NASHVILLE WINS

Photo of Nashville Parthenon © Chris Wage. Used with permission. http://www.chriswage.com

Voters side with two mayors, new Council to defeat English Only

An English Only proposal was defeated Thursday night in Nashville after over 40,000 voters stood up in opposition to the measure.  The rejection aligns Nashville’s voters with the current Metro Council, current Mayor Karl Dean, and Dean’s predecessor Bill Purcell.

Former Mayor Bill Purcell vetoed a similar measure when it came across his desk in 2007; current Mayor Karl Dean has vigorously opposed this year’s version; and the current Metro Council passed a resolution by a 3-1 margin urging Nashville voters not to sign the petition putting the measure on the ballot in the first place.

English Only was defeated tonight by a margin of 57-43%.  Amendment #2 failed by an even larger margin.  An unprecedented, citywide coalition formed in opposition to both measures.

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This is Election Day: Nashville is on world stage

Image by Rex Hammock. Licensed via Creative Commons

The Tennessean reports here that the world is watching Nashville, and in some cases sending camera crews here, to see how we handle English Only.

Vote today.

For more information visit the Vote page of the Nashville for All of Us web site.  If you have already voted, visit the Volunteer page and volunteer – this is your last day to do so.

The polls are open from 7am-7pm across town.  The Vote page has a link to your voting location.

Deluge of opposition to English Only

Image by Alexandre Duret-Lutz. Licensed via Creative Commons.

Even with approximately 70 posts to date, this blog has not reproduced all of the written opposition to English Only in Nashville, nor could it ever.  Because today is the day of the special election and the last day to vote, however, the best we can do with the “waiting list” of those comments, letters, columns, blog posts, other statements of support, and news that have so far gone unpublished here is to link to as much of them as we can in list form below.

Our apologies to those whose public statements and endorsements have not been included here – and there are many of you.  We know that everyone who has spoken out against the charter amendments in any context is a part of this effort.

Thank you!

Today is Election Day – VOTE

Vote today!  For more information visit the Vote page of the Nashville for All of Us web site.  If you have already voted, visit the Volunteer page and volunteer – this is your last day to do so.

The polls are open from 7am-7pm across town.  The Vote page has a link to your voting location.

Yard signs available at HQ only

Yard signs are now available at campaign headquarters only. Headquarters is located at 1814 Church Street, Nashville, 37203 (former Ronnie Steine office, next to Budget Rent-a-car).

The building, also known as “Against HQ,” will be open every day between now and Election Day, January 22 – less than one week away.

Click here for a Google Map

Hours of Operation:
Monday – Saturday: 10am – 8pm
Sunday: 1pm – 6pm

For a few minutes, the Nashville for All of Us web site incorrectly said the signs were “sold out,” but they are still available for pickup at HQ.  Home delivery, however, is no longer available.

First ladies take symbolic walk to early vote against English Only

(L-R) Andrea Conte, Martha Cooper, Anne Davis

Andrea Conte, Martha Cooper, and Anne Davis, the wives of Governor Phil Bredesen, U.S. Representative Jim Cooper, and Mayor Phil Bredesen, respectively, walked from the Metro Courthouse to the Election Commission earlier this week to show their opposition to English Only and early vote against amendments #1 and #2.  Here is an excerpt from the Tennessean story:

Andrea Conte and Anne Davis, the first ladies of Tennessee and Nashville, respectively, walked almost two miles with supporters from the Metro Courthouse downtown along Second Avenue to the Davidson County Election Commission offices at the Metro Office Building.

They were joined by Martha Cooper, wife of U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville. Cooper has already cast his vote against it. He was out of town and couldn’t vote with the governor and mayor.

They cast early votes against the English-only amendment.

Campaign headquarters is open

Map to HQ

Nashville for All of Us is proud to announce the opening of our campaign office:

1814 Church Street, Nashville, 37203
(former Ronnie Steine office, next to Budget Rent-a-car)
Google Map

The building, also known as “Against HQ,” will be the primary phonebanking and canvassing location. We’ll be open every day between now and Election Day, January 22 – less than two weeks away!

Hours of Operation:
Monday – Saturday: 10am – 8pm
Sunday: 1pm – 6pm

We will continue to phonebank at the Davidson County Democratic Party office (95 White Bridge Rd, Suite #412, Nashville, 37205) each weekday between 10am and 6pm. Feel free to use that location if it is more convenient. Each location has 10 cellular phones that you can use, first come first served.

Click here to sign up for shifts. Someone will call you to confirm your shift and make sure you know where to go.

Yard signs available!

Sign up to receive a yard sign at http://yardsigns.nashvilleforallofus.org

Early voting runs January 2-17

Early voting has begun and will end January 17.  Your vote counts – click here for information from Nashville for All of Us about early voting days and times.

Speak Up Nashville!

Absentee Voting

Early voting on English Only starts January 2 and the special election starts January 22, but if you are an eligible Nashville/Davidson County voter and you won’t be in town, absentee voting is an option.

More information is available here:

http://nashville.gov/vote/absentee.htm

and the form to request an absentee ballot is available here:

http://nashville.gov/vote/absentee_ballot.htm

Speakers Available

Experienced and knowledgeable speakers are available through Nashville For All of Us to present information about why it is critically important to oppose the English Only resolution and/or to train and activate interested organizations to campaign against it.  Presentations can be tailored to your organization’s needs and can address a variety of topics related to the conversation about immigration.  For information about speakers and/or to arrange for someone to speak to your organization contact …

Avi Poster
aviposter@comcast.net
414-2396

Nashville Peace and Justice Center spreads the word about English Only

The Nashville Peace and Justice Center was featured in this Channel 5 story for reaching out to local residents about English Only:

The small group of volunteers hopes to make a big difference one phone call at a time.

“To alienate any group of human beings is completely wrong,” said Krystal Kinnunen-Harris.

“Nashville doesn’t need to be a place of persecution,” said Stephen Mallett.

Read the story and watch the video here.

Nashville for All of Us on Facebook

Nashville for All of Us has officially moved to Facebook – the group is called “Nashville’s Moment Is Now” (click here to join).

There are other great Facebook groups opposing the English charter change, and the “official” status of Nashville’s Moment Is Now doesn’t take away from the wonderful things going on elsewhere. Some of those groups are very active and have grown even larger than Nashville’s Moment Is Now, so check them out:

http://nashvillesmoment.com/2008/11/nashvillians-are-already-opposing.html

The idea of the growing Facebook community coalescing around the issue – no matter the group – is to inspire and activate Nashvillians to vote AGAINST the English charter change.

We all believe that Nashville’s moment is now.

Volunteers needed

There’s a lot to do between now and January 2.  Two early tasks for which volunteers are needed are (1) developing written refutations of the latest talking points at the proponents’ web site, and (2) coordinating volunteers.   If you have an interest in volunteering, please send an e-mail to volunteer@nashvilleforallofus.org