Conservatives seized control of a Tennessee county commission this fall in a questionable maneuver known as an election, The Associated Press reported over the weekend.
Far-right conservatives have been targeting seats on local boards and commissions, in many cases to gain oversight of elections. The tensions are playing out in one Tennessee county where a local Constitutional Republicans group now controls a commission. https://t.co/uRug5UTEUG
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 21, 2023
The elected conservatives are wielding their newfound power to govern.
And it's not just happening in small-town Tennessee.
The AP and other media has been sounding the alarm about conservatives participating in democracy—especially conservative parents.
New conservative majorities on local school boards have already altered lessons on race and social injustice in many classrooms. Now some districts are finding that their broader efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion are also being challenged. https://t.co/19kw68r3PI
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 20, 2022
In several states and districts around the country, protesters have been disrupting school board meetings.
They're opposed to mask policies. Vaccine mandates. LGBTQ rights. Sex education. And teaching about race and U.S. history.https://t.co/pZS5Mh9B6d
— NPR (@NPR) October 30, 2021
Republicans in Wisconsin are engaged in an all-out assault on the state’s election system, pressing to give themselves full control over voting in the state. GOP officials want to eliminate a bipartisan elections agency — and maybe send its members to jail.https://t.co/6lwuIS7tYT
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 19, 2021
'Jim Crow 2.0 is represented in that picture," Georgia state Rep. Donna McLeod says about the group of White men surrounding Gov. Brian Kemp as he signed a sweeping elections bill that will restrict voting access for many into law on Thursday. https://t.co/zUKnlSJwS6 pic.twitter.com/0yZiYg9ByR
— CNN (@CNN) March 26, 2021
Liberals, meanwhile, have reportedly been making exciting new innovations in self-governance.
Trump called them domestic terrorists seizing Seattle. On the ground, @ByMikeBaker found volunteer medics and people handing out La Croix https://t.co/WIKMhmqZVB
— jack healy (@jackhealyNYT) June 12, 2020
These US cities defunded police: 'We're transferring money to the community' https://t.co/DMo2pPVnD9
— Guardian US (@GuardianUS) March 7, 2021
Black Lives Matter has shifted the Democrats’ lens on a range of issues, from the environment to the economy. Now it’s doing the same on global matters — starting with Gaza https://t.co/lm7Nb13ueM
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 22, 2021
San Francisco has named the nation’s first drag laureate to represent the city’s famous LGBTQ+ community at a time when rights are under attack. Mayor London Breed named drag performer and nightclub owner D’Arcy Drollinger to the job. https://t.co/GEC3Xjd5qD
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 22, 2023
Still, the media has raised some tough questions for the left, like: Are you really committed to the cause?
The Black Lives Matter movement has gone mainstream in the wake of George Floyd's death. Many black activists welcome the change but worry whether businesses and politicians who are embracing the slogan now will truly commit to fighting racism. https://t.co/NWFUXCrXUA
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 11, 2020