Tennessee GOP Expels 2 BLACK Democratic Lawmakers

Rest of Title: ..."for anti-gun violence protests. A white legislator survived her vote."



I guess you can only be part of an insurrection, by being indecorous, in the Tennessee Assembly, if you're black. The three Democrats, who were cited for rules violations-- even though the chamber was in recess, at the time-- faced the gauntlet of a vote, by their peers, in the State House. The black man, was expelled. The black & Filipino man, was expelled. The vote against the white woman, fell short. Though all were doing the same thing, the reason some say that the white member survived, was because she just wasn't as loud about it; she did not use the bullhorn, which the men did. And naturally, a black man with a bullhorn would make any red blooded white Representative, stain his pants, and believe he is facing an "insurrection."

Still, even Republican speakers, on the floor, before the vote, admitted that this wasn't really about breaking rules. While some punishment, like a censure, might have been warranted-- expulsion is ridiculously harsh; this is only the second time in Tennessee history, that a House member has been expelled, for anything. Interestingly, the understanding of those Republicans, who were trying to expel members, was that the point was actually to silence these members, because they did not like those Representatives' outspoken, anti-gun views. I guess, from that perspective, someone who is not quite as loud, not as stridently calling out their Republican colleagues, is not quite as intolerable.

Nevertheless, the SCOTUS has previously ruled, in a 9 - 0 ruling, that a legislature which had tried to not seat a member, in 1969 IIRC, because they did not like his views on Vietnam, cannot do this; it is a violation of their 1st Amendment rights. I wonder if our current, shameful excuse for a High Court, would hold up, or overturn, that ruling, in this case.



https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.y...ee-gop-expels-first-democratic-223425526.html

<Snip>
"Republican legislators in Tennessee voted Thursday to expel two Black Democrats from the state House over their protests on the chamber floor against gun violence last week, while a vote to expel a third white Democratic representative fell short.

It’s the first time in state history that a Tennessee House members have been expelled for alleged chamber rules violations.

In the first vote, Republicans expelled Rep. Justin Jones. The second vote, to kick out Rep. Gloria Johnson, failed. Republicans then voted to remove Rep. Justin Pearson."

Jones and Pearson are Black. Johnson is white.

Cheers erupted in the chamber with chants of "Gloria!" after the tally was announced, followed by chants of "Shame on you!" after Pearson was removed.

The House voted 72-25 along party lines to expel Jones. The effort to remove Johnson fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. That vote was 65-30. Pearson was removed in a 69-26 vote.

The resolutions accused each of the Democratic lawmakers of engaging in “disorderly behavior” and purposely bringing “disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives” during protests against gun violence on the state House floor last week.
...

In an MSNBC News interview after his expulsion, Jones said that the legislative body was setting a "dangerous" precedent.

“What the nation is seeing is that we don’t have democracy in Tennessee — and that if we don’t act we have some very dark days ahead. And so we have to respond to this with mass movements, nonviolent movements,” Jones said.

“To expel voices of opposition and dissent is a signal of authoritarianism,” he added, suggesting that Tennessee’s action should “sound the alarm across the nation that we are entering into very dangerous territory.”

During the March 30 protests, the trio led supporters in chants calling for stricter gun safety measures after a mass shooting in a Nashville school that killed six people — including three 9-year-old children. A bullhorn was used, in violation of rules for the House chamber, and the lawmakers were gathered in area on the House floor without being recognized to speak. House leaders at the time called their actions “an insurrection.”

 

Jones will be re-elected. So dumb

 

We tried warning all of you supporting the radical left wing behavior. Tried reminding all of you that the pendulum will swing back again. But no one listened, and here we are. Tough cookies , get ready for more of it.

Pride comes before the fall.

 

I wouldn’t call it a fall. There will be a special election and they will be back. But good ol racist Tennessee showing the world who they are.

 

I will come out and say that expulsion was harsh, but who’s fault is it the people who were expelled were black? What color would libs have preferred? At least they weren’t hunted down by the FBI, locked up with no charges, no bail, or called threats to our democracy. And yes, people were fired from their jobs for just being on capital grounds on 1/6, I doubt any of the Tennessee protesters were hunted down and arrested.

 

Who’s fault is it that the insurrectionists were POC?

 

Ohhh so it was ok for the third person involved? She was white

 

It’s cool, I’m sure they’ll be able to get jobs to be on the board of a high tech firm or maybe play the King of England or something. You libs always have your slaves well taken care of!

 

I absolutely love the irony, of your post.

Don't say that we didn't warn you, when the pendulum of popular opinion, comes down hard, against the undemocratic, radical Right behavior.

I hope you will recognize the reply, that you have given us, for when you start whining over it: "Tough cookies-- get ready for more!"

 

Sounds like they did not actually site race as being the reason and pointed to the bill horn so race had nothing to do with it

 

Where's the racism?

 

My opinion is right on the money. "Fairly convincing evidence" is your opinion, absent of actual facts.
I've seen nothing that proves two of the representatives were removed, and one kept due to their skin color. So, you go ahead, and put that worn race card back in your pocket, and try debating by showing us your evidence instead.

 

CRT is proven right

 

Racisss racisss racisss raciss. I think people might be getting to the point where they don't care if they are labeled racist. It has no meaning anymore.

 

Sounds like they pointed to the bullhorn to explain why 4 to 7 fewer Republicans, voted against the white woman. Of course, they are not going to "cite" this, as the reason. The bullhorn may have affected those members' votes; but so might have skin color. It is impossible to know. Perhaps it was a combination of both those things. Or possibly, among the 72 who had voted out one of the black members, a few of those had been influenced by the bullhorn, and a few by racial prejudice, ending in only 65 of them voting aye, against the white woman. Regardless, there is no denying, the optics are terrible.

Still, racism is not the bigger story, here-- it is authoritarianism. Tennessee Republicans are "cancelling" not just free speech, but democracy, by throwing out officials, chosen by the voters, to represent them; and doing this, just because the supermajority of Republicans in the House, do not like their opinion. To expel them, for this supposed rule violation, is a farce.

The irony, of course, is that the view that got them expelled, which Republicans do not want to take any heat over-- gun regulation-- is the one supported by a majority of Tennessee citizens.

 

Thanks for the subtle correction. I’ll take that as a compliment to not rub it in.

But I don’t think race had anything to do with it. If it had why wouldn’t they say so? I’m not trying to be this vs that but democrats are open about their discriminatory practices to race, why wouldn’t republicans? (No I won’t give examples because it would take it off of subject).

 

It is called prima facie evidence.

 

Out of curiosity, how many blacks voted for expulsion?

 

It's called the race card.

 

First off, none of the lawmakers had to give any reason, for any of their votes; nor did those who voted differently, on different members, need to give any explanation. But you think that, nevertheless, someone who'd voted to expel the black men, but not the white woman, would step up and say, "excuse me, can I get everyone's attention, please? I just want to make sure it's clear, that the reason I didn't vote to expel Gloria Johnson, but did vote to expel the others, was because she is white, and they're black."

Really, Joe Knows? That is your most likely scenario, if racism were involved? Really?

 

Libs say POC can’t make it on their own and need help from the people they say are privileged and superior. Who’s the racist?

 

So then what's your excuse, for being unable to counter factual data?

 

The votes were along Party lines. IOW, all the votes to expel, came from Republicans, of which there are 75 in the Tennessee House, to 23 Democrats (formerly 25, I think). 65 voted to expel the white member, falling just shy of the necessary 2/3rds; the other two were expelled with 69 and 72 votes. I do not know how many black members, are in the Republican caucus, of the TN House but, from those totals, I will guess, no more than 3, and probably fewer than that.

 

What FACTUAL DATA have you presented that proves their removal was because of RACISM?
I'm not interested in yours or anyone else's personal interpretations or theories.
SHOW ME THE FACTS.

 

The party line thing seems to be typical these days.