Councilman Hailed for Sign Law Stand

Three cheers for Pomona City Councilman C. L. (Clay) Bryant, who has the courage to speak out against the Asian American Business Group, which is suing to overturn that city’s language-related sign ordinance (Times, Feb. 16).

It is ironic that while bitter campaigns have been waged in other parts of the country to have English declared our official language, the Asian business leaders in Pomona would have it the other way around.

It has always been disconcerting for Americans who have grown up here to live alongside immigrants who continuously resist assimilation into our culture and refuse to speak anything but their foreign language.

The business group’s suit alleges that the sign ordinance has caused injury to their “personal, cultural, political and economic freedom.” Perhaps the group should bear in mind that in no other nation of the world could they enjoy the freedom to establish a business enterprise as they can here. And are they overlooking the harm that has been inflicted on our economy by the unending flood of imports from their countries?

In my view, the litigation over the Pomona sign ordinance may very well reach the Supreme Court, where I hope, our nine justices will shed valuable new light upon the First Amendment. I doubt if the Founding Fathers intended freedom of speech to encompass Oriental store signs.

STEVE PROWLER

San Dimas

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