The #FreeTN movement is expanding its messaging for a rally scheduled for Sunday from a focus on reopening the economy to protecting constitutional liberties against government overreach. This rally will be held at the Tennessee State Health Department building on 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
To start this movement, Nashville resident Kim Edwards organized rallies while the state was on a shut down to “flatten the curve” of the COVID-19 spread.
Since the rallies held in seven cities across the state including Nashville on April 19 and another one on April 27 in front of the state capitol building, at Governor Bill Lee’s direction, the reopening plan for 89 of Tennessee’s 95 counties is well underway.
For Tennessee’s six largest counties all having their own health departments – Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Shelby and Sullivan – their reopening has been a hodge-podge of different plans.
In Nashville/Davidson County, it has been the Chief Medical Director Michael C. Caldwell, M.D., M.P.H., who has issued and amended the Safer at Home orders.
As Edwards rightly states in her rally invitations sent by email and via a Facebook video, the government is supposed to protect the rights of citizens.
However, in addition to Nashville’s unelected medical director, Edwards pointed out “some of our elected officials have handed over our rights to bureaucratic committees they call task forces.”
She further described the individuals to whom power has been delegated, as “people we did not elect. People who have sworn no oaths. People who aren’t held to any standards with financial conflicts of interest. People who meet behind closed doors.”
Edwards said that Tennesseans responded to the threat of the unknown virus, heeding the advice of the bureaucrats by staying home, closing business and events being postponed and canceled, all to prevent hospitals from being overrun.
What started out as guidelines “escalated quickly to executive orders from both our mayors and our governor,” said Edwards.
With regard to the executive orders, Edwards said that after our rights were taken away, the issuers “are slowly giving them back to those of us they deem essential who are willing to comply with their new guidelines, little by little, as they stair-step us into tyranny.”
Reflecting on the initial intent of the stay-at-home executive orders, Edwards said, “They don’t talk about overrunning the hospitals anymore. They don’t even talk about flattening the curve.”
Even as the state is supposed to be reopening, Edwards pointed out, “Today, some people can have some of their rights back if they wear masks and operate at half capacity and practice social distancing.”
“Next, some people can have some of their rights back if they comply with social distancing, soon to be monitored by contact tracing.”
It’s easy to see the escalation path that Edwards laid out.
“Then what? Some people can have some of their rights back if they get tested for antibodies and prove they’re [sic] immunity? When they have a vaccine, only those who agree to take it as often as they tell us to will be given back some more of their rights?”
COVID-19, as with anything so consuming as a global pandemic, has brought about new terminology not the least of which is what is being called “a new normal.”
To that, Edwards declared, “We the people to do not consent to a new normal. These rights are not given to us by man. They are given to us by God. We must fight to protect them.”
Edwards promotes an American ideal and hints at how it is being violated in the current state of affairs.
“Freedom to make decisions about your own health. Freedom to pursue happiness. Freedom to provide a life for yourself. Freedom to worship and pray freely,” she said.
Civil rights attorney Robert Barnes of Barnes Law, who has represented eight Covington Catholic High School students and agreed to support those looking to legal action against government overreach, will be speaking at the rally about constitutional liberties, the legal ramifications of the shutdown and the need for movements like #FreeTN.
Local medical professionals, Dr. Theron Hutton and Dr. Dale Brown will speak about the importance of health freedom, expert perspectives the health department is overlooking and alternative solutions that address public health without trampling on constitutional liberties, according to the rally information.
Live music, including a performance of the national anthem, will be provided by Kate Taylor & Band.
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Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star.
Photo “Free Tennessee Protesters” by Robert Donovan.
Kim, you are a hero and a patriot! Obviously, you were educated about the TRUE history of our Republic. You are well-spoken and are a bright shining example for your generation! Keep speaking. Never give in and never give up!!
It’s my body, it’s my decision. To reopen!
As for Robert Barnes, that’s a crock. There have been several call made to the Free America Law Center, right here in TN, and followed up with emails to them and to Barnes’ firm in Los Angeles.
Crickets.
It’s been wonderful seeing young people like Ms. Edwards get engaged in the political process. The delayed opening by Democratic mayors is going to lose them another voting block, as young people see and feel the impact of Government overreach!
Cooper , along with the help of Michael Edwards has signed away his political career and easy government money based on his handling of this virus. The public is fed up. Cooper is keeping Nashville shutdown as long as possible so the economy will be at its worse so he can get federal bailout money to help cover the years of financial mismanagement,which Cooper has been and is apart of. Nashville is and has always been a corrupt cesspool. Fed up!
Keep up the good work patriots! There are many more just like you who feel the same but have yet to truly stand up and be counted. Now is the time to gather, form groups and push back…Let’s “nip it in the bud” as they say. Next step in the plandemic is the touted 2nd wave or Pandemic II as Bill Gates has named it. We must not allow a repeat of this lock down BS!