By Jen Maravegias | Politics | April 4, 2023 |
By Jen Maravegias | Politics | April 4, 2023 |
The GOP and its supporters love to proclaim everything they don’t like as either “woke” or “politically motivated.” By now, we all know that when they say “woke” they mean “anti-racist” and “politically motivated” means they just don’t want to be held responsible or accountable for rules and laws that are broken by members of their party.
If you want to see actual politically motivated legal actions check out what happened in Tennessee yesterday.
More than a thousand Nashville area students walked out of classes and marched on the state capital demanding stronger gun control laws in the wake of last week’s school shooting. They were joined by students and faculty from Vanderbilt University as well as State Representatives Justin Jones, Gloria Johnson, and Justin J. Pearson. All of them were removed from their committee assignments and now there’s a resolution on the floor to expel them from their seats.
From @brotherjones_ on the ground in Nashville— the Tennessee legislator is planning to expel lawmakers who stood with gun control advocates today.
— Olivia Julianna 🗳 (@0liviajulianna) April 3, 2023
They have been stripped from committee assignments and their member ID’s have been shut off.
THIS IS NOT DEMOCRACY. pic.twitter.com/QiFzFrwj79
“A resolution to expel Justin Jones from his seat as a member of the House of Representatives…”
— Rep. Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) April 3, 2023
Just handed this on the House floor, but they still have to vote. We’ll not be intimidated. THE PEOPLE are demanding we act to stop kids from being murdered in school. #goodtrouble pic.twitter.com/SWvWA5tTPI
All of that goes against Article 2, section 27 of Tennessee’s state constitution so good luck with that Tennessee GOP:
Any member of either House of the General Assembly shall have liberty to dissent from and protest against, any act or resolve which he may think injurious to the public or to any individual, and to have the reasons for his dissent entered on the journals.
In addition to those politically motivated actions, Rep. Justin Jones has documented a couple of cases of aggressively disrespectful behavior from his fellow Representatives during the peaceful protest.
Happening Now: Students are filling the halls of the legislature. (and @WilliamLamberth is talking down to Rep. @brotherjones_) pic.twitter.com/7e1CIHIOuj
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) April 3, 2023
Tonight as Tennessee House Republicans push forward to schedule vote on our expulsion, Speaker Sexton orders the gallery cleared as crowd chants “fascists.”
— Rep. Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) April 4, 2023
Media forced out at as well.
Then, Rep. Lafferty (R-Knox) pushes me and grabs my phone.
This is a sad day for Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/Lh08Ma5kdS
Even after all of this Jones, Johnson, and Pearson are still encouraging students and their constituents to call and peacefully assemble to voice their objections to Tennessee’s lax gun control laws. That’s leadership.
Likewise, at a protest in Florida yesterday, over that state’s new 6-week abortion ban, the chair of Florida’s Democratic Party, Nikki Fried, and the Senate minority leader, Sen. Lauren Book, were both arrested
During the protest the two lawmakers were part of a small group sitting on the ground, in front of Tallahassee City Hall, holding hands and singing songs. It’s entirely possible that Florida has decided the Bill Of Rights no longer applies because that’s the way DeSantis seems to be going these days. But I’m pretty sure you can’t get out of the First Amendment’s right of the people peaceably to assemble THAT easily, even in Florida.
Police just handcuffed & arrested protesters including â¦@NikkiFriedâ© & â¦@LeaderBookFLâ© pic.twitter.com/NCdqHJxmcx
— Gary Fineout (@fineout) April 4, 2023
I’m out. And not ever backing down.
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) April 4, 2023
Just fucking vote @FlaDems!!! pic.twitter.com/uCKsdVLjKJ
There are a lot of ways Twitter has broken society and is now totally broken itself. But, when Elon and his Dogeboys finally tank it, I am going to miss that platform for its ability to aggregate news stories like these.
What’s the lesson here? Do not despair. Keep fighting, and keep making your voices heard. Make good trouble where ever you are.