Bleeding Cool

For hardcore comics fans only: (and yeah, I know I'm like a month late posting the news. Chris found out where he went right away, but I haven't been online lately to post!!)

Rich Johnston (and his excellent comics industry news/gossip column, Lying In The Gutters) has left Comic Book Resources (CBR) to be lead writer on Bleeding Cool, a website hosted by Avatar Press. Working now for a publisher, he's technically not as "neutral" as being on what was a "plain ol' news site", but on the other hand he's getting paid (is my understanding) and frankly being able to pay bills and get food is good. So I'm glad for him and his family.

At Bleeding Cool, Johnston's new posts are set up more like individual blog posts than the weekly column format like the Lying In the Gutters had set up, so it's all broken up into little pieces as often as he posts (which definitely seems more frequently.) The new format takes a little getting used to, if only because it's not obviously identified as his own post.

I'm also just square enough to wish it were more obvious where I could specifically find Rich Johnston's posts on the site. I had to do a site search because I'd left the link info Chris sent me on my desk somewhere and I couldn't find it right now. I mean, I can find Warren Ellis' interesting and brilliant posts easily -- it's listed right on the sidebar (watch out if you have delicate language issues. Both columnists are British! :)

Interesting development, this ... I wish him the best and look forward to visiting more often now.

Abraham Lincoln's National Day of Prayer

I thought this would interesting reading fare since it's the 4th of July and all:

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

A Day Of National Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer

Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.

And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.

And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward, Secretary of State.

DVD Junkie: Jimmy Cagney is SO COOL

Chris and I are big fans of Film Noir, but it wasn't until we started watching the Warner Brothers films from the 30s and 40s that we really started to understand the charm and appeal of Jimmy Cagney and Edward G. Robinson's movies. Don't get me wrong -- I was already aware they were considered totally great actors. I'm just saying it's one thing to be aware of them as classic actors and quite another thing when you finally see them at work in their element. They are fantastic and Cagney is charming as all get-out! He takes over when he's onscreen. To have found out through one of the commentaries that he had started out as a boxer before he got into vaudeville and then into the movies made his little on screen dances, hand gestures and little twitches make total sense. He was occupying his space!

We started with the old Robinson and Cagney gangster film classics: 1931's Little Caesar (need to rewatch), 1931's The Public Enemy (really good), 1938's Angels with Dirty Faces (also good) & 1949's White Heat (long but good & dramatic) and have been lately seeing their more oddball stuff like 1933's The Picture Snatcher (funny & fun!), The Mayor of Hell (good & so sad!) & 1938's A Slight Case of Murder (weird & very funny!)

Interesting fare for the old-movie fan!

Best Mann For The Job Has a Trailer Now

Chris made us a trailer for Best Mann For The Job!

Blogger is behaving badly with me, so I can't insert the video here yet.

But meanwhile, it's on our new channel on YouTube!

Jesus Junkie

Yeah. It's come to that.

And y'know, sometimes it's just flat out hard to be a good disciple. And just when you think you're making headway, you do something stoopid and come off like a complete jerk to someone and you didn't mean to. Or it was a misunderstanding or someone misheard something or someone's got a chip on their shoulder, and folks are unnecessarily grieved and bummed. And what kind of example is that? This stoopid stuff hurts.

sigh.

It's hard. But ya keep trying. It's worth the effort. I hope I'm getting better at all this.

TV/DVD Junkie: Mannix Seasons One and Two

Okay, so following on the heels of that really good Perry Mason Anniversary boxed set, Chris and I decided we wanted to see Raymond Burr as Ironside. We got a sample DVD (4 episodes?) and that turned out to be really cool, too (& okay, so are like his sidekicks the precursers to the Mod Squad or what?! & yeah, I loved that show as a kid, too)

We next had to get a couplea seasons of Mannix, because Mike Connors is just C.O.O.L. Watching them, his character somehow reminds me of Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer. Dunno how well my memory is serving me, but the just feel like they fit in the same school of kick-butt detective.

Fun Fun Fun!

Three Months Later ...

Three months! It's a little shocking how time flies. I used to be so much better at blogging regularly, but lately it's just been hard to keep up. I need to not let so much time pass.

So what's happened in this time? The talk at the Nashville Artist Guild last March 8th went really great. Didn't get to cover everything, but had a blast talking about comics ... they have a new website currently under construction that's very pretty.

Sadly, the economy (and various factors) have closed several art places around town: The Palette Gallery and Cafe has disappeared. The Art (supply) Store in Green Hills (and Cool Springs) flat out closed. And the beautiful American Artisan crafts gallery/store closed due to Mrs. Saturn's health. That place featured lovely work by amazing artists -- but keep an eye out for the American Artisan crafts fair in Centennial Park cause she does still plan to do that (sigh! I clipped it out of the paper and everything to blog about the date and now I can't find it. Embarrassing! Too tired and lazy to google.)

I hope this June finds you in good spirits, and looking outwards toward the future with hope.

NAG Talk Sunday March 8th: Comic Book Art and Marketing Your Artwork

(Sparking Some Ideas)

Next Sunday, March 8th I've been invited to talk to the Nashville Artist Guild on the subject of "Comic Book Art and Marketing Your Artwork".

My talk is not going to be exclusively on comics, nor will the "Artwork" of the title be limited to marketing comics illustration.

I do plan to lightly go over a short history of comics and what I do (how long that goes on depends on how many fellow comics geeks are in attendance.) However my real hope is that sharing my comics experience would help spark a dialogue amongst the artists on how Marketing artwork has fallen more and more upon the artist and what can be done to Market ones work. Yeah, it's not a romantic thought -- (who wants to do sales work if their calling is art work?) -- but it's just reality now for the professional artist. (In fact it's a lot like what's going on in the book publishing field ...)

In spite of what seems on the surface to be discouraging news that artists (and writers) have to take care if this marketing stuff themselves, what ought to be kept in mind is that the playing field is becoming less mysterious, a lot more democratic, a lot more hands on, and oddly enough a lot more level in some ways. Sure, nothing beats getting representation at a gallery or being published by a real publishing company (and getting help, well, helps!) but nowadays not having those things won't necessarily stop anyone from success in their field if they're willing to put in the time and effort. (And an awful lot of it is time and effort.) I think a group like NAG is ideally the type of place where art pros starting out can really help each other figure these kinds of things out.

The talk is at the Nashville Artist Guild meeting, which starts at 2:30pm, next Sunday March 8th at The Vine Street Church, located on West End Ave and Vine Court. The meeting is held in the counseling offices, which are located in the building behind the sanctuary.

Joy and Delight: In Sharing Art and Stephanie S. Chubbuck's Glass Work

There's nothing like that moment when you look at a piece of art and so completely enjoy what that artist has wrought for you to share in looking at, that you are moved into the realm of true delight.

The first time that happened to me in a big way was in 2001, and I was so moved I even looked up and thanked God for fellow artists. (Maybe I've blogged about this before ... ?)

Anyway, it was that kind of magical delight moment I felt when I looked into the glass pieces by Stephanie S. Chubbuck that are on display at Gallery One. She had sculpted three pieces of fruit out of glass -- 2 peaches and a pear. The speckles laid on the outside "skin" were so pretty and made the fruit look so real -- but the kicker was when you turned to look on the other side. (Still having weird picture uploading problems -- that link will show you the peach.) There is a zipper set into the glass, unzipping the "fruit" so you could see inside! It was one of those crazy/surreal, mind-bendy moments. Like I said, delightful.

Visit Gallery One and see these lovely surreal glass fruit pieces live -- especially on the evening of Wednesday, March 11th at 7pm when the Gallery hosts an evening of live music and live art. And while you're there, enjoy the work of several other favorite artists of mine in the Gallery One roster: like Brian Tull, Susan Hall, and Jeff Faust!

Giant Monsters On The Loose!

Okay, I had NO IDEA buying Chris a set of Godzilla movies for his birthday last year would unleash a total giant monster obsession.

Let me put it this way. He is now so into giant monsters he even started a new blog.

I do have to say though, that the very original Godzilla movie, Gojira, took me by surprise. The original Japanese version is absolutely brilliant. And Akira Ifukube's music is completely COOL!

Cultural Heroes At The Downtown Nashville Library

February 19th Chris and I headed over to the Main Gallery at the Downtown Library to see the unveiling of the 6th colossal portrait head in a series sculpted by Alan LeQuire.

The first five heads are of Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Lead Belly, Paul Robeson and Woody Guthrie. Giant size -- (no seriously, they are enormous!) -- what was also striking to me was looking at each of them in turn and enjoying the specific sculpting of each. They are not all rendered in the same way, so the details of the sculpting work itself is captivating. The 6th head was placed at the end of the gallery, covered with a large, beautiful piece of fabric and tassel. Intriguingly hidden until it was time ... And it's one thing to see them, but a whole new other thing to listen to Mr. LeQuire explain what motivated him to create this colossal head series, which he calls "Cultural Heroes" and why these folks are important people to him (and should be to us all) and why he wanted to memorialize them in this particular way.

When LeQuire finished his intro, his little daughter Acadia pulled the drapery off the 6th head, and we saw the sculpture of singer Marion Anderson.

The audience just gasped.

What a reaction! It was thrilling! But how could we not react that way? Looking at her you'd swear she was in mid song, on the moment of the intake of breath, and that music was just going to burst out of her mouth any second. It was breathtaking. And impressive how the moment was so powerfully captured. (And if you've ever sung a song with any heart at all, you intimately know that moment from the singing POV. WOW!) It was amazing.

The Cultural Heroes: Sculpture By Alan LeQuire exhibit will continue through May 31. There will be several more programs involving this exhibit, including a talk & slideshow by Mr. LeQuire on Sat. March 21rst, a sculpture demo he will do on Saturday April 18th, and a Walking Tour of his artwork, starting at the Library's front doors on Saturday, May 9th.

I also highly recommend Mr. LeQuire's Atelier classes, which begin again at the LeQuire studio, this Thursday, March 5th at 5:30pm.

The Lost Art of Mentorship

It used to be that back in the day artisans, craftsmen, doctors, carpenters, blacksmiths, artists and such types would train apprentices and mentor students to teach them what they knew, in the hopes that the next generation would take what they had learned and think of even more wonderful things and do something even greater with the knowledge they have gained from the teacher.

Even Jesus mentors those who become His disciples (disciples in deed and not just in word). He mentioned this himself in John chapter 14 verse 12: "12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." In this chapter He was referring to the miracles He performed and how it was Father God working in Him. We as disciples of Jesus Christ, should be able take the gifts of the Holy Spirit as we are given them, and help each other out with them. This in theory should come to us as easily as breathing once we apply ourselves to being taught and being students of Jesus Christ.

So where has Mentorship gone? Has Fear chased it away so that few can discover its value?

Now I know there is a little bit still going on somewhere. When I hear the examples of great teachers or groups of people working together I have glimmers of hope that there are people who remember and who know how important it is to pass on hope and pass on skills and pass on the love for ones work. People simply have to be taught these things first hand. We don't really pass on that warmth if we are esconced inside our own homes.

When I look around at the quakes and woes of the financial crisis being thrust upon us, I see a great deal of people in leadership or highly responsible positions who really don't know what they're doing and who have never been trained to do the right thing. People seem to just be making up crap as they go along. There is an outright lack of respect for other people, which simply begins with themselves. They don't seem to expect it, so they can't seem to give it. How else can one explain the willy-nillyness of approving subprime mortgages and setting up people to lose their homes? Where are the supervisors of these people -- and better yet, why do the supervisors keep getting bonuses and golden parachute deals when they've failed so miserably at their jobs -- including failing to teach their staffs? Don't company shareholders have more say than that?

Missing in these inadequately trained people and terrible leaders are basic work skills that need to be learned in order to be good at ones job, including the skills to assess and gauge risk correctly. Things like this are elements of Wisdom, and we have to teach each other how to develop Wisdom and recognize its patterns and apply it to our work so we don't hurt each other by accident -- or on purpose.

Whether ones job is that of a doctor or painter or a financial advisor, there really are ground-rule guidelines that are very clear indicators whether one is actually any good at ones job. I mean, really. The fruits -- the results -- of the work speaks for itself, and results speak rather loudly of the sheer lack of training. Most students, with correct application -- and who are in the right field in the first place! -- can not only do good, they can truly excel.

We should be getting smarter, not dumber, as a society. Information is so accessible now that it's plum embarrassing that we're continually shortchanging ourselves and eachother by not expecting the best of eachother in character. But character, like language, has to be learned, absorbed and applied.

Shortcuts don't help if the rules that need to be known first are skipped over. See, you have to know the rules first before you can know whether they can be bent or changed, adjusted or flat out followed.

An understanding of mentorship at large seems to be missing ... and I hope enough of us wake up and realize that so that we can pull together and make up for lost time. We need to aim to truly make a difference and regenerate hope in and with eachother. We have to chase away and lock out that Fear that is trying it damndest to overtake us. There is no fear in Love.

Drawing on/of The Wound

The very first comic book convention I ever attended I was 18 years old, and it was probably at one of those old Hotels across from Madison Square Garden on Seventh Avenue, where the Big Apple convention is held nowadays.

I attended it with my then boyfriend, who was a comics geek and a very nice young man. We were both Illustration Majors. He insisted I go, and there was a drawing contest being held that he encouraged me to join. I entered and I actually won like third place or something! I was shocked and pleased, and made me think I could do something with drawing...

I remember my prize package contained three things, but the only one I was completely jazzed about was the 45 disk of the Doctor Who Theme. I played it when I got home, but it skipped something awful near the end. It must have been damaged. That bummed me out. But I guess it'd be fair to say that my TV/Movie soundtrack love was started/encouraged then.

Every once in a looooooooooong while I will remember that drawing. Like this weekend.

The drawing itself was a heavily pencilled illustration of a woman in a flowing robe. She kneeling but sitting on her heels, falling back, looking up to the heavens. There is a large pole that stabs through her heart and anchors her into the ground. She is holding it, trying to pull free. Her face is a combination of shock, pain and betrayal.

Shockingly, the drawing would be prophetic in a way. Me, torn through those things that anchor me to this very physical life, while yet crying up to God "What have I done?"

I remember this drawing of mine rarely. I've lost the original, and have repainted her once since, as a 2 tone watercolor. I am thinking of making a third version, perhaps. I am torn between expressing the pain and remembering it as a piece yet again or letting go of the pain and not recreating the image at all. Why should I give homage to this searing hurt?

The watercolor version specifically conveyed the betrayal of a close friend. As I get older I try to be kinder when this happens, be more forgiving. After all, I've been considerably stupid in my youth. Sometimes friends let us down without realizing it. There are times, too, when we have to see their actions are louder than words and they just don't know what they've said to us.

The way I see it now, you can forgive them, as you should, but there is no need to recreate the circumstances where they can repeat that act again. You can forgive the accidental trespasser, but kindly show them out, and lock the gate.

This pain at least is work-related, so it will pass. For that I am glad.

It was just completely unexpected. And dang if it doesn't leave a mark.

DVD Junkie: 7th Street The Movie

So I try not to get too sentimental (yeah, anyway) about NY since I now live in Nashville, but having NYC roots just goes deep.

A friend of mine gave me a copy of 7th Street, the movie by Josh Pais. Since this it's relevant to the project I'm now working on, I watched it immediately. It was amazing how gut wrenching a connection I made with it.

This is a documentary literally about East Seventh Street in Alphabet City, the neighborhood Josh Pais grew up in. I knew so many people just like the people he'd interviewed on the film, it was practically as if I were seeing my own neighbors. There's just something so very plain and practical about New Yorkers, so I couldn't help but love them all as human beings ... I felt a profound affinity and pathos and empathy with the people he interviewed. It is quite a good movie and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys watching documentaries and NYC history.

I got the DVD last year sometime, and I think I've watched this thing at least 25 times already. It doesn't make me as homesick as it did when I watched it the first, oh, 5 times, but I do still cry at parts. Guess I'm sentimental after all. We'll just leave it at that.

Joy and Delight: Rodin at The Frist!

An absolutely gorgeous exhibition of Rodin sculpture is at The Frist!

I have to express my extreme thanks to The Frist and the fine folks at First Tennessee bank for hosting their "Free Day" at The Frist last month. Thank you soooooo much!

When I saw that there opened an exhibition of Rodin's works at The Frist I was beside myself. He is one of my all-time favorite sculptors. I was also upset, because I knew that between my work schedule and our budget we just didn't have it to spare to go see this. (And believe me, the admission to The Frist is VERY modest!)

But serendipity --

I was on my way to a meeting downtown that got canceled, and I had some extra time before my next one (as a freelancer it's just smart to bundle them onto the same day when they are close by.) I was walking past The Frist and saw a huge sign hanging outside: "Free Day -- First Tennessee". I couldn't believe my eyes. I could see my favorite sculptor ... for free ... ? I went in and asked Admissions "Admission is free?" and the ladies smiled and said "Yes!" I think I jumped up and made a squealy noise. I get silly like that sometimes.

Seriously, I did at least thanked them and got my little sticker-ticket and went upstairs to see the exhibit. It was all I could do to not cry! I was choked up because I just really appreciated being treated to see it so much! And that people DO this sort of thing for each other was just so touching to me. I mean, it may not seem like a big deal to some people, but man, when your favorite artist has a show that comes to town and you can get to see it ... that is huge. (And as an aside, The Frist really has some exceptional shows they bring to town.)

So back to Rodin --

Rodin's work is beautiful, ugly, powerful, magnificent, awkward and absolutely wonderful. I haven't studied his work formally so I dunno if it was a progression of style thing or what, but frankly, when he works large scale the heads are sometimes too big, the feet are too big, the shoulders are too small ... but that all doesn't diminish the excellence of the piece itself. To me he's like the Jack Kirby of sculptors ... in that Jack Kirby's work was massive, and felt bigger than the page that tried to trap it in. Kirby's comic book work was likewise powerful, beautiful, ugly and magnificent all wrapped into his fantastical figures. Rodin's work, although it's free-standing sculpture, just feels larger than the space it seems to occupy. It's gorgeous stuff.

This work is dreamy. I look at it and I see more than what is apparent to the eye. It makes me dream and hope of things that are wonderful and possible. I absolutely enjoyed it.

Thank you Frist curators, and First Tennessee folks for making my day SO happy!

Now It's Costing Us Over $500,000

Sigh.

I've been hearing on the news since yesterday and reading in today's papers that the estimate for the special election costs to vote on the English First amendment to our Metro Nashville Charter has now soared to $500,000. The potential cost makes one gag in light of the general financial crisis we as a nation are going through.

Personally, I wanna know where this all comes from; why Crafton started this whole thing.

Were you walking down the Metro Council hallways one day and somebody said something in another language and that made you upset? Did someone actually have a side conversation in another language during a Metro Council meeting? What happened? I just want to understand why this came up out of the blue like it has and why you seem to spend so much time and now are spending our hard earned money willy-nilly on it, especially after you said you wouldn't push for a special election.

Putting aside the incredible redundancy of the proposed amendment -- since the State of Tennessee already recognizes English as the state language -- now that we Nashville taxpayers have been obligated to this outrageous special election costs by the pushy tactics of one Councilman, we should carefully examine what this amendment actually says in the way Crafton has currently written it. Because while on the surface it looks like the amendment is "defending" the right of Metro Nashville Government to continue to conduct Nashville business in English (like it already does) it in fact does not achieve that. The League of Women Voters of Nashville has just one of the checklists as to why it doesn't work.

According to the article by Nate Rau over at The City Paper, this is what Councilman Crafton said about his amendment:

“Me wanting to make English the government’s official language for all the boards, commissions, Council meetings, any action that binds the city, is a unifying factor. We’re going to be one community and we’re not going to prefer one immigrant community over another,” he said. “That’s a unifying factor, it’s not racially motivated.”

So let's see what the amendment actually says in the June 5th, The City Paper version:

“No person shall have a right to government services in any other language. All meetings of the Metro Council, Boards and Commissions of the Metropolitan Government shall be conducted in English. Nothing in this measure shall be interpreted to conflict with federal or state law.”

Here is the amendment in an August 14th version, quoted by the Hispanic Nashville blog:

"English is the official language of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee. Official actions (those which bind or commit the government) shall be taken only in the English language, and all official government communications and publications shall be published only in English. No person shall have a right to government services in any other language. All meetings of the Metro Council, Boards, and Commissions of the Metropolitan Government shall be conducted in English. Nothing in this measure shall be interpreted to conflict with federal or state law."

(Wow. Do we really want Nashville to get re-baptised as "The France of the South?")

This amendment -- as written in either version -- instead of "unifying"as Crafton claims to want to do, will actually hurt all Nashvillians. It in effect rolls away much of the authority Metro Nashville government rightfully has over its new immigrants, and I'm sure this was not the effect he was aiming for.

Providing basic translations of certain government services to new immigrants is not about "the rights" of one group over another. On the contrary, providing translations of certain services to new immigrants is about the rights of ALL Nashvillians to assist eachother in living in the city we have all decided to live in.

But until he bothers to explain himself, let's give him the benefit of the doubt -- maybe Councilman Crafton just doesn't realize how poorly written this amendment currently is. Maybe that's the problem. He sees the "big picture" and not what's actually written. He's so wrapped up in getting supporters behind the rather idea that he didn't bother to properly word the amendment in the first place so he now comes off as hostile to both immigrants and visitors. Perhaps had he taken the time to write this correctly, then there might be understanding between us all, instead of this weird hostility he's sown.

As it stands, the amendment removes instead of clarifies, and diminishes Metro instead of strengthens it. If enacted as is, it means Metro government will not allow itself to translate any of its government business paperwork into any other language. So (just for starters) DMV forms, car registration forms etc., -- all that ancillary government paperwork translated out of courtesy to new immigrants so they can conduct their proper business as they learn English -- will no longer be in other languages other than English.

So what's wrong with that, you say? They have to learn English, you say. It makes no sense, I say. English is not absorbed by osmosis, it is learned. (And on a larger scale, anyone remember being taught about the Rosetta stone back in High School?)

It then makes no sense that Metro should cut back on its authority over its new immigrant citizens by not providing translations for certain services. Why would we cut back on our authority? Metro has to make this basic paperwork available in other languages so people can do the right and legal thing when they get here.

Immigration and illegal immigration, and the English First amendment are very separate though interconnected/intermingled issues. (As are the issues of dealing with con men and lazy people, since we will find legal and illegal examples of both quite easily.) Each issue has to be examined within its own context, and then weighed with and against the other issues each one affects and is affected by, so we can make right decisions together as a society. We have to use Wisdom, compassion and justice with each other. For now let's just weigh in on the proposed amendment and the way it's written first.

Like I was saying, this amendment doesn't actually refine the Metro Nashville Charter. In practice this amendment as written will in fact decrease the authority of the government using the Charter. It will, by not reaching out to immigrants, undermine the authority of Metro through failing to provide translations, it will not make its new immigrant citizens accountable to Metro -- like all the rest of its citizens are -- and making Metro in turn accountable to its citizens, regardless of origin.

Why is this?

Let me put it this way. A bilingual person has the advantage of knowing two languages, and thus is able to communicate to a larger group of people. The key words here are "communicate" and "larger group". Being bilingual is an asset, it's not a shameful thing. Knowing more than one language is an asset in this world that is becoming so small. We should not be surprised at this. However, while we may know more than one language, our local and National agreed-upon main language for across-the-board communication is English. It's what makes America America, right?

Let me put it another way. A new immigrant has arrived and has made Nashville their home. They are learning English, working, paying their way. This new immigrant sees a crime committed against a fellow Nashvillian. They report it to the police, like they know is the right thing to do. But the "English First" people are telling me that the police department and legal department are not obligated to and should not provide an interpretor to help the witness aide the victim? Worse than that, you are telling me the witness should pay for the interpretor? (P.S. This is another amendment Crafton is working on.) Isn't this plainly creating a situation for the greater harm?

Again, it makes no sense I say. Isn't this government elected to serve its people?

So we know the language of the state of Tennessee and of Nashville is English. That's a "duh" to U.S. native and U.S. immigrant alike.

So while our agreed-upon main language is English, I do think we can further agree that a government willing to translate enough of its vital information in order to help a new immigrant integrate into its society is a government acting in a wise and benevolent manner. We must in effect mentor our new citizens. The translation of paperwork and basic services of ordinary citizen-obligations (say of drivers licenses, etc.) so immigrants can fill them out is only to help them to know the basics of what's expected of them as a citizen in the new society they've decided to join. This is a courtesy, and it's just enough so that they can adjust. They're obligated to learn the local language to further adjust in order to properly survive, really.

It's not very complicated or odd, is it? Translations are just necessary.

We cannot as citizens take one hundred steps back and use this amendment as it is worded now. The language as it stands will eliminate all proper use of translated languages that simply bridges the gap between immigrant/potential citizen and citizen. The elimination of such services would be harmful to all of us. This amendment as currently worded will move far more quickly to establish a far more vast illegal immigrant underground that will never integrate into Nashville society at all, just because it would be impossible for them to do so. And isn't that exactly what you were trying to avoid, Mr. Crafton? Where is the unity in that?

If you want people to come into Nashville, pay their taxes and make their legit way we have to reach out to them and help them to integrate. Being mean-spirited does not achieve that. They're going to stop driving because they don't have a license because they can't fill out the paperwork? Please. People gotta survive, and they are already here. Get them to integrate properly and to be legal, in a mature and compassionate way.

We are not coddling them by providing thesese services. However we must make the local rules clear and make it possible for them to join in and LEARN and work their part. They'll do it. Just don't make it impossible for them to do so.

Immigration and illegal immigration aside, we still must remember many of these immigrants are refugees from corrupt governments and war-torn countries whose governments give them no assistance in arriving here legally. It is up to us who are here to turn the situation around and make it possible for them to integrate. These are no longer the convenient days of one nice gateway called Ellis Island where everyone arrives here by boat and gets "checked in".

Frankly, we were all immigrants once, no matter how far back on the family tree we need to look. Current immigrants also just want someplace safe to live and will live legally by the common rules if we can respect each other's right to live. (Again, criminals are another story and we have plenty of legal citizen criminals for starters.) We do need a reasonable if small amount of government paperwork duly translated in order to scoop immigrants in and get them legalized. I don't see what's so hard to understand, and why Mr. Crafton insists on being hostile in his defense of this English First amendment. Now that we're stuck on having to vote on it, the way it's written now it's just not going to work in Metro's favor, or in ours (as Nashvillians).

HOWEVER, again, let's give Mr. Crafton the benefit of the doubt. Let's presume he just wasn't paying attention and didn't realize how poorly written his amendment really was. Let's re-read his original intention as he stated, and try this idea on for size:

We conduct government business here in the United States, in Tennessee, in English. MAYBE Crafton meant that he wants to move beyond the presumption of using English within the good city of Nashville, and his intention was instead to (simply and redundantly) clarify the specific Metro charter in order to specifically add that all Metro Government business meetings and resulting Metro business and legal documents concerning the conduct of Metro government business at the Metro offices shall be done only in English -- the official language of the state of Tennessee and thus of Metro -- but that government paperwork could be subsequently available in in other languages in translated form to the immigrant citizens of Nashville where appropriate. But if so, then that would be a different request and a different amendment entirely. Not the one he has in place now. That would demand a rewrite of what he has on its way to be voted on. (And another vote after it's re-written correctly, but that's another kvetch for another time.)

But as it stands, we'll be voting on and spending a huge amount of money on a uselessly and incorrectly written amendment that at the very least (to be extremely kind) needs to be re-written.

If you want to see how important the proper wording on an amendment is, just check out Amendment #1 which appears on our Nov 4 ballot (you can see it on the sample ballot registered voters are receiving in the mail this week.) That is a re-vote on a previously too-vaguely worded amendment we'd all voted on before (in 2006? Been trying to Google it for the link for dates.) Through this current example alone we can see how proper phrasing is WAY important to settle on BEFORE an amendment gets as far as to be voted on by the citizenry.

Anyway. The amendment Crafton has proposed and will have us vote on in January, as currently worded will reduce the authority of Metro Nashville government, and will not achieve the "Nashville unity" Crafton thinks it will. We can plainly see this by the fruits of disharmony that's erupted.