Largely partisan expulsions by a supermajority Republican House are not going to fair well for Tennessee.

All eyes have been on Tennessee in the wake of a recent school shooting that led to large demonstrations at the state’s Capitol culminating in the expulsion of two Democratic members of the House of Representatives.

In the wake of tragedy and pain, Tennessee needed leadership, and there was none to be found. What we did find was passion that led to selfishness and a cult of personality followed up by a rush to address the problem by brute force and a gavel.

I want to be very clear here right at the outset. Rep. Justin Jones, Rep. Gloria Johnson, and Rep. Justin Pearson, all Democrats (being called the “Tennessee Three”) broke the permanent House rules which subsequently led to three resolutions calling for their expulsion from the State House. And by the letter of the law, members of the General Assembly are constitutionally justified in eventually expelling two of the members, Jones and Pearson. The question is, could this have been avoided?

Regardless of what side we land on in terms of policy positions on gun rights, it cannot be argued that our state is hurting, and people are genuinely frightened. Add to that the communities that are grieving due to the tragic and senseless loss of six lives. What our state needed was someone who was able to lead through a difficult moment and allow expressions and conversation to occur while working to maintain the public peace and trust.

Unfortunately, what we got was Speaker Cameron Sexton who took the helm and a Governor who seemingly went into hiding. Absurdly, Sexton immediately referred to the initial protests that took place at the Capitol as an insurrection and compared the events to January 6th, in fact considering on live radio that the events in Nashville could have been worse than January 6th. In that moment, Sexton not only continued to push the false narrative of the events of January 6th, but additionally adds insult to injury by diminishing the rights of protesters and belittling their voices.

No one would argue that the protests were unruly, a bit chaotic, loud, and certainly there was some pushing and shoving. But an armed takeover of the Tennessee government apparatus, an insurrection? Hardly.

And in the moment, Speaker Cameron Sexton did the unthinkable. He lit a match in a powder keg. And we certainly got an explosion as a result. All of this in the aftermath of the Covenant shooting could have been avoided.

What these three State Representatives did in response by taking over House proceedings and continuing to instigate unrest was wrong. And they deserved punishment. The initial moves to strip them of their credentials and remove them from all committee appointments was just and appropriate. But that wasn’t enough for Speaker Sexton and some members of the Republican Party. He needed to put on the guise of strength.

So, he whipped up the votes, stirred up a frenzy and immediately had resolutions drawn up for expulsion. The moment that happened, we put ourselves on a path from which there is no turning back.

Let me pose a question to my fellow conservatives. Where was the outcry from conservatives to expel, remove, or demand the resignation of Lt. Governor Randy McNally just a few short weeks ago? Sure, there were voices. But they faded quickly.

But the moment the opportunity came to expel three Democrats, I saw friends of mine foaming at the mouth to get something done, of course, all for the sake of justice. But where was justice when accountability was in demand in our own house? I am sorry. But this is something I just cannot get away from. And I am ashamed.

Let me ask another question. Do you think God is judging the guy with the bullhorn? Or the guy pursuing young gay boys on the internet? I will let you ponder on that.

I am all for accountability. I support accountability. But if we are going to hold each other accountable to a set of rules, they must be applied equally and without prejudice, regardless of political ideology or party affiliation. And that is simply not what has happened here.

What we did was use a supermajority to punish those we disagree with. We expelled two elected members of the Tennessee House of Representatives on a partisan basis. Again, a fact that we simply cannot escape. And please be mindful that they broke no laws. They broke House rules, rules that have historically been broken time and time again by other members without consequence.

One point I found instructive in the argument many Democrats made was their feeling that their voices consistently get silenced in committees. They get gaveled down by the chairman or their bill does not get a motion to be heard. And for many, it was stated that frustration with these practices has built up over time and may have contributed to the unfortunate outburst on the House floor.

Does that sound familiar to any conservatives reading this commentary? How about those election integrity efforts that never see the light of day, a bill to close the primaries that gets killed on a voice vote, and bills for medical freedom that cannot even get a motion to be heard in committee?

It is no secret that in the current structure of the General Assembly, it is leadership’s way or the highway. These representatives do not serve at the pleasure of their constituents. They serve at the pleasure of the one with the gavel. In my mind, this is the biggest obstruction to liberty, not a bullhorn.

In all of this, it is unfortunate that while there were some valuable points made by Jones and Pearson in their defense, it was their hubris that I believe eventually led to their demise. Just a grain of humility on their part may have changed the outcome. Unfortunately, their continued (and very odd references) to “black Jesus” and the continued push to make this about race was incredibly distasteful, absolutely untrue, and only served to drive the wedge further between the aisles.

But I will leave you with these final thoughts.

One, what we needed was leadership, the kind that would have allowed for people to express themselves in the midst of tragedy while also working to keep order and peace. We could have respected and honored the voices from both sides and allowed people the space to grieve.

If we would have done that from the very beginning, all of this could have been avoided. The protests would not have escalated. And we could have moved on with the much-needed business of the legislature. Progressives could have made their case for gun control. And conservatives could have laid out their case for a proper defense of our rights, God-given and secured by the Constitution. This is actually what democracy looks like (in a republic), contrary to the chants of the mob.

Second, we cannot continue to demonize fellow Tennesseans with whom we disagree. For anyone who loves justice, liberty, and our Constitution, we must vigorously protect the rights of free speech and demonstration, even (and maybe especially) for those we disagree with.

We cannot survive as a society if we continue to perpetuate an environment where we are unable to speak with each other. I am tired of this. Aren’t you? I enjoy having an intelligent conversation with people I disagree with and the opportunity to express my point of view.

I vehemently disagree with about 99.8% of what comes out of the mouths of these three individuals on a policy perspective. But I will vigorously defend their right to express those views as elected representatives of the people of this state, no matter how much I hate it. And I won’t get my feelings hurt when they take me to task on my views. This is the only way forward.

Lastly, we have now set an incredibly dangerous precedent here in Tennessee. We have used the authority of those in power to punish those we disagree with (because they broke the rules, of course). And while some rejoice, I lament. Why?

Because I recognize that these kinds of responses only lead to a more authoritarian style of leadership. And this is good for no one. Those who wield power use it to inflict pain on those they disagree with and seek to punish. In my mind, that is exactly what happened on Maundy Thursday.

And our state will be worse off for what we’ve done.

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