Archive for September 10th, 2008
Wishful thinking for English Only
It’s undeniably a victory by technicality, but here’s hoping that today’s developments from the Tennessee Supreme Court will give Council Member Eric Crafton time to focus his energies elsewhere:
Crafton has been trying to place a referendum on the November ballot that would ask Davidson County voters to make English the “only” language in which Metro officials can communicate. There are serious doubts that, even if approved, such a charter amendment would be enforceable due to federal laws.
Crafton had tried to place it on the ballot last year, but was denied because the Metro Charter limits when and how many additions to the document can be made over a multiyear period. Thinking that he had crossed the threshold, he reintroduced the referendum proposal this year only to be denied by the Davidson County Election Commission. The commission ruled, based on advice of the Metro Legal Department, that still not enough time had passed.
Not content with the ruling, Crafton then appealed to the judicial system to overturn that decision. Today, the Tennessee Supreme Court handed down its decision. They have denied Crafton’s motion to have even a hearing, thus letting earlier decisions stand and ensuring that an English Only referendum once again will not be placed on the ballot.
After all this time wasted on such a pointless measure, isn’t it time to do something meaningful that would contribute to improving the quality of life in Nashville? I expect that Crafton won’t do that, but will instead keep frittering away time and money that could easily serve better purposes. Surely there is a better way to serve the public than preying upon people who already have uphill climbs ahead of them.
Tags: english only, eric crafton, metro council, nashville, nashville post, politics, tennessee supreme court
Advice for Felicia and Vince
Note to Felicia Young, mother of Vince: You aren’t helping your son by talking to the media at length about what the Titans star quarterback is going through.
“What would you think, if you were tired of being ridiculed and persecuted and talked about and not being treated very well, what would you do? What kind of decision would you make?” Felicia Young said. “He may not want to deal with it (all), but you have to get to that point before you make that decision first. “But we’re not talking about football right now. We’re talking about what would make him happy, and that is the most important thing … You don’t want people to be hurting like he is. But it is a growing-up process, and he will eventually come out like gold no matter what. But Vince is going to be OK. We are just going to try and give him some space.”
Vince Young is under an enormous amount of pressure, and I don’t blame him one bit for feeling stressed out about it. At the same time, he didn’t sign a multimillion-dollar contract to play football in front of tens of thousands of fans (and millions of viewers) without knowing that his performance would be open to public scrutiny.
His injury, while unfortunate, may be a blessing in disguise: He can take time to deal with what is going on in his life and work through whatever he is feeling. At 25, Young is young, and it’s understandable that it’s not easy to learn and prosper with half the world watching his every move. I’m encouraged, honestly, to see a psychologist brought in to the situation and hope that Young will allow a clinical professional to help him overcome his struggles.
It’s only natural for a parent to want to defend her child, but doing it in the public eye only increases the focus-and the pressure-on Vince.
