The new year was only a day old when early voting began on January 2. On the ballot is a proposed charter amendment that must be defeated, since it would prohibit any kind of government service from being offered in languages other than English.
Immigration and the presence of refugees from non-English speaking countries contribute to a host of problems, but none of them will be addressed by restricting the use of other languages by city officials. This ballot initiative creates an emotionally charged atmosphere that can only complicate the quest for real solutions to the problems arising from various cultural groups living together in one city. From a Christian perspective, love of neighbor and hospitality require that we do what we can to improve communication with the stranger in our midst.
Faith leaders in Nashville have come together in voicing our strong opposition to the proposed charter amendment, and we urge our congregants to vote against the ballot measure. More than 150 of us so far have signed the following statement.
As religious leaders in Nashville/Davidson County, we have watched with interest and concern the movement to establish English as the official language of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville. The proposed charter amendment would prohibit any kind of government service from being offered in languages other than English.
We come from a variety of religious traditions, but we are united in our opposition to the English Only amendment. We consider it to be unjust, inhospitable, and detrimental to the wellbeing of our community. We urge our fellow Nashvillians to defeat this measure once and for all.
Government representatives have already pointed out the negative effects of such an amendment on tourism, law enforcement, and economic development. Authoritative writings of many faith traditions, including the Jewish Torah, the Christian New Testament, and the Islamic Qur'an, encourage the faithful to show hospitality to strangers. We affirm that barriers of language and culture are to be overcome not by means of exclusion but by mutual concern for the wellbeing of the other.
The English Only proposal erects a wall where windows to better understanding are needed. It creates a climate of hostility and fear rather than hospitality. Nashville is a great city to live and work, to go to school or start a business, to visit and remember. Removing the possibility of government services and documents in languages other than English makes it harder to welcome friends and guests from abroad, to assimilate immigrants and their children into our community, and to provide a safe place for refugees. We want Nashville to be a city of true hospitality.
We recognize that the issue of immigration in our country is difficult, and that some in our community fear the pace of growth in our non-native population. We are aware of the many challenges we face in welcoming newcomers to this place we call home. However none of these issues will be addressed by restricting the use of other languages by city officials. Rather, the people of Nashville must continue the long and often difficult conversation about how we improve life in our community and how we grow into the future.
We care for this great city, and faithfulness to our religious traditions leads us to stand in opposition to the English Only proposal.
