It is a truism that MAGA hates democracy and that MAGA is racist. Do you need any more evidence than this vote to expel two black legislators (while sparing the white woman who committed the same “offense”) because they joined a massive and peaceful children’s protest in the capitol building in favor of gun reform? As a reminder, Tennessee was the location of yet another mass killing in a school the week before.
As noted in the past, give extremists a little power and they do not know when to stop. This outrage and the extremist anti-abortion measures popping up all over the map are prime examples of how to alienate the voters who decide elections – the people in the middle.
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
RE: “Do you need any more evidence than this vote to expel two black legislators (while sparing the white woman who committed the same ‘offense’) because they joined a massive and peaceful children’s protest in the capitol building in favor of gun reform?”
Yes, we do. We need a lot more evidence than you have provided to support your wild claims.
The Tennessee legislature has every right to expel members who disrupt its proceedings. There is no dispute that the members it expelled were disruptive. Nor is anyone claiming that the disruptive members were unaware of the potential consequences of their actions, which means they caused the disruption with impunity.
On the face of it this incident is a nothing burger.
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“Yes, we do.”
Okay, how about the fact that your Dear Leader rose to power on the back of racist attacks on President Obama and racist attacks on Mexicans and you people loved him for it? Is that enough evidence for you?
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It is enough evidence to conclude that you don’t think straight.
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“It is enough evidence to conclude that you don’t think straight.”
Yeah, well I did not expect you to man up and accept the obvious truth – MAGA political power is based on white racism. Remove the racists and there is not much left.
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I don’t accept your “obvious truths” as real because you clearly can’t defend them.
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How is that even remotely on topic?
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“How is that even remotely on topic?”
Uh, the topic is the racist decision by the MAGATS controlling the Tennessee legislature to expel two black members. And that decision was presented as evidence of just how racist the MAGA movement actually is. When that evidence was challenged as insufficient by Mr. Roberts I cited the Birtherism and hate mongering of your Dear Leader as further evidence.
In short, your question is a stupid one. If it makes you uncomfortable to see the truth about MAGA in black and white, too bad.
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It is off topic because it does not address what happened in the Tennessee legislature.
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“It is off topic because it does not address what happened in the Tennessee legislature.”
Uh, nonsense. Complete nonsense. And just as stupid.
Citing the racism of MAGA leadership is clearly part of the same thread and responsive to an earlier comment. And it directly addresses what happened in the TN legislature – a racist party doing racist things.
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RE: “And it directly addresses what happened in the TN legislature – a racist party doing racist things.”
Except for one thing: You haven’t established that what happened in the TN legislature is racist.
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RE: “When that evidence was challenged as insufficient by Mr. Roberts I cited the Birtherism and hate mongering of your Dear Leader as further evidence.”
Classic non sequitur. More evidence that you don’t think straight.
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“Classic non sequitur. ”
You really should stop throwing out words from the realm of formal logic which you clearly do not understand. It makes you look pretentious and phony.
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You really should stop pretending to know the real meaning of words that others use. It makes you look like Humpty Dumpty.
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“It makes you look like Humpty Dumpty.”
Again? LOL!
I think you are forgetting that I am a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of a prestigious college with a major in philosophy. I actually know what the words used in formal logic mean. You should open your mind and improve yourself at every opportunity of which I give you plenty.
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RE: “I think you are forgetting that I am a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of a prestigious college with a major in philosophy.”
That just shows that a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth can be a know nothing.
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SO can a former technical writer. What’s your point?
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RE: “What’s your point?”
Mr. Murphy is illogical and irrational.
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You have similar characteristics. Viewed form my seat, anyway.
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“That just shows that a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth can be a know nothing.”
“Mr. Murphy is illogical and irrational.”
Again and again you revert to school yard argumentation. And why not since that is obviously all you have.
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And he calls ME childish.
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RE: “Again and again you revert to school yard argumentation.”
Once you show that you, yourself, are incapable of adult discussion, what else is left? Here, for example, I accused you of committing a logical error. What was your response? You accused me — without evidence — of not understanding my own words.
You apparently think of yourself as clever, but your cleverness consists only of changing the subject when you have run out of useful things to say.
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RE: “Again and again you revert to school yard argumentation.”
You accused me of a logical error. I did not commit such a logical error. You take offense when I point out that you obviously do not know what the accusation meant. Here, try to follow along . . .
Your answer : “Yes, we do. We need a lot more evidence than you have provided to support your wild claims.”
So, I cited more evidence. The race baiting of the MAGA leader.
THAT additional evidence is what you called a “Classic non sequitur.”
It is NOT a non sequitur of any kind making it obvious that you are using words that you do not understand. Childishly.
So now you accuse me of not being able to engage in an adult conversation?
As I have said many time . . . Grow up.
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RE: “I offered this action by the MAGATS of the Tennessee legistlature as evidence for that proposition.”
Only one problem, which a graduate of Dartmouth’s philosophy program should be able to spot: You haven’t established that the TN legislature behaved in a racist manner. In other words, one of your premises is flawed. And when called on your logical failure, your response is to change topics (non sequitur).
You don’t seem to be smart enough to see how stupid you are.
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What isn’t a nothingburger and is glossed over is the fact that of the three, only two were expelled. The two young Black ELECTED members of the body, The 60 year old White woman was spared.
As one of them said, he was expelled for being an “uppity Negro.” 50’s flashback any one?
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RE: “What isn’t a nothingburger and is glossed over is the fact that of the three, only two were expelled.”
That isn’t “glossed over.” All three were voted on. The expulsion vote for the white lady didn’t pass because the majority felt her behavior was different.
Can you show that her behavior was just as disruptive as that of the two black members?
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Can you show that it wasn’t? They were in lock step during the protest and then again when they walked in for the expulsion votes.
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RE: “Can you show that it wasn’t?”
I already have, but here is a quote from my source:
“Fielding questions from lawmakers, Johnson reminded them that she did not raise her voice nor did she use the bullhorn — as did the other two, both of whom are new lawmakers and among the youngest members in the chamber.”
https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-lawmakers-expulsion-d3f40559c56a051eec49e416a7b5dade
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Very well. I still contend that she wasn’t voted out because she was White.
And. regardless of the racial issue, why is it a party can overturn the will of the voters because somebody lacked decorum? Especially when members of that majority have had criminal charges filed against them or been sued for harassment?
Oh, wait. Republicans have the market cornered on virtue.
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RE: “And. regardless of the racial issue, why is it a party can overturn the will of the voters because somebody lacked decorum?”
Because serving in the legislature is a privilege, not a right.
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If I voted in a candidate and he was tossed out because of a lack of decorum,. i would be a bit irate that the majority arty can completely expel MY elected representative without a hearing. Just a caucus meeting behind closed doors.
The rights of the VOTERS take precedence over petty party perceptions.
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And based on your privilege vs right statement, then George Santos should have been gone weeks ago.
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RE: “The rights of the VOTERS take precedence over petty party perceptions.”
The process in TN allows for that. The expelled representatives screwed up. The voters will fill the seats from which they were expelled by a special election. The voters can even restore the expelled members to office.
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“The expelled representatives screwed up. ”
Why is it only Democrats “screw up”? I seem to recall a couple of years ago when GOP representatives riled up an already angry =mob on Jan 6th. WHy are they not held to the same standards? Is it because it wasn’t on the House floor?
Your double standards are ridiculously naive
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Isn’t interfering with an official proceeding what you guys are putting people in prison for?
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Correct me if I’m wrong, but did these Democrats want to hang the Speaker? Did they assault the police and drag them down granite steps? Did they defecate on the floor?
Did they wear tactical gear, gas masks, carry weapons and smash windows?
The Republicans saw this as an opportunity to get a supermajority and they took it.
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Did they obstruct an official proceeding?
It’s a simple question, and legislators are held to a higher standard.
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No you asked why the insurrectionists were in jail (very few, BTW, just the most violent ones)?
I am sure that decorum is a big issue as it should be. So, yes, the proceedings were interrupted. And the TN House can do whatever it wants.
“Higher standard?” I fully agree. I posited that recently about the importance of holding elected officials, like Thomas and Trump, to higher standards.
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“Isn’t interfering with an official proceeding what you guys are putting people in prison for?”
There was nothing comparable to the certification of a Presidential election taking place in Nashville. The protests around the capitol – mainly by children and teens – were non-violent. Nobody wasinjured. No property wasdamaged. Expulsion was an extreme and unwarranted punishment and was “divisive” in that race was clearly involved.
But keep it up MAGATS. Add children sick of being sacrificed to guns to your long list of enemies.
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I don’t see any evidence of race being involved other than the two ejected legislators thinking they were above the law
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“I don’t see any evidence of race being involved”
Of course YOU don’t. Gloria Johnson does not agree.
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Do you have evidence she was sparred because of race and not long term relationships in the chamber?
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“Do you have evidence she was sparred because of race and not long term relationships in the chamber?”
Only what she said – that she was spared expulsion based on the color of her skin. Maybe she knows the character of the people she serves with better than you do? Just a crazy thought.
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And the third member, White, 60 year old female, who also participated was NOT expelled? How do you explain that as race not being involved? She was arm-in-arm with the “upptiy Negroe(s)”.
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I don’t know why, though it may be as little as that she has made some friends in the chamber.
But your assumption that race is the reason is just your prejudice againt Republicans.
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Horse Feathers! She said the same damned thing and she was there.
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RE: “There was nothing comparable to the certification of a Presidential election taking place in Nashville.”
So what?
RE: “The protests around the capitol – mainly by children and teens – were non-violent.”
So what?
Neither of these observations changes the fact that the protests were disruptive and members of the legislature should not have participated in them.
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Classic MAGA racist double standard.
The white MAGATS who brought death and destruction down on the nation’s Capitol in violent insurrection are being treated unfairly and are even “political prisoners” whom Trump promises to pardon but the people joining in some peaceful protest chants by children deserve immediate expulsion.
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RE: “The white MAGATS who brought death and destruction down on the nation’s Capitol in violent insurrection”
Typical unhinged fantasy talk.
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…”members of the legislature should not have participated in them.”
Right. Legislators should NEVER represent their constituents. They should represent their party only.
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Do you mean that legislators should participate in disruptive behavior?
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Sometimes if they feel it is necessary. I believe the phrase is “good trouble”.
The GOP members of Congress participated in disruptive behavior by attending, speaking at the pre-insurrection rally and urging the 1/6 insurrectionists.
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RE: “Sometimes if they feel it is necessary. I believe the phrase is ‘good trouble’.”
I reject the idea that the end justify the means.
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“I reject the idea that the end justify the means.”
If that were true you wouldn’t be supporting Trump at every turn.
You also missed the concept of “good trouble” and what it has accomplished.
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Who is a representative answerable to, the party or the constituents?
Answer that question, if you can without making an ass out of yourself.
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RE: “Who is a representative answerable to, the party or the constituents?”
A representative is answerable to multiple audiences. Responsibility to constituents doesn’t give a representative the right to violate the rules of the legislature.
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“Good trouble”. I know you hate the concept as you ignored it the first time I said it.
THe representatives were angry about the inaction of their fellow representatives and wanted to do something to address a serious problem in their state that was being ignored. More power to them for standing up to the majority.
THe MOB of the majority overruling the minority in such a manner is something Don complains about whenever the Democrats are in the majority. But when the GOP does it, they are justified. Such fertilizing manure double standards and hypocrisy/
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…”you guys ”
Since when did we become members of the courts?
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“You haven’t established that the TN legislature behaved in a racist manner.”
Bullshit. The facts of who was expelled and who was not are sufficient evidence of that. Then there is the testimony of the three expellees all of whom stated that it was racism at work.
And you show again that you have no idea what a “non sequitur” actually is. It is about logical structure and has nothing to do with the quality of evidence. Duh!
Time to stop your obstinate blather and look up what the words mean.
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Even the appearance of racism by the Tennessee GOP shol dhav told them that maybe censure would have been a more appropriate handling of the manner. But they don’t give a shit about appearance, fairness or anything good for their own constituents. It is all about power.
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