Justin Jones meeting with President Biden. Image: Wiki Commons
Subscribe for Updates!
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
You have Successfully Subscribed!
In a sharp rebuke to the GOP's expulsion vote, all 36 members of Nashville's Metropolitan Council voted to reinstate Jones to his seat representing their district.
In a high-speed “karma boomerang” delectable to see, Rep. Justin Jones, expelled for daring to protest the slaughter of America’s children, made a triumphant return to the GOP-majority House after Nashville officials unanimously reappointed him. Sweet justice: As Jones strode in to reclaim his seat, he was met by cheering supporters and scowling, butthurt good ole boys, “big mad in they seats,” who had messed around only to find out they’d “awakened the people” and ensured Jones “will never go away.”
In a grim irony, the return of Jones, expelled last week along with Rep. Justin Pearson for what Republican lawmakers deemed “disorderly behavior”—aka standing with distraught protesters seeking common-sense gun reform—came on the same day as yet another mass shooting, live-streamed in Louisville, that killed at least five people.
It was the 146th mass shooting in a year that’s 100 days old. Thursday’s expulsion of Jones and Pearson—both black, 27, and fiery orators—had been blasted by attorneys as “extraordinary, illegal, and without any historical or legal precedent”; Gloria Johnson, the only white member of the Tennessee Three, held onto her seat by one vote.
In a sharp rebuke to the GOP’s 72-25 expulsion vote—and amidst rumors the Three would come back together “one Justin at a time”—all 36 members of Nashville’s Metropolitan Council voted to reinstate Jones to his seat representing District 52. “(The GOP) removed the voice of 140,000 people who voted for them,” said Council Member Burkley Allen. “It’s a terrible precedent to set that we disagree with you (and) therefore we’re expelling you. That’s not the way democracy works.”
Before the Council vote, Jones supporters gathered outside to call for gun reform and chant “No Justin, No Peace”; after the vote, loud cheers rang out. Jones then led a march back to the State House to be re-instated amidst chants of, “This is what democracy looks like” and “Whose house? Our house.” Jones spoke to the crowd: “This is not about one person…It’s about a movement of people empowered to restore the soul of what this building should represent, and that is democracy.”
After being sworn in, Jones walked through the Capitol halls as people followed singing Odetta’s civil-rights anthem, “This Little Light of Mine.” He entered the House chamber arm-in-arm with Johnson to cheers from supporters in the gallery; when Speaker Cameron Sexton pounded his gavel to shut them down, one guy loudly yelled, “Fuck your gavel.”
Meanwhile, the old white crackers of the GOP sat, sullen and stolid, ignoring Jones, their racist loathing palpable. Viewers noted the malignant vibe: “Lookit all those haters hating…They’re all thinking, ‘Well, fuck, THAT backfired…I believe (a) few just urinated in their own chairs. Fret not, no consequences .”
Jones was called upon to speak by Sexton, who, gavel notwithstanding, was strikingly subdued—perhaps because he reportedly may face charges of election residency fraud, or because he’d been warned in a scathing letter from attorneys that, after their expulsion, the House “must not now compound its errors by further retributive actions,” including a rumored plan to withhold funding if Pearson is also reinstated. “The world is watching,” they wrote. “Any partisan retributive action, such as the discriminatory treatment of elected officials, (will) constitute further unconstitutional action that would require redress.”
In his speech, Jones welcomed “democracy back to the people’s house…Today we stand as witness (to) a resurrection of a movement of a multi-racial democracy.” He also thanked the old racist men “for awakening the people of this state, particularly the young people. Thank you for reminding us that the struggle for justice is fought and won in every generation.” As if in poignant proof, on Sunday Jones had run into Joan Baez at the airport. He asked to sing with her, and they began, “We Shall Overcome.” But before the end, Baez started crying.
“I want to see young people in America feel the spirit of the 1960s (and) find a way to get in trouble. Good trouble, necessary trouble.” — John Lewis
When you get off the plane with the legendary Joan Baez you know it’s a movement of the spirit. She stands with us in our struggle in Tennessee and said she’s hopeful to see young voices leading.
Common Dreams has been providing breaking news & views for the progressive community since 1997. They are independent, non-profit, advertising-free and 100% reader supported.
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/factkeepers.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/factkeepers.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":500,"top_media_type":"none","featured_image_url":false,"featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"Factkeepers.com","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"Help Support Factkeepers","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for being a supporter!","payment_confirmation_title":"Factkeepers.com","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like.","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to donate this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to donate this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to donate this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
