrant is *NOT* a racial slur. Why? Off the top of my head, here are two reasons:

1) Being in this country illegally is not something exclusive to one race, ethnic group, or national origin -- I.I.s come in all colors, shapes, and sizes, and they come from all over the globe.

2) Race and ethnicity are part of a person from the day they are born until the day they die. It is not a choice. Willfully ignoring US Federal Law and then consciously committing a crime by breaking it is a CHOICE. If that choice results in a justifiable label that offends said criminal or makes him or her uncomfortable, guess what? Boo-Fucking-Hoo - they have to live with any negative fallout that comes from it.

Political "Correctness" run amok. The PC Police are absolutely repugnant little fuckers that make me physically ill. :puke3:

[fj1200]

Saw this today:

https://img1.etsystatic.com/001/0/5618048/il_340x270.395756317_75pi.jpg

While true, an immigrant can certainly be illegal.

[Stiletto]

Saw this today:

https://img1.etsystatic.com/001/0/5618048/il_340x270.395756317_75pi.jpg

While true, an immigrant can certainly be illegal.

Yup. Trying to get a Progressive to realize the difference, though, is a Herculean task. Getting them to use this fact to enforce the laws in the US? That's like trying to catch unicorn farts in a hurricane.

[jimnyc]

Saw this today:

https://img1.etsystatic.com/001/0/5618048/il_340x270.395756317_75pi.jpg

While true, an immigrant can certainly be illegal.

Or "alien", which is actually the correct term. Fuck 'em, start calling them aliens instead, I don't give a crap, but what I do know is that they ARE illegal, by definition and actions.

[tailfins]

Yup. Trying to get a Progressive to realize the difference, though, is a Herculean task. Getting them to use this fact to enforce the laws in the US? That's like trying to catch unicorn farts in a hurricane.

This all sounds too complicated. How about we use the term "foreign criminals"?

[aboutime]

Don't really care what Progressives, Liberals, Leftists, or Obama say about using words in the English language here in the United States of America.


All of us who are citizens of this nation have something Obama is trying to take away. Namely. THE FIRST AMENDMENT to the Constitution he IGNORES.

ILLEGAL means ILLEGAL. Against the law. Anyone, or anything that is against any law is ILLEGAL.

The biggest job Mister Obama has before him is....Proving his entire Administration isn't also ILLEGAL.

Anyone wish to challenge that statement?

Go right ahead. I'm not listening, or waiting for your answer.

[tailfins]

Go right ahead. I'm not listening, or waiting for your answer.

That's what is known as "one way communication". It is typical of someone accustomed to arguing with their TV set.

[aboutime]

That's what is known as "one way communication". It is typical of someone accustomed to arguing with their TV set.



Thanks for clearing that up for everyone. Just following your lead, and never expected you to confess to your own tactics.

[grannyhawkins]

I like to give everybody at work a name, especially those that don't quite come up to my standards and they all know their names.

I have a few of my favorites below, which are all pieces of work.

Pico de gallo
cucuy (which kinda means boogeyman in spanish, he's always hittin on the cleanin gals and he's scum)
Lo mein
chop suey
purple drank
skittles
preacher (I have a hard time with fake preachers)
Pinky an the Brain
Itchy and Scratchy

[tailfins]

I like to give everybody at work a name, especially those that don't quite come up to my standards and they all know their names.

I have a few of my favorites below, which are all pieces of work.

Pico de gallo
cucuy (which kinda means boogeyman in spanish, he's always hittin on the cleanin gals and he's scum)
Lo mein
chop suey
purple drank
skittles
preacher (I have a hard time with fake preachers)
Pinky an the Brain
Itchy and Scratchy

I do the same with bosses I didn't like.

David Koresh - Likes to hire 7th Day Adventists (no joke) because they are obedient including demands to work 60 hrs/wk and no pay raises

Jimmy Hoffa - Enforces Incompetence

Colonel Klink - Yells at people without understanding the details of the job.

Jackie Onassis - Punishes people for not being a "member of the club" regardless of work quality

Leona Helmsley - Toxic hag

Mariah Carey - You can hear her voice on the other side of the building.