Round up on the Crafton Charter amendment

Coming in fast are the responses to Councilman Eric Crafton's effort to amend the Metro Nashville charter with a ballot initiative that would make English the official language of Nashville.

Jim Grinstead of Progressive Nashville had this full-blooded retort to the effort.

It's a multi-cultural world and Crafton has yet to realize it. He would rather see families do without necessary services if they cannot ask for them in English. Do people learn faster when they are denied water and sanitary services? Should they ignore the accident victim on the side of the road because they cannot speak English during a 911 call?

Mike Byrd asks why the City Paper isn't asking more questions, particularly about the claim that Crafton's amendment would help immigrants. As we said at Grand Divisions earlier this week, it's the media coverage that will matter in shaping the debate.

Truman Bean takes another view, focusing on the perspective that Crafton is a champion of democracy in jumping over the Council on the issue. He touches on the media issue, too:

Just wait, the Tennessean and their status quo cronies will opine heavily against it.

I wonder how long we'll have to wait. As of Saturday, the Tennessean still has not covered the story. WSMV has. And even though WSMV included a response to Crafton's initiative, it's clear that Crafton is setting the agenda for the coverage so far.

The Nashville Scene's Pith in the Wind quoted Mike Byrd and added their own touch by posting a picture of Godzilla. Let's hope they assign one of their writers an extended piece on Crafton's campaign.