Thread: Nashville African-American Leaders Lash Out at Eng-Only Plan

African-American leaders lash out at English-only plan

By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • January 10, 2009

A coalition of groups representing African-Americans, immigrants and other Nashville residents spoke out Friday against the ballot initiative that would require Metro government to do business in English only.

At a news conference outside the Davidson County Election Commission, where early voting on the proposed charter amendment continues today, a series of speakers said the measure would make life harder for immigrants, hurt Nashville's international image and violate Christian teachings.

"It is wrong morally because it diminishes the value of individuals and it speaks against the principles of liberty for all," said Patricia Stokes, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee.

The proposal would require all government communications and publications to be conducted in English, though the council could make specific exceptions for health and safety. "No person shall have a right to government services in any other language," the proposal states.

"It doesn't make sense socially, economically, spiritually, morally," Councilwoman Erica Gilmore said. "We are a place of many nations and many people, and we should embrace that."

Mayor Karl Dean and Gov. Phil Bredesen, a former Nashville mayor, plan to vote against the proposal at the election commission at 8 a.m. Monday, Dean's office announced.

Supporters say the change would encourage people to learn and use English; put the onus for language help on individuals, not government; and save the $100,000 or so Metro spends each year on translation and related services, though critics say federal law requires the city to spend most of that.

But speakers at the news conference said the measure would make it more difficult for the city and state to recruit business and attract tourists.

"How do we build a $1 billion convention center and hotel and then shrink the market that we can attract?" Councilman Jerry Maynard said.

NAACP takes part

State Rep. Brenda Gilmore, a former councilwoman who is Erica Gilmore's mother, said the passage of the charter amendment would look strange to the rest of the world after the election of Barack Obama, an African-American.

"We cannot afford to send a message that Nashville and Tennessee is out of step with the rest of the country," she said.

Groups participating in the event included the Urban League, the NAACP, the Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship and the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition.

Ashford Hughes, a Tennessee State University graduate student working with the organizations, said members have been helping the larger Nashville for All of Us coalition get out the vote through phone calls and door-to-door campaigning.

The election will be held Jan. 22. Early voting runs through Jan. 17. An early voting schedule is online at www.nashville.gov/vote/schedule_early.htm.

Contact Michael Cass at 259-8838.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090 ... /901100341

What are these people thinking and do the people they represent know what thier leaders are doing?

These people just want to get their name in the news. The African-American community is behind this effort and none of the reasons they give have any substanance. It's all about being "nice" and "feeling good"...the typical liberal emotional response. Ads have been playing featuring the actor, Andy Garcia, lending his support to the issue and saying how important it is to learn English.

THe last two polls showed a 75-80 support, but the minority comes out and shouts their "moral superiority"! That's what it's all about...they want to show that they are really "caring" and all that bunk. THey could care less about anything except themselves.

The best thing about this is that it takes the onus of paid translators off of the taxpayer, the idea of which irritates me to no end. And it seems like a total disconnect from reality that African-Americans that grew up in this country are losing their jobs to the non-English speaking. You can tout your city or area to foreign tourists without requiring the population to speak every language in the world. When I asked for the bathroom in Germany (badezimmer) it meant to them that I needed to find the bathtub. It turns out they are very direct: you ask for toilette since in the older establishments, the toilette is a long way down the hall from the badezimmer.
Official business needs to be in English, period. And Americans are well-founded in trying to understand people not speaking English. This argument is horsecrap. Go Nashville! And heaven forbid, the tourism will be destroyed because folks need to shell out the money for a Berlitz book, which always works when you are not understood because of your pronunciation.

"It is wrong morally because it diminishes the value of individuals and it speaks against the principles of liberty for all," said Patricia Stokes, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee.

Ok, I think I will write her and tell her I 100% agree with her. I will then let her know that in order to uphold the principles of liberty for all, all Nashville government officials will need to fluently speak all 6912 languages in use today and all government papers will need to be available in all 6912 languages also. To allow or require anything else is diminishing the value of individuals.

Since the Guinness Book of world records holder can only speak 30, this will be quite an accomplishment.

Originally Posted by cayla99

"It is wrong morally because it diminishes the value of individuals and it speaks against the principles of liberty for all," said Patricia Stokes, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee.

Ok, I think I will write her and tell her I 100% agree with her. I will then let her know that in order to uphold the principles of liberty for all, all Nashville government officials will need to fluently speak all 6912 languages in use today and all government papers will need to be available in all 6912 languages also. To allow or require anything else is diminishing the value of individuals.

Since the Guinness Book of world records holder can only speak 30, this will be quite an accomplishment.

You go, Cayla!!

I so wish we could have found a pro bono lawyer who would have sued the State of California for discrimination when they had the written driving test in a half a dozen languages to make immigrants feel welcome, but did not have a test in Irish Gaelic when my hubby requested it. Heck, the lawyer could have kept 90% for all we would have cared, we just did not have the out of pocket money, INS took all of that lol

Originally Posted by cayla99

I so wish we could have found a pro bono lawyer who would have sued the State of California for discrimination when they had the written driving test in a half a dozen languages to make immigrants feel welcome, but did not have a test in Irish Gaelic when my hubby requested it. Heck, the lawyer could have kept 90% for all we would have cared, we just did not have the out of pocket money, INS took all of that lol

I have a friend here who's wife is a legal immigrant from Brazil. He's the mayor of a small town who's been helping us fight the Oberlin Ohio sanctuary city resolution. He's pretty darn mad about all the money he spent too, now that all this is going on.

This country is in one big frigging mess.....I'll bet it is degenerating at a speed faster than any other place or time on this earth...It just makes me sick!

This comes from absolultely no leader ship in this country....even the legal immigrants are getting out of hand.

If they don't want to assimilate get the hell out, this country is not for you , all you are doing is dividing it and tearing it apart....get out!!!