State Troopers Removed a Group of Moms From Tennessee Statehouse Over Silent Gun Violence Protest
Because those paper signs are mighty lethal.
Republicans are once again proving that they cannot handle anyone opposing their viewpoints. During a Tennessee House subcommittee hearing on public safety, the GOP had state troopers remove a group of moms protesting gun violence. What was the disruptive behavior that warranted police intervention, you may ask? No, they weren’t storming the dais and removing items from the floor (you know, behavior that most Republicans think is okay). These folks were “disrupting” the committee by holding small yellow paper signs during a silent protest.
The protesting moms held signs that said “1 Kid > All The Guns” as the subcommittee discussed legislation in response to the recent school shooting in Nashville. The Covenant School shooting took the lives of three students (all of whom were nine years old) and three staff members. The protesters were trying to convey their position on any proposed legislation to keep their children safe. But the silent protest was too much for the Republican majority to bear and they had to call in the cops.
The Tennessee GOP strikes again
As reported by Nashville News Channel 5, the troopers removed all sign holders. Alison Polidor was ejected for holding her sign. “What about our First Amendment rights? We have rights to hold a sign. This is not what democracy looks like,” Polidor said before being escorted out of the room by armed state troopers. Another woman stated that the signs weren’t “more dangerous than a gun.” Apparently, Republicans disagree. The Tennessee House passed legislation that makes it illegal to display signs. (On the Senate side of Tennessee, signs are still okay.) Interestingly enough, the House still allows guns to be carried onto the committee floor.
Let me take this time to remind you that this is the same group of legislators that expelled their fellow politicians for protesting gun violence. The trio of Democrat politicians who also rallied for gun safety after the Covenant School shooting became known as the Tennessee Three. Representatives Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson were punished for bringing the will of the people to the floor (i.e., just doing what they were elected to do). Jones and Pearson were stripped of their positions and later put back in office by their constituents. It’s pretty obvious that the Tennessee GOP prioritizes gun worship over the lives of actual humans. Hopefully, the folks of Tennessee get these people out of office sooner rather than later.
(via News Channel 5; featured image: Jon Cherry, Getty Images)
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