i'm in nashville tennessee and today we are voting on an english only amendment....

[spanone]

hard to believe in this day and age. polls close in about 50 minutes, i'll update.



(CNN) -- Voters in Nashville, Tennessee -- a city with a burgeoning immigrant population -- are going to the polls Thursday to decide whether English should be the only language used for metro-area government business.

The proposed amendment stipulates that all official government actions, communications and publications would be in English.

"No person shall have a right to government services in any other language," the proposal reads.

The amendment would include government meetings.

The Metropolitan Council, which submitted the amendment, could mandate exceptions to protect public health and safety.

Elise Shore, southeast director of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said her regional office in Atlanta, Georgia, was monitoring the Nashville balloting.

"We just elected our first black president. There are the forces of globalization and conducting business around the world ... in the face of this, we see these measures?" Shore asked.

The proposal "sends a strong message ... this is a negative message. In fact, it invites discrimination," she said.

In a newspaper editorial published Thursday, The Tennessean urged voters to defeat the proposal.

"This amendment would exclude and marginalize those residents and visitors to Nashville simply because English is not their native tongue," the editorial said.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/22/tenn.english.only.vote/

[Joe the Liberal]

1. Well Tennessee is a pretty red state. n/t

[TNDemo]

3. Nashville is a very blue city in this red state.

I am confident it will go down but let's wait a couple of hours to see if I have to eat my words.

[spanone]

8. going down 2 to 1 right now

[progdonkey]

2. If they make everyone pass an English grammar test to vote...

Then I'll be completely behind it.

After all, that'll get rid of the ignorant right wingers who scream "English only!" but can barely speak it themselves.

[Thothmes]

4. Unconstitutional

[hay rick]

5. America the Beautiful

English only. White only. Christian only. Straight only. I get it.

C'mon Nashville- smash that red state stereotype.

[nickgutierrez]

6. Unconstitutional - Due process.

This law has no rational basis in a legitimate government interest.

[spanone]

7. UPDATE .....7:27 pm for 5,485 against 9,133 we're gonna beat the shit out of this

[blaze]

12. Woot!! Go Nashville! n/t

[TheKentuckian]

9. Meh...I'm a weirdo on this one

I'm pretty much an open borders guy and am nearly to the point of believing that the USA pretty much has abdicated the right to keep people out of any stripe but also believe that English should be the official language and that all immigrants should be "forced" to be able to communicate in English.
I believe that with a country this diverse that we need something that IS a commonality. The language is important, more important in bringing us together than many will wish to admit. This isn't discrimination in my eyes but an important factor in weaving our rainbow into one fabric. It is also crucial for immigrants to be able to communicate with the vast majority so they aren't limited in opportunities and for assimilation.

We have no common heritage, religion, or anything else to bind us together as a nation. The language is key and it is foolhardy to dismiss that, in my opinion.

[spanone]

11. i disagree...we have being americans as our commonality.

[blaze]

13. Is it a matter of wanting to learn the language?

Didn't previous generations learn the (english) language because they wanted to blend in... or be a "part of?" Has that desire gone? And, if so, why?

[foxfeet]

17. The kids/grandkids of these immigrants will learn English

as a matter of practical necessity, just like immigrants have always done here. No legislation necessary, unless this legislation requires speaking English with a Tennessee accent.:hide:

[TNDemo]

19. I notice you have Lily Tomlin at the bottom of your post.

That's another Nashvillian. I am not sure where she grew up but her mother lives here and she is here a lot.

[blaze]

20. Heh heh

I suspect you'd *better* duck! :)

[TNDemo]

14. It only affects official government business.

It could not contain a translation in any other language. I agree immigrants need to learn english to be able to communicate in our country but it takes a long time to be really fluent. I would hate to be in a country and have to sign legal documents without a translation in my native language. It's just a stupid ploy but this ignorant councilman here. I am anxious to see who his donors were since he asked to keep them secret until after the election.

[TNDemo]

18. I have another question about the people wanting English only.

I have had a lot of RW email saying foreigners need to assimilate and take on our language and our customs. If that is what we truly believe, why are we not living in teepees and speaking Sioux and Cherokee? We apparently saw no need to assimilate to the country we migrated to.

[TheKentuckian]

10. dupe

[Taverner]

15. So does that mean you guys will start making sense now?

:D

I keed I keed

[KamaAina]

16. Live from the pro-amendment campaign HQ...