Facts Then Commentary: The Tennessee 3
First, The Facts…
In a controversial move, Tennessee Republicans expelled two Democratic lawmakers, Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, from the state legislature for their role in a gun control protest following a deadly school shooting in Nashville. Rep. Gloria Johnson, a third Democrat, narrowly avoided expulsion by a single vote. The expulsions were criticized as racially motivated since Jones and Pearson are both Black, while Johnson is white. GOP leaders argued that the actions were necessary to prevent setting a precedent that disruptions through protests would be tolerated.
The expelled lawmakers had participated in a protest calling for stricter gun control measures alongside hundreds of demonstrators at the Capitol. This occurred after a shooting at the Covenant School, where six people were killed, including three children. Jones and Pearson vowed to continue advocating for change at the Capitol, with Jones saying they “called for you all to ban assault weapons, and you respond with an assault on democracy.” President Joe Biden criticized the expulsions as “shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent.”
Then, the Commentary…
In a world where injustices and inequalities continue to plague our communities, it’s crucial for us to understand the art of negotiation and strategize effectively. By knowing our bargaining chips, breaking the cycle of fleeting outrage, and growing our discipline in focusing our attention, we can make real progress towards our goals. In this post, we’ll explore these key strategies for achieving lasting change and empowerment.
- Know Your Bargaining Chips and Play Better Poker:
To be successful negotiators, we must recognize the unique assets and strengths that we bring to the table. These bargaining chips can be leveraged to create a more favorable outcome in negotiations. Whether it’s our skills, experiences, or connections, understanding our value and using it strategically is essential for achieving our objectives and driving change. Translation: This is a power negotiation not a family reunion. By firing the Black men and retaining the white woman, the Tennessee power structure is the embodiment of “playing in your face”. Look for an outcome, not love.
2. Break the Cycle of Fleeting Outrage:
All too often, our collective response to injustices follows a predictable pattern — something happens, we get angry, social media erupts, and then our attention shifts to the next issue without any substantial progress being made. To break this cycle, we need to approach negotiations with a clear focus and determination, treating them as opportunities for change rather than mere emotional outpourings. Translation: Those in power expect and welcome our collective outrage because they know we will be focused on something else in a few news cycles.
3. Cultivate Discipline in Choosing Our Battles:
As a community, we need to develop the discipline to discern what truly deserves our attention and energy. While it’s natural to feel outrage at injustices, responding with anger to every issue can dilute the impact of our collective response. Instead, we must carefully choose our battles, reserving our energy for the right moments that can lead to significant change. Translation: This Tennessee thing deserves our attention, celebrity worship and gossip don’t.
4. Strategically Channel Our Outrage:
When we do encounter an issue that genuinely warrants our collective outrage, it’s vital to channel that energy strategically. Rather than letting it dissipate as a fleeting wave, we must harness it to drive concrete action and achieve tangible results. This means organizing, mobilizing, and working together to push for the changes we want to see. Translation: What does seizing power from this situation truly look like. Define a valuable win and then go for that.
In closing, my humble opinion is that we must grow our discipline of what deserves our attention. I do not think we, as a people, multitask as well as we think we do. Respectfully, when we respond with outrage to everything then outrage loses its value, just another tide to wait out. That is not to say we are not justified in our collective reactions, it just isn’t getting us to where we want to be. Don’t exert all of our energy on everything, wait for the right thing and then take it all.
