Arrested Development’s song “Tennessee” was released in 1992 as part of an incredible hip-hop album that was filled with moving lyrics and excellent music. The song is a lament and a prayer of hope, focusing on the sickness and horror of racism and the sense of home the lyricist seeks. The song grapples with the never-answerable question of why bad things happen to good people, but never blames God. Hope in the midst of struggle; life lived fully even though death could happen today. Not cheery, but real.
On March 30, the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel two Democrats (both young black men) for being part of an “unrecognized” protest against gun violence that was loud, rowdy, and emotional. A third (a white woman) missed being fired by one vote. As of yesterday, one of the representatives was reinstated in an interim role until a special election could be held. The reaction to this has been, as we might expect, mostly along party lines. The speaker of the Tennessee House stated that the two men should just have apologized, and the decision could have been avoided. Apologize for dissent.
I don’t know much else about this situation, but on face value, it seems that those who voted to censure these three representatives care little for the Constitution, with the exception of the 2nd Amendment. If the body of elected officials had chosen to adjourn until order could be restored, that would have been a different matter. Or, they could have given the representatives who were protesting a time to address their concerns over the seemingly endless school terrorist attacks. Instead, the body decided to silence dissent. The fact that they didn’t see the future consequences is remarkable. Their actions, however, are not. The world is watching, and we have, once again, shown that we refuse to address our original sin of racism and the sad reality that many Americans love their guns more than they love our children.
Guns are not the only problem in America; their misuse is a symptom of a culture in decline. Gun worship is created by fear and hate. Movements to make access to guns and the ability to carry them without a license in public continues to grow. Attempts to create processes that would focus on education and responsibility when handling guns continue to fail. The fact that the NRA was founded by a Union soldier (in response to the terrible skills of Confederate soldiers) after the Civil War to increase skill and safety for war, hunting, and target practice seems to have been forgotten by those who promote unfettered use of firearms. And the good guy with a gun theory is a lame excuse for the desire to have guns everywhere and all the time.
Democracy cannot be sustained when it is held hostage by gun fanatics, and it cannot survive if expulsions like this are allowed to stand. Instead of attacking drag queens and same-sex marriage, why don’t we go after the lack of maturity and cultural sickness that is allowing our country to decline? I don’t want your guns and I don’t want to be shot either. Isn’t there someplace in the middle where the adults in the room can work together? Are there any pro-gun legislators who are willing to stand up to the NRA? For God’s sake and ours, I hope so.
Prayer – Holy God, help us, as a people, to grow up and love each other more than we love our guns. Amen.
Today’s art is “Nashville Skyline” by Bri Buckley.