A School Board to vote for Free the Tennessee three

The Nashville school shooting was a recent horrific event in our nation’s history, which left the Tennessee House of Representatives in chaos. After such a tragic event, it is crucial to recover and work together to create a safer future for all. To prevent further shootings, which are carried out with legally bought firearms, harsher restrictions on firearms seems rational.

However, this proposed potential solution was not seen in the same light by Tennessee republicans. Representatives vehemently opposed any restrictions on guns which prompted hours of intense debate regarding a plan for the future. Ultimately, nothing came of the debate and no change was implemented. This inaction frustrated some Democrats. Representatives Justin Pearson, Justin Jones, and Gloria Johnson all took to the floor of the house to protest and make clear their concerns.

man, Shayna Kalish, Todd Ridky, Abigail Rubin, and Sarah Thomas. Voting in local elections can often feel like picking between the lesser of nine evils, but after sitting through candidate forums and sifting through written responses, I can endorse two candidates: Jason Herman and Shayna Kalish.

Jason Herman, an attorney and professor at Saint Joseph’s University, has committed to striving for environmental sustainability and full day kindergarten, and using his experience at the New York City School Construction Authority to oversee facilities and building projects through the district. In his written responses to questions intended for the School Board Candidate Forum hosted in winter of this year, Herman expressed a willingness to “engage students, listen to their concerns, support them, and include them in the decision-making process.”

Shayna Kalish, the only incumbent running for reelection, has impressed me with her openness to student input. I have to respect her knowledge and experience on the school board, and she was a founding member of the school board Equity and Anti-Racism committee. Every time she is asked to speak on her values and commitments, she prioritizes the needs of marginalized students and the “inherent value of every human being.” Having established candidates on the board who’ve been demonstrably willing to dialogue with students, and who are committed to anti-racism is inherently worthwhile.

My real endorsement: A student advisory board, made up of student leaders from both high schools and LMSD’s three middle schools, with the power to shape LM district policy. Official channels for representing students would allow those with the most expertise and the most at stake to push for policies they support. Student activists are quick to argue that months of conflict over Oakwell Forest could’ve been avoided by surveying the student body, and our school districts will never be able to properly address incidents of racism and bigotry within schools without input from the students actually affected.

Bodies like the Principal’s Advisory Council and the two non-voting student representatives currently pres ent at school board meetings claim to meet the need for student voice, the only real power that students have now is the ability to push for the election of new board candidates. This is a power students must use, and that should be used to elect candidates willing to make needed reforms. To learn more about the candidates, watch the school board candidate forum or visit the democratic candidate campaign website at leadinglmsdforward.com.

The three brave protestors came to the Tennessee House of Representatives with a simple mission: to raise awareness for gun control after the recent shooting. Their protest was peaceful but brash. Armed with nothing but their voices, they stood on the floor of the House and protested. A few days later, Republicans voted to remove the Pearson and Jones from the House, two African American men. Removal of persons is a measure that has rarely been taken since the 1800s. However, the even more concerning part is that Gloria Johnson, their white colleague, was not removed. While this is not statistically significant enough to accuse an entire body of racism, it brings up concerns. When asked to comment, a Republican representative stated that the Pearson and Jones were just “more violent” and that it had nothing to do with race. Still, it goes to show some of the prominent issues that exist within the government. Regardless of race, expelling lawmakers because of protest and nothing more unveils some deeper issues within our government in regard to intolerance. Intolerance in the context of listening to new ideas is some- thing that has become all too common, and the stubborn position on gun control is an example of this. Instead of listening to these fellow representatives and trying to come up with a compr- omise, the representatives’ constituents took the easy way out. The congressmen were elected by citizens to communicate and fight for policies that they believed in for the representatives’ districts. They were elected to serve their constituents and carry out their best interest from places of power. When those same individuals are cast out of the room of discussion for merely stating an adversarial opinion, the votes of their supporters are rendered meaningless. The very fabric of our democracy is torn. Expelling members as an act of political retribution instead of an emergency measure sets a scary precedent of limited democracy. This speaks to the very essence of our constitution. The core pillar of democracy in America is the right to free speech. America was founded on the values of free speech and the ability to protest. Without this, democracy is threatened. Since the expulsion of the representatives, they have since been reinstated. Regardless, the message that was left behind was clear. If intolerant lawmakers continue their reign of control in states like Tennessee, the progress that should have been created by democracy will continue to be halted.