Man throwing tantrum

Republican Racist Revenge: A Tantrum Over “Tone”

I was sick to my stomach watching what happened in Tennessee last Thursday. The blatant bigotry complete with racist tropes arrogantly spewed by white men for whom absolute power is not enough to compensate their overweening egos and insecurity.

Their seething anger and resentment at the reality that men of color—young Black men—and even white women can be elected to the same status that they hold. Smallminded men who clearly can’t handle it—any of it. Not with dignity, not with decorum, not with a glimmer of basic human decency or common sense.

But something I heard the next morning was when it dawned on me, because I address misogyny and racism in my Other Worldly novels. Indeed, it is the main focus and reason why I began writing them in the first place while living in a place where right-wing white men controlled the central rural Nevada county. Politically, and with blatant disregard for legitimate process and anyone who did not think and breathe in lockstep with their dangerously ignorant idiocy, including glorified gun worship and gushingly racist MAGA cult mania.

What I heard was, apparently, one of these toxic-spewing white Republican male representatives of Tennessee came right out and said that the problem wasn’t about rules or decorum in their state house. The problem, he said, was their tone.

Their tone. As if Black men and all women must always speak in a manner pleasing and non-challenging to white men. As if anyone who doesn’t think or act or believe as these white men do must be silenced merely for their tone.

What decade is this? What century is it in Tennessee?

Revoltingly, it was only a handful of years ago when I, too, was reviled for my tone in my newspaper column, wherein I dared address the reality of racism rearing its ugly head in the high school of that rural central Nevada town. The same place where the annual Friends of the NRA fundraiser was held at the local Boys and Girls Club facility on Main Street, complete with a raffled-off rifle from the gun store located a stone’s throw from the school.

Hence, I well know how pathetically weak, thin-skinned, and petty, how easily and ridiculously threatened these Republicans of Tennessee must be if they can’t handle a mere tone of voice. They have to treat that tone as criminal. They must rage against it because how dare a Black man or liberal woman ever deign to be as important as them, as worthy of having a voice raised in representation for their Tennessee constituents?

But do you know what the seething underlying issue is and was? Last Tuesday was a tough one for rabid MAGA morons outraged that their corrupt cult leader might finally be held accountable for unconstitutional crimes they’ve gleefully embraced for years. And why do they love him? Because…racism. And misogyny. They worship him for the nasty, hateful, divisive, racist, misogynist tone he strikes at every vile utterance.

Last Tuesday was just so hard to take because these pitiful put upon Tennessee Republicans couldn’t control what was happening. They weren’t getting their MAGA moron way on the national stage. Someone dared to indict their exalted racist white man. They were just so frustrated!

What did the Republicans of the Tennessee state house do two days later on Thursday with their overreaching, preening majority? They threw a colossal hissy fit to expel two Black men and almost expel one progressive white woman as revenge for a Black man in New York City who dared strike a tone they didn’t like to indict their dear demented leader for 34 felonies.

It was so obvious. The rushed sloppy timing wherein they tossed out their own rules of due process to enforce so-called rules of decorum they’ve somehow manage to not hold anyone else to for decades. A vengeful temper tantrum of epic proportions displayed for the entire planet to see. Their rampant racism. Their sneering misogyny. This clearly wasn’t just about guns, though they do seem to value those over children and everything else.

Their utter hatred as they condescended to show us exactly who and what they are, and why they were doing what they did. Watching those disgusting white men leave their state house with smug smirks, seemingly proud of their pathetic display of utter weakness, was stomach-churning. So eager they were to prance about and show others how their tone will be treated with a speedy political lynching in blatant and willful violation of the First Amendment.

The whole world now knows. It was always about their white supremacist racism and power and control over women for these despicable US Republicans. It’s all they know, all they have. And they can’t handle a mere tone of voice that challenges their self-anointed patriarchal superiority.

Someone younger than them. Someone of color. Daring to be outspoken and passionate. Daring to give a damn about the children of Tennessee. And then a woman went and scolded them in a strident tone about putting selfish gun rights over children’s lives. How dare the teacher told them no! They weren’t going to stand for this!

These disgusting and blatantly racist misogynist Republicans aren’t superior to navel lint. They’re petty tyrannical toddlers when others don’t stay in their “place.” How embarrassing for them, and for the people of Tennessee whom they represent.

And yet they vehemently remain tone deaf when it comes to their own fascist folly. They still think they won the day. Ignominious idiots, all.

Now that they’ve exposed themselves, as of this morning it would appear some of them have a lot more in common with the former president than blatant bigotry. The seedy grift is on in the Tennessee State House.

 

2 thoughts on “Republican Racist Revenge: A Tantrum Over “Tone””

  1. Melissa Tackett

    It was so scary… And so illegal. It really makes you wonder if Mexico and the cartels aren’t a better bet sometimes. Sorry Cananda, too cold for this girl.

    1. Yes, but wrongs have now been righted most gloriously, bringing hope. Especially with the younger generation at the helm. They’ve got this, as long as we support them!

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