Outrage in Delaware

This still goes on a supposed Western Democracy in the 21st century? I'm actually shocked :eek:

 

that is really messed!

 

Anyone think that it might have just been put up by some idiot who doesn't know Spanish? I can't remember the name, but there is a site with pictures of all of the incorrect signs put up by the state and federal government. Pages of pictures.

 

I know that we had something happen like this in Columbus a few years ago. It turned out that they had used an online translator to make the sign. (We all know how reliable those are.)

 

its not a problem of western democracy, but people within western democracy who's entire identity is based around their self-belief that everyone else is lesser beings to them. we call it 'asshat syndrome', and it is rampent in certain areas of politics.

 

I'm just going to chalk this up to an online translator being inaccurate. I highly doubt that this is a white power/intimidation thing. Just some idiot using Google Translate to save a buck or two instead of using somebody that actually knows Spanish.

 

This definitely isn't a translation error. The Spanish literally says "You must have a permit to play in this park. Violators will be susceptible to police action." There's no way you can get that from the English, even with the crappiest translator.

 

Well, one of two things. Either the people who came up with different language for the Spanish sign need to get fired... Or... The person who translated it is playing a sick joke and needs to get fired. Either way, someone needs to be at the temp agency over this.

 

Actually...yep, that says police. Would have had to use some rather odd phrasing to begin with to get that out of a translator.

 

I'd like to think they just forgot to include the permit message in English on that particular sign, but the circumstances surrounding this whole episode do seem rather suspicious. Good that they've taken it down, but still have to wonder how many times this sort of thing probably occurs in small towns across America without any notice.

Delaware is a strange state, it's pretty small, but when you travel from the urban northern part of the state (where most of the people live) down to the rural southern part you might as well have just arrived in Alabama. It's not surprising to hear something like this occur in Sussex County.

 

In my state, quite a few well-off, mostly white towns had local ordinances that prohibited anyone who did not live in that town from using its public parks. But, as one might guess, these ordinances were selectively enforced. Police only asked people to leave when they were non-white. One woman who was asked to leave eventually became the plaintiff in a lawsuit over these types of ordinances. After a protracted legal battle, eventually that type of ordinance was declared invalid. A similar suit was filed (and won) in a nearby state, but I imagine there are probably plenty of other states that use this kind of ordinance to keep minorities out of local parks.

 

As a native Spanish speaker, and translator for a living, I don't see much reason for alarm. If you know little Spanish, and rely on a dictionary/translation software, it's easy to get from "Parental supervision" to "Permit."

There are certain specific grammar errors in the Spanish version that make me feel certain that there was no ill will involved.

Now, as for the second sentence, my guess is that whoever was in charge browsed through a phrasebook until they found something approximating what they thought was their intended meaning.

I fully believe, with Socrates, that there is no such thing as evil people---just ignorant people.

 

I forgot Delaware even existed.

 

Yep there's no mistake: those sings were posted with the sole intention to intimidate hispanic users.

While the english sign is a precaution sign (it calls for parents to watch their kids playing, as the ''park' will not be liable for any injury on those kids), the spanish one is a prohibitive one (you can't play here unless you've got your permission, with police intervention for transgressors), which is aimed solely to hispanoparlantes.