In the wake of increasing gun violence in America over the last decade, the call for gun reform has become more pressing than ever. Despite the stories and horrifying accounts of mass shootings, politicians continue to remain at a standstill when it comes to any type of substantial gun reform.
Rather than listening to the cries of mothers and fathers who have lost their children after nothing more than just sending their children to schools, or hearing the traumas that communities have endured in wake of gun violence — politicians continue to stick to their partisan ideals, focusing only on political ramifications rather than protecting the people they represent.
“The world is watching Tennessee”
Last month, a mass shooting in a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee left six people dead, including three 9-year-old children.
In wake of that shooting, three Democratic state representatives in Tennessee took to the state House floor to advocate for gun control, using a bullhorn to address their colleagues and protesters.
The trio — which included Representatives Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson — is now being referred to as the “Tennessee Three.”
Following their actions in the state House, Republicans accused the trio of “knowingly and intentionally” bringing “disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives,” CNN said. The result was a party-line vote to expel Jones and Pearson.
The expulsions of the two young Black representatives have been deemed undemocratic and racist both across party lines and from high-profile officials.
“What happened was a travesty of democracy because they expelled the two youngest Black lawmakers, which is no coincidence from the Tennessee Legislature. Because we are outspoken, because we fight for our district.”
Rep. Justin Jones
Just four days after being expelled by Tennessee’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives, Democrat Justin Jones marched back to the Capitol on April 10, following a unanimous vote by the Nashville Metropolitan Council to reappoint him as an interim representative.
Tennessee Constitution allows for local legislative bodies to appoint interim House members to fill the seats of expelled lawmakers until a special election can be held.
The actions of the state Representatives to expel the lawmakers — and the steps of local legislative bodies to “check” the power of State-level bodies by reappointing Jones — have been extraordinary and unprecedented.
The “Tennessee Three” will forever be remembered for their actions to fight and advocate for the people they represent as well as their treatment by their white counterparts who tried to silence them.
Like Jones chanted as he marched back to the Tennessee House and rightfully reclaimed his seat, “Whose house? Our House.”
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