Metro agency opposes English Only

The Metro Human Relations Commission votes against efforts to amend the Metro charter to make English the only language

Email | Print By Nate Rau

The Metro Human Relations Commission has voted to oppose efforts to amend the Metro charter to make English the only language in which the government will provide services.

The 16-member, mayor-appointed commission is responsible for providing community education to reduce discrimination in employment, housing, financial services and public accommodations as well as assisting efforts to promote diversity, encourage improved race relations and addressing issues of community concern.

Councilman Eric Crafton launched a mailing initiative earlier this summer aimed at collecting enough signatures of registered voters to put the proposed charter amendment on the ballot for the November election. Crafton said last week he has close to the total number of signatures needed to do so. The deadline for submitting the signatures to the Election Commission is next week.

“The effort to amend the Metro charter to designate English as the official language of Metropolitan Government is a wedge issue, which has the ability to jeopardize Nashville’s place as one of the country’s most desirable communities in which to live, work and play,” the commission’s Executive Director Kelvin Jones said. “This effort is divisive, creating an ‘us' and a 'them,’ and creates a mean and intolerant image, which is not reflective of the great city Nashville truly is. We are much better than this.”

Mayor Karl Dean has already come down adamantly against English Only. A similar measure passed by Metro Council a year ago was vetoed by then-Mayor Bill Purcell.

Metro Council will get its chance to weigh in on English Only at its Thursday meeting, when it will consider a memorializing resolution proposed by at-large Councilman Ronnie Steine encouraging the registered voters of Davidson County to vote against the charter amendment.