Nashville has earned a place in the national spotlight. As the site of last week’s presidential debate, Nashville became the gathering point of media representatives from every corner of the country. Never before have I seen or heard reference to “Nashville, Tenn.” so frequently in the news. “Joe Smith is live from Nashville, Tenn.” Nashvillians were proud of their hometown. It was the best press the city could have hoped for, representing Nashville as the bustling, forward-thinking city it has become. We have made a name for ourselves on the national scene — a good reputation we must now continue to foster.
Last week, Metro Councilman Eric Crafton, the author of the English-only referendum, gained the necessary 2,475 signatures to secure a special election on the issue in January. English-only will prohibit all government services in the Metro Nashville area from being offered in any language other than English. The effects of making English Nashville’s official language reach beyond immigrants to our area who have yet to learn English to touch any foreign person coming into contact with Nashville. As I pointed out in a column in August, passing this bill into law would keep the government of Nashville from communicating in any foreign language no matter the available resources or the circumstances. For example, it would become illegal for a foreign, non-English-speaking tourist who has his wallet stolen to communicate with local police in his native language, even if an officer speaks the language. To top it off, this special election will cost taxpayers at least an extra $350,000, perhaps much more. Not only are Nashvillians being asked to pass this discriminatory bill, but they are also being asked to pay for it.
Nashville would be the first city to pass such a law. Is this really the kind of example we want to be setting on a national scale? Of course not. We cannot let this issue take center stage when there are so many other ways Nashville is setting a positive example. Take, for instance, the Tennessee Supreme Court, which is located in Nashville. Last week, Justice Sharon Gail Lee was sworn in as the third female of the five-member court, making Tennessee one of only four states to boast such a majority. The other supreme courts with a female majority are in Wisconsin, New York and Washington, D.C.
This progression is thanks, in large part, to Gov. Phil Bredesen, who can be credited with appointing two of the three women, Justices Lee and Cornelia Clark. As Bredesen said in a recent article in The Tennessean, “I really honestly believe that judicial appointments are among the most critical things you do as governor. They make tracks not over the next few weeks or the next few months, but really down through the years on items which are very, very important to the state.” Bredesen’s appointments, in this case, are not just important to the state — they are important to the nation. Women have been working for decades to make inroads into the legal profession. Their efforts are beginning to pay off. Smart, able, eloquent women are finding the careers their talents merit. However, four states out of 51 (including Washington, D.C.) is less than eight percent. More states must follow suit. Tennessee is leading the pack.
The debate provided Nashville a national debut. The stage is now set for an encore. Will it be the passing of the ill-advised, English-only referendum, or will it be the enlightened example of our state supreme court? The choice is ours. Will we show ourselves to be regressive or progressive?
Neily Todd is a senior in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at neily.p.todd@vanderbilt.edu.
