In the past three years the Dallas, Texas police department has given 37 no-English citations. It's such a shame that a state with the diversity that Texas has is responsible for such prejudice and intolerance acts. Latinos make up 44% of the 1 million residents and nearly 45 percent speak a language other than English in Dallas. On Oct. 2, Ernestina Mondragon was pulled over by Officer Gary Bromley. She was pulled over for making an illegal U-trun and cited for not carrying her licence and for not speaking English. Mondragon was in a hurry that morning. Her 11 year old daughter missed the school bus, causing her to be to distracted and accidently fo
rgetting her purse. The officer asked her is she spoke English she stated
"I speak a little and understand it" She also stated in an interview that,
"I felt humiliated. Sad, I wanted to cry but I couldn't. The anger wouldn't let me." The court staffers were really confused and puzzled with the charges and dismissed the "non-English" ticket and driver's license citation after Mondragon presented her license. She spoke out about her unjust treatment and was surprised to hear about the other 37 citations. She is glad that she spoke out because now Dallas police will not give commercial drivers tickets for being unable to speak English. Although this might have all been misunderstadings of a law, Mondragon and her family are considering a law suit. The federal law requiring drivers of commercial vehicles to speak English was misapplied to local drivers of private vehicles. And the officers and their commanders are under investigation now.
In the past three years the Dallas, Texas police department has given 37 no-English citations. It's such a shame that a state with the diversity that Texas has is responsible for such prejudice and intolerance acts. Latinos make up 44% of the 1 million residents and nearly 45 percent speak a language other than English in Dallas. On Oct. 2, Ernestina Mondragon was pulled over by Officer Gary Bromley. She was pulled over for making an illegal U-trun and cited for not carrying her licence and for not speaking English. Mondragon was in a hurry that morning. Her 11 year old daughter missed the school bus, causing her to be to distracted and accidently fo
rgetting her purse. The officer asked her is she spoke English she stated "I speak a little and understand it" She also stated in an interview that,"I felt humiliated. Sad, I wanted to cry but I couldn't. The anger wouldn't let me." The court staffers were really confused and puzzled with the charges and dismissed the "non-English" ticket and driver's license citation after Mondragon presented her license. She spoke out about her unjust treatment and was surprised to hear about the other 37 citations. She is glad that she spoke out because now Dallas police will not give commercial drivers tickets for being unable to speak English. Although this might have all been misunderstadings of a law, Mondragon and her family are considering a law suit. The federal law requiring drivers of commercial vehicles to speak English was misapplied to local drivers of private vehicles. And the officers and their commanders are under investigation now. 
Its very true it is outrageous to see how police officials could behave in such manner. Giving a person a citation for being unable to speak the dominant language seems to prejudice; it is unfair and unvalid. I think the family should continue with the law suit, in order to bring conscious a problem that probably has hurt other families and individuals.
ReplyDeleteI also think that Ernestina and her family should continue the law suit. Continuing with the law suit will most likely make other aware of the prejudice acts. Giving a person a citation for not being able to speak a certain language is not right. What was fair, was to give Ernestina a citation for making a U-turn but not her other citation.
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