The Tennessee 3 -But Only 2 Expelled?
The Tennessee General Assembly made national headlines recently as they moved to expel 3 Democratic state representatives from the Tennessee State House. During an anti-gun protest on the House Floor led by young Tennessee schoolchildren, Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson held strong and stood by them to represent the desire for stricter gun laws. This came just days after the mass shooting at a private Christian School in Tennessee, but the representatives' show of solidarity was not taken well by the Republican majority. After what they called "an attack on freedom and a violation of House decorum," there was a motion to expel all three members. Once voted upon, only two members were expelled: Justin Jones and Justin Pearson. Gloria Johnson skirted by with one vote saving her from the same fate. Pictured above, many are wondering, "What was the difference?" They all three stood for the same reasons and in the same way.
Most people are theorizing that this decision had racial undertones. It is clear that the two who were actually expelled are young, black men who represent Democratic ideals and values for their constituencies. Those characteristics are all threats to the Republican Party. Rep. Johnson's distinction is that she is a white woman, despite her Democratic identity. Republicans who did not vote for her expulsion claimed that her protest was less aggressive and less immature than her peers, which is why she survived expulsion. I theorize that while those votes could have been racially charged (especially after hearing the leaked backroom conversations between Republican members prior to the votes), I do think their decision also might have been due to her conduct as a woman. Of those representatives that chose to comment on their decision, it was clear they felt that Johnson was not fully aware of her participation in the protest. Their narrative created a picture where Johnson was not capable of committing to the actions like Jones and Pearson (yet she was present and accompanying them in the protest). It isn't like she was just following a crowd -her presence as 1 in 3 was purposeful.
Luckily, all three members remain in their places in the Tennessee General Assembly. Just last week, Pearson and Jones were reinstated to the House through local support! Johnson has been extremely vocal and focused on elevating and uplifting Jones and Pearson on her Twitter. They have made several appearances together, and many Twitter users are congratulatory. While some have thrown nasty jabs at Gloria (by debating her womanhood or reducing her to her reproductive organs in a demeaning fashion), most users were supportive of the group's ability to fight petty attempts to destroy democracy in Tennessee.
https://www.wsmv.com/2023/04/07/tennessee-three-why-did-one-lawmaker-survive-expulsion-vote/
I love the thoroughness of your research and posts. You always pick intriguing topics. I think the difference between Gloria and the other two democrats is incredibly clear just by looking at the photo, she is white. Hearing their explanation for only expelling the two black male representatives just confirmed that reasoning even more in my eyes. They did not view her protest as aggressive the same way that they viewed Pearson and Jones protests. I do agree that some of this had to do with her being a woman, but I feel it had more to do with the stigmatization of black males as violent and aggressive.
ReplyDeleteI genuinely enjoyed reading this blog post. As previously stated, I can see why she was not expelled. It is crystal clear. I am glad Gloria still stands by her values and those two young black men. I am glad that Pearson and Jones were reinstated. They were wrongfully terminated to begin with. Black people speaking up about injustice tend to be labeled as "aggressive" or "loud". However, I believe that they were just articulating their beliefs and other people did not agree. So, they tried to find a loophole to get them fired. These three want to protect the children of Tennessee as many others want to for their kids across the nation. Wanting stricter gun laws should not have be said a million times, it should only be said once. I am hoping that they all win this fight.
ReplyDeleteI love how you decided to make a post about the Tennessee 3 as I also did the same. Although mine focused more on the racial aspect of it all, it was interesting to read that her being a woman played a "significant" role in it. I only say "significant" because of the fact that they had said she protested less aggressively than her peers. Regardless she was present and taking part in the demonstration so how would her actions differ from the others? It reminds me of when people protest and things start going south that they being to arrest and charge anyone who is in the area whether they are partaking in the destruction or not. At the end of the day she still holds a higher standard in society compared to the other two gentleman because of the fact that she is a white woman.
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