You know what is anti-democratic?  Trying to silence people by bullying, name calling, and harassing.  Don’t like what a person does or says?  Call him a racist. The most immediate and effective way to try to silence anyone – even when there is no evidence to support the accusation.

You don’t have to look far to see how often “racism” is used to try to silence the opposition or is used as an excuse when it could not be further from the truth.

According to the letter to the Editor by the Coffee County Democrats, if someone is not elected to an office or gets removed from office or does anything that someone might not agree with, it is never because of political issues or any real reasons, it is always racism.  They could choose to focus on the real political issues to gather supporters, but instead they simply call the others “racist”. 

This week’s vote is another example of using “racism” to try to silence the opposition and claim to be the party of the “non-racists”.  Democrats have twisted a constitutional action by our House of Representatives into a racially motivated action instead of what it was: the proper response to breaking the rules of the House. These are extremely serious rules that protect our ability to govern. The other twenty-one House Democrats know and respect these rules and did not participate in this unprecedented disruption on the floor of the House.

These representatives who were expelled had the opportunity to submit their own gun control legislation in response to the school shooting, but they did not.  It is much easier to incite a crowd than follow the legislative process. It is also the perfect way to gain free publicity as an “activist” and support as a “victim” as we have seen.

This was never about gun control legislation, but it was an excellent political stunt. These representatives and their party have used this vote to elevate themselves.  The representatives who broke the House rules last week knew exactly what the House response would have to be.  They also knew that they would be removed because the vote would be along party lines; Democrats would not risk losing their seats by voting against their party.  They also knew that they would be reinstated and could not be expelled again for the same reason.

Given all of this, why did I vote the way I did?

It would have been easier for me and probably more politically advantageous for me to have also voted along party lines like all the Democrats. Why risk the political retribution of stepping out of line? Why take such a personal and political risk when we knew they would likely be reinstated? 

Because I looked at all the evidence and the rules of the House, and then I made my decision. I voted on evidence and principle and not on anything as superficial as race or gender. If people would take the time and intellectual effort to actually examine my reasoning instead of following the chaos of sound bites and mob screaming, they could clearly see that it was not based on anything other than a response to a clear violation of House rules.  I believe Ms. Johnson’s actions were simply not as egregious as the other two. She did not try to incite the gallery with bullhorns and placards as the other two did.

As we have seen, people will believe whatever they want to believe regarding my reasoning and justification of my vote.  I cannot change that.  However those who actually know me, my values, and my record as an elected official, know the truth and will not follow the mob’s desire that I be labeled and condemned as a “racist”.

I want to publicly thank all my friends, neighbors, and constituents (of both parties) for the emails, phone calls, and actions of support. I cannot tell you how much that has meant to me and my family.  I truly appreciate everyone who has taken the time to research and to understand the issues and the responses – even those who disagree with my decision.  You all give me hope for our district and our state.

I stand by my vote and will not be silenced by bullies or political activists.  I will continue to represent my district with honor and integrity and vote according to logic, reason, and, most importantly, my Christian faith.

Representative Rush Bricken

Tullahoma