Tennessee Banning Flags, Banning Protests, and Shutting People Up

Southern states are the laboratories of the white Christian Nationalism that the GOP wants to scale up

I know you remember the Tennessee legislature booting out Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson (the Black guys) while just slapping the wrist of Rep. Gloria Johnson (white woman).

In case you forgot the amazing, shoot-yourself-in-own-foot, then reload-and-shoot-yourself-in-foot again Tennessee Republicans, I’ll refresh your memory.

I vented more than a little rage in that piece. I was glad I went back and re-read it. The thing is that I think it may have faded from mainstream media’s memory the particulars of what had Justin, Justin, and Gloria so mad to begin with.

I quoted in that piece what the protestors were shouting in the hallways of the Tennessee State Capital:

“You ban books! You ban drag! Kids are still in body bags!”

Well, guess what folks? More banning is going on in Tennessee. Spoiler alert, it ain’t guns they are banning.

They are essentially banning representative and inclusive democracy and working diligently on instituting their white Christian Nationalist autocracy dream.

You have heard the phrase “laboratories of democracy,” right? In our federal system, the idea is that states can experiment with laws and policies and see what works, and then other states can follow. When it comes to southern states, I think the phrase needs to be changed to “laboratories of in-your-face white, straight, autocratic Christianity.”

Ban Pride flags… but confederate flags are “heritage” so they are okay

The Tennessee House passed a bill banning the display of Pride flags or any other “ideological” flag in public schools. So, BLM flags are also out. Confederate flags, however, get to stay.

You’re singing the same song again, it sounds like to me, Tennessee GOP. Just like when you booted out the two Black members for being disorderly, but the disorderly white woman got to stay. If a Pride flag is “ideological” and potentially offensive to some folk and thus must go, can anyone explain to me why a Confederate flag is not ideological and not offensive and so can stay?

Oh wait, this is Tennessee. Never mind.

An article in the Tennessean goes into detail about the disingenuous arguments made by the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood. Read if you must, but it gave me a headache; the guy is such a self-righteous dufus.

During the floor debate, Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, sought recognition to be allowed to speak. He was not allowed to speak. He vehemently requested to be able to speak. He was ruled out of order. To put it another way, he was told to sit down and shut up, in effect.

Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, offered an amendment to include the Confederate flag in the flag ban. His amendment was not even considered because “it was not timely filed.”

Uh-huh.

I will quote from this article what Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville said, as she displayed the true spirit of pluralist democratic society, as opposed to Rep. Bulso and his burning desire to legislate solely on behalf of (white fundamentalist Christian) parents who feel their children are harmed by rainbow flags:

Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, said that while Bulso has argued that the pride flag has been used to indoctrinate students, displaying a flag does not indicate an attempt to indoctrinate. Behn cited a group of neo-Nazis that demonstrated with flags in Nashville this month, noting that they were not seeking to recruit tourists.

“Merely displaying a flag doesn’t inherently constitute indoctrination,” she said. “The pride flag is a powerful symbol that communicates acceptance and support of our LGBTQIA community by providing social representation.”

I think all of that probably went over Rep. Bulso’s head. Methinks he probably didn’t get too good an edukashun himself.

Nazi protests, yeah, whatever… but BLM protests are banned! You Black folk are too damn rowdy!

There is a bill in the Tennessee House that is proposing to make street protests a felony. The issue, say the sponsors of the bill, is public safety. They don’t want protestors on the streets, blocking traffic, etc.

In an article in the Tennessean, the following is noted:

But Democrats pointed out that such a law would have prevented Rep. John Lewis and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. from marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

When pressed on this, Rep. Barrett replied, “I don’t know the answer to that question because I don’t know the exact details and what the intent was of the individuals at that time…

I particularly like that last part, where Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, said she “didn’t know the exact details and what the intent was” of the Edmund Pettus Bridge protest march.

Uh-huh.

Maybe another Tennessee GOP member with an edukashun problem?

Recently there was a Neo-Nazi march down the sidewalk of a street in Nashville. Well, mostly sidewalk, since off to the side you can see a dude slipped off the curb, but oh well.

Presumably, since these gentlemen mostly stayed on the sidewalk like good boys, no problem here, and they would not be charged with a felony.

However, a big crowd of BLM protestors spilling out into the street and causing a bit of a traffic jam? Oh, we need a law against that for sure! Felony!

Uh-huh.

Next time we are going to boot out troublemakers for good

The Tennessee House is moving legislation to ban reappointing lawmakers who have been booted for bad behavior.

Or to put it another way, “We gonna kick your Black butts out again, Justin and Justin! And then you can’t be put back next time! Hahaha!”

During the debate over this proposed legislation, guess who was not allowed to even speak? Yep. Rep. Justin Jones. He had his hand up to be recognized for about 2 hours and he was ignored. Debate closed, vote taken. Sit down and shut up.

You see? A “laboratory in white Christian Nationalist autocracy.”

Right out in the open.

However, just in case you have not yet gotten the message loud and clear…

Hurrah for a white Grammy winner, but… uh… never mind the Black queer one

Two Grammy winners hailed from Tennessee this year, the band Paramore and Allison Russell.

Resolutions were proposed in the Tennessee legislature to honor both of them for their wins.

The one for Paramore passed, and the one for Allison was tabled by House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison.

Hmmm, I wonder why?

Paramore is comprised of white people.

Allison Russell is Black, queer, an immigrant, and she won for her song entitled “Eve Was Black.”

Holy macaroni! Which of those was the reason Allison was snubbed by the Tennessee GOP?!

It could have been racism!

It could have been homophobia!

It could have been the delicate sensibilities of white fundamentalist Christians taking offense that Eve was Black! (Humans came out of Africa, after all… oh but that is science, so never mind.)

I say it was option D: All of the above.

All of the above adds up to a five-alarm fire

Getting rid of some flags, no recognition for a Grammy, a wee bit of restriction on protestors being out on streets… no big deal, right?

Wrong.

As Maya Angelou said: “When someone shows who they are, believe them the first time.”

We have had plenty enough “first times.”

The only people who are buying what they are selling are racist, misogynistic, homophobic, Christian Nationalist, antisemitic, Neo-Nazi SOBs. Anyone else buying what they are selling and declaring, “Hey, you shouldn’t call me nasty names; that isn’t fair,” is just someone with their eyes deliberately shut to people who have shown us who they are.

Oh, and I almost forgot, GOP stands for Groupies of Putin, if you haven’t yet noticed.

Vote as if your life depended on it. Because it does. That does not mean just pay attention every four years to the Presidential race. That means pay attention to local races. Pay attention to your city council, school board, races for judges, district attorneys, your state legislature representatives.

Voting and being a good citizen of a democracy is not just about heckling from the peanut gallery in a once-every-four-years exercise. It is a daily job. If you don’t participate in it, don’t come crying to me when it all goes to hell.

Show up, step up, act up, make some noise, and be heard.

They have shown us all across America who they are.

We will show them who we are: Champions of love, justice, equality, diversity, inclusivity and acceptance. And yes, we will welcome white Christians under our umbrella provided they agree to accept everybody else already under the rainbow umbrella. That is the price of admission to democracy: It is democracy for all or else it ain’t a democracy at all.

Rest in power, Nex Benedict; they will not be forgotten.