Two Tennessee lawmakers were expelled from the State House after they were accused of inciting an insurrection at the Capitol in Nashville. Just a few days ago, hordes of young people crashed the State House in response to the recent mass shooting that took place in Nashville. They were “protesting” for stronger gun laws, which is not very popular in deep-red Tennessee.
Three lawmakers were in danger of exile but only two suffered this fate. Justin Pearson of Memphis and Justin Jones of Nashville were both expelled. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville was spared expulsion by just one vote. Of course, the optics of two black males being disciplined while a white woman was not disciplined sparked cries of racism. The truth is that in order to get voted out of the Tennessee State House, there must be a two-thirds majority vote for each person. Johnson simply did not make that threshold.
The move has sparked controversy due to its “unprecedented” and “political” nature. Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and others voiced their displeasure with the move carried out by the Republican majority state government. Even some Republicans say that the punishment was too harsh and short-sighted since the expelled Democrats may run again and they would probably win. The problem with going “easy” on these guys is that Democrats would never do the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot. A prime example of this is the response to January 6th.
To speak of future plans for Justin Joines and Justin Pearson, both men gave speeches during the process to vote them out. Pearson’s speech has essentially gone viral on social media. Many compare him to Malcolm X or Martin Luther King due to his oration style. Others see him as a charlatan who is simply parroting Civil Rights era speech cadence. Similar to black preachers in small-town megachurches.
SOURCES:
Tennessee lawmakers expel two Democrats, spare one over gun control protest
Obama: Expulsion of Tennessee lawmakers ‘a sign of weakness’ | The Hill
Insurrections Happen In Kentucky And Tennessee State Capitols At The Same Time – Anthony Brian Logan
The Associated Press on Twitter: ““You were a rock star.” Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson hugs former Rep. Justin Jones, both Democrats, after the legislature voted to expel him for his role in a recent gun control protest. Johnson narrowly avoided being removed. https://t.co/R0Kgs2U1bq https://t.co/xlOuQCWJsM” / Twitter
Hodgetwins on Twitter: “We got a damn #transurrection at the Tennessee Capitol 🤣 https://t.co/fUk3jPVfPY” / Twitter
