I Yelled at an Old Man.

Well, by the title, one would assume I'm the asshole in this situation, but please, read on.

I was picking up some Chinese food yesterday for lunch, an event that takes place pretty much every Monday at around 12:30. It's usually quite a boring adventure, with the only payoff being that I like Chinese food.

But I got a special treat this time. An older gentleman (and by older, I mean, using an electronic cart because he's old enough not to move well) decided that he wanted some Fried Chicken from the deli which happens to be connected to the Chinese Kitchen. Well being that the registers are connected for the two departments, he of course, decided that we were not in line, and that he should get served before us.

That, of course, was fine. I respect my elders enough that I can concede 2 minutes of my life so some old man can eat his chicken in a grocery store. However, after 2 or so minutes and various events that I didn't pay attention too, the old man begins yelling at the Chinese lady at the register and says "If you're going to live in this God damn country then learn the God damn language."

Without thinking, I yelled "HEY. There's no need for that." He turned around and told me to "Mind my own God damn business" and I repeated that there was indeed, no need for that. The lady walked away and called over someone from the Deli who finished his transaction, and thanked me for sticking up for her. I then got my Chinese food, and left.

All in all, it was pretty much a nonevent, but an event all the same. The old man wasn't going to do anything, I just didn't appreciate the act of him being rude to her, so I said something without even thinking about it.

But it brings up a relevent point. Back in May Congress approved a bill that would make English the "National Language" of the United States. The question to me is, Why? Most rights and services are already guaranteed under law to be provided in several languages, and this law doesn't do anything to change that.

This, of course, is a time where illegal immigration is the hot button issue, so I know what the answer is to "why" but it still bugs me. Political moves that do nothing but show someones "tough" on something, even though it won't do anything at all. It's a meaningless law that will hurt someone, somewhere down the road because someone, somewhere will decide that they don't have to find a Vietnamese translator for the immigrant that is arrested for shoplifting food. Then it will end up in the court system for years, and whatever state this happened in will end up having to pay millions to this person because they violated her rights. The only debate in my head is how high up the Court ladder it will go before it gets overturned.

After that, whoever the current Senator that wants to make a name for himself will propose a Constitutional Amendment making English the official language. Then it will be voted down, and we won't hear about the issue for a few more years.

My point? I hate hot button issues and get really annoyed at Senators that make laws that have no substance, just so they can appear like they care about something. That, and I yelled at an old man without thinking about it yesterday.