John, thousands from across the country are condemning this shocking power grab by Tennessee Republicans. Will you add your name to join them?
I’m sure you’ve heard or seen the news by now: 2 elected Tennessee lawmakers, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson, were expelled from the state House yesterday – for nothing more than chanting in solidarity with gun safety protestors. [1]
Adding insult to injury, between the party line votes to expel these two young Black legislators, a few GOP lawmakers flipped their votes to prevent a third potential expulsion of Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white.
Asked later why she was spared and her colleagues were not for the same actions, Rep. Johnson replied: “It might have to do with the color of our skin.” [2]
John, the right to choose our own representatives – and the right to peaceful protest – have been denied to Black Americans time and time again. I’m appalled to see history repeat itself in Tennessee, and I hope you’ll join me to condemn this injustice >>
Democracy means we get to choose our own leaders. But now, these two representatives’ constituents – over 100,000 people – won’t have anyone speaking for them in the state House.
Reps. Jones and Pearson got their start as grassroots activists. They saw something wrong and spoke up – that’s a duty we all have in a democracy. And after running for the right to represent their neighbors and winning their votes, both of them were serving their first terms in office. [3]
Expelling them for doing what they were sent to do – speak up for what their constituents care about – is everything we fight against. And, a party line vote to remove elected representatives on such a flimsy pretext is egregious – and echoes the Jim Crow South.
This moment needs to be a nationwide reckoning – because if an action this unfair goes unnoticed, there’s no telling what will come next. Can you join me in condemning the expulsion of Tennessee Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson today?
Thanks for all you do,
Alyssa Canty, Director of Youth Programs
and the team at Common Cause
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/06/us/tennessee-house-democrats-expulsion-shooting-gun-control.html
[2] https://www.npr.org/2023/04/06/1168363992/tennessee-expel-3-democrats-house-vote
[3] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/06/tennessee-house-expulsion-vote-lawmakers-00090829
