By Ariana Ceballos
After the school shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, that killed six people, including three nine-year-old children, many people from the public took to the State’s Capitol Building to protest gun violence.
Joining these protesters were three Democratic representatives, standouts from the Republican majority. The individuals that entered the House of Representatives to represent the demonstration were dubbed the ‘The Tennessee Three’ and they include Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson. Their participation in the protest led to them being punished by the Republican leadership. Tension elevated as the three of them faced expulsion.
BBC News described this resolution as “disorder and dishonour to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions.” Jones and Pearson, both black, were expelled by House Republicans, while Johnson kept her seat. This distinction of race cannot be ignored especially due to the controversies that surround the Republican leadership of the state. In this move, the GOP members attempted to silence members of the public urging for change to prevent further events of such violence.
As Nadarius Clark for The Hill writes of Representatives Jones and Pearson, “These men…represented majority Black districts in Nashville and Memphis, respectively… If made permanent, the expulsion would have left over 139,000 constituents without their duly democratically elected representation, leaving them disenfranchised and without a voice in their state’s legislative process.”
This careless move of the leadership reflects their ignorance of their power, as they are not willing to use it for good––or even to listen to the protestors. The consequences of such abuse extend to the lives of people, inflicting more hardship on them.
Representative Justin Pearson has since been reinstated in a vote taken by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners. He stated in a speech: “Nashville thought they could silence democracy…But they didn’t know the Shelby County Commission … and its fearless leaders.” He also had a message for the people in Nashville who voted to expel them: “You can’t expel hope. You can’t expel justice.”
As for Representative Justin Jones, the Nashville Metro Council in a unanimous vote allowed for him to be reinstated back into his position within the House. Cynthia Abrams writes on the powerful moment, highlighting how he made his way back to the House chamber, arm in arm with the state Representative.
The Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton, that voted for their expulsion, stated that the purpose for their removal was to keep order in the legislature. He mentioned that their actions took away from the voices of the protestors and the victims of the shooting—which is not true. The protesters, as well as the three representatives that stood by them, were taking a clear stance of protection and solidarity in their demonstration for many victims of gun violence.
It should be mentioned, however, that some favorable action was taken by the Governor of the state. BBC charts the development of a proposal of “$155m to place an armed security guard at every public school in Tennessee and to boost security presence at both public and private schools.”
It goes without saying that the Tennessee Republican leadership wrongfully removed these people. Even President Biden spoke of their actions, saying, “Today’s expulsion of lawmakers who engaged in peaceful protest is shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent.”
The public has grown tired of receiving thoughts and prayers from politicians who have the power to create and pass measures that will prevent these incidents of gun violence. What Representatives Jones, Pearson, and Johnson demonstrated in joining the people was their support and accordance to attempt and fight for more protection. While Governor Lee proposed a measure to boost security, this does not directly impact the issue of gun violence. It is an issue that all politicians should agree on combating. It has taken too many lives and poses a constant threat to the American people.
