Obama or McCain? This decision is taking a backseat to many in Nashville this election season, as residents of Davidson County will have the opportunity to vote on a referendum aiming to make English Nashville's official language. The initiative is titled English-only, and was vetoed last year by then Mayor Bill Purcell. Since then, the proposal's author, Councilman Eric Crafton, has obtained the more than 10,000 signatures necessary to place the referendum on the November ballot.
English-only will prohibit all government services in the Metro Nashville area from being offered in any language other than English. Do not be confused, however, into thinking this is simply a measure to curtail the spread of foreign culture into American society.
As Mayor Karl Dean pointed out in a speech to Metro Council, "[This referendum] is not a vote on immigration reform and it is not a harmless message to office holders. The proposed charter amendment will have absolutely no effect upon efforts to curtail illegal immigration or to reform current national policy." Voters who see this proposal as a step towards reducing illegal immigration need to take a closer look at its broader implications.
The effects of making English Nashville's official language reach beyond immigrants to our area who have yet to learn English to touch any foreign person coming into contact with Nashville. Imagine a Japanese tourist who is downtown visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and has his wallet stolen. When contacting the police department, in his disarray, the little English he knows is completely forgotten. Fortunately, there is an employee in the office who speaks some Japanese and is happy to translate for the man. Unfortunately, Nashville has passed the English-only proposal making it illegal for this employee to speak any language other than English. The tourist is now unable to report the crime and his wallet is lost forever.
Nashville's contact with people of foreign countries extends beyond tourists. The Consular Office of Japan opened here this year. Nashville has sister cities in Northern Ireland, France, Canada, Germany, and China. Many political refugees look to Nashville as a place to flee from the violence of their home countries.
As Nashville continues to grow, these ties to foreign cultures will only increase. Globalization continues to erase national borders. We cannot afford to hold ourselves back by refusing to acknowledge the need to be able to communicate with people of any culture, in any language, at any time. The pros and cons of non-English-speaking residents in our city can, and should, be debated from many different perspectives, but voters must realize so much more is at stake here. As Mayor Dean ended his speech on the matter, "Let us not forget, English is the official language of Tennessee. This is not in question. To put it plainly, we have too much potential to allow such an unnecessary change in our law to hurt us in so many ways." English-only will do nothing more than stunt the city's development. Nashville, vote no.
