Dear friends,
It has been a long time. This semester has been so much busier and more intense than anticipated. Thanks for your patience with me.
I am feeling both sad and angry today–please let me explain why. I know that this newsletter is about empathy and the arts, but I feel compelled to share something beyond the world of the arts. I actually feel that the subject of this newsletter connects to the main newsletter focus because one would hope that engaging the arts would help us to be more empathetic in real life.
And life does not get much more real than what have seen and are seeing in my home state of TN the past few weeks. First, a deathly school shooting. And now we are seeing injustice done to those who are raising their voices in protest for prevention of more death.
Romans 12:15 commands us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” As we join in mourning, we both empathize and lament. But we can also ACT. And I know many Tennesseans are in Nashville now ACTING and PRAYING on their feet.
My friend, Dr. Luke Bobo, just reminded me of Amos 5 and its relationship to the political and racial injustices we have witnessed in Nashville this week. Here are some excerpts from the writings of the prophet Amos:
“There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times,
for the times are evil.
Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.
Hate evil, love good;
maintain justice in the courts.” Amos 5: 13-15
“But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!” Amos 5: 24
*You can read the entire chapter in Amos HERE.
I have tried very hard not to post about politics. But I feel that I am turning my back on a grave injustice if I don't speak up about what is happening in my beloved home state of TN.
We should care about this injustice no matter what side of the gun control conversation we are on. The injustice that I am speaking of is a violation of the first amendment, a silencing of peaceful protest voices, and a demeaning of two young Black men who have not demeaned anyone themselves.
In case you are not aware of what is going on, I will briefly fill you in:
Since the tragic shooting at Covenant School in Nashville that took six precious lives, there have been peaceful protests at the Nashville capital. From my understanding, these protests have not been violent. I have not been there in person, but I know people who have, and I have watched every video I can find online, including videos that have been posted on right wing extremist sites to try and accuse these protestors of violence. I have seen no violence–only singing, chanting, and, yes, some shouting. But I have seen no physical violence or destruction of property. I have noticed that many, if not most, of these protestors are teachers, parents of school children, and school children themselves. These are all folks who feel that their lives have been on the line because of gun violence. As Americans, they have a right to speak up about this, especially after what has just occurred in one of their schools.
Three TN ELECTED state representatives have led the way in these protests: State Representative Justin Jones(Nashville), State Rep. Justin J. Pearson for State Representative (Memphis), and State Representative Gloria Johnson (Knoxville). These three have not, from what I can see, incited any violence. I have listened to speeches from Jones and Pearson and have been nothing but moved and impressed. I have not yet listened to Johnson who, by the way, is a retired TN teacher.
Because of these protests, GOP politicians in the TN house have moved to remove these representatives from their positions. Republican Reps. Bud Hulsey, Gino Bulso and Andrew Farmer, said that the lawmakers “did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor” to the House. They have also used inflammatory language, calling the protests a "riot", a "temper tantrum," and treating them as if they were a violent insurrection (while at the same time not speaking up about the actual insurrection that occurred in DC).
It is important to note that the TN house (has in the past) not voted to remove a representative who was a known child molester or a representative who urinated on another representative's literal seat in the house.
When the recent votes to remove the "Tennessee Three": occurred, it is sadly no surprise that the two young Black mean, Pearson and Jones, were voted out (thus ignoring and overruling the votes of many Tennesseans). Johnson, a sixty year old white woman, was NOT voted out. Even she was quick to acknowledge that this was clearly for racial reasons.
If you listen to the way the white male GOP reps talk to the young Black men, you might feel as if you have stepped into a newsreel from the 1960's. In one exchange that I watched, Rep. Lambeth said this to Rep. Jones: "I have heard enough from you, young man." He might as well have called him "boy." You can listen HERE.
The white Republican reps continue to infantilize and demean their Black government COLLEAGUES who are not below them but working alongside them. You can see a similar treatment of Rep. Pearson by Rep. Farmer who talks to him like a child and accuses him of throwing a "temper tantrum." You can listen HERE.
I am grieved, angry, and disgusted by this unjust and deeply racist behavior. It is a stain on democracy. And the fact that someone can be voted out of their job because their colleagues disagree with the impetus of their peaceful protest is un–American. Even if these reps did some things "out of order," their passion is nothing worthy of job removal, especially when placed next to the defense of the literal insurrectionists, the representative urinating on furniture, the child molester whose job was retained.
This move was purely political retaliation fueled by Good Ole Boy racism. Pearson, Jones, and Johnson have listened to the voices of MANY Tennesseans who do not understand why assault weapons and AR-15s are still legal. They are asking why we can't have background checks for mental illness, criminal records, etc. as a hurdle to cross before gun ownership. These are NOT radical, unpatriotic questions. These are the questions of those who fear for their lives and the lives of their children.
What we are seeing is a group of GOP politicians who have historically gained a great amount of power and money from the NRA and other gun lobbyists. They do truly seem to care more about the power they have received from these channels than the lives of children. Here we continually see that the "complete freedom" of gun ownership has become a sacred cow, an idol that promises autonomy and complete freedom, even at the cost of young lives. As a Christian, I believe that we need to sacrifice some of our rights for the sake of the lives of others. And as an American, I do not believe that the authors of the second amendment in its original context ever envisioned the personal ownership of assault rifles and the lack of any sort of checks and balances to make sure that guns do not get into the hands of those who might misuse them.
If you have read this far, you might find that you disagree with my last two paragraphs. That is okay! But I hope that you can detach these claims from the injustices described in the first few paragraphs. Whether we agree on (sensible) gun controls or not, I hope that we can agree that what has been done to Pearson and Jones is an injustice that needs to be addressed and changed.
Thanks so much for reading!
Mary