In case you weren’t paying attention earlier this year, the Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives expelled two Black members on April 6 for standing in the well and protesting the state’s firearms laws, or lack thereof, in the aftermath of a school shooting in Nashville that killed six people. One white member who protested with the two black members, Gloria Johnson, was spared expulsion by one vote.
Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were quickly returned to office by their respective city councils in Nashville and Memphis. They had to stand for election in a June primary and won. In the state’s Aug. 3 general election, Jones will run against Republican Laura Nelson, while Pearson will face independent Jeff Johnston.
The response to the Tennessee House’s punitive action is another example of the beginning of the end for old white men legislators. America is rapidly changing. Even though many so-called conservative states have made it harder to vote, young people have joined minorities in electing more liberal politicians each year. Because of scenes like the one in the Tennessee Legislature, America’s young people are changing the political winds.
Republicans keep insisting that nothing can be done about the mass shootings, even when the victims are children enjoying a day in school. They continue to offer funds for mental health solutions to mass shootings. Of course, anyone who storms into an elementary school and shoots children at random is mentally unstable. How does one determine a person’s mental health state when the legislature opposes background checks and “red flag” laws in an attempt to prevent the shootings in the first place?
We also have our own problems here in Ohio. On Aug. 4, 2019, a mass shooting in Dayton was one of the worst in Ohio history. Nine people were murdered, and 17 others were wounded. It was closing time in the entertainment district. The shooter was carrying an AR-15-style firearm that looked like a short-barreled rifle but is legally classified as a pistol with a large ammunition magazine. Fortunately, police responded quickly and within some 30 seconds of direct encounter killed the gunman, who was wearing body armor.
And fear not, Gov. Mike DeWine was quickly on the scene promising that he would do something about the proliferation of military assault-style weapons. He made this speech in the company of then-Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, a Democrat who would later run against DeWine and lose by a large margin.
The governor’s promise of doing something later took a U-turn. He approved a bill to allow concealed carry with no training or any other restriction. The National Rifle Association and gun manufacturers pour millions of dollars into the campaigns of Republican state legislators and Congress members nationwide. This insures them against gun control laws.
On April 13, 17-year-old Ralph Yarl was attempting to pick up his siblings when he rang the doorbell at the wrong address in Kansas City, Missouri. The 85-year-old white homeowner asked nothing as he shot the teen twice through the glass door. Miraculously, the teen survived, and the homeowner was facing armed assault charges.
Two days later, on April 15, a 20-year-old white woman, Kallan Killis, was in one of multiple vehicles looking for an address in upstate New York when they pulled into the wrong driverway. As the vehicle she was in was the last to turn around to leave, the 65-year-old white homeowner came out of his house and shot and killed her. The homeowner, Kevin Monahan, is facing murder charges. Are there too many guns?
Next time you go to the polls, vote for the candidate who represents that he or she favors an assault weapons ban. That vote should be for a candidate who believes that gun purchases should include significant background checks.
Write Mike Sussman at msilksussman@aol.com