Did the shooting in Wisconsin result in the death of an abortion, and what it could have done to protect the public: a critical look at an impending GOP congressman
Yet another mass shooting and a new blow to nationwide abortion rights left Republicans facing pointed questions on two of the most emotive issues dominating American politics.
But the GOP had almost nothing to say, reflecting the way that it is locked into positions that animate its most fervent grassroots voters but risk alienating it from much of the public.
There are signs that this could be changing. Abortion was one of the main motivating factors for Democrats to vote in last year’s election and the Supreme Court ruling hamstrung Republicans in several important swing races. In Wisconsin, which reverted to a pre-Civil War law banning almost all abortions once Roe was overturned, the issue was critical to the victory of a liberal candidate in last week’s state Supreme Court race, which flipped the conservative majority.
Most Republicans didn’t speak out on the two issues that threaten the long-term viability of the party.
“We send our prayers to the victims, their families, and the city of Louisville as we await more information,” Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell wrote in a tweet that also praised first responders. And Sen. Rand Paul tweeted that he and his wife were “praying for everyone involved in the deadly shooting,” adding that “our hearts break for the families of those lost.”
Democrats offered condolences too, but also had a more practical response. With Republicans in control of the House of Representatives, and without Democrats holding more seats in the Senate, it’s impossible for President Joe Biden to push for gun safety reform. Many Americans are paying the price for their lack of action. When will Republicans in Congress act to protect our communities?” Biden asked on the social networking site.
Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey, who represents Louisville in Congress, called for action to tackle gun violence. Prayers and sympathies are appreciated, but it’s important that we address gun violence at the national level.
Despite this shifting political terrain, there are few signs that top Republican leaders are willing to change the party’s tack on guns or abortion. Or that they have the political room to do so. Even though it makes sense for Republicans to appeal to a more general audience to avoid alienating crucial suburban, moderate and female voters, the vehemence of their core supporters makes this an impossible straddle. It’s a similar dynamic to the one many GOP power brokers have long faced with Donald Trump. The former president remains so popular with base voters that his GOP critics risk their careers by publicly opposing him. He has always been a liability for general election voters, as evidenced by the GOP’s performance in 2020 and 2022.
In our legislature, there are no common sense gun reform measures because a Republican supermajority is out of step with most people’s values.
The 50-year conservative campaign to overturn the abortion law of Wade is considered one of the biggest victories in the movement’s history. It reached its apex with the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last year.
“We are getting it wrong on this issue,” Mace said on “CNN This Morning” on Monday. It is important that we show compassion to women who have been raped. We’ve got to show compassion on the abortion issue, because by and large, most of Americans aren’t with us on this issue.” She called on the FDA to ignore the judge’s ruling and align herself with progressive Democrats.
The party failed to align with most Americans on two important issues: abortion and gun safety. Many voters, including younger Americans, are being driven from the party because of its positions according to polls.
The Harvard Youth Poll was completed before the shooting in Nashville, and showed that a majority of 18-to 29-year-olds believe gun laws should be more strict and less strict. Young Americans are generally on the same page as the public as a whole. According to a Gallup survey in October 2022, the majority of Americans said that the laws concerning the sale of firearms should be made more strict, with 32% stating that the laws should not be changed.
A survey done in January by Gallup shows that 50% of Americans don’t like the US policies on abortion and would prefer less strict abortion laws. That’s a record high in the firm’s 23-year trend, up from 30% in January 2022 and just 17% in 2021.
The Memphis Activist Revisited: Justin Pearson Reinstated Vote Tennessee House-Ppearson-ctrp
Tennessee Rep. Pearson was a community activist in Memphis. The views that he expresses are his own. Read more opinion on CNN.
Republicans who instigated my removal from the Tennessee House probably didn’t expect the nationwide backlash they’d cause. The rule of law has prevailed because of democracy.
I will redo my seat this week. The Republicans voted to remove me and Rep Jones from the Tennessee Assembly last week, but I hope that they won’t happen again after a vote Wednesday by the Shelby County Commission.
The stated reason for my expulsion was that I, Rep. Jones and another Democratic colleague, Gloria Johnson, “breached decorum” by peacefully walking side by side to the well of the House Chamber to acknowledge rampant gun violence that has victimized and traumatized grieving children and families across our state and around the nation.
The Tennessee House, which is dominated by the Republicans, prevented us from speaking during regular order, cut off our microphones, and disabled our voting machines in the event that decorum was broken.
During the recess that was hastily called by the House Speaker, we joined chants from the floor, as a way of showing our opposition to what he was trying to do.
We followed the directive of Article 2, Section 26 of the State Constitution to oppose policies injurious to the people who elected us. As a result, we were put on display in that very House to “stand trial” for our alleged offenses.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/12/opinions/justin-pearson-reinstated-vote-tennessee-house-pearson-ctrp/index.html
More guns simply cannot be used against the good, the rich, and the poor: Tennessee legislators must enforce the Tennessee State Constitution at a time when gun violence is not a crime
In Tennessee, people don’t need a permit to carry guns in public. The age of purchase of permitless guns is being looked at by the legislature. Republicans in the Tennessee state legislature are considering a bill that would allow teachers to carry guns on school grounds at a time when gun safety laws in the state are not very strict.
The Nashville massacre happened a few weeks after 20 people were killed in shootings in Memphis. There have been far more mass shootings in the US this year than there have been days. I am one of many people in Tennessee who have been touched by preventable gun violence. A high school classmate and beloved son and middle school employee, Larry Thorn, was murdered just a few months ago. More guns simply cannot be the answer.
On Thursday night, in the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan and where neo-Nazi organizations still thrive, the condescension and barely-veiled racism heaped on us and on the communities we represent, were on full display.
But legislators don’t need permission to walk to the well of the House. There is no sanction against our peaceful actions during recess. And we are required by the Tennessee State Constitution to object to policies injurious to the well-being of our constituents.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/12/opinions/justin-pearson-reinstated-vote-tennessee-house-pearson-ctrp/index.html
The Old South as a Renewed South: Challenges, Progress, Progress and the Good Side of History at the 2018 Redistricting Conference
We will continue to challenge the Old South and bring about a Renewed South, one that is fair and just and democratic for Black, brown, White, indigenous, transgender, poor, immigrant — for all people. And we will win. Because we are on the right side of history.