Author: Wendy Wilson

Bill Lee Announces Veterans Advisory Panel for Gubernatorial Campaign

Wendy Wilson

Williamson County businessman Bill Lee announced this week that he has formed a coalition of Tennessee military veterans who will advise his campaign as he seeks the Republican nomination for governor. The veterans come from every branch of service and will advise Lee on issues related to veterans and the Tennessee Military Department, which oversees the National Guard, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and the State Guard. “There is no group that we owe more to than our veterans, and I will make our state the number one state for veterans to live and work,” Lee said in a news release. Lee, who also has a background in agriculture, has never held elected office. He has been traveling the state to boost his name recognition and hear from people about the issues most important to them. He first toured the state in a campaign RV and this week is wrapping up a statewide tractor tour. The honorary chairman of his veterans group will be Major General (Ret.) Gary Harrell of Washington County. “Bill Lee is a man who has a strong commitment to our state and to our veterans,” Harrell said. Lee is chairman of Lee Company, a family-owned…

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Hankook Tire in Clarksville Holds Grand Opening

Wendy Wilson

Hankook Tire in Clarksville held a grand opening celebration Tuesday attended by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7). The first Hankook plant to open in the U.S. and the eighth worldwide, it is expected to bring 1,800 jobs to the area. The South Korean tire maker broke ground on the facility in 2014, investing $800 million, reports WKRN News 2. The company’s North American headquarters recently moved to downtown Nashville. Haslam has been working to attract more business from Asia. Hankook tire executives and dealers were at the grand opening, as well as Korean Consul General Seong-jin Kim and local government officials. The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 1.5 million-square-foot facility sits on 469 acres. “This plant is a major boon for the Clarksville area,” Blackburn said on Facebook. Blackburn, whose 7th Congressional District includes the Clarksville area, recently announced that she is running for the U.S. Senate. “I was honored to take part in the ceremony and thank the company’s leadership for bringing their first U.S. plant to Montgomery County,” Blackburn said.    

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Beth Harwell Calls for State Legislative Hearings on TNReady Testing Problems

Wendy Wilson

House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) is calling for state legislative hearings on problems with TNReady scoring. “We have made great strides over the last several years in education, and we must be diligent in ensuring we continue these gains,” Harwell said on Facebook Tuesday. “We know that accountability has been a large part of this improvement. However, the news that nearly 10,000 TNReady tests were scored incorrectly has resulted in educators, parents, and legislators seeking answers. In addition, the amount of testing has also raised questions.” Hawell, who is running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, has asked the House Government Operations Committee to hold the hearings. The scoring issue is the latest in a string of glitches over the past several years with standardized testing in Tennessee public schools. Testing has also come under scrutiny for the amount of time it takes away from instruction, the way student scores are linked to teacher evaluations and for what is viewed as acquiescence to a national large-scale testing apparatus involving for-profit companies selling testing products and services. At the end of this past school year, testing vendor Questar was slow in returning test scores for report cards. Problems with its scanning program are now…

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Author Liza Mundy Speaks About Women Code Breakers During World War II

Wendy Wilson

During World War II, women played an important role by cracking codes that led to the sinking of Japanese ships. The women were sworn to secrecy and many kept the secret for decades. But recently they’ve started to get credit. Liza Mundy details their experiences in her new book, Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II. Mundy spoke Sunday at the Nashville Public Library as part of the annual Southern Festival of Books. Mundy estimates there were at least 11,000 women involved and perhaps as many as 15,000 or 16,000, including many women from the South. “It was an enormously important wartime effort,” Mundy said. While many Americans are aware of the way Rosie the Riveter-type women contributed in factories, they don’t know about how educated women made their mark,  Mundy said. The code breakers were recruited from women’s colleges and teachers colleges and schools where they were already employed as teachers. The Navy tended to recruit from elite women’s colleges in the North, such as Vassar and Wellesley, while the Army fanned out handsome soldiers across the South to set up recruiting stations at hotels and post offices. It was believed…

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West Tennessee Doctor Dropped by Medicare a Caring Man Who Would Never Cheat the System, Supporters Say

Wendy Wilson

Five years ago, Janice Lowery of West Tennessee moved to another town, which left her a greater distance away from the doctor she had been going to for more than a decade. But she wasn’t about to look for another doctor, even though it would not have been hard to find one near her new home. Instead, she has continued to see Dr. Bryan Merrick at the McKenzie Medical Center, driving an hour and a half one way to get there. Merrick is a caring doctor who doesn’t dash in and out of the room and make you feel like a number, Lowery said. “He listens to you,” she said. “You don’t feel rushed.” Lowery even drives her husband, who is legally blind, to see Merrick for separate appointments. Like many of Merrick’s patients, Lowery was alarmed this past spring when he was accused of Medicare fraud and lost his Medicare reimbursement privileges for three years. It’s a turn of events that many of his supporters consider an injustice, and they fault distant bureaucrats with not caring about their small rural community. Merrick, who is 62 and has been practicing medicine for more than 30 years, was found to have…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Unveils Plans for Huge $5.2 Billion Mass Transit Project

Wendy Wilson

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry released a detailed proposal Tuesday for a huge $5.2 billion mass transit project for the Nashville area that calls for four different types of tax increases. Barry will ask Metro Council to schedule a referendum for May 2018 to ask voters to approve the plan, called “Let’s Move Nashville: Metro’s Transportation Solution.” The mayor and her allies have been involved in efforts for some time to promote a tentative regional mass transit plan for Middle Tennessee they say would cost $6 billion. That plans for Metro Nashville alone now carry a $5.2 billion price tag reflects the ambitious nature of Barry’s vision, and will subject the progressive Democrat to even more criticism from those already skeptical of the project. The project would include light rail and electric buses, as well as improvements to existing transportation. In recent weeks, Barry has come up with a controversial idea for an underground tunnel in downtown Nashville for trains and buses. The tunnel would cost more than $900 million, which has significantly added to the overall cost. Barry presented her proposal at the Music City Center. The Nashville Tea Party later slammed her for saying during her speech that “there’s…

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Nashville Tea Party Asks Mayor Megan Barry to Provide More Details of Mass Transit Proposal

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

The Nashville Tea Party is calling on Nashville Mayor Megan Barry to release detailed plans for a tentative $6 billion regional mass transit project. Barry has said she will put a referendum on the ballot next year to raise taxes for the project, designed to be phased in over 25 years. The proposal she’s backing makes heavy use of light rail, as well as rapid buses. The Nashville Business Journal has reported that Barry is also considering underground transit downtown. “If approved, these new taxes will burden Middle Tennessee taxpayers for decades,” the Nashville Tea Party said in a press release Monday. “The mayor’s current petition campaign simply asks taxpayers to pledge they will ‘pay for it’”. “This amounts to the mayor asking taxpayers to sign a blank check,” Ben Cunningham, president of the Nashville Tea Party, said in the press release. The press release says that the Nashville Tea Party wants the public to have the complete details now and not “in bits and pieces over the coming months.” It notes that the IMPROVE Act passed by the state legislature earlier this year requires that the public be well informed before a referendum vote. The IMPROVE Act raised the gas tax…

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Supporters of West Tennessee Doctor Frustrated With U.S. Rep. David Kustoff in Medicare Billing Case

Wendy Wilson

Supporters of a beloved rural West Tennessee doctor they say is falsely accused of Medicare fraud are frustrated with the lack of response they are getting from U.S. Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-8), whom they have turned to for help. Dr. Bryan Merrick of the McKenzie Medical Center lost his Medicare reimbursement privileges in April for three years over $670 in billing errors. Only 30 billings for 10 patients, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of 30,000 claims submitted, were identified as being incorrect in a review by the federal government. Merrick, who has been practicing for more than three decades, has maintained they were clerical errors. Jill Mayo, a registered nurse and the practice manager at McKenzie Medical Center, told The Tennessee Star on Friday that the practice reached out to Rep. Kustoff’s office in May. While his office has said Kustoff has been looking into the matter, he has not offered Merrick any concrete help or insight, according to Mayo. “Nothing has changed,” Mayo said. Kustoff’s office released a statement to The Star late Friday saying, “Congressman Kustoff is aware of Dr. Merrick’s situation, and our office has been in contact with CMS [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] regarding the…

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Eric Metaxas Tells Murfreesboro Church How Martin Luther Changed the World

Wendy Wilson

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee — Martin Luther didn’t set out to start a new church, much less change the course of the Western world. But his actions in 16th century Germany had profound effects on religion and politics in the years to come. Well-known Christian writer and speaker Eric Metaxas recounted Luther’s life story Saturday at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro. Around 2,000 people turned out to listen to Metaxas, author of the new book, Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World. “He opened the door, folks, to this thing we call freedom,” Metaxas said, describing how Luther stood against the powers that be and showed that truth was independent of power. “Sometimes power was the enemy of truth,” Metaxas said. Oct. 31 marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, which Luther inadvertently led, causing a break with the Catholic Church and the creation of new Protestant denominations. Luther was born into a world in which the gospel had been obscured, Metaxas said. The church was focused on institutional power and building projects and ordinary people believed they had to earn their way to heaven. “There was a lot of fear,” Metaxas said. Luther’s father wanted him to practice…

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Nashville Metro Sports Authority Gives Soccer Stadium Green Light

Wendy Wilson

Nashville’s Metro Sports Authority has approved issuing revenue bonds for construction of a soccer stadium at the Nashville Fairgrounds. The sports authority approved a resolution Thursday, reports WKRN News 2. The project still must be approved by Metro Council, which will vote on the proposal Nov. 7. The council will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Creative Arts Building at the fairgrounds. The resolution approved Thursday would allow the sports authority to issue up to $225 million in revenue bonds for the 27,500-seat stadium if Metro Council also signs off on the project. The project would cost a total of $250 million. Mayor Megan Barry’s proposal for the stadium is controversial because of the costs and also because of how it might impact existing activities at the fairgrounds. Barry, a progressive Democrat, wants to entice a Major League Soccer expansion team to come to Nashville. MLS will make a decision in December. Her proposal also involves opening up 10 acres at the fairgrounds to mixed-used development that would include affordable housing. Monica Fawknotson, executive director of the sports authority, told WKRN that the stadium is “an incredible opportunity for the city” and that “there are a lot…

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Mike Huckabee Endorses Evangelist Scott Dawson for Alabama Governor

Wendy Wilson

Mike Huckabee has endorsed evangelist Scott Dawson in his bid for the Republican nomination for governor of Alabama. The former Arkansas governor and two-time presidential candidate announced his support for Dawson on the “Rick and Bubba” radio program. “I am so grateful to Mike for the advice, counsel and prayers he has given to me and I look forward to campaigning with him,” Dawson said on Facebook last week. Dawson is the staff evangelist and chief development officer for the Birmingham-based Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association. He started the ministry in 1987 while still in college and today it reaches across America. He received a master of divinity degree from Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School in 1993 and was ordained by Roebuck Park Baptist Church. Dawson has never run for office before, but Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, said on the radio program that Dawson’s experiences in church ministry make him uniquely qualified for public service. Huckabee said pastors develop administrative skills and also deal firsthand with a variety of social issues, from helping people with drug addiction to interacting with those who have committed crimes or are crime victims to supporting middle-aged people caring for elderly parents. According to AL.com, others running for…

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Vanderbilt University Student Newspaper Says Christopher Columbus Was Worse Than Serial Killers

Wendy Wilson

The editorial board of the Vanderbilt University student newspaper wrote an opinion piece Wednesday criticizing the school for not doing enough to denounce Columbus Day, which was Monday. The editorial described Christopher Columbus as being worse than notorious American serial killers. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry issued a proclamation urging people to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and Metro Council passed a resolution urging the same. More than 50 cities and a few states celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday. The editorial board of the Vanderbilt Hustler said that “Vanderbilt’s silence on the matter is problematic.” “Yes, an indigenous professor was invited to talk about the indigenous genocide. But Vandy needs to go further,” the opinion piece said. The editorial board said it hopes that next year “Vanderbilt will stand against the actions of predatory settlers and stand with indigenous people.” In its opinion piece, the editorial board did not attempt an even-handed scholarly examination of Columbus and his work. Instead, it pandered to the progressive hysteria about Columbus, going so far as to say that if the Italian explorer, who sailed for Spain and made the Americas known to Europe, were alive today, “he would be a national villain, making Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer look…

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Former Congressman Stephen Fincher Stops in Johnson City on ‘Listening Tour’ as He Considers U.S. Senate Run

Wendy Wilson

Former Congressman Stephen Fincher (R-TN-8) told the Johnson City Press this week that he is seriously thinking about running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Bob Corker. Johnson City was one of the first stops in what Fincher says is a listening tour of the state designed to help him decide whether to run. The tour is expected to last several weeks. The West Tennessee farmer would be vying for the Republican nomination against the formidable U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7) and conservative activist Andy Ogles. Fincher, who lives in Frog Jump, said in an interview with the Johnson City Press that he is being encouraged by supporters to run and has been praying about it and discussing it with his family. He is currently traveling the state to get input from voters. Fincher was first elected to Congress in 2010 and was re-elected twice to consecutive terms. In 2016, he decided not to run again because of the illness of a family member. He has more than $2 million remaining in his congressional election account. In August, he became a campaign co-chairman for U.S. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-6) in her run for Tennessee governor. Fincher told the Johnson City Press…

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Eric Metaxas to Speak at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro This Weekend

Wendy Wilson

Renowned Christian writer and speaker Eric Metaxas will appear at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro this weekend. Metaxas is host of The Eric Metaxas Show, a radio program broadcast in more than 120 cities across the U.S. He is the author of Bonhoeffer, Miracles, If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty and Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, which was the companion book to a feature film. His latest book is Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World. This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, in which Luther played a leading role. Along with other Christian leaders, Metaxas recently signed a letter from Evangelicals for Biblical Immigration to President Trump and leaders of Congress saying that the group believes “that the Bible does not teach open borders, but wise welcome.” The group contrasts with other evangelical coalitions that favor broad amnesties. Born in New York City, Metaxas grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Yale University. His other claims to fame include having written for VeggieTales. He co-wrote Lyle the Kindly Viking, and provided the voice of the narrator on Esther. He will be the special guest speaker for weekend services at World Outreach Church…

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Latinos For Tennessee’s Raul Lopez Featured in Republican National Committee Q&A

Wendy Wilson

Raul Lopez, executive director of Latinos For Tennessee, was tapped last month by the Republican National Committee to participate in a Q&A for its website on being Hispanic and Republican. “The RNC recently reached out to outstanding Hispanic leaders and asked them what being a Republican means to them,” the committee says in an introduction to the Q&A. Begun several years ago, Latinos For Tennessee is a conservative political action group. In addition to its involvement in politics, the group aims to help Hispanics in their communities by sponsoring events such as health fairs. In recent weeks, the group has helped with relief efforts for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. However, as a conservative group, Latinos For Tennessee struggles to get funding in an environment in which most support for Hispanic groups goes to those that are progressive. Latinos For Tennessee has taken stances against sanctuary cities and in support of President Trump’s immigration policies. It also promotes family values, including traditional marriage. The group is based in Nashville but has a presence in other parts of the state. Here is the full text of Lopez’s interview with the Republican National Committee: 1. What are the 3 most important values that…

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Shelby County Schools Teacher Questions Value of Standardized Testing Blitz

Wendy Wilson

Woodson Maher wonders why more people don’t stop to ask how the Greatest Generation turned out OK without having been subjected to the battery of standardized tests that take up so much time in public schools today. Maher, who teaches marketing at Cordova High School in Shelby County Schools, isn’t convinced all of this is necessary. Testing is so time-consuming that attention is drawn away from delivering basic instruction, he said in an interview with The Tennessee Star. “For whatever reason, it has reprioritized the curriculum,” Maher said. Born and raised in Memphis, Maher is a product of Memphis public schools. After graduating from Lambuth University in Jackson, he began a career in marketing and advertising, spending 10 years in Nashville. An idealist long attracted to serving the community, he decided to see if he could make a difference in the classroom. He entered a teacher education program at the University of Memphis, beginning a journey in the world of education that he has found to be less than ideal. He has written a book about his observations called Margin of Error: How Public Schools Have Failed with Standardized Testing, Teacher Certification, and Vocational Education. At the end of August, he…

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Georgia Mom Upset Over School Assignment Asking Sixth-Graders to Identify Sexual Preferences

Wendy Wilson

A Georgia mom is asking questions after her sixth-grade daughter was asked to identify sexual preferences and identities on a school assignment. “Why are they teaching that in school?,” Octavia Parks said to Fox 5 Atlanta. “What does that have to do with life?” Her daughter brought home the assignment last week from a health class at Lithonia Middle School in suburban Atlanta. The assignment had 10 questions asking students to come up with words like gay, lesbian and transgender. Parks said her daughter still watches Nickelodeon and that she’s not ready to explain those words to her. She said she would remove her daughter from the class and also go to the school board. A spokesman for the DeKalb County School District said in statement that “DCSD has been made aware of this alleged event, and is working to verify its authenticity. We will investigate this event and take action, as appropriate, once that investigation is completed.”    

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Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero Successfully Presses School Board to Maintain Explicit Protections for Gender and Sexual Orientation

Wendy Wilson

Editor’s update:  Despite the risks associated with maintaining the creation of additional, vaguely defined “protected classes,” the Knox County school board acquiesced to Mayor Madeline Rogero’s wishes and voted Wednesday night to keep the extended language in the employee and student handbooks with regards to the school system’s harassment policy. New language was added in 2012 that authors say was intended to protect LGBTQ persons from harassment, however, Chief Deputy Law Director David Buuck told the Knoxville News Sentinel that the change could imperil the school system with more – not less – lawsuits: “It has cost the taxpayers several hundred thousand dollars just to defend those. It’s just not right,” he said. “We have a duty to protect this board also from frivolous lawsuits, and despite what the professor of law said, as soon as you put in some of this wording that people out in this audience are wanting, it’s creating another protected in class in violation of equal protection for all students. “And the minute that happens, one or two of those same attorneys is going to be filing a lawsuit, and we’ll have to go to federal court and defend it.” The News Sentinel broke down the school…

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Friends of Fort Negley Files Petition with Tennessee Historical Commission to Stop Redevelopment Plans

Wendy Wilson

A preservation group is asking the Tennessee Historical Commission to protect Fort Negley Park from Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s redevelopment plans. The Friends of Fort Negley filed a petition Monday asking the commission to include the property, which includes the abandoned Greer Stadium, in the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act of 2016, reports the Nashville Business Journal. The petition names Metro government as the respondent. Barry’s plans have drawn fierce opposition from a variety of groups who say they don’t honor the area’s history. She wants the Cloud Hill Partnership development team to build affordable housing, shops and restaurants, green space and creative spaces for artists on the land. The stadium has sat abandoned since the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team moved to a new stadium north of downtown in 2015. The fort was built during Union occupation of Nashville during the Civil War. It was constructed with the forced labor of slaves and free blacks, a quarter of whom died from sickness in the winter of 1862. The United States Colored Troops, 13th Infantry Regiment, were among those stationed at the fort during the war and the Battle of Nashville, and reeanactors have relived their stories. “The city attempts to justify the…

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Scientist Roy Spencer: Climate Changes Naturally

Wendy Wilson

FRANKLIN, Tennessee – On the surface, it would appear that Roy Spencer has a comfortable life. He is a principal research scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he directs climate research projects and has authored books and numerous articles for scientific journals. Unfortunately for Spencer, he comes down on the wrong side – the politically incorrect side – of global warming and climate change, for which he has taken a lot of heat. “Nothing we are seeing today is really out of the ordinary,” he said Saturday, sounding exasperated and battle weary as he discussed weather patterns. Spencer spoke at the Tennessee Eagle Forum Conference at the Embassy Suites hotel, where he provided a summary of the climate debate and spoke of his book, “An Inconvenient Deception: How Al Gore Distorts Climate Science and Energy Policy.” Spencer said he isn’t a climate denier, but rather a “lukewarmer.” He believes that carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere is causing some warming, but that it’s uncertain how much of it is the result of human activity. It’s also uncertain, he said, if we’re warmer now than during periods of warming in centuries past, such as during the medieval…

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Omar Hamada: Conservatives Must Combat Liberalism, but With Maturity and Civility

Wendy Wilson

FRANKLIN, Tennessee — What has happened to America? That was the question posed by Omar Hamada on Saturday at the Tennessee Eagle Forum Conference. “Lately you’ve probably been asking the same thing to yourselves that I’ve been asking,” Hamada said. How did we get to the point that we are right now?” Like many in his audience at the Embassy Suites hotel, who welcomed his analysis, Hamada believes the problems stem from turning our backs on God and not doing enough to combat the influence of liberalism. Hamada, a decorated Army veteran, physician and Middle Tennessee business executive in the health care field, said the modern philosophy of liberalism is the biggest threat in the world and in the U.S. today, bigger even than the threat of ISIS. Not one to mince words, he described liberalism as “a malignancy, a scourge and a death knell.” “It is destructive, it is evil, it is antithetical to everything we stand for and believe in as Christians and as conservatives,” said Hamada, who was born in Tallahassee, Florida, of Lebanese immigrant parents. Hamada said liberalism was unleashed in the 1960s, yet there were still bonds that held the country together. People stood for…

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Jude Eden: Congress ‘Inept’ at Stamping Out Social Engineering in the Military

Wendy Wilson

FRANKLIN, Tennessee — Social engineering in the military is weakening America’s armed forces, and Congress is allowing it to happen, Jude Eden said Saturday at the Tennessee Eagle Forum Conference. “Congress has proved itself weak, inept and unwilling to stand up for sound military priorities,” the Marine Corps veteran said to applause at the Embassy Suites hotel. “Their spinelessness has already cost lives.” Eden spoke about the effects of former President Obama’s decisions to repeal the ban on openly gay service members, welcome transgender individuals into the military and open all combat positions to women. Eden said ideas promoted by activists that supposedly address fairness and justice don’t square with the military’s mission to win wars quickly with few casualties. “For the military, what’s unfair is anything that jeopardizes the mission, and what’s unjust is anything that adds needless danger and risk,” she said. Eden served in the Marines from 2004-2008 as a data communications specialist. She deployed for more than eight months to Fallujah, Iraq, where she supported a communications network and worked at a checkpoint frisking women for explosives. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Hillsdale College. Much of Eden’s speech focused on women in combat roles. “The…

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Evangelical Groups Differ on DACA

Wendy Wilson

A group of evangelicals organized by Russell Moore is calling on Congress to allow DACA recipients to become eligible for status as legal residents or citizens. Meanwhile, another coalition of evangelicals, which includes Eric Metaxas, is urging Congress to put Americans first, along with those who have applied to enter the U.S. legally. Moore is president of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). In a statement released Thursday, 51 signers expressed support for the goals of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program begun with an executive order by former President Obama. President Trump has rescinded the order but has given Congress a chance to act. DACA allows young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children and who meet certain criteria to temporarily live and work in the U.S. Around 800,000 have received DACA status and nearly 690,000 are currently enrolled. DACA recipients are known as “Dreamers.” “We support the underlying policy aim of DACA because we believe this is a special category of immigrants who are not legally culpable, who in most cases have no home other than the United States, and who are a blessing to their communities and to their churches,” reads the statement…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Urges Recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Ignores Columbus

Wendy Wilson

Today is Columbus Day, but not for Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. Barry issued a proclamation urging recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The proclamation is similar to the non-binding resolution passed by Metro Council last week. “Today we reflect upon the historic and ongoing struggles of Indigenous Peoples while celebrating their culture and value to our society,” she said in a tweet early Monday that included a copy of her proclamation, signed Oct. 1. Barry made no mention of Christopher Columbus. Columbus Day has become increasingly controversial in recent years, and today more than 50 cities and a few states have instead been celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The states are Minnesota, Vermont and Alaska. A progressive Democrat, Barry said in her proclamation that “Nashville has a responsibility to oppose the systematic racism towards Indigenous people in the United States, which perpetuates high rates of poverty and income inequality, exacerbating disproportionate health, education, and social crises.” The proclamation ends by saying, “The City encourages all individuals to observe this important day and reflect upon the ongoing struggles of Indigenous Peoples on this land, and to celebrate the thriving culture and value that Indigenous Peoples add to our City.” President Trump, by contrast, honored Columbus in his…

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Islam the Main Topic at Tennessee Eagle Forum Conference Saturday

Wendy Wilson

FRANKLIN, Tennessee — Islam is a “seditious ideology, not a religion,” Frank Gaffney said Saturday at a conference held by the Tennessee Eagle Forum at the Embassy Suites hotel. Gaffney is the founder and president of the Center for Security Policy in Washington, D.C. He was one of more than a dozen speakers at Saturday’s day-long event addressing a range of topics of interest to conservatives, including social engineering in the military, abortion, economic gains in the Trump administration, and the rise of the “snowflake” generation. But the topic receiving the most attention from several different speakers was the spread of fundamentalist Islam and what can be done to stop it. Gaffney said it’s critical to understand the political and totalitarian nature of Islam and the manipulative tactics used to portray it as a benign religion. “If we don’t get that right, we are doomed under our Constitution and the protections it guarantees for religion to allow them to get to the point where they can destroy us,” he said. Gaffney also said it’s essential for people to become educated about the Muslim Brotherhood, which he said is “arguably the single most dangerous” radical Islamic group because of its wide…

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Single-Sex Classes a Success at Memphis Public High School

Wendy Wilson

Students at a Memphis public high school are performing better in boys-only and girls-only classes, the principal says. Booker T. Washington High School set up single-sex classes a decade ago and has no plans to reverse course. “What we know from research is that girls will take more chances when boys are not around,” Principal Alisha Kiner told WREG News Channel 3 in an interview that aired this week. As for boys, their behavior has improved, Kiner said. The school’s graduation rate has gone up from 53 percent to 90.5 percent. While single-sex classes and single-sex schools are championed by some, they continue to be controversial in public school systems. The ACLU is committed to stopping them, saying they promote gender stereotypes. Christina Hoff Sommers, a scholar with the American Enterprise Institute, disputes the ACLU’s position. In a 2013 article in The Atlantic, Sommers asks, “What sensible person would call these programs and others like them morally and legally suspect?” Sommers writes: Wealthy families have always had the option of sending their children to all-male or all-female schools, but parents of modest means have rarely had that choice. That changed in 2001, when four female senators sponsored legislation that sanctioned single-sex classes and academies…

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Arkansas Police Officer Charged with Threatening to Blow Up Training Academy

Wendy Wilson

An Arkansas police officer has been arrested and fired after threatening to blow up a training academy. Wisam “Troy” Algburi, 29, a Marion police officer, was enrolled in the Law Enforcement Training Academy at Black River Technical College in Pocahontas. He was dismissed from the academy Sept. 29 after threatening classmates and staff, reports KAIT Region 8 News. Algburi was accused of making threats to “blow up” the training academy, according to Arkansas State Police. He was arrested and charged with felony terroristic threatening. He then lost his job with the Marion Police Department. He had been employed there since February.

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Mike Huckabee Meets Heartland in Nashville Show

Wendy Wilson

HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee — Mike Huckabee went before a studio audience Friday evening at Trinity Music City to tape his first show for the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). And what a show it was. The debut kicked off with Huckabee speaking with President Trump in the White House in a pre-recorded interview. By the end of the show, he was jamming on bass guitar with in-studio guest Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night. In pre-show remarks to the crowd, the former Republican governor of Arkansas and two-time presidential candidate said he has been wanting to do a show in America’s heartland. He previously had a show on Fox News and like his old show, his new one is simply called “Huckabee.” Huckabee, who lives in Florida’s Panhandle, will travel regularly to Music City for his new gig here. “These days I’m primarily known as Sarah’s dad,” he joked with the studio audience, referring to his White House press secretary daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. He introduced several notable guests in the crowd, including his wife of 43 years, Janet, as well as U.S. Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-8) and Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd. “I’m excited and honored to be here to witness…

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Williamson County Republican Party Wants to Awaken the Sleeping Giant

Wendy Wilson

FRANKLIN, Tennessee — If conservatives want to make a difference, they have to get more involved. That was the theme of a book discussion Thursday at the Embassy Suites hotel hosted by the Williamson County Republican Party. A handful of people gathered at the hotel restaurant to consider the lessons in the 2012 book, “Waking the Sleeping Giant: How Mainstream Americans Can Beat Liberals at Their Own Game” by Timothy Daughtry and Gary Casselman. Thursday’s event was part of a series of discussions that will focus on the book. Debbie Deaver, chairman of the party chapter, said many conservatives are afraid of appearing mean, which holds them back. But Daughtry and Casselman show conservatives how they can be engaged without being ugly, she said. “You don’t have to be a jerk,” said Deaver, who finds the authors’ take especially refreshing and unique because of their background as psychologists. Hannah Tiblier, secretary for the party chapter, said the authors have a good grasp of individual and group dynamics. “They understand human nature,” she said. The book also ties in with a message that Deaver has been trying to communicate to local Republicans, which is that politics matter at all levels, including…

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Supporters of Nashville Fairgrounds Voice Concerns About Mayor Megan Barry’s Plans for Soccer Stadium, Housing

Wendy Wilson

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Bob Blair has been coming to events at the Nashville Fairgrounds ever since he can remember. The 75-year-old still comes to the fairgrounds for the flea market and auto races. The owner of Mr. B’s Barber Salon, he lives nearby. Blair was at the fairgrounds Thursday evening to speak out against Mayor Megan Barry’s plans to build a Major League Soccer stadium and affordable and workforce housing on fairgrounds land. The fair board held a special meeting in the Creative Arts Building to present the plans to the public and allow for comment. Critics like Blair fear the fairgrounds, located near Nolensville Pike and Wedgewood Avenue, would never be the same. “If you do anything, improve on what you’ve got,” Blair told the board. “Leave something for the regular working people. This is our fairgrounds.” Around 150 people attended the meeting, with supporters of the group Save Our Fairgrounds arriving wearing red shirts. Dozens of people individually addressed the board, with many against the plans or somewhat in favor but concerned. A handful were unwavering in their enthusiasm, saying a soccer stadium and a planned park and greenway would be assets to the community and make the…

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Public Meeting to Be Held Tonight on Plans for Soccer Stadium at Nashville Fairgrounds

Wendy Wilson

The board of the Nashville Fairgrounds will hold a special meeting this evening to discuss plans for a soccer stadium, and the group Save Our Fairgrounds is encouraging a large turnout. Mayor Megan Barry wants the fairgrounds to be the site for a new Major League Soccer stadium. Save Our Fairgrounds says plans for the stadium and additional soccer fields could jeopardize the flea market, race track and state fair. They might also violate the Metro Charter, the group says. The meeting will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Creative Arts Building at the fairgrounds, and will include an in-depth presentation from the MLS2 Nashville Soccer Committee. The agenda allows time for public comments. “Attending this meeting is imperative to listen to the proposal and voice your concerns about the park and stadium,” Save Our Fairgrounds said on its Facebook page. Barry has wanted to attract a Major League Soccer expansion team to Nashville and on Monday unveiled details of her plan. The 27,500-seat stadium would cost $250 million but 90 percent of its funding would come from private dollars and revenues generated at the stadium, Barry said. John Ingram would be the lead investor. Funding would come from $200…

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Nashville Metro Council Encourages Recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Columbus Day

Wendy Wilson

Nashville’s Metro Council on Tuesday passed a resolution urging businesses, organizations and public entities to from now on recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday of October, most often recognized as Columbus Day. The non-binding resolution passed 26-5. It was sponsored by council members Brett Withers, Fabian Bedne, Nancy VanReece, Colby Sledge, Mina Johnson and Freddie O’Connell. Columbus Day recognizes the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on Oct. 12, 1492, but has been treated with increasing disregard and contempt nationwide by those who want to keep the focus on European mistreatment of Native Americans. Defenders of Columbus Day say critics downplay Columbus’ accomplishments and ignore the cruelty between Native American tribes, falsely painting mistreatment of other groups as a uniquely European trait. The Metro Council resolution says the council “opposes the systematic racism towards Indigenous Peoples of the United States, which perpetuates high rates of poverty and income inequality, exacerbating disproportionate health, education, and social crises.” The resolution notes that Indigenous Peoples’ Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native Nations to a United Nations-sponsored conference. It also notes that the U.S. endorsed a U.N. declaration in 2010 recognizing that “indigenous peoples have suffered from…

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John Rich Describes Experiences in Las Vegas During Shooting Spree

Wendy Wilson

Country music star John Rich was at a Las Vegas bar Sunday that went on lockdown when the shooting started. Big & Rich had performed at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival and then the duo, which includes Big Kenny, went to the Redneck Riviera, a bar owned by Rich. That’s when the worst shooting spree in U.S. history began to unfold. Rich related his experiences in an interview with WKRN News 2. He spoke of the striking contrast between the uplifting moments when Big & Rich led the festival crowd in singing “God Bless America” with the horror that followed a couple hours later. When people at the bar learned there was an active shooter at the festival, Rich, who has a concealed weapons permit, retrieved his gun from his tour bus and then loaned it to an off-duty police officer. “This guy walks up to me and says, ‘Hey, I’m a Minneapolis police officer off duty.’ He said, ‘I’m in Las Vegas on my honeymoon. I’m unarmed. Are you armed?’” Rich told WKRN. “I said, ‘Yes sir, I’m armed,’ and he said, ‘Can I take your firearm? I’m going to hold point on this front door until we…

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Voting Open for Beacon Center’s Pork of the Year Event

Wendy Wilson

Voting is open for the Beacon Center of Tennessee’s Pork of the Year event for 2017. The annual event allows the people of Tennessee to choose the biggest waste of taxpayer dollars from a short list of candidates “who have done the most egregious things with taxpayer money,” according to the Beacon Center’s website. The Beacon Center is a Nashville-based think tank that promotes the free market. The 2016 Pork of the Year winner was the University of Tennessee’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion for its promotion, at taxpayer expense, of gender neutral pronouns such as “ze” and “zir,” and its discouragement of Christmas-themed holiday parties. This year’s choices include the Jobs 4 TN program, the Opryland Waterpark, the state’s industrial machinery tax credit, and former Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold profiting off inmates through his conspiracy to sell electronic cigarettes. For a detailed description of these candidates and to vote, go to beacontn.org/pork-of-the-year-voting. Jobs 4 TN   Opryland Waterpark Tennessee’s industrial machinery tax credit   Former Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold’s scheme to profit off inmates through his conspiracy to sell electronic cigarettes.

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West Tennessee Man Killed in Las Vegas Shooting Spree

Wendy Wilson

A West Tennessee man was among at least 58 killed Sunday night at a country music festival in Las Vegas, reports the Paris Post-Intelligencer. The massacre was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history and also left more than 500 injured. Sonny Melton was a resident of Big Sandy, a small town in Benton County. Melton was shielding his wife, Heather, when he was fatally shot, according to his lifelong best friend, Jeremy Butler of Camden. The Meltons married about a year ago and were building a house on Kentucky Lake, Butler said. The 29-year-old was a registered nurse at Henry County Medical Center. “The thoughts and prayers of the entire HCMC family are with Sonny and Heather’s families,” said Tom Gee, CEO at Henry County Medical Center, in a statement. Heather Gulish Melton is an orthopedic surgeon at the hospital. People from around the world are offering condolences on Sonny Melton’s Facebook page, now called Remembering Sonny Melton. Messages came pouring in Monday from across the U.S. and from Italy, Argentina, Egypt and other countries.

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U.S. Rep. Diane Black Supports President Trump’s Tax Plan, Calling it ‘Pro-America’

Wendy Wilson

U.S. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-6), who is running for Tennessee governor, is supporting President Trump’s plan to fix the tax code, which was last updated by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. Black was recently endorsed in her gubernatorial bid by Reagan adviser Art Laffer. Laffer, who lives in Nashville, will serve as Black’s economic adviser for her gubernatorial campaign. In a statement last week, Black said: This is a truly historic opportunity for our country. The current tax system – last updated 30 years ago – forces taxpayers to pay astronomical rates and fill out complicated, unnecessary forms. Americans deserve better. Our goal from the beginning was to create a simpler, fairer and flatter system, and I believe we have done just that. This framework lowers taxes so Americans can keep more of their paychecks and families can spend less time filing papers. It will allow our own families in Tennessee to plan for the future with certainty that their hard-earned money will stay in their pockets. As a unified government, we worked with President Trump and the Senate to craft a framework benefitting every income level, especially the middle class. Our reform also delivers the lowest tax rates in modern history…

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Tennessee Hispanic Groups Seek Donations to Help Hurricane Victims in Puerto Rico

Wendy Wilson

Latinos For Tennessee is partnering with the Clarksville Hispanic American Family Foundation (CHAFF) to support hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. Clarksville is home to a large share of Tennessee’s Puerto Rican population because of Fort Campbell, where many serve in the military. The groups are putting together emergency kits for men, women and children to send to Puerto Rico. A donation center has been set up at the Clarksville Entrepreneur Center at 1860 Wilma Rudolph Boulevard. Hours are 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. For information on what to donate for the emergency kits, visit Latinos For Tennessee’s Facebook page. Monetary donations can be made by clicking here. More information can also be found by visiting CHAFF’s Facebook page. The groups are also in need of a trailer for faster transport to Miami. Latinos For Tennessee is a conservative political action group that promotes faith, family, freedom and fiscal responsibility.

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Franklin Golf Course Removes ‘Forrest’ From its Name, Distancing Itself from Confederate General

Wendy Wilson

A golf course in Franklin has dropped “Forrest” from its name to distance itself from Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. As of Sept. 22, The Forrest Crossing Golf Course is simply The Crossing Golf Course. Opened in 1986 along the Harpeth River, the course was named for Forrest’s crossing of the Harpeth during the Civil War. The championship course was designed by Gary Roger Baird and is owned by American Golf. The corporation released a statement saying, “American Golf had been considering a name change for some time. We believe that the game of golf is a sport that can help bring people together despite their differences, and want everyone to feel welcome to play our beautiful course.” Gov. Bill Haslam recently renewed a push to have a bust of Forrest moved from the Capitol to the Tennessee State Museum. Activists called for the removal of Confederate statues and monuments after violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, Aug. 12 between white supremacists and leftist counterprotesters. Some also called for the removal of monuments honoring America’s Founding Fathers. Haslam had first advocated for relocating the bust of Forrest after nine people were killed in a 2015 shooting at a historic black church…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Unveils Plans for $250 Million Soccer Stadium

Wendy Wilson

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry unveiled details for a soccer stadium Monday, saying it would cost $250 million but get 90 percent of its funding from private dollars and revenues generated at the stadium. Barry announced the plans along with John Ingram, the lead investor for Nashville’s Major League Soccer expansion bid. The 27,500-seat stadium would be built at the Nashville Fairgrounds. But Rick Williams, Chairman of Save Our Fairgrounds, vows to fight the proposal, as currently structured. “I was able to watch most of Mayor Barry’s speech this afternoon and the other participants in the MLS Soccer Stadium presentation to the Metropolitan Nashville City Council. My first reaction is our government is again giving away land to developers,” Williams tells The Tennessee Star in an exclusive interview. The 10 Acres that Rich Rebling wants to give away to developers is worth 10 million dollars. Everything like this land give away that the Mayor’s administration has done in the past 2 years has cost Taxpayers over 100 million dollars in value. My other reaction is after this plan is finished, the amount of land left for a State Fair, Flea Market and the Nashville Fairgrounds Raceway will be over 1/2 less…

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Tanya Tucker the Voice of Third Annual Tennessee Craft Week

Wendy Wilson

Country music icon Tanya Tucker is the honorary chairman of the third annual Tennessee Craft Week, which kicks off Friday and runs through Oct. 15. The event coincides with American Craft Week and highlights handmade artwork. “The art of handmade crafts is a Tennessee legacy that intensifies each year,” reads a news release from Tennessee Craft, the sponsoring organization. “Crafts, born from the hills of the Smoky Mountains, are evolving with artists using contemporary materials, ingenious ideas, and new ways of handling the raw materials. Handmade crafts are bringing local communities together, driving economic impact across the state and creating a desire for tourists to get a glimpse of Tennessee.” Nearly 75 official events are planned for this year, with hundreds of artists involved. Tennessee Craft Executive Director Teri Alea said Tucker “embodies the spirit of these artists with her singular dedication to her music, crafting beautiful performances, and impacting people’s lives with her talent.” Artwork will be on display across the state at visitor centers, studios and galleries, parks, libraries and other venues. Artwork will include paintings, sculptures, photography, mixed media, ceramics, mosaics and more. Some venues will include demonstrations and sales. For a list of events, visit tennesseecraft.org/tennessee-craft-week/2017-craft-week-events-list.

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Women Share Struggles at Worship Event in Thompson’s Station Friday to Inspire Others

Wendy Wilson

THOMPSON’S STATION, Tennessee — Tammy Daniel believes in the power of story. The Christian author, speaker and worship leader is open about the struggles in her life, and has launched a ministry giving women a platform to share their own stories to help and inspire others. A handful of women spoke of their journeys Friday evening at Thompson Station Church, where Daniel’s ministry held a “Women’s Night of Worship.” Around 100 people attended the event to pray, sing praise songs and listen to painful stories of abuse, infertility, health problems and disabilities, relationship challenges and self-destructive choices. A common chord running through all the stories was that God offers hope and redemption. “You are not too broken,” said Ginny Priz. “There is nothing you can do that God can’t redeem.” Priz co-hosts an inspirational TV show called “Bloom Today” that airs on WHTN/CTN, and has written a book called Ditch the Drama. Born without a full right arm, which requires her to wear a prosthetic, Priz has also struggled with coming to terms with her Christian faith. She spoke Friday of reckless and wrong behaviors she engaged in before accepting that following God means walking a path of obedience. Michelle Moore, a…

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State Senator Mark Green To Speak Tuesday At First Tuesday Event

Wendy Wilson

State Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) will speak Tuesday at Tim Skow’s First Tuesday event. A Republican activist, Skow in an email to First Tuesday fans mentioned the “political earthquake centered in Alabama,” where Roy Moore this week won the state’s GOP Senate primary runoff. Wondering what this might mean for Tennessee politics, Skow called Green “the man who will be in the eye of the storm.” Green had announced plans to run for governor, but then was nominated by President Trump to be Army secretary. He withdrew from consideration after leftists protested past statements he had made about LGBT activism and Islam. He decided against rejoining the governor’s race, leading to speculation about what other race he might join, if any. U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) on Tuesday announced he will not seek re-election. His announcement came on the same day the anti-establishment Moore was cruising to victory in Alabama. Green’s name has come up as a possible candidate for Corker’s seat. So far, Andy Ogles, the former head of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, is the only announced candidate for the Republican nomination. Green has also been mentioned as a possible candidate to replace U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7) should she…

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Cleveland, Tennessee Businessman Pulls Ads From NFL Broadcasts

Wendy Wilson

A Cleveland, Tennessee, businessman is yanking his commercials from TV and radio broadcasts of NFL games for the rest of the season because of national anthem protests. Allan Jones is the founder of Check Into Cash and runs commercials for Check Into Cash, Buy Here Pay Here USA, and U.S. Money Shops. “Our companies will not condone in any form the unpatriotic behavior demonstrated by the NFL,” Jones said in a letter to his ad agency in Knoxville. Jones said on Facebook not to look for Hardwick Clothes ads anymore, either. Jones helped the longtime Cleveland business when it was fighting bankruptcy in 2014, reports WTVC NewsChannel 9. The Tennessee Titans were among players nationwide protesting this past Sunday after President Trump slammed the practice. The Titans did not even take the field during the playing of the national anthem. Football players have said they are protesting racism and inequality. WTVC also spoke with former Buffalo Bills General Manager Buddy Nix this week. Nix, who lives today in Chattanooga, said he thinks the protests are disrespectful. “I believe firmly in standing for the national anthem and being respectful to the flag in this country,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any excuse for…

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Beacon Center of Tennessee Calls for Referendum on Funding New Soccer Stadium

Wendy Wilson

The Beacon Center of Tennessee is calling for a public referendum to allow taxpayers to vote on whether tax dollars should be used to build a new Major League Soccer stadium in Nashville. Mayor Megan Barry has worked out a preliminary private-public deal to use tax dollars to help fund a stadium if Major League Soccer chooses Nashville for an expansion team. The Beacon Center is a nonpartisan Nashville-based think tank that promotes the free market. The center is against Metro Nashville using tax dollars to fund the stadium but believes residents should make the decision, spokesman Mark Cunningham said in a news release Thursday. He said: Research shows that using taxpayer money to fund a professional sports stadium is a terrible investment for taxpayers and is a prime example of government overreach. Nashville taxpayers should not be forced by politicians to fund millionaire franchise owners and developers. Time after time, stadiums, and specifically MLS stadiums, have proven to be big losers for taxpayers. We are tired of hearing politicians spout the same evidence-free lines on taxpayer-funded stadiums, that this is what the people of Nashville want. If Nashville politicians really believe that funding this stadium with tax dollars is…

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Ryan Anderson of Heritage Foundation Gives Lecture on Religious Liberty at Union University

Wendy Wilson

Religious liberty is a fundamental human right, one that even Americans who aren’t religious should value, Ryan Anderson of The Heritage Foundation said at Union University earlier this month. Anderson spoke at the Southern Baptist school in Jackson, Tennessee, Sept. 12 as part of an annual Constitution Day lecture series, according to a school news release. Constitution Day is celebrated Sept. 17 and honors the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. Religious freedom is guaranteed in the First Amendment. “All of us have a human right to be able to seek out the truth about God on our own, come to conclusions about the truth about God on our own, and then live our lives in conforming with that truth as we understand it,” said Anderson, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Anderson said there are limits to the right of religious freedom if it is used to harm others or infringes on their rights. It gets complicated in issues such as same-sex marriage and gender identity. What’s important is to remember that people can disagree without being bigots and that government coercion isn’t the answer, Anderson said. “There is anti-gay bigotry in the United…

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Birmingham City Council Passes Sweeping Protections For LGBT People

Wendy Wilson

The Birmingham City Council in Alabama this week passed non-discrimination ordinances that include sweeping protections for LGBT people and spell out criminal penalties for violators. The council on Tuesday unanimously passed an ordinance addressing discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations, and a companion measure addressing discrimination in  awarding city contracts. The council will create a human rights commission “to promote principles of diversity, inclusion, and harmony” and to hear complaints. The ordinances also mention other statuses such as race and disability, but the main intent was to offer protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, which are not covered under Alabama law. The legislation is the first of its kind in the state, though there are more than 200 cities and counties across the country with similar protections. Sexual orientation is defined in the Birmingham legislation as “actual or perceived homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.” Gender identity is defined as “actual or perceived gender related identity, expression, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender related characteristics of an individual, regardless of the individual’s designated sex at birth.” Violators found to be discriminatory can be fined up to $500. In 2014, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest pro-LGBT activist group, launched an…

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Progressive University of Tennessee-Knoxville Professors Lead Discussion on Privilege and Oppression

Wendy Wilson

Two progressive University of Tennessee-Knoxville professors who endorse critical race theory led a discussion on campus Tuesday about privilege and oppression. The Hodges Library hosted the discussion “to begin dialogue on the topic of racial inequality and other aspects of oppression,” according to The Daily Beacon, the student newspaper. Band-aids matching a person’s skin tone was one example of privilege mentioned at the event, though the newspaper did not say who mentioned it. The event, part of a “Lunch and Learn” series, was open to students and others on campus. “I like to remind folks that we’re living in the legacy of 344 years of overt systemic racism in America,” said Michelle Christian, an assistant professor of sociology, according to The Daily Beacon. “We were systemically racist a lot longer than we supposedly did away with these policies.” Jioni Lewis, an assistant professor of psychology, led the event with Christian. She defined privilege as “unearned access to resources or social power only readily available to some people as a result of their advantaged status or advantaged social group membership.” She defined oppression as “a system that maintains advantage and disadvantage based on social group memberships and operates intentionally, and unintentionally,…

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Latinos For Tennessee Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, Focuses On American Identity

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

When Montgomery County Commissioner Tommy Vallejos was first elected to the commission in 2010, he said his race was not an issue. The statement he gave at the time was featured in a press release from Latinos For Tennessee this week, part of a series of news releases from the conservative political action group celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Vallejos serves as the group’s board chairman and also is a pastor. “My race or ethnicity never came up, nor was an issue,” said Vallejos after winning his county commission seat. “Still I am proud to be the first Latino to be elected as a county commissioner in Montgomery County. I believe the likelihood of more Hispanic men and women being elected to office is possible because we are are all Americans and should dream and dream big. So many politicians are using Latinos as political piñatas. I never allowed that to be a determining factor in my decision to run for office.” The press release also included a short video featuring Vallejos produced by the 917 Society, a Nashville area nonprofit that promotes the U.S. Constitution. In the video, Vallejos talks about growing up in New Mexico surrounded by gang violence. “My out…

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John Rose Steps Up Campaign to Represent Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District

Wendy Wilson

John Rose is ramping up his campaign for Congress. The DeKalb County Republican, who announced last month that he is running for U.S. Rep. Diane Black’s seat in the 6th Congressional District, held a campaign kick-off Saturday in Carthage, where he was endorsed by Smith County Mayor Michael Nesbitt. Campaign spokesman Braden Stover said 300 people attended. On Sunday, Rose released a statement on the national anthem protests in which he backed President Trump. “Our flag is a symbol we all hold dear, and it is important that we Americans honor it,” Rose said. “It is also important that we respect our men and women in uniform and recognize the sacrifice that they are making for all of us. There is too much division in our country, and our flag and national anthem should be symbols that unite us, not divide us.” On Monday, Rose attended an Upper Cumberland Young Life banquet in Cookeville, noting on his Facebook page that he was “encouraged to see young people pursuing Christ in their lives.” Black is giving up her seat to run for governor. State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) is also in the race for the Republican nomination. Rose is a small business…

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Bill Bennett to Speak Oct. 7 at Wilson County Republican Party Reagan Day Dinner

Wendy Wilson

Bill Bennett will speak Oct. 7 at the annual Wilson County Republican Party Reagan Day Dinner. Bennett is a well-known conservative author, radio host and former education secretary. He will be joined by economic and China and Russia expert Roger Robinson and Middle East policy expert Brian Kennedy. All three worked in the Reagan administration. Bennett was drug czar in addition to education secretary. Robinson served on the National Security Council and Kennedy served on the National Council of the Arts. “They will bring their boots-on-the-ground experience during the Reagan years to bear as they evaluate the current state of the Republican Party as it attempts to recreate the Reagan revolution under the guidance of an equally unlikely president,” says a Wilson County Republican Party news release. “Their insights will be important to Tennessee Republicans in helping them navigate similar local and national challenges.” The event is at 6 p.m. at the Wilson County Expo Center. Doors open at 5 p.m. To purchase tickets, click here.    

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