Shortly after being sworn in on Thursday, the Tennessee Holler leaked audio of what Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) referred to as the “internal discussions the Republican party had, and has had since the expulsion of myself and Representative Jones.”
“We’re dealing with a culture at the state house that suppresses the rights of the minority, regardless of whether their actions are morally right or factually justifiable,” Pearson said. “That’s what we’re up against. People who are wielding and abusing their power against voices of dissent – against voices that are advocating for the people.”
Pearson explained that there is a responsibility to hold those elected leaders accountable, and to continue “personal advocacy” for just laws and legislation.
The Flyer spoke with Pearson about gun reform and the experiences that shaped his stance. — Kailynn Johnson
How would you describe the past few days?
In the past few days we’ve seen the movement for the end of gun violence and the need to preserve our democracy rising, and it’s been a powerful display of people power in Shelby County, across the state of Tennessee, and our country. It reinstills my sense of determination that we are on the right side of this fight.
You said that you feel like we’re on the right side of the fight, but what are you hoping for in Tennessee in terms of gun reform, and how would you like to see that shape up for the rest of the country?
I think what we would like to see are more just laws passed by the Tennessee state legislature that deal with the injustices as it relates to gun violence. We’re living under a gun violence epidemic in Memphis, Millington, Shelby County, District 86, across our state and country.
The resolution that has been offered by many people is to just keep things the same and pray they get better, instead of investing resources into changing the status quo to help support our communities, to make them safer.
We know that those opportunities, or options are out there, but the Republican party of Tennessee has committed itself to expel the voices of dissent that don’t want to have the [National Rifle Association] and gun lobbyist associations guide policy making, and instead want the people of Tennessee to guide policy making.
Have any of your experiences shaped your stance on gun reform?
This January I lost my classmate, Larry Thorn, to gun violence in Memphis, in Westwood, District 86. Larry and I graduated, but at the same time he was a beloved son, friend, grandson, and an amazing support to students at A. Maceo Walker Middle School.
He was shot. We were the same age, and yet I have the opportunity to become an elected official, and serve in the state house and Larry is gone. It isn’t fair, it is not right, it’s not just, and it’s not the way it has to be.
Everybody in this Republican supermajority, who are consistently advocating that there’s nothing more that we can do other than tolerate injustices like what happened to Larry, they’re wrong. The majority of people in our community are advocating for just laws to be passed as it relates to gun violence. Over 70 percent of people are advocating that we have laws that deal with gun safety storage, laws that deal with preventing people who shouldn’t have guns, and we have overwhelming support encompassing gun legislation.
We have to deal with a reality that in our community, people today have access to guns, and we’re going to have to take intentional efforts on preventing gun violence to stop people who have access to guns today, from ever using them to commit harm and crimes on folks. That’s going to require a much more holistic approach than we have seen in the past. It’s going to require us to think differently about preventing gun violence and to think differently about how we have gotten to where we are, which isn’t a good place for many of us, for all of us in fact. We are not safer because of the laws that are currently in place such as permitless carry.
With this issue being personal to you, is that what prompted you to take an active stance regarding gun laws? I know you said that you are an elected official, but you also actively advocated on the floor.
It was mostly the killing of six people at The Covenant School in Nashville, and the silence of people in the State Capitol to thousands of protesters who were asking us to do something, and the remembering of my own classmate, as a remembering of my mentor. Last year, Dr. Yvonne Nelson, who was killed by gun violence, urged me …. to go on the floor and say that we have to say something, and we have to listen to the people who have shown up here in our capitol to be heard.
It was silence — outside of one speech — that day on the issue of ending gun violence. There was complete silence from [House Speaker Rep. Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville)] and leaders of the Republican party, and any members who wanted to speak about the issue were told they were out of order, including myself. So, it became important for us to raise this issue, the best we knew how. In this case that was making sure that we stuck to our oath, of dissenting to the status quo and supporting our community that wants for us to speak.
Now that you’ve been reinstated, what are your next steps?
One of the first things that we’re already working on are 15 bills as it relates to ending gun violence in Tennessee, including making the executive order from Governor Bill Lee law, and passing red flag laws, similar to what Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) passed in the past few sessions.
