A Letter to the Metropolitan Council

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Councilman Eric Crafton

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Dear Metro Council:

I am deeply concerned that this English Only proposal would be entertained by what should be a knowing and cultured public.  Apparently, those Nashvillians who are neither thoughtful nor traveled seek to impose their imprudent ideals on the rest of us.  Apparently, some Nashville citizens find it acceptable to elect personalities lacking erudition to public office.  Councilman Eric Crafton is a dispiriting example of absurdity given power.  These chauvinistic (daresay xenophobic) citizens of Nashville should be ashamed!

Let us pull the wool from over our eyes and recognize that the United States of America has never sustained a “majority rules” democracy.  Yes, the Constitution does support the will of the people; however, the Constitution also charges our government to protect the minority from the misguided and often dangerous will of the majority.

I was surprised to learn that my own wise, learned, and well traveled father once supported English Only.  He may have seen this proposal as a fair reaction to illegal immigration or a practical money-saving measure.  Fortunately, my father was, in his words, "blessed” with an experience that drove him to denounce that simple resolve.

I recently underwent surgery in the Republic of Korea (a country about the size of Indiana with a very homogeneous population greater than that of California), and my father flew here to be with me during my recovery.  Filled with worry and utterly fatigued, my father arrived—legally—at Incheon International Airport without even the slightest knowledge of the Korean language, which is quite dissimilar to English.  My father shared with me when he arrived at my bedside that, were it not for the many signs and documents that include Latin alphabet transcriptions of Korean and Korean to English translations, he would never have been able to make the journey from the airport to Samsung Medical Center alone.  He would have been utterly lost.  My father told me that his mind flowed immediately to Councilman Crafton and English Only, and he found that he could no longer support "that foolish proposal".  He called his change of mind a “revelation” and gave thanks to the Most High for illuminating his heart.

The fact that our great country—so overwhelmingly English-speaking—has never named English as our official language should come as more than a notion to our privileged and diverse populace.  My prayer is that the citizens of Nashville will resolve themselves to think along more enlightened paths.  If not, I pray that our government will fulfill its charge to aid and to protect our citizens as well as our legal residents and visitors that have no knowledge of or have not yet developed proficiency in English.

Sincerely,

Michael P. Vine