{"id":5618,"date":"2023-04-08T15:42:06","date_gmt":"2023-04-08T15:42:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=5618"},"modified":"2023-04-08T15:42:06","modified_gmt":"2023-04-08T15:42:06","slug":"tennessee-becomes-new-front-line-in-americas-fight-for-democracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/americas\/tennessee-becomes-new-front-line-in-americas-fight-for-democracy\/2023\/04\/08\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee Becomes New Front Line in America’s Fight for Democracy"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASHVILLE,<\/span> Tennessee<\/span> (AFP)<\/span> –<\/span>\u00a0Tennessee<\/span> voted<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> future<\/span> of<\/span> American<\/span> democracy<\/span> after<\/span> Republicans<\/span> kicked<\/span> out<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> state<\/span> legislature<\/span> two<\/span> black<\/span> lawmakers<\/span> who<\/span> took<\/span> part<\/span> in<\/span> protests<\/span> demanding<\/span> passage<\/span> of<\/span> gun<\/span> control<\/span> measures.<\/span> It<\/span> has<\/span> become<\/span> the<\/span> new<\/span> front<\/span> line<\/span> of<\/span> battle.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> separate<\/span> ballots<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday,<\/span> an<\/span> overwhelming<\/span> majority<\/span> of<\/span> Republicans<\/span> ousted<\/span> Justin<\/span> Jones<\/span> and<\/span> Justin<\/span> Pearson,<\/span> leaving<\/span> nearly<\/span> 140,000<\/span> voters<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> mostly<\/span> black<\/span> counties<\/span> of<\/span> Nashville<\/span> and<\/span> Memphis<\/span> without<\/span> representation<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Tennessee<\/span> House<\/span> of <\/span>Representatives.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Kevin<\/span> Webb,<\/span> his<\/span> 53-year-old<\/span> teacher<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> Pearson<\/span> area,<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> was<\/span> “typical<\/span> America”<\/span> \u200b\u200bthat<\/span> dismissed<\/span> him<\/span> “for<\/span> the<\/span> slightest<\/span> offense.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“He’s<\/span> had<\/span> prejudice<\/span> against<\/span> blacks<\/span> for<\/span> 500<\/span> years<\/span> in<\/span> this<\/span> country,”<\/span> Webb<\/span> said.<\/span> “Why<\/span> do<\/span> you<\/span> think<\/span> it<\/span> will<\/span> stop<\/span> suddenly?”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Pearson<\/span> and<\/span> Jones<\/span> were<\/span> expelled<\/span> in<\/span> retaliation<\/span> for<\/span> their<\/span> role<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> protests<\/span> that<\/span> unfolded<\/span> after<\/span> a<\/span> shooting<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> Nashville<\/span> school<\/span> that<\/span> killed<\/span> six<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> people,<\/span> including<\/span> three<\/span> young<\/span> students.<\/span> A<\/span> third<\/span> Democrat<\/span> escaped<\/span> expulsion<\/span> by<\/span> one<\/span> vote.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>NAACP<\/span> president<\/span> and<\/span> CEO<\/span> Derrick<\/span> Johnson<\/span> said<\/span> civil<\/span> rights<\/span> groups<\/span> are<\/span> ready<\/span> to<\/span> take<\/span> legal<\/span> action<\/span> “to<\/span> ensure<\/span> that<\/span> this<\/span> heinous<\/span> attempt<\/span> to<\/span> silence<\/span> the<\/span> voices<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> people<\/span> is<\/span> brought<\/span> to<\/span> justice.”<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>House<\/span> Speaker<\/span> Cameron<\/span> Sexton<\/span> has<\/span> resisted<\/span> criticism<\/span> that<\/span> he<\/span> is<\/span> leaving<\/span> thousands<\/span> of<\/span> Tennesseans<\/span> without<\/span> representation<\/span> and<\/span> stealing<\/span> their<\/span> votes.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“Actions<\/span> have<\/span> consequences,”<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span> “These<\/span> members<\/span> have<\/span> had<\/span> this<\/span> Congressional<\/span> voice<\/span> for<\/span> 45<\/span> minutes<\/span> because<\/span> they<\/span> led<\/span> protests<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> floor<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> House<\/span> and<\/span> disrupted<\/span> our<\/span> business.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> trio’s<\/span> participation<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> demonstration<\/span> lasted<\/span> just<\/span> a<\/span> few<\/span> minutes.<\/span> It<\/span> was<\/span> Sexton<\/span> who<\/span> called<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> break<\/span> in<\/span> meetings<\/span> with<\/span> lawmakers.<\/span> Webb<\/span> asked<\/span> why<\/span> Jones<\/span> and<\/span> Pearson<\/span> were<\/span> deported,<\/span> but<\/span> not<\/span> white<\/span> Congressman<\/span> Gloria<\/span> Johnson.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Clayton<\/span> Cardwell,<\/span> who<\/span> lives<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Jones<\/span> neighborhood<\/span> of<\/span> Nashville,<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> phone<\/span> interview<\/span> that<\/span> last<\/span> week’s<\/span> protests<\/span> against<\/span> tougher<\/span> gun<\/span> laws<\/span> were<\/span> “just<\/span> right.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“We<\/span> wanted<\/span> the<\/span> whole<\/span> house<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> involved,”<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span> I<\/span> recall<\/span> being<\/span> told<\/span> that<\/span> teaching<\/span> was<\/span> the<\/span> safest<\/span> profession<\/span> when<\/span> a<\/span> retired<\/span> teacher<\/span> was<\/span> completing<\/span> his<\/span> master’s<\/span> degree<\/span> in<\/span> special<\/span> education.<\/span> “Now<\/span> I<\/span> consider<\/span> it<\/span> one<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> most<\/span> dangerous.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Cardwell,<\/span> who<\/span> is<\/span> white,<\/span> also<\/span> questioned<\/span> the<\/span> motives<\/span> behind<\/span> the<\/span> deportation.<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cThere<\/span> are<\/span> just<\/span> a<\/span> lot<\/span> of<\/span> prejudiced<\/span> older<\/span> white<\/span> men.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Nashville<\/span> attorney<\/span> Chris<\/span> Wood<\/span> was<\/span> so<\/span> concerned<\/span> that<\/span> his<\/span> representative<\/span> could<\/span> be<\/span> deported<\/span> that<\/span> he<\/span> went<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> Capitol<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday<\/span> to<\/span> observe<\/span> the<\/span> proceedings.<\/span> “It<\/span> was<\/span> terrifying,”<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span> “It<\/span> was<\/span> an<\/span> abuse<\/span> of<\/span> power.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Wood,<\/span> who<\/span> has<\/span> three<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> children<\/span> who<\/span> attend<\/span> public<\/span> schools,<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> was<\/span> “incredibly<\/span> immoral”<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> Republican<\/span> majority<\/span> to<\/span> refuse<\/span> to<\/span> even<\/span> consider<\/span> gun<\/span> control.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“Nothing<\/span> matters<\/span> more<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> community<\/span> than<\/span> ending<\/span> gun<\/span> violence<\/span> and<\/span> getting<\/span> kids<\/span> home<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> end<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> day,”<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span> “It’s<\/span> the<\/span> only<\/span> country<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> world<\/span> where<\/span> that<\/span> happens.<\/span> “<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Wood<\/span> hopes<\/span> Jones<\/span> and<\/span> Pearson<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> back<\/span> soon.<\/span> They<\/span> were<\/span> re-elected<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> House<\/span> of<\/span> Representatives<\/span> by<\/span> their<\/span> district’s<\/span> county<\/span> committee<\/span> and<\/span> were<\/span> able<\/span> to<\/span> run<\/span> again<\/span> in<\/span> special<\/span> elections.<\/span> Andrea<\/span> Wiley,<\/span> a<\/span> lifelong<\/span> Tennessee<\/span> resident<\/span> who<\/span> lives<\/span> and<\/span> works<\/span> in<\/span> Pearson<\/span> County,<\/span> said<\/span> she<\/span> was<\/span> embarrassed<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> state.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Tamara<\/span> Johnson<\/span> said<\/span> she<\/span> and<\/span> her<\/span> family<\/span> voted<\/span> for<\/span> Pearson<\/span> and<\/span> agreed<\/span> to<\/span> change<\/span> gun<\/span> laws.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> vote<\/span> to<\/span> exclude<\/span> “feels<\/span> like<\/span> there<\/span> are<\/span> no<\/span> words,”<\/span> she<\/span> said.<\/span> “They<\/span> fired<\/span> him<\/span> for<\/span> fighting<\/span> to<\/span> improve<\/span> gun<\/span> laws.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AFP) –\u00a0Tennessee voted for the future of American democracy after Republicans kicked out of the state legislature two black lawmakers who took part in protests demanding passage of gun control measures. It has become the new front line of battle. In separate ballots on Thursday, an overwhelming majority of Republicans ousted Justin Jones […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[2400,280,2409],"tags":[299,1463,3426,3428,3526,3527,3528,3529,3530,3531,3532,3533],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1000-3.jpeg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5618"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5618"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5618\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5621,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5618\/revisions\/5621"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}