Toss Them Out
Last night, the Tennessee House of Representatives expelled two of the three members who led a public protest in the House chamber last week, encouraging supporters to storm the chamber to interrupt the proceedings and encourage gun control.
They were dubbed the “Tennessee Three”. All three were Democrats; the two were expelled, according to reports, because they used bullhorns and so their level of interruption was greater than that of the third. Predictably, critics say it was only because the two were young black males, while the third was an older female. The vote to merely censure her instead of expelling her failed by only a single vote.
The protest came four days after a person killed three children and three adults at a Christian school in Nashville. The shooter was a female who was recently using male pronouns and was under care for a mental disorder.
The resolution to kick out the Tennessee House members claimed they “did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions.” According to Todd Starnes, who lives and works in the state, only twice before have members been expelled…one convicted of taking bribes, another accused of sexual impropriety.
The scenes from the Tennessee capital that day showed protestors in scuffles with law enforcement, protestors that were storming the floor of the chamber because they didn’t like how proceedings were going. That may sound vaguely familiar. The difference here was the organized participation of members of the House, leaders of the whole disruption.
But sure, the explusion was only due to race and not activity that could have harmed many people.
