Conservatives Hold Summit In Sevier County To Address Urgent Issues 

Image Credit: Empowered Sevier

By David Seal [Special to The Tennessee Conservative] –

Kelli O’Connor was sidelined by the Sevier County School system when she inquired about objectionable instructional materials that were being pushed in elementary classes. At one point, she and other parents were sequestered to a room in the school system central office where a school administrator controlled a computer that carefully revealed education materials that had been sought in a records request. Another records inquiry was held up by school officials demanding $2226.00 before it could be released.

“At this point, we knew the Sevier County, Tennessee school system had a lot to hide; age-inappropriate, social-emotional learning material included,” said Kelli O’Connor.

O’Connor was the wrong person to be sidelined and dismissed by the school system. As a result, she founded Empowered Sevier, a grassroots organization of civic-minded people who refuse to settle for being dismissed by their own government. The group organized a leadership summit on Saturday January 7^th that was attended by 160+ like-minded conservative activists and organizations representing 16 counties from across Tennessee.

Pastor Keith Nix, one of many presenters, said, “What we are experiencing is a Valley Forge moment in our spiritual, religious, and political life. We must pray for God to give us guidance and we shall not give up. Doctrines and demons are our enemy!” 

Nix compared the struggles of conservatives to the thousands of desperate revolutionary soldiers that were wintered over in Pennsylvania in 1777, verbally illustrating an image of George Washington kneeling in prayer who would lead his continental army over the next 5 years to defeat the most powerful military in the world.

Gary Humble, founder of Tennessee Stands, addressed a variety of issues centered around our civic duty to participate in the shaping of state and local government, citing the quality of the Tennessee Constitution and its provision for citizens to “instruct” their representatives.

Displaying a linear graphic on the projection screen, Humble labeled the left end “GODLESS PROGRESSIVES” and the right “CONSTITUTIONAL INTEGRITY” showing a GOP elephant moving to the left of center. He stated that Tennessee is in the ideological shape it is in because so-called conservative legislators are compromising with the radical left; he received thunderous applause.

Speaking about the summit, Humble said, “Hear me, gatherings like this are happening across the state. We are getting louder, more organized, more educated, and more convinced that we can win. Conservatives are watching a party that is failing, caving on defending a right to life, ignoring illegal immigration, ignoring election fraud, handing out our tax dollars to corporations like candy, promoting medical tyranny in the name of property rights, and abandoning the Constitution. We see you, Republican Party. We see that you value power over principle. We see that you are willing to make every compromise in the book just to hold on to your seat at the table. Our time is coming. And perhaps it is already here.” 

About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman,
917 Society Volunteer, and current Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party.
He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a lobbyist for the
people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband
accessibility on the state level.