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Watch: Democrat Justin Pearson rips Republicans as they move to expel him from Tennessee House
April 6, 2023 5:54PM ET
Justin Pearson speaking to reporters.
Republicans in the Tennessee House of Representatives moved forward Thursday with a controversial and nationally-watched resolution to expel three Democrats — Justin Jones, Gloria Johnson, and Justin Pearson — for joining in with a student protest for gun law reform following the deadly school shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville.
Republican leaders have characterized their participation in the demonstration as "insurrection" and compared it to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Following the expulsion of Rep. Jones, Pearson gave a fiery speech to reporters, standing firm in his call for stronger gun laws — and warning that the democratic process in Tennessee is being eviscerated.
"We came here to fight for our constituents," said Pearson. "We came here to lift up the issues of people who are suffering. Six people died in Nashville at the Covenant School, three were nine years old. But instead of focusing on that, Representative Jones, Representative Johnson, and myself are being expelled from the state house because we said, we cannot do business as usual."
"No one should be wanting to operate as though this is not happening, as though we are not living in a gun violence epidemic in the State of Tennessee," Pearson continued. "And the solutions that are being offered is actually to reduce the First Amendment rights of people who speak up on behalf of their constituencies, who speak up on behalf of people who are tired of the guns, who are tired of seeing legislation being passed that lowers the age for you to carry, tired of seeing legislation being passed that says, you don't need a permit, tired of legislation being passed that says if we give teachers guns, that's somehow going to fix the problem. People are tired of these non-real solutions to real problems that we are suffering from."
"I've lost a classmate this year from gun violence," said Pearson. "My mentor died last year from gun violence. We are dealing with a gun violence epidemic, and the solution is not to silence the voices of people who send us here to the people's house to speak with them. And for them, it is to make sure we do just legislation is to make sure we fight for red flag laws, we fight for good storage laws, we fight to make sure that this is a democracy and maintains his democratic principles. But that's what being lost today."
"Every Tennessean needs to be very concerned that we are not in a democracy and across the United States of America," said Pearson. "There has been no House members who have ever been expelled for exercising their First Amendment rights and peaceful protest. This is the first in American history, and we are losing our democracy to white supremacy. We are losing our democracy to patriarchy. We are losing our democracy to people who want to keep the status quo that is to the rest of us and to our children and unborn people. It is no coincidence that the two youngest Black lawmakers in the State of Tennessee, and one of two women are on trial today. That is not accidental. This is what happens when you lose democracy. This is what we are fighting against and must stand up against as legislators and as people and as citizens across this country. Because it's starting in Tennessee, but it won't end here."
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