[MD] Emergent Consciousness

[Ham Priday]

Arlo --


 Ham said:
> Oh, and I must make a note in my comfort zone that "honor"
> has gone the way of individualism in our postmodern world.
> Arlo says he's "still waiting for one example of someone acting
> 'honorably' that does not imply duty to others over self."

Arlo said:
> Then if you have one, I'd love to hear it...

OK, I'll give you one right from my own community.  I was reminded of it by
an editorial in this morning's Inquirer, but Philly's liberal press is so
biased that I had to get the story from Wikipedia:

"Geno's Steaks is a Philadelphia restaurant specializing in cheesesteaks,
founded in 1966 by Joe Vento. It is located at the intersection of 9th
Street and Passyunk Avenue, directly across the street from Pat's Steaks,
which claims to have invented the cheesesteak in 1930.  However, Pat's may
only have developed a steak sandwich, as Vento himself claims to have come
up with the idea of adding cheese to the mix.  In any case, the cheesesteak
has become a signature dish for the city of Philadelphia.

"Geno's was awarded Best of Philly for Best Takeout by Philadelphia Magazine
in 2000.  In April 2004, a branch of the shop opened in Citizens Bank Park,
the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. This location was closed in 2006 and
replaced with a Rick's Steaks.

"Vento is a prominent supporter of the family of murdered police officer
Daniel Faulkner.  The family supports the death sentence of Mumia Abu-Jamal,
who was convicted of Faulkner's murder, and is against Abu-Jamal being
retried or exonerated.  Geno's has sponsored several fund-raising events in
support of Faulkner's family, including the 2000 First Annual Justice For
Daniel Faulkner Block Party and an annual Daniel Faulkner Memorial
Motorcycle Run.  [In other words, this proprietor is a man of principle.]

"In 2006, during the immigration controversy, people began to notice a sign
posted that said: "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING PLEASE 'SPEAK ENGLISH.'"
The sign, however, was put up six months before by owner Joe Vento.  The
city of Philadelphia's Commission on Human Relations filed a discrimination
complaint.  However, in an interview with Fox News analyst, Neil Cavuto,
Vento stated that he does not turn away any customer, and therefore does not
discriminate.  He also vowed to keep his sign displayed no matter how much
pressure he receives. He even remined Neal about how his parents had to
learn English when they came to this country. He said that if his customers
order in any other language, he'll give them cheesewiz on bread. The sign on
his store that says store says: "This is America! Speak English!" has the
bald eagle on it. Joe also pays homage to his competitors.  Joe mentioned
that if you go into a Puerto Rican neighborhood, how many signs would you
see in English?  When you are one the telephone, it may say press 1 for
English, press 2 for Spanish, but where is the number for, say, Italian or
Korean, for example?  While many disagree with Joe Vento, many do agree that
he is defending American culture and the official language of the country."

I should add that Philadelphia's mayor has pressured Vento to remove the
sign, since "it isn't good for the city's business."  Others are concerned
that it may diminish Philadelphia's chances of hosting the Olympics next
year.  But nobody denies the right of a commercial business owner to choose
his customers.

One definition of honor is: "a keen sense of ethical conduct; to live up to
or fulfill the terms of a commitment."

Now, I suppose you'll object that the Geno's story doesn't come under the
definition but is just selfishness or bigotry on the owner's part.  Well, if
it's selfishness, what can Vento possibly gain by advising non-English
speaking people that they're not welcome?   Certainly it doesn't profit him
or his business; in fact, he stands to lose.  If it's bigotry, why has the
man never refused to serve any customer, but has gone out of his way to
assist foreigners in learning English?  Vento is neither selfish nor a
bigot; he is a successful entrepreneur of Italian heritage who taught
himself the language because he's proud to be an American and is personally
committed to setting an example for others as a matter of principle.

(If this example doesn't satisfy you, I'm sure I can come up with others.)

Regards,
Ham