Last week, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) announced that he had appointed Laurie Cardoza-Moore to serve on the Tennessee Standards Recommendation Committee to oversee “Social Studies materials being reviewed for use in classrooms statewide.” Cardoza-Moore, known for holding extremist views and promoting conspiracy theories, has called "U.S.
Wow, Tennessee must have the stronger kool-aid in their water, almost Florida and Texas strength. What is happening to this country? Social media and propaganda are likely culprits, it's like we are living in absolute complete alternate universes, and you're never sure which universe the person you're in line with at the coffee shop is living in... this is utterly bizarre.
The far far theologically motivated , bigots, and general wing nuts see this as their time to make the big push in every way they can. Politicians just keep manipulating them and encouraging them in order to get elected and now “they” are getting into positions where they can do real harm. Tragic!
Remember, it is through education that one controls the population, which is why the Koch brothers started influencing school board elections and submitting their own curriculum for consideration. Along with the actions of Gov. DeSantis this is the strategy for a facist takeover. Very disturbing. Thank you Judd for bringing this to our attention.
So, to sum up, a thoroughly corrupt, disingenuous Republican House leader appoints a thoroughly insane, bigoted loon to head up the state's social studies?
I fail to see the problem here! Why, what could possibly go wrong???????
The lunatics have taken over the asylum. The least informed, most deluded, most avaricious, truth-averse, ill-intentioned, and just plain soulless mean people have been quietly put into positions of power through lies. And yet, democrats are still playing checkers.
I bet her family owned a lot of slaves.. also, if that isn’t enough, she was endorsed by mom’s for liberty.. the final nail in the coffin. The very good people of Tennessee need to rally BIG TIME and aid everyone in Tennessee to get registered to vote, especially all black residents. Their vote, their lives and their history is not just marginalized, it’s becoming extinct.
I doubt the idea of her slave-holding kin: more like they lived in the holler, desperately poor and uneducated, and have been trying to (loudly) compensate for their feelings of “less than” ever since. Sad, and scary that she now occupies this position of influence over the students in her state
This report is sure evidence of the systemic racism Cardozo wants so vigorously to deny, along with the “systemic ignorance” infecting our education system. We are in trouble as a nation.
My thoughts exactly mirror yours. I despair over where we'll be as a nation in 25 years, politically, socially & education wise. (But I may well be ashes at that point. ) Yet, one still worries about children & grandchildren in the years ahead & what status our nation might hold then. Educational wise, I suspect we'll be looked at with ridicule..derision. The butt of jokes over the world...or those still alive who will remember the U.S. & her educational system in her once prime...will sadly shake their heads & comment about how we once were cutting edge in technology & innovation, but no longer. Because mediocrity ruled the day & one party encouraged it.
Bonnie, I remember panicked discussions among foreign intelligence experts in our country over Pakistan developing their own nuclear arms program. All of them mentioned on air they were frightened. The fear was of the potential for Pakistan to become a failed state and nuclear armed theocracy run by clerics who believed they were directed against the west by God. At this rate, does our own country look that much different?
The possibilities you've gamed out are some of the very same nightmare scenarios I imagine. I've also thought about whether or not the wave of religio-fascist hysteria overtaking our government was reason to look for another country to call home. Then two thoughts come to me:
I'm not the problem, why should I and others like me be the ones to leave?
If I and others like me all leave, effectively handing the country over to imbalanced, true believers of TFG, completely unopposed at the controls, would anywhere in the world I went be much safer?
Let's all batten down the hatches, strap in, get and remain indignant and vote en masse for Democrats in every race. Every. Single. Race.
Not at all! Agreed! Remember when trump was at the helm. ( Not that he was any "true" Christian, given the sense that out of his lips, he admitted never asking God for forgiveness for anything.) But the evangelical far right "Chistians," some were comparing him to Christ himself &/ or the 2nd coming. Or at the very least, he was ordained (by God) to be some kind of savior of America, making ( let's be honest here - ) white, "Christian" America "great" again.. And let's face the fact, that some of these folks have a doomsday/ Armageddon mentality (even Steve Bannon they said had some apocalyptic leanings) & would welcome anything that might hasten that scenario. So the parallel you make between some folks here & over there & those concerns...not so far fetched. And the FBI did find numerous classified/ top secret documents at Mar A Lago. We'll perhaps never know, but what was in those documents that he felt the need to keep with the thought to share or sell to whom? I don't think he had any real grand plan other than enriching himself even more; not that intelligent or a deep thinker..but he surrounded himself with some true believers who'd go to great lengths to see some things come to fruition, including installing trump as a dictator (if necessary) to move their own vision forward. Scares me sometimes to think about remaining in the U.S. my last years..given there are some folks here who still believe - AFTER EVERYTHING, in trump as some sort of great hero. ( On a side note, wonder how his " super hero me" cards sold??) Go figure...
And folks wonder about how the Roman Empire collapsed ... The British Empire, et al, contracted eventually from its fetish for colonizing other countries, and how the mighty American 'Exceptionalists' appear determined to chuck it all for what exactly, they cannot really comprehend, insisting on acceleration of circling the drain. Effing surreal.
We keep hearing about nutcase right wing parents who wish for all of their child’s education to be white Christian fairy tales but what about the other parents? Sane parents? They too have “parents choice” rights under these new extremists laws to demand what their kids get to learn.
They surely aren’t all sitting back letting this all fly, without a fight?
There’s still a Democrat faction in TN who can put up (& publicize) a fight to stop some of this stuff, right?
Agreed. It is extremely disheartening to see the will of the very few being put upon the many. I just explored this in a piece of my own about voter turnout, particularly for school board elections. Sadly, the national average for voter turnout for school boards is 5-10% of eligible voters. Recently, in our district, we saw the highest we've seen in recent (non-general election) years at 5.14%. That means the winners of those seats won with support from less than 3% of eligible voices. Have people given up? Did these position used to not matter so much so people aren't accustomed to caring (voting) about them now? I don't know.
How do we get the word out about local elections from school board to town councils to City Halls and county and state elections? These are the elections that have the most impact on our daily lives, and the quality of our communities. They decide so much about how the city we live in develops and grows, the culture of it, where the taxes go, etc.
But no one turns out to those. The result of that here in North Carolina has been devastating because we lost our Supreme Court majority and our local GOP is running amok over every decency.
I.e; The state is trying to take $200 million from public education to give to private school vouchers which overwhelmingly goes to wealthy white people. This is a direct impact on children in public schools. These private schools do not have to hire certified teachers, they don’t have to do any testing, etc. They do whatever they want, often with Christian-based curriculums and so forth. So it’s not like “oh private education means a quality education!” No it does not!
They’ve been gutting public school funds for years & now say all of the public schools are in dire need. The response is not to fix the public schools (aka: Stop gutting them), instead gut them more & send mostly white kids to private schools with the pilfered fund.
Yet the voter turnout was so low, particularly for young Democrats, who are eligible and most impacted. Despite running some TikTok ads & getting aware youthful voices to connect with their peers, spreading the awareness has been a real challenge.
In Texas, school vouchers are a talking point again (still). The governor wants a bill passed to do essentially what you described. So far, it has failed to pass the House. The program if implemented here would undoubtedly have a negative impact on public schools particularly in rural parts of the state. It seems ridiculous and backward...but that's how I feel about much of the state government here.
I wish I knew how to reach more people to educate them on how important participating in their civic duty is. I usually don't even comment, let alone put my own writing serious topics out into the world. I can't deal with the trolls, but Substack seemed to be relatively safe in that regard, so I gave it a try.
TikToks seem like a good idea...I really think there needs to be a broader push to inform people. I mean, the local news will run stories about upcoming elections, but how many people still watch local news daily? Social Media seems to be a double edged sword because it's good for reaching a lot of people but it's great at spreading disinformation, so...
My goal lately has been to just inform people on my social feeds of upcoming elections, particularly at the local level. And spreading the word about the lack of voters, too. I just don't know how to get people to care.
I had a “connect the dots” idea - draw a line from elected officials decisions & the direct outcomes on individual lives. I.e; Read a common complaint someone has about a thing happening in their town & then ask if they voted in relevant election & explain how a vote of an elected official contributed or tried to prevent the issue. Stick it on TikTok or wherever the youth are & help them see why local voting matters!
Then could top it with your idea of letting them know about upcoming elections.
Maybe some talented person can put it to a catchy tune or rap or something entertaining that draws attention while educating. Lol
It’s a real challenge but we have to keep trying or these clowns will erode every town, every climate protection, every housing initiative, etc from bottom up.
I think that's a great idea. I keep thinking about conspiracy theories and how people are drawn to things like that. What if ideas--that are real and valid and hold up, or have receipts--are presented in a conspiratorial manner, especially on TikTok or Reels (I've heard of History teachers doing that, and having success with engaging their students, or introducing topics via spilling the tea style conversations).
I just read a really interesting piece about rituals and how the right has embraced them but progressives have eschewed them, and are thus falling behind. I'm going to reStack it. It made me think of this conversation.
Well said!! You're correct! Local elections do impact us the most, in meaningful ways. I don't know what the answer is, to encourage folks to get out & vote, given the impact these local elections have on our daily lives & the lives of our families. AND advertisements cost money...& would they even make an impact?
After reading the book Dark Money and finding out that NC was the Kochs' test case for taking over local government, I abandoned any idea I had of retiring there. Plus, housing costs in either of the liberal cities I considered, Asheville and Raleigh, have gone through the roof.
I gre up in NYC & NEew England; but now reside in Georgia & have for 17 years; after leaving Florida having resided there for 20 years. We are seeing some changes..bit by bit for the better. But the good Ole boys " old republican guard" is fighting change with every gasping, dying breath. It always concerns me with respect to some real " old school" "thinkers, " ( misnomer if I ever heard one) that get elected in certain pockets of our state. Their world view is limited, along with their view of women (misogynistic) & change. When these folks in these very rural, poor pockets of our state vote for some of these folks, I want to take them & shake them & say these same people are keeping you in part, from progressing forward to better educational opportunities & lives. They're invested in keeping you poorly educated & poor. People don't believe me when I tell them, that there are some folks that couldn't tell you which direction Atlanta is & have never been out of their town really, never mind the county. Friends coming up to visit have gotten turned around by gps..stopped in some little rural store & been told as much by the folks working there when asking for directions. Many nice folks here, but their worldview, nevermind state or national view is just different.
I understand, and I believe you for sure. I had a weird exchange, with a young man from a small town in Georgia. The discussion was about cars, country drives & I casually said my neighbors to the south, referring to GA. He said we aren’t neighbors because SC is between us. I said yes we border SC but in the western side of the state, NC also borders GA.
For whatever reason, that pissed him off and he proceeded to tell me that I couldn’t possibly tell him what his state borders. In his disgust he noted he’d been there all his life, love it so that he’s never left except once to AL & he knows everything about it, etc.
I said OK I don’t have to tell you, look at a map. That made him even angrier (& I was saying it in neutral tone, not even being my usual sassy)! I couldn’t convince him that we shared a border & I couldn’t convince him to look at the map.
Not knowing is one thing, but refusing to learn? I don’t know what to do with that kind of mentality. But his vote counts as much as mine ... so now we have Margaret Taylor Green.... sigh.
The “nightmare” is Cardozo-Moore and the GOP party of Tennessee. Has anyone thought to check the drinking water in that state? Clearly something is driving them insane.
I’ve stated that I will not visit this State for any reason based on their anti women actions. This insanity just adds to that.
I still have hair on my head and it stood straight up in reading this. A fraud appointed by a fraud. Davy Crocket left as he had a premonition that crazies were coming to Tennessee. That was before there was before there was a Texas to have the same worry about.
Finally, thanks to the horrors of this year in Tennessee, the whole world knows just how backward, racist, and pathetic the elected leaders my state are. From our governor, our two awful U.S. Senators, and our GOP-led legislature on down, Tennessee continues to vie for the distinction of “worst” with Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas.
I'm terribly conflicted about attending Arrowmont this summer. I will not spend any money in town and tell myself my tuition and room and board are only going into the school's coffers. I'd gone 7 years in a row before the pandemic. Not sure I'll go again after this year. I wish there were some mechanism to tell their state government that they're losing tourist dollars. They probably don't care if any "libs" boycott the state 😂
Idiocracy, anyone? Another grifting holy roller appointed to a position lacking any qualifications at all. She is right - the country will be ruined - but not for the reasons she proffers. It’s because of folks like her.
Wow, Tennessee must have the stronger kool-aid in their water, almost Florida and Texas strength. What is happening to this country? Social media and propaganda are likely culprits, it's like we are living in absolute complete alternate universes, and you're never sure which universe the person you're in line with at the coffee shop is living in... this is utterly bizarre.
The far far theologically motivated , bigots, and general wing nuts see this as their time to make the big push in every way they can. Politicians just keep manipulating them and encouraging them in order to get elected and now “they” are getting into positions where they can do real harm. Tragic!
Exactly. They are all lining up for their shot at the grift so they can say "I got mine, fck the nation and everyone else!"
While some may be in it for the con, others seem to feel like they’re advancing “G*d’s kingdom.” Sad.
So sad! I remember when Fox kept shouting about 'Sharia Law, Sharia Law' OMG, guess what? We've got our very own version on its way.
"Our children are depressed and unless we as parents…" Laurie Cardoza-Moore
Laurie's children are depressed, no doubt, because they realize what a whack-job their mother is.
Yes, you are right Heidi. Scary!!!
This is what happens when a state is gerrymandered to death and no one is ever accountable.
Remember, it is through education that one controls the population, which is why the Koch brothers started influencing school board elections and submitting their own curriculum for consideration. Along with the actions of Gov. DeSantis this is the strategy for a facist takeover. Very disturbing. Thank you Judd for bringing this to our attention.
Give those women, Rebecca and Tesnim, credit!
So, to sum up, a thoroughly corrupt, disingenuous Republican House leader appoints a thoroughly insane, bigoted loon to head up the state's social studies?
I fail to see the problem here! Why, what could possibly go wrong???????
(sarcasm intended)
Here's a crazy idea: if you homeschooled your children, if they don't/didn't attend public schools, you have nothing to say about public schools.
Tennessee, 0 days without being an embarrassment.
🤣😂
What’s keeping Sexton in office after your revelation?
Inertia. Gerrymandering. Corruption. A debased and misled voting block. Jeez, let's see what Judd says.
Cronies
The lunatics have taken over the asylum. The least informed, most deluded, most avaricious, truth-averse, ill-intentioned, and just plain soulless mean people have been quietly put into positions of power through lies. And yet, democrats are still playing checkers.
I think there are far more compromised politicians than not. Obviously the RW'z are bought and paid for. What a bargain, such a deal!
I bet her family owned a lot of slaves.. also, if that isn’t enough, she was endorsed by mom’s for liberty.. the final nail in the coffin. The very good people of Tennessee need to rally BIG TIME and aid everyone in Tennessee to get registered to vote, especially all black residents. Their vote, their lives and their history is not just marginalized, it’s becoming extinct.
I doubt the idea of her slave-holding kin: more like they lived in the holler, desperately poor and uneducated, and have been trying to (loudly) compensate for their feelings of “less than” ever since. Sad, and scary that she now occupies this position of influence over the students in her state
This report is sure evidence of the systemic racism Cardozo wants so vigorously to deny, along with the “systemic ignorance” infecting our education system. We are in trouble as a nation.
My thoughts exactly mirror yours. I despair over where we'll be as a nation in 25 years, politically, socially & education wise. (But I may well be ashes at that point. ) Yet, one still worries about children & grandchildren in the years ahead & what status our nation might hold then. Educational wise, I suspect we'll be looked at with ridicule..derision. The butt of jokes over the world...or those still alive who will remember the U.S. & her educational system in her once prime...will sadly shake their heads & comment about how we once were cutting edge in technology & innovation, but no longer. Because mediocrity ruled the day & one party encouraged it.
Bonnie, I remember panicked discussions among foreign intelligence experts in our country over Pakistan developing their own nuclear arms program. All of them mentioned on air they were frightened. The fear was of the potential for Pakistan to become a failed state and nuclear armed theocracy run by clerics who believed they were directed against the west by God. At this rate, does our own country look that much different?
The possibilities you've gamed out are some of the very same nightmare scenarios I imagine. I've also thought about whether or not the wave of religio-fascist hysteria overtaking our government was reason to look for another country to call home. Then two thoughts come to me:
I'm not the problem, why should I and others like me be the ones to leave?
If I and others like me all leave, effectively handing the country over to imbalanced, true believers of TFG, completely unopposed at the controls, would anywhere in the world I went be much safer?
Let's all batten down the hatches, strap in, get and remain indignant and vote en masse for Democrats in every race. Every. Single. Race.
Not at all! Agreed! Remember when trump was at the helm. ( Not that he was any "true" Christian, given the sense that out of his lips, he admitted never asking God for forgiveness for anything.) But the evangelical far right "Chistians," some were comparing him to Christ himself &/ or the 2nd coming. Or at the very least, he was ordained (by God) to be some kind of savior of America, making ( let's be honest here - ) white, "Christian" America "great" again.. And let's face the fact, that some of these folks have a doomsday/ Armageddon mentality (even Steve Bannon they said had some apocalyptic leanings) & would welcome anything that might hasten that scenario. So the parallel you make between some folks here & over there & those concerns...not so far fetched. And the FBI did find numerous classified/ top secret documents at Mar A Lago. We'll perhaps never know, but what was in those documents that he felt the need to keep with the thought to share or sell to whom? I don't think he had any real grand plan other than enriching himself even more; not that intelligent or a deep thinker..but he surrounded himself with some true believers who'd go to great lengths to see some things come to fruition, including installing trump as a dictator (if necessary) to move their own vision forward. Scares me sometimes to think about remaining in the U.S. my last years..given there are some folks here who still believe - AFTER EVERYTHING, in trump as some sort of great hero. ( On a side note, wonder how his " super hero me" cards sold??) Go figure...
And folks wonder about how the Roman Empire collapsed ... The British Empire, et al, contracted eventually from its fetish for colonizing other countries, and how the mighty American 'Exceptionalists' appear determined to chuck it all for what exactly, they cannot really comprehend, insisting on acceleration of circling the drain. Effing surreal.
These are the sort of bad actors who worry me. Thank you, Judd, for rooting them out.
We keep hearing about nutcase right wing parents who wish for all of their child’s education to be white Christian fairy tales but what about the other parents? Sane parents? They too have “parents choice” rights under these new extremists laws to demand what their kids get to learn.
They surely aren’t all sitting back letting this all fly, without a fight?
There’s still a Democrat faction in TN who can put up (& publicize) a fight to stop some of this stuff, right?
What’s happening on the other side of this coin?!
Agreed. It is extremely disheartening to see the will of the very few being put upon the many. I just explored this in a piece of my own about voter turnout, particularly for school board elections. Sadly, the national average for voter turnout for school boards is 5-10% of eligible voters. Recently, in our district, we saw the highest we've seen in recent (non-general election) years at 5.14%. That means the winners of those seats won with support from less than 3% of eligible voices. Have people given up? Did these position used to not matter so much so people aren't accustomed to caring (voting) about them now? I don't know.
How do we get the word out about local elections from school board to town councils to City Halls and county and state elections? These are the elections that have the most impact on our daily lives, and the quality of our communities. They decide so much about how the city we live in develops and grows, the culture of it, where the taxes go, etc.
But no one turns out to those. The result of that here in North Carolina has been devastating because we lost our Supreme Court majority and our local GOP is running amok over every decency.
I.e; The state is trying to take $200 million from public education to give to private school vouchers which overwhelmingly goes to wealthy white people. This is a direct impact on children in public schools. These private schools do not have to hire certified teachers, they don’t have to do any testing, etc. They do whatever they want, often with Christian-based curriculums and so forth. So it’s not like “oh private education means a quality education!” No it does not!
They’ve been gutting public school funds for years & now say all of the public schools are in dire need. The response is not to fix the public schools (aka: Stop gutting them), instead gut them more & send mostly white kids to private schools with the pilfered fund.
Yet the voter turnout was so low, particularly for young Democrats, who are eligible and most impacted. Despite running some TikTok ads & getting aware youthful voices to connect with their peers, spreading the awareness has been a real challenge.
In Texas, school vouchers are a talking point again (still). The governor wants a bill passed to do essentially what you described. So far, it has failed to pass the House. The program if implemented here would undoubtedly have a negative impact on public schools particularly in rural parts of the state. It seems ridiculous and backward...but that's how I feel about much of the state government here.
I wish I knew how to reach more people to educate them on how important participating in their civic duty is. I usually don't even comment, let alone put my own writing serious topics out into the world. I can't deal with the trolls, but Substack seemed to be relatively safe in that regard, so I gave it a try.
TikToks seem like a good idea...I really think there needs to be a broader push to inform people. I mean, the local news will run stories about upcoming elections, but how many people still watch local news daily? Social Media seems to be a double edged sword because it's good for reaching a lot of people but it's great at spreading disinformation, so...
My goal lately has been to just inform people on my social feeds of upcoming elections, particularly at the local level. And spreading the word about the lack of voters, too. I just don't know how to get people to care.
I had a “connect the dots” idea - draw a line from elected officials decisions & the direct outcomes on individual lives. I.e; Read a common complaint someone has about a thing happening in their town & then ask if they voted in relevant election & explain how a vote of an elected official contributed or tried to prevent the issue. Stick it on TikTok or wherever the youth are & help them see why local voting matters!
Then could top it with your idea of letting them know about upcoming elections.
Maybe some talented person can put it to a catchy tune or rap or something entertaining that draws attention while educating. Lol
It’s a real challenge but we have to keep trying or these clowns will erode every town, every climate protection, every housing initiative, etc from bottom up.
I think that's a great idea. I keep thinking about conspiracy theories and how people are drawn to things like that. What if ideas--that are real and valid and hold up, or have receipts--are presented in a conspiratorial manner, especially on TikTok or Reels (I've heard of History teachers doing that, and having success with engaging their students, or introducing topics via spilling the tea style conversations).
I just read a really interesting piece about rituals and how the right has embraced them but progressives have eschewed them, and are thus falling behind. I'm going to reStack it. It made me think of this conversation.
Well said!! You're correct! Local elections do impact us the most, in meaningful ways. I don't know what the answer is, to encourage folks to get out & vote, given the impact these local elections have on our daily lives & the lives of our families. AND advertisements cost money...& would they even make an impact?
After reading the book Dark Money and finding out that NC was the Kochs' test case for taking over local government, I abandoned any idea I had of retiring there. Plus, housing costs in either of the liberal cities I considered, Asheville and Raleigh, have gone through the roof.
I gre up in NYC & NEew England; but now reside in Georgia & have for 17 years; after leaving Florida having resided there for 20 years. We are seeing some changes..bit by bit for the better. But the good Ole boys " old republican guard" is fighting change with every gasping, dying breath. It always concerns me with respect to some real " old school" "thinkers, " ( misnomer if I ever heard one) that get elected in certain pockets of our state. Their world view is limited, along with their view of women (misogynistic) & change. When these folks in these very rural, poor pockets of our state vote for some of these folks, I want to take them & shake them & say these same people are keeping you in part, from progressing forward to better educational opportunities & lives. They're invested in keeping you poorly educated & poor. People don't believe me when I tell them, that there are some folks that couldn't tell you which direction Atlanta is & have never been out of their town really, never mind the county. Friends coming up to visit have gotten turned around by gps..stopped in some little rural store & been told as much by the folks working there when asking for directions. Many nice folks here, but their worldview, nevermind state or national view is just different.
I understand, and I believe you for sure. I had a weird exchange, with a young man from a small town in Georgia. The discussion was about cars, country drives & I casually said my neighbors to the south, referring to GA. He said we aren’t neighbors because SC is between us. I said yes we border SC but in the western side of the state, NC also borders GA.
For whatever reason, that pissed him off and he proceeded to tell me that I couldn’t possibly tell him what his state borders. In his disgust he noted he’d been there all his life, love it so that he’s never left except once to AL & he knows everything about it, etc.
I said OK I don’t have to tell you, look at a map. That made him even angrier (& I was saying it in neutral tone, not even being my usual sassy)! I couldn’t convince him that we shared a border & I couldn’t convince him to look at the map.
Not knowing is one thing, but refusing to learn? I don’t know what to do with that kind of mentality. But his vote counts as much as mine ... so now we have Margaret Taylor Green.... sigh.
The “nightmare” is Cardozo-Moore and the GOP party of Tennessee. Has anyone thought to check the drinking water in that state? Clearly something is driving them insane.
I’ve stated that I will not visit this State for any reason based on their anti women actions. This insanity just adds to that.
Ever heard the tern "They are drunk with power?"
I bet the nuts all moved there. Have you ever read "A Bear Walks Into a Libertarian?"
I still have hair on my head and it stood straight up in reading this. A fraud appointed by a fraud. Davy Crocket left as he had a premonition that crazies were coming to Tennessee. That was before there was before there was a Texas to have the same worry about.
Thank you Judd, Rebecca Crosby and Tasnim Zekeria. Great article and I appreciate your dedication to honest journalism.
Only the best people...
Finally, thanks to the horrors of this year in Tennessee, the whole world knows just how backward, racist, and pathetic the elected leaders my state are. From our governor, our two awful U.S. Senators, and our GOP-led legislature on down, Tennessee continues to vie for the distinction of “worst” with Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas.
I'm terribly conflicted about attending Arrowmont this summer. I will not spend any money in town and tell myself my tuition and room and board are only going into the school's coffers. I'd gone 7 years in a row before the pandemic. Not sure I'll go again after this year. I wish there were some mechanism to tell their state government that they're losing tourist dollars. They probably don't care if any "libs" boycott the state 😂
Idiocracy, anyone? Another grifting holy roller appointed to a position lacking any qualifications at all. She is right - the country will be ruined - but not for the reasons she proffers. It’s because of folks like her.