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If an elderly lady from Irving Park had been treated the same way and incurred the same injuries, might we react differently? I think so. I hardly think learning English should be a prerequisite for equal treatment under the law.

You know, like you I don't know who is in the wrong, but if in-fact it turns out that a GPD Officer is in the wrong, then it seems like taking a crash course and learning a few words in Arabic might be getting out pretty easy. If I were running the GPD and the investigation points towards the officer, then he and I would be learning Arabic ASAP.

As for learning English-- well, I tried to learn Spanish but flunked out so I'll fault no one who has difficulty with English. Fact is: I can show you 100 year old Hebrew enclaves in New York City where women who were born there don't know English. Many societies don't allow their women to mix with others, and while I don't agree with it, as Americans these people have a choice as to wether or not they choose to leave their old ways behind.

In reality, Americans would be a lot better off if more of us spoke languages other than English alone.

I will agree that being able to speak a little bit of another language can come in handy. My poor but functional Spanish helped me out in a difficult situation in Phoenix once.

That being said, there is not a thing in the world wrong with expecting someone to be able to comprehend a certain rudimentary level of English if they are going to stay in this country as a citizen. Why is that so much to ask?

I'm not sure the language angle is the big story here. It doesn't sound to me that someone who has lived here 12 years, goes to Wal-Mart and spends American money qualifies as avoiding American society, and so I find it hard to believe that this individual is totally devoid of any comprehension of English.

The big question is how the mayor will handle this. With over a dozen eyewitnesses backing the police version of events, it is becoming increasingly doubtful that the officer is in the wrong here. Yet the mayor has one of his main supporting constituencies demanding an apology from the officer.

It will be worth watching how this shakes out.

Point#1. She is not a citizen. She is a permanent resident. To become a citizen you have to be able to read, write, and speak basic english.

Point#2. She has lived here for 12 yrs. We have no Arabic or French newspapers, t.v stations, radio stations. She knows some english. Witnesses at the store and store employees said she was speaking english until the police arrived.

Point#3. According to Ed Cone's blog Wal-Mart employees asked her to leave the store in FRENCH and ARABIC languages and she refused to do so so the police were called.

Point#4. And Michael--Equal treatment under the law---she got it!! She resisted arrest, she assaulted a store employee, she got locked up. Just like you or I would. Whether she wanted to go peacefully or not was totally up to her.