Tennessee
Editor's notebook: Drugstore cowboys and the Alamo – Tennessee Lookout
I typically don’t answer phone calls from unrecognized numbers and thought twice one night last week when a local, but unidentified number, popped up — until I noted it was tagged, ‘robocall.’
In an election cycle, you can’t be sure which politicians are calling, so I picked up to hear Tennessee’s senior senator in a cheerful recording: “Hey there! This is Sen. Marsha Blackburn. Today, I’m hosting a live telephone town hall . . . we’re going to talk about the crisis at the southern border, rising inflation and threats we face from America’s adversaries.”
Did I want to click one to participate? Oh, you bet I did.
The majority of the callers wanted to ask questions about security at the U.S.-Mexico border; they weren’t what I would have asked, but there’s no shame in asking.
There is, however, shame in being a U.S. senator perpetuating stereotypes for fear and exploiting the status of immigrants for the sake of politics.
In one of three polls Blackburn ran during the call, she asked, “Do you believe our nation’s veterans should wait at the back of the line while the VA (Veterans’ Administration) prioritizes illegal immigrants?”
As in most falsehoods, there’s a grain of truth, which Blackburn managed to inflate and contort.
In July, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement provided its annual analysis to Congress of the health care costs for migrants and asylum-seekers in detention. The report provides data on health issues identified and treated in ICE detention centers — tuberculosis, influenza and pneumonia, COVID-19, pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and mental health conditions.
The VA, however, has nothing to do with treating any of those and according to the report, only processing medical reimbursements for ICE.
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t think we need a better mechanism for managing immigration but the problems extend far beyond the border, as we need to improve and expedite how migrants are processed legally and how they’re treated. That’s long been the case, no matter which party is in the White House.
But practical immigration reform is not what Blackburn’s talking about. Instead, Blackburn and other Tennessee Republicans use immigration policies and immigrants to whip up fear and outrage without strategizing about humane solutions. It’s a blatant play for votes.
During the 2018 midterm elections, then-President Donald Trump talked of migrant caravans converging on the U.S. in what he labeled an “invasion.” The predicted “invasion” didn’t materialize, and as a 2023 report from the Baker Institute of Public Policy notes, most migrant caravans that started after 2020 haven’t made it to the U.S.
As Mark Twain said, never let facts get in the way of a good story — Blackburn isn’t the only Tennessee Republican guilty of hyperbole on the subject of immigration and the border.
Several Tennessee lawmakers were compelled to make statements of support for Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott after a Jan. 22 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the Border Patrol to cut razor wire placed in a small stretch of the Rio Grande by the Texas National Guard to deter migrant river crossings. Placement of the wire actually impeded border agents from patrolling the area.
Tennessee’s political drugstore cowboys whooping about the Alamo and states’ rights contribute nothing to the debate about immigration and peddle fear for the sake of votes.
Gov. Bill Lee joined other Republican governors in signing a statement accusing the U.S. of “attacking” Texas and asserting the state’s “constitutional right to self-defense.”
Not to be outdone, House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, made an impassioned speech on the House floor and followed with a tweet invoking the Tennessee statesman David “Davy” Crockett, who left the Volunteer State only to lose his life at the Alamo.
Citing a historical incident that ended in the death of every American participant might not be the best analogy. And talk of states’ rights superseding the federal government? We went down this road less than 200 years ago and that ended with the deaths of more than 600,000 Americans.
Even the most gracious and welcoming of us realize the need for policies to manage the flow of immigrants into the U.S. But razor wire and allowing migrants to drown is inhumane, and in reality, it’s impossible to imagine how to fund or build a physical wall across the nearly 3,000 acres that constitute our southern border — much less hire enough border agents to secure it.
Like many of the country’s serious issues, managing the border and creating better immigration systems require serious analysis and complex solutions. Adding nothing to the dialogue are Tennessee’s drugstore cowboys whooping about the Alamo and states’ rights — especially when so many Tennesseans lack services to which our lawmakers continually turn a blind eye.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The Tennessee Titans are excited to have offensive lineman Peter Skoronski take another leap in his second season in the NFL.
The No. 11 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Northwestern played left tackle in college, which saw him high on many experts’ draft boards coming out. However, the Titans had a different vision for Skoronski, moving him to left guard in his rookie year.
Skoronski’s 6-4, 313-pound frame projects as more of a guard in the NFL than a tackle, so the switch makes sense for the Titans. Still, Skoronski has a ton of talent, which is why he was chosen in NFL.com’s “win-now” draft as a seventh-round selection.
In the exercise, each team had a chance to choose any player in the NFL with the idea that they are starting a team from scratch. Skoronski was the No. 211 overall pick, meaning he should be one of the top-seven players on a roster. For the Titans, he projects as such.
However, Skoronski had to deal with a lot of change in his first season in the league. He had to adjust to the speed of the game changing from college to the pros and learn a whole new position in the process.
Skoronski was thrown into the deep end, but he found a way to float. He committed just one penalty all season long in his rookie year, competing in 14 games for the Titans at left guard.
Now, Skoronski enters his second season with a lot more comfort and experience. He also has No. 7 overall pick JC Latham on his left-hand side at tackle and Lloyd Cushenberry III on his right as the team’s center. That should also make Skoronski feel a lot more comfortable with that kind of help on each side of him.
On top of that, offensive line guru Bill Callahan has joined his son’s coaching staff, and he’s considered to be one of the best position coaches in the NFL. He should be able to develop Skoronski’s talents and make him one of the better guards in the NFL.
Make sure you bookmark All Titans for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Tennessee Democrats are speaking out after Patriot Front held its annual Independence Day March in downtown Nashville.
The group posted videos of the march, including “activists” entering downtown, crossing the Cumberland River, marching down Broadway and giving a speech at Legislative Plaza across from the Tennessee State Capitol.
Democrats denounced the protests, calling the group “white supremacists.”
“Just two days after celebrating the independence of our nation, white supremacists have taken to the streets of Nashville carrying Confederate flags and chanting ‘deportation saves the nation’ and “Seig Heil,’” the Tennessee Democratic Party said in a statement. “We condemn these acts of terror in our community and call on Republican leaders of our state to do the same. The hatred and division that white supremacists and right wing groups seek to sow should never be acceptable to any citizen.”
“This comes after a march of new-Nazis in the Spring and Proud Boys rallying there a year ago,” State Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, said in a social media post. “Shame on my Republican colleagues who continue to welcome these hate groups to our state with racist laws and rhetoric.”
“This is what we’re fighting against in Tennessee. This is what we’re fighting against in America,” Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Hendrell Remus said in a statement. “While our Republican state leaders sit quietly by, we refuse to let hate filled racists terrorize our community.”
Copyright 2024 WSMV. All rights reserved.
A heated pursuit of nearly two miles after an attempted traffic stop on Saturday morning ended in a vehicle collision on Sonoma Boulevard and Tennessee Street that left one dead and others transported to a local hospital.
A driver on Vallejo’s Sonoma Boulevard and Lemon Street at close to 1 a.m. Saturday refused to pull over for officers, triggering a high-speed pursuit that ended when the driver collided with an uninvolved vehicle.
According to Vallejo police, a male occupant of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. The other occupants in both vehicles were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
The Solano County Major Crimes Task Force took over the investigation.
The incident came just a day after a hectic Fourth of July that saw the Vallejo Fire Department respond to 86 calls in a 32-hour period. It also came approximately 12 hours after a homicide at Tennessee and Humboldt streets — the city’s 10th homicide of the year.
The identity of the victim in Friday’s shooting is being withheld pending notification of next of kin by the Solano County Coroner’s Office. Police say it is too early to know if the incidents are related.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact Detective Daniel Callison at (707) 648-4533 or Daniel.Callison@cityofvallejo.net or Detective William Carpenter at (707) 651-7146 or William.Carpenter@cityofvallejo.net.
2024-2025 College Football odds: Alabama preseason title odds lowest since 2008
Denali National Park plans to re-open on Wednesday
Defying inflation? How Arizona Iced Tea (mostly) maintains Its 99-cent price tag
Arkies in the Beltway | Week of June 30, 2024 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
California wildfires latest: Santa Barbara County blaze explodes, prompting evacuations amid heat wave
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
Democrats' Senate hopes could hang on split-ticket voting comeback
Photos: 14 killed in Nepal as flooding grips South Asia
As a young hitchhiker, he survived a ride with a serial killer. Now he’s telling his story | CNN
Top Dems planning meeting about Biden's future despite president's vows to continue campaign
Russian strikes leave thousands in northern Ukraine without power and water
-
Politics1 week agoThe many faces of Donald Trump from past presidential debates
-
World1 week agoTension and stand-offs as South Africa struggles to launch coalition gov’t
-
Politics1 week agoFirst 2024 Trump-Biden presidential debate: Top clashes over issues from the border to Ukraine
-
News1 week agoVideo: How Blast Waves Can Injure the Brain
-
News1 week ago4 killed, 9 injured after vehicle crashes into Long Island nail salon
-
News1 week agoSupreme Court denies Steve Bannon's plea to stay free while he appeals
-
Politics1 week agoTrump says 'biggest problem' not Biden's age, 'decline,' but his policies in first appearance since debate
-
News1 week agoIncreasing numbers of voters don’t think Biden should be running after debate with Trump — CBS News poll