Image Credit: Republican Women of Williamson County / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
During a candidate forum hosted by the Republican Women of Williamson County, candidates for the TN-7 special election expressed support for deploying the National Guard to Memphis and Chicago to help curtail crime in the cities.
Seven of the eleven Republican candidates participated in the September 2 forum and addressed Memphis crime and possible federal intervention based on recent comments by President Trump and National Guard presence in Washington D.C.
Jody Barrett, state Representative for District 69, said he would support a deployment so long as it is “constitutionally sound”.
“Home rule exists in that district only; it doesn’t necessarily exist in Chicago or Memphis. That’s not to say that it’s not necessary, because it’s very clear that the Democratic leadership in both of those communities are not doing their job. They’re not protecting their citizens, they’re not funding their police, they’re not providing them with the equipment and the manpower they need in order to keep their community safe, and so if it’s necessary for the federal government to step in, if the state and the local government are not going to do their job to protect their people,” Barrett said.
District 61 Rep. Gino Bulso suggested that crime rates in both cities already “meet the standards required for the invocation of the Insurrection Act of 1807”, which gives the president power to employ the military domestically. “I give kudos to President Trump to looking beyond just his role as a commander in chief and looking at D.C., looking at Memphis, looking at Chicago and doing something about it.”
Matt Van Epps, the candidate carrying Mark Green’s endorsement, stated the “partnership between the state and federal and local law enforcement is critical to addressing these terrible crime rates.”
Rep. Lee Reeves of District 65 addressed criticisms of the president’s use of the military in American cities, saying, “Democrats have consistently said that you can’t do this and you cannot do that, and President Trump is proving them wrong in D.C.”
Stewart Parks, who received a pardon for J6 activities, believes the nation’s capital “should be our crown jewel. There should never, ever be a crime taking place in D.C. and especially Memphis. I mean, we’re a Republican dominated state, so I support Trump coming to Memphis to clean it up.”
“This is what sanctuary policies get you,” said retired Metro Nashville Police Detective Joe Leurs. “This is what is happening in Memphis, because they’re allowing crime to run rampant. What President Trump is doing is letting police officers do their job.”
Finally, Tres Wittum, a former Tennessee Senate staffer and previous U.S. Senate candidate, agreed that crime is a “big problem”, but also offered a warning for potential abuse of domestic military force by Democrats in the future. He advocated for more investment into local law enforcement saying, “What I don’t want to happen is these types of policies become normal when they start sending the National Guard in [for other politically motivated issues].”
(To read more on policy stances of the TN-7 candidates, read our Candidate Survey Series here).
And the TN-7 candidates aren’t the only ones in favor of deploying the national guard in state. Gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn and Congressman Andy Ogles have both made public statements in support of utilizing federal help to combat violent crime.
And in an apparent reversal of his previous assurances that no discussions were being had on the subject, Gov. Bill Lee has now said “nothing is off the table” regarding a deployment.
On the flip side, some Memphis Democrats are opposed to National Guard presence, claiming a federal presence would offer no real help to the city. City Council member and gubernatorial candidate Jerri Green believes federal intervention should only come in the form of funding.
“If they want to give us funds and resources to support the programs we have around gang violence intervention, or any other crime prevention programs we are already practicing, we’ll happily accept those funds. Federal troops will offer no assistance to Memphians.” Green said. She also thinks a focus on expanding mental health services for youth, creating jobs with living wages, and expanding affordable housing would better combat crime than a military presence.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young also expressed hopes that increased local and state-level efforts to reduce Memphis crime would offset the need for troops, referencing statistics which claim overall crime in the city is down.
However, according to new FBI data, Memphis is ranked as the most violent city in the country per capita.
Two Republican Memphis lawmakers have also questioned the reports of lower crime data and have requested an audit by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
John Adams stated that “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other”.
Lucifer’s accursed dimmercraps are “any other”.