Let’s Get Rid of This Thing Once and For All

The Davidson County Election Commission voted Monday to call a special election for Jan. 22 to hold referendums on two proposals to change the Metro Charter. Early voting will start Jan. 2. Voters will decide whether Metro should do business in English only, a controversial idea that has taken a long and winding road to the brink of becoming law. They’ll also weigh in on a proposal to give voters more opportunities to amend the charter, an idea that grew out of the English-only fracas.

For several years now, Councilman Eric Crafton has been attempting to pass legislation in Metro Nashville that would require government to it’s business only in English. The original idea was deemed to be unconstitutional, it was watered down to have little meaning, and then shot down by the Metro Council, a body not overly known for their progressive spirit. So it’s being taken to the voters in a special referendum that will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, all in the attempt to pass legislation that does very little and does nothing to enhance the image of our city throughout the world.

Let get rid of this sucker once and for all.

One of the things that Crafton is counting on is that the low turnout of a special referendum will lean in his direction. After all, the people who are most likely to vote on January 22 are those who a rabid about the growth of the immigrant community and who want to “punish” those persons for invading our space. The only want that we can overcome this movement is to make sure that the turnout to vote against his legislation is so overwhelming that they dare not bring it for consideration again.

So Nashvillians, it’s time to get the network moving. Contact all of your friends, your family members, anyone who thinks that this election is a waste of time and money and that that this legislation is inhospitable, and get them to vote against this proposal.

Vote no on January 22. More importantly, vote on January 22.