A lot of people move to Nashville from all around the world and they speak a lot of different languages. I think it would be easier if everybody learned the same language to communicate with each other. I don’t think it would be fair if everybody had to learn Arabic and Kurdish and Somali and French and Spanish. If everybody learns the same language we are all on the same page.

However, there is a push to have all government documents in Spanish, and there are many businesses that advertise that the speak Spanish there. Not any other language – just Spanish. The people from all other countries are not included. Translating and printing all government documents in two languages is expensive, and we are constantly having budget cuts. Where would this money come from? If they follow the usual trend then people’s jobs would be cut and service hours would be shortened.

For us to make everything in Spanish is to say that the Mexicans are unusual among all the other people who move here. It is saying that they are unable to learn English. I feel it is selling them short, and that it is an insult to their intelligence. If we print everything in Spanish and we all have to learn it, then they don’t have to learn it at all.

I feel we are handicapping them rather than helping them.