After the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution permanently made slavery illegal, the 14^th Amendment, which stated in Section 1 that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws”, was hated so much by almost all southern states that in 1866 they were refusing to ratify it.  Tennessean and POTUS Andrew Johnson was proposing that representatives from southern/Confederate states that had just fought and lost against the union in the Civil War be installed into positions of power as members of Congress before those states ratified the 14^th Amendment to the Constitution.  Congress refused.  Section 3 of the 14^th Amendment stated that persons who had previously sworn an oath to the U.S. Constitution and who had turned against the union could no longer hold any kind of office.  Tennesseans hated their native son for his attempt to stack Congress with individuals who had actually fought against the union that Tennessee was the only southern state to ratify the 14^th Amendment.  Johnson was furious and called members of Congress “traitors” that would not allow non-ratifying states representatives to be sworn in, and suggested the “traitors” be hanged.

Now Draco II is following in Johnson’s footsteps and has called six members of Congress traitors and also suggested that these members of Congress should to be hanged.  Their crime?  Making a video that reminded members of the military that they do not have to follow “unlawful” or “illegal” orders, also reminding them that they swore an oath to the U.S. Constitution and not a person.  Yet, some members of Congress, and right-wing media like Fox and X, are saying that these members of Congress told the military to not obey “orders”, forgetting to mentioning that the video explicitly stated that only “illegal” or “unlawful” orders did not have to be obeyed.  Lying just throws fuel onto any fire, which could get people killed, which is what happened to 40 people in Louisiana because of Johnson’s 14^th amendment bruhaha.

These six members of Congress are now receiving death threats; SURVIVORS of the Epstein sex trafficking network are receiving death threats.  Both are speaking truth to power which could bring down liar-in-chief Draco II, including his love affair with Project 2025 and his desire to be king of America, as well as leader of the oligarch/ultra-rich class who tries to rule everyone else.

In 1868, the 14^th Amendment became law.  Tennessee once stood up to the actions of a bad POTUS.  It’s time to do it again.  The 1^st amendment guarantees your right to do so.  

Bob Bates

Tullahoma