Democracy Dies in my Home State

[nurx 914]

Brother Jones and Rep. Pearson expelled from the State House. Rep. Johnson survives. I fear for democracy in my state and hope that the future is strong for the state. I will be a little less active in the coming days as I join my fellow Tennesseans in fighting for democracy.

[der meister 3,197]

Isn't it funny how often the party of "small government" uses their governmental power to do whatever they can to shut down anyone who disagrees with them?

[nurx 914]

I do believe there are few people in the TNDP who it could have been better for this to happen to. Rep. Jones is a fantastic character and I believe represents the minority party and community in this state best. He is a well spoken man and I believe will have a place in politics even national politics in the future.

[KaleebtheMighty 1,509]

It's a sad day indeed, we're hearing all about it in Kentucky 

[Banackock 8,052]

I Canadian but what a shocker, seeing that it’s the Republicans expelling them.. USA needs more guns to protect from the already existing guns! Fight fire with fire and make fire.

[nurx 914]

https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2023/apr/06/for-tennessee/

[nurx 914]

I've been thinking over the last few hours and I really believe that this is a nail in the coffin for the youth vote in Davidson, Knox, Shelby, and Hamilton counties. All of these counties have been shifting left since Trump took office (rare in the south) and the youth in TN uncharacteristically in an election that was dominated by a large youth turnout didn't really turnout. TN has on and off led the nation in violent gun crimes largely being pushed by rural communities and small cities. I know someone who was a victim to gun crime. As many of the young people in this community can relate to going to high school when I was in high school was dominated by the fact that we were in a community that was at higher risk of a school shooting. I like this state because of it's natural beauty and weather, but it is hard to love this state when the politicians who are in charge do things like this. I believe there is a bright future, but in the meantime drag has been banned. People are dying because of the most strict abortion ban in the country. What is next for Tennesseans? People are dying because of this supermajority and there is no solution without changing the minds of rural voters. The well is poisoned and I am beginning to look towards Atlanta.

[FrostBeard 2,049]

@nurx If anything, at least as I see it, they will be reappointed and everything will be fine. This whole stunt made by GOP is just going to hurt their stand in Tennessee in the long run and should become a part of a Gen Z surge to push more left leaning candidates into the house. 

Sure, it is a small loss right now but in the long run it can be viewed as a small rock starting an avalanche of change. 

[Beketov 9,026]

23 minutes ago, FrostBeard said:

Sure, it is a small loss right now but in the long run it can be viewed as a small rock starting an avalanche of change. 

This is the big thing.

 

Is it bad precedent: yes.

 

Is it horrible: yes.

 

But think of why it happened. It happened because 10 000 people, who will be voters for the first time very soon, showed up on the doorstep and demanded change. Do you know how hard it is to get 10 000 teenagers to all show up politically to anything? The republicans have been banking on that apathy for decades, knowing their seats are safe because the youth don’t vote and the people that do vote will vote for them.

 

Well those people who couldn’t vote and have instead been fed to the wolves so that the state representatives can be paid by the NRA are angry and they are organized. Kicking out representatives that offer a voice to the other side is a morally incomprehensible move that is made out of fear. They are terrified because that youth vote that they were so confident would never come just walked up to their front door.

 

This is not an ending, this is a beginning.

[KaleebtheMighty 1,509]

I sure hope it’s a beginning, we up here in Kentucky have a governor who’s a democrat and has done great things for us that made people start thinking how they should vote. Slow steps to a better tomorrow!

[nurx 914]

1 hour ago, KaleebtheMighty said:

I sure hope it’s a beginning, we up here in Kentucky have a governor who’s a democrat and has done great things for us that made people start thinking how they should vote. Slow steps to a better tomorrow!

I also hope it's a beginning but we are also seeing a march towards something dangerous with increasingly less democratic actions by the GOP and it's periphery. Fox lies and pushes conspiracies pushing average people farther right. The 4 cities in this state have no power we have Confederate statues we can't take down without state approval, we 5 districts ripping out communities apart instead of the two that should be representing us, we have a supermajority who only wants to consolidate power as they have seen the cities turn more and more blue. Their day of reckoning will come, but unfortunately the power they have means that their power is very hard to rip out of their dying hands.

[nurx 914]

https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2023/apr/07/in-memory/

[Da Trifecta 1,899]

[der meister 3,197]

What's the intended purpose of posting that gif? Feels pretty troll-y

[Da Trifecta 1,899]

Just now, der meister said:

What's the intended purpose of posting that gif? Feels pretty troll-y

 

Nah just stating what happened, they got them up out of there.

[der meister 3,197]

Gotcha. Seeing him turns my stomach. 

[Da Trifecta 1,899]

Just now, der meister said:

Gotcha. Seeing him turns my stomach. 

 

It is what it is right? I think that's the democratic mindset right there.

[N0HBDY 1,119]

16 hours ago, Beketov said:

Do you know how hard it is to get 10 000 teenagers to all show up politically to anything?

I wonder how many have jobs?

 

I wonder how many are actually from the state?

 

From what I learned from the BLM protests in my own state a couple of years ago is that the large majority of the people there protesting, weren’t even from the state.

 

I think the activism is great but I’m just always skeptical, such as I wonder how many are just cheaply bought protestors and how many are there for the true cause.

 

Oh and ya from what I’ve heard, most of the people that got the boot will likely be voted back in by their county or whoever it is they fall to now.

[nurx 914]

58 minutes ago, N0HBDY said:

I wonder how many have jobs?

unimportant children's voices matter whether or not they have jobs.

 

58 minutes ago, N0HBDY said:

I wonder how many are actually from the state?

I was there the day Rep. Gloria Johnson, Brother Jones, and Brother Pearson protested. That was organic and either they knew everything about TN politics in particular and it's moves towards radicalism or they were from TN.

 

1 hour ago, N0HBDY said:

Oh and ya from what I’ve heard, most of the people that got the boot will likely be voted back in by their county or whoever it is they fall to now.

Brother Jones will get his seat appointed back Monday, but this doesn't stop the fact that this is incredibly undemocratic. Imagine if MTG was expelled from the US house for speaking out of turn during the SOTU. This was a minor house rules rule breaking. Their constituents have effectively had their votes removed from an already unfairly set general assembly.

[nurx 914]

I will say I have always looked at people crying for political reasons and thought they were overreacting. This is the first time I have legitimately cried about something. I have been motivated by politicians, I have been angered. I have never cried until this. I was angry on Jan 6. I didn't cry I believed we would get through that attack on democracy and to this day I believe the US can and will survive the MAGA attacks. I don't see a way out of this TNGOP attack on democracy. It is hard not to sad and cry knowing that no matter what you do it likely won't fix the situation in the state you have called home. I will continue to do work with GOTV and all that, but I do believe that the underlying apathy that I have had in the past is beginning to build.

[nurx 914]

12 minutes ago, nurx said:

unimportant children's voices matter whether or not they have jobs.

 

I'd like to add to this saying that I don't believe children should even be working until after they graduate HS. Children should not be forced to help support their family. 

[nurx 914]

https://www.vox.com/policy/2023/4/7/23673998/tennessee-expulsions-state-democracy-measure

[FrostBeard 2,049]

It is very tough - I can say from my own experience, as a person who is in office, elected to represed certain people in my municipality in Latvia, pushing certain ideas and supporting good causes is tough when the overall majority of elected officials are of the opposite political spectrum. 

I am fairly left leaning. Would easily call myself a Social Democrat. In my municipal council we have 19 members, out of which - 14 would be considered conservative leaning or full blown conservatives. There has been calls to silence voices, to take away ability to speak about topics that are tough for our coucil leaders, however, at least in Latvia, there is no option for our Council to recall or punish other Council members so we are safe. 

I can't imagine how it would feel to be in a situation where would worry about being kicked off for thinking differently. 

[Arce 755]

The biggest problem is that it doesn’t matter what side you fall on, both parties have failed horribly for their people. Why? It was supposed to be a room of people who had different views of important topics which is a good thing. You then talk it out and find a COMPROMISE for the people. That doesn’t happen anymore.
 

Moderate Democrats and moderate Republicans are a dying breed and the middle ground is a tiny island in between that there is no room for it. There is no compromise, just two parties their wing a fit and trying to get back at another. And if you’re a Republican who disagrees with their side on an issue and spreak out, you’re blacklisted from the party (and likewise). 
 

i am very much a social liberal, but have grown tired of my party over the years but could never stomach being a Republican. So here I find myself in the middle, which honestly I feel is where a majority of Americans are at this point. Both parties are failing to provide which is exactly why the power shift goes back and fourth. Until something here changes, it’s just going to continue in a vicious cycle. None of these people have our back. There are very few genuine candidates and reps in office that have our best interests at heart. It is great to be passionate about your view, but when you say you won’t work with the other side, where is there progress to be made?

Edited April 9, 2023 by Arce

[fishy 1,757]

On 4/7/2023 at 9:41 PM, Da Trifecta said:

 

It is what it is right? I think that's the democratic mindset right there.

i would sure hope that "the democratic mindset" is not resignation or apathy?