Crafton shows true colors with debate request; his politics of self show why 'English First' referendum should be defeated at ballot box Jan. 22

NewsChannel 5 reports that Councilman Eric Crafton -- the originator of the "EnglishFirst" referendum to be before voters Jan. 22 -- wants to publicly debate Nashville Mayor Karl Dean over the issue.

In a rare occurrence, Dean actually opposes the referendum openly and aggressively. He says it will make things worse for Nashville than his first year in offce.

Crafton wants to debate to be the next mayor of Nashville. All this talk about right and wrong and following the law has been a bunch of hogwash. He has used this issue and the signatures of more than 10,000 voters push what he is really most dedicated to: his political career.

There's more to back up my contention. I published a blog post and then sent an e-mail to Crafton more than 10 days ago inviting him to participate in raising funds to purchase 10 computers for parishioners at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. The technology would be used for the learning of oral English on the Rosetta Stone software.

The church already has 10 computers for this effort thanks to Catholic Charities. Father Fernando and church administrator Hector Martinez want a total of 20 to meet the demand of people WANTING to learn English. These are two, very good men watching out over a flock of 5,000 human beings, making Our Lady's the largest Catholic Church in Tennessee in 11 months of operations. i am privileged to know these two leaders and to work with them.

If Crafton's referendum were true to its ideals as were its out-of-state financiers, then the councilman should have jumped on my offer to promote the common ground and respect for his office. We know Crafton reads his e-mails, because he complained last weekend about receiving threatening e-mails from a person he knows.

Crafton has never replied to my e-mail or blog post. And with the report about his desire to debate the mayor, his heart has been revealed. It's a self-centered one that looks out for neither the voters of Nashville or what's best for the city.

I oppose his referendum as an American first, not someone of Hispanic descent. I have lived in upstate New York and lived among my Italian brothers and sisters and listened to their stories of gross mistreatment. Their native language also was challenged so they built up their neighborhood communities called Little Italy, where English and Italian could be used side by side.

It's time for this nation to stop this repeat of history's bad chapters and learn and change. Nashville is big enough for multiple languages and the recognition of those languages by its government.

Guess the largest English-speaking nation next decade: China. Why? Because this economic superpower has recognized that speaking the language of their best consumers is a way to raise the standard of living and keep the economy there growing.

It's the same here. We need to communicate with the largest and youngest available workforce that will fill the jobs graying Nashvillians are leaving next decade. Nashvile is the health care center of the South, led by Vanderbilt Medical Center. Our nation will face a nursing shortage of 500,000 caregivers by 2020. From where will all the nurses come? From human beings of Hispanic descent.

We communicate by welcoming their differences, while realizing that they know of the need for them to learn English. My wife is learing Spanish after mastering Latin as a youngster. She has found Spanish to most logical and close to her Latin. Adults need to keep learning, too. That can create new friends and new business in a decling economy from Hispanic wanting to buy cars, fix cars and so many other purchases and good things that involve living.

Father Joe Pat Breen of St. Edwards knows all these things from his heroic involvement with the Hispanic community.

At St. Edwards school, he knows their children already are speaking English and Spanish because their minds are mentally connected to learning a new language sooner. They don't fear a new language because they're immersed in it -- in school, on the playground and on television. Fear is what's driving Crafton's referendum among petition signers.

They fear people speaking in Spanish are talking about how fat they are. These human beings should be, but they're not. We Americans are fat, too much so. It's affecting our health and giving diabetes to our children at a shocking rate. As a diabetic for the past two years, I wouldn't wish this condition that requires constant maintenance on anyone. Diabetes affects every part of the body negatively. I'll blog on my experiences and preventitive steps in diet and authentic Mexican cooking later.

I ramble a bit in this blog for a purpose. Every stone thrown into a pond has a ripple effect. The intent of the stone thrower is everyting to determining whether that act was meant to disrupt or inspire.

We now know what kind of stone thrower Councilman Eric Crafton is.

His referendum should be defeated simply to keep his kind of politics of self-service -- which infects Washington D.C. -- from taking more root here. Nashvillians of higher character and ideals deserve the same from their elected leaders.