The fragile flowers of Tennessee's GOP legislature contravene a basic right

[Zorro]

Opinion by Editorial Board

THE REPUBLICANS running Tennessee’s legislature must be sensitive souls who quake in the presence of raised voices and tremble when met with dissent. How they manage their own teenagers is anyone’s guess; what’s certain is that they come unhinged when confronted with hecklers who’d hardly rate a glance from Little League umpires, circus clowns or, for that matter, journalists at your average political rally.

How else to explain their legislative temper tantrum when, after encountering peaceful protesters at the Tennessee Capitol grounds for two months, they passed a bill that criminalized camping there, and on state property generally. Doing so will now subject activists, including the nonviolent racial justice ones who have undertaken the recent protests, to a felony charge and prison terms of up to six years.

By way of explaining why they outlawed what most civil liberties experts would consider protected speech, several GOP lawmakers acknowledged that they really don’t like being yelled at. One Republican state senator, Kerry Roberts, said “it’s really hard to be sympathetic to what someone is saying when they are yelling at you, when they’re trying to shame you, when they’re calling you names and so forth.” He said such criticism made him “extremely uncomfortable.” Then there was Republican Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, evidently channelling King George III, who insisted it is a “serious crime” when people “knowingly thumb their nose at authority.”

Let’s hope the Tennessee Republicans never seek employment at an airport ticket counter or, heaven forbid, any department of motor vehicles; it’s equally clear they’re ill-suited to serve as public servants.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-fragile-flowers-of-tennessees-gop-legislature-contravene-a-basic-right/2020/09/06/796c8eb2-ec9b-11ea-99a1-71343d03bc29_story.html

[SheltieLover]

1. Voter suppression. Crimes are felonies.

As to why repukes are such snowflakes, please read this NIH research that explores differences in liberal & repuke brains:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3092984/#:~:text=Substantial%20differences%20exist%20in%20the,on%20psychological%20measures%20%5B1%5D.&text=We%20found%20that%20greater%20liberalism,volume%20of%20the%20right%20amygdala.

"Substantial differences exist in the cognitive styles of liberals and conservatives on psychological measures [1]. ... We found that greater liberalism was associated with increased gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas greater conservatism was associated with increased volume of the right amygdala."

[okaawhatever]

3. I'm saving this for after work. Thanks. nt

[SheltieLover]

4. Yw

I posted about the special session shitbag gov lee called for this legislation. Few weeks ago. Yw!

[Phoenix61]

2. It's supposed to make you feel bad so you

reconsider your behavior and change it. I guess they want to act like asshats and be
thanked for doing so.

[Faux pas]

5. EFFERS

And wimps

[SCantiGOP]

6. That law will stand exactly as long

as it takes to get a case before a federal court. Obviously excessive punishment and violation of free speech and assembly.

And, taking away voting rights has a fairly high bar to pass - more than trespassing or “camping without a permit.”

[AllaN01Bear]

7. somebody once told me that the capital is "my" house as is the white house .

if i loose ssi i will go camp there as it is "my " or i should say, our house . not his .

[GodlessX]

8. They're ruled by emotion & reaction.

[modrepub]

9. Gee, Wonder What These Folks Would Do If People Showed Up With Guns?