A serious post. Please consider.

[Atticus]

Most of us would agree that a law---or even a parental rule---that is never enforced is worse than useless because it actually encourages the activity or conduct sought to be discouraged. Additionally, such "empty threats" erode respect for their source.

But, what about abuses of authority such as when a legislature dominated by one party simply votes to expel members of the opposing party? This is what is happening right now in Tennessee: the Republicans are expelling the Democrats and voiding their IDs. The action may have been taken by following the procedures governing the legislature, but can anyone say it is not a serious abuse of those procedures?

If this is ALLOWED to stand, does that not render the "rules" worse than useless if they can be so abused? Will this not erode respect for legislative actions; for the law; for democracy itself?

Isn't ignoring the abuse of government authority as bad as simply ignoring authority?

If all the expelled Democrats plus a few thousand of their supporters flooded into the Tennessee Capitol and vowed to stay until this was reversed, what would happen?

If you have a better idea for opposing this outrage in a meaningful way, please share it.

SOMETHING needs to be done! As Officer Malone asked Elliot Ness in The Untouchables, "What are you prepared to do?"

[Tanuki]

1. The TN GOP legislature made that a felony a couple of years ago.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/12/tennessee-passes-law-targeting-protesters-makes-capitol-camping-felony/3354879001/

"As protesters continued their two-month, round-the-clock demonstration just outside Capitol doors, the Tennessee legislature on Wednesday approved a bill that will make it easier for state troopers to file charges against the group.

The legislation was promised by House leadership in early June when demonstrations against police brutality — and later against Gov. Bill Lee and the General Assembly — began increasing in Nashville.
...
The legislation also requires that protesters charged with unauthorized camping, vandalism of state property, disrupting a meeting and certain other protest-related offenses be held for at least 12 hours without bond, by default. A magistrate must argue in writing that the defendant won't resume the behavior to avoid the mandatory hold."....(more)

[Atticus]

2. Do they have 5,000 jail cells? Would they REALLY want to see the evening news filled with images

of peaceful average citizens being drug out of the Capitol, cuffed and stuffed?

[cynical_idealist]

5. The answer to question 2 is probably yes

[markodochartaigh]

11. Exactly.

The Republican voters, and many in the middle, will think that they are seeing the chaos that Republican politicians, pundits, and preachers have been talking about. Chaos>fear>calls for strong action by Strong Leaders.

[Lonestarblue]

7. That Tennessee law needs to appealed to a federal court.

Allowing one political party to expel elected representatives negates the votes of the people without the right to do so.

[2naSalit]

3. K&R

Wish I had a quick answer but I don't. I am not sure what, either, but something must be done.

[Docreed2003]

4. K&R

What's happening in my state is infuriating and it's time for action to support these kids and these legislators who are being wrongfully attacked.

[Tanuki]

8. I'm hoping it will be picked up by the national news

sooner rather than later!

[bucolic_frolic]

9. The origins of this in old poli sci texts was "a company town"

where one company was the major industry, employer, landlord, bank, supermarket. They dominated or founded the university or college, owned the retail real estate as well as the politicians. There was no opposition.

Tennessee is a one company state.

Will courts provide balance? Democrats there need to sue and make noise. There is no other game in that company town.

[Cyrano]

12. Sigh. The Civil War never ended.

[Augiedog]

13. Also: the declared policy of republicans in Wisconsin is to kill the Democratic Party here

[ancianita]

14. I mentioned on another thread that College Democrats of TN are at that protest.

I'm not on Instagram but saw that College Democrats of TN advertised on Instagram to show they're at the TN Capitol today. So they're doing some organizing.

https://www.instagram.com/tncollegedems/

[Tanuki]

18. Yes

https://vanderbilthustler.com/2023/04/01/vanderbilt-students-organize-walkout-for-gun-control-honor-victims-of-covenant-school-shooting/

[ancianita]

19. So cool. So awesome.

[Liberty Belle]

15. A boycott of Tennessee - get Nashville stars to cancel concerts, companies to threaten to move away,

and tourists to cancel visits of all sorts there. Also start a national campaign for millions of people to tie up every office's phone and fax lines with protest messages. Have someone follow the Governor everywhere he goes with protesters (no camping.) Have someone dress like a masked bandit to show how he is stealing democracy. Start a mail-in campaign to every legislator and the governor sending some object that is bulky and will fill up their offices with protest messages attached. The Dem party should mobilize every voter in the state and beyond.

Call a statewide walk-out and shut everything down.

Protest outside their homes.

And fight that unconstitutional law in state and federal courts.

[Atticus]

16. This! nt

[barbtries]

20. duly elected officials

being removed from their posts because they dared to speak out loud in favor of gun control.

i hate republicans.

this should not stand.