Grand Divisions

Tennessee Equality Project seeks to advance and protect the civil rights of our State’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons and their families in each Grand Division.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Mumpower invites Vaughn and Yokely to Beale Street

Commenting on the voting records of TN House Democrats Nathan Vaughn (D-Kingsport) and Eddie Yokley (D-Greeneville), here's what House Minority Leader Jason Mumpower of Bristol said:

"They are better suited to be representing inner-city Memphis than the rural hills of East Tennessee," said Mumpower.

In other words, he's reminding voters that Rep. Vaughn is African-American and that Rep. Yokely votes as if he were, in Minority Leader Mumpower's view. Not only does he use racial coding in mentioning Memphis, he underlines it by saying "inner-city." His phrase "better suited" basically means that some people belong in some places but not others.

This nonsense is beneath any elected official, especially a party's leader in one of our houses of government who should have as his care the welfare of our entire State.

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