"Every RuleThat We Almost Have"

Everybody's heard about the Tennessee legislature last week by now. Everybody in the world with modern communication. In the midst of a protest asking them to finally, FINALLY, enact some common sense gun legislation that might stop the next school shooting after three students were killed in a Christian school along with three adult staff.  In another couple weeks that incident will get lost in the abundance of mass shootings in this country, and people are more and more standing up against the unrestricted possession of guns, both in quantity and quality, also known as the ability to kill the most people in the fastest time just because somebody has some kind of perceived grudge.

Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, both black, along with Gloria Johnson, white, joined in the protest. First it was from the floor in regular debate until the chair cut their mikes. When they returned wth bullhorns to continue making their points without their microphones, the two men were expelled by the super-majority of Republicans, which exists thanks to extreme gerrymandering. They did not expel the white woman because "reasons". They made excuses, but we all know what those reasons were. The two were "uppity blacks" while she was white.

One of the (white of course) Republican legislators, Cameron Sexton, went on camera to spread some "truth" in defense of the expulsions. He unknowingly spread some real truth when, on camera and widely broadcast now, he explained it as being because the two "broke every rule we almost have."

We can guess with little imagination what those rules they "almost have" might be: 

Don't be a Democrat. 

Don't be black. 

Don't be uppity, especially if you're black, though by definition any black man who speaks up no matter how just the cause, is "uppity". 

When the Republican super-majority doesn't like your speech (because you're black, because they're likely paid off by the NRA and gun manufacturers and action threatens their livelihoods) they have no need to listen to your opposing point of view. 

They are allowed to cut your mike off because they can.

It's just not allowed for you to find a way to continue to be heard.  

Any time a Republican White legislator breaks a rule it can be ignored or perhaps a minor scolding may ensue, wink wink nudge nudge, pat on the back and a handshake of eternal loyalty. 

Should the Democratic "uppity black man" dare to be uppity, kick them out and teach them all a lesson.

There are probably other rules they "almost have" but which simply haven't come to light yet, or at least not so publicly. We'll start by seeing how they treat the two Justins when they are returned to the legislature by their constituents. I expect there will be more eyes on the body in the near future, at least.

Perhaps they should "almost" have another rule in that legislature, borrowed from Lord Acton: "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Oh wait: I think they've got that one down pat.