[78-L] Bing Article in today's WSJ^

[Geoffrey Wheeler]

What they should have said is: "No Myanmarian people allowed."
  Julian Vein

This whole fiasco about some Burmese allegedly “uriniating” [word used 
on a local TV station website] and spitting betel juice on the floor of 
the laundry cost the owner $2500. He was forced by the mayor of Ft. 
Wayne to give this amount to a local Burmese council. The owner of the 
laundry apologized to the Burmese community on YouTube. Who would think 
to look at YouTube for an apology from anybody? Besides, most Burmese 
don’t speak or read English, so the sign was useless and the YouTube 
apology useless. At a press conference last Thursday, a Human Rights 
Council representative and the mayor announced an agreement had been 
signed by the laundry owner but no mention was made of any money nor 
was anything said about the reasons an employee posted a sign on the 
laundry glass door. In fact, the mayor was said to be “angry” at even a 
whisper of these alleged reasons. Further, no explanation was offered 
in any of the local media as to what betel nut is and how it is 
consumed in combination with the betel leaf, clove, cardamom, and other 
spices. In short, it is used as a mild stimulant somewhat like drinking 
coffee.

Except for news stories, the word “Myanmar” is not used in referring to 
the local Burmese, although there was an excellent photo exhibit two 
years ago at the Ft. Wayne Museum of Art depicting life in “Myanmar.”