The outrage across the country with the firing of two elected Democratic Tennessee House members for just talking too long has come out as straight race related….
The two voted out by other lawmakers are Black…
Another Democratic lawmakers who stood with her fellow party member s complaining about gun control and violence was White…She was NOT fired…..
There IS a catch in this….
The three come from a strong Democratic area’s that will have to pick replacements for the two elected lawmaker’s that where fired by the majority Republicans….
Indication’s ARE that the two fired lawmakers will be reinstated to their spots while a new election is held IN THAT area ….
Soooooo?
The Republican might have assured the two that they will be re-elected to keep their offices….
I don’t think the GOPer’s there figured things would go this way, eh?
Expelled by their Republican colleagues for an act of protest, Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson were no longer members of the Tennessee House of Representatives on Friday. They could not advocate for their constituents in Nashville and Memphis, take to the floor again to push for gun control legislation or even access the building after hours.
But instead of sidelining the Democratic lawmakers, the expulsions have sparked outrage and galvanized national support within their party, and the two young Black lawmakers are poised to return to the state legislature — as soon as next week — with a platform and profile far surpassing what they had just days ago.
On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris made a hastily arranged visit to Nashville to meet with the state lawmakers, and President Biden, who described the Republicans’ actions as “shocking” and “undemocratic,” called the ousted Democrats to offer his support and invite them to the White House.
“That made these individuals martyrs,” Representative Antonio Parkinson, a Democrat from Memphis, said of the expulsions. “It’s going to be extremely hard to silence them.”….
…
On Thursday, enraged demonstrators filled the corridors of the state building, chanting their support for the three lawmakers. As infuriated as they have been by the process, activists said the moment was also inspiring others to become involved. “My phone has not stopped ringing,” said Tequila Johnson, the executive director of the Equity Alliance, a grass-roots social justice organization in Nashville.
The demonstrations over guns came as the Republican supermajority has pushed ahead with an aggressive conservative agenda, including adopting a law restricting drag performances and another measure blocking gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Last Friday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the implementation of the drag law, hours before it was set to go into effect…..
…
Supporters of Mr. Jones and Mr. Pearson invoked civil rights leaders of the past as they described them and their approach to politics. Mr. Jones often referred to “good trouble,” the term indelibly linked to John Lewis, the congressman and activist who died in 2020, as a mantra for employing activism to confront racism and discrimination….
….
“If you expel them, they’re just going to get blown up to a level that none of y’all are ever going to see,” Mr. Richey said, recounting what he told other lawmakers considering expulsion. “And that’s exactly what’s unfolding right now.”….
image…Credit…Jon Cherry for The New York Times
Republicans =Hate,Hate and more Hate.
I might add ,I don’t agree with what those legislators did and a reprimand of some type might have been in order.
However ,expulsion was not called for and then compounding the matter by expelling the two Black members but not the White one?
I mean you would think even the Republican idiots could have seen the atrocious optics of that move.Then again ,hate is never really rational.
Agreeded…..
They seem to be order to eat a shit sandwich though….
The local’s are and WILL put the two guys BACK….
And they have the natuinal media ALL on their case….
Kamala Harris Backs ‘Tennessee 3’ With Powerful Message On Democracy
Harris said Friday that the state House’s act “wasn’t about the three” Democrats. “It’s about whose voices they were channeling. Understand that.”
“And is that not what a democracy allows? Democracy says, ‘You don’t silence the people. You do not stifle the people. You don’t turn off their microphones when they are speaking about the importance of life and liberty.’”….
Breaking…..
Justin Jones has been picked to come back and replace his seat that he kicked out of the state GOP lawmakers….
There will a special election for ‘his’ seat….
More….
CALL TO ACTIVISM
@CalltoActivism
JUST IN: The GREAT news for Tennessee Democrats continues!
A Tennessee judge has just ruled to BLOCK a Tennessee Republican move to cut the Metro Nashville council in half.
Unbelievably, state lawmakers attempted to cut the Democratic-leaning city of Nashville’s Metropolitan Council in half, from 40 members to 20.
The decision came on the heels of the council’s decision to reinstate Rep. Justin Jones to the Tennessee State House,
Today was a HUGE victory for democracy in Tennessee!
Update……
“Shelby County Commissioners reappointed Justin Pearson (D) to the Tennessee state House Wednesday to cries of applause and cheers of excitement,” the Tennessean reports.
“The expected move from commissioners means Pearson could be back in the state House as early as Thursday, less than a week after he and Rep. Justin Jones (D) were expelled from their seats.”
Politicalwire