美国国家公共电台 NPR--Tennessee lawmakers vote to expel 2 young Black Democrats from state House

Tennessee lawmakers vote to expel 2 young Black Democrats² from state House

Transcript³

The Republican-led House voted to expel Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson for participating in a protest on the floor of the House over gun laws. A motion to remove Rep. Gloria Johnson failed.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

In an unprecedented⁴ decision that's captured the nation's attention, Tennessee's Republican-controlled House voted to expel two lawmakers.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The two Democrats participated in a gun control protest on the House floor. They were responding to a school shooting in Tennessee that killed three children and three adults, and then they were thrown out. A third Democrat¹, Gloria Johnson, also joined the protests but gets to keep her job.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GLORIA JOHNSON: It might have to do with the color of our skin.

INSKEEP: Johnson is white, while the two lawmakers expelled were Black. One is Justin Pearson. The other is Justin Jones, who said this.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JUSTIN JONES: What we see today is a lynch mob assembled to not lynch me, but our democratic process.

INSKEEP: After the expulsions, protesters chanted shame on you to the Republicans.

FADEL: For more, we're joined by WPLN political reporter Blaise Gainey. He joins us from Nashville.

Good morning, Blaise.

BLAISE GAINEY, BYLINE⁶: Good morning.

FADEL: So let's start with how it got to this point.

GAINEY: Three Democratic lawmakers went to the podium, used to present bills, in the middle of a session to speak about the need to address gun control. This was days after six lives were taken by a school shooter wielding⁷ two assault rifles and a pistol. They said that they were only doing this after their microphone had been cut off when trying to acknowledge the thousands of protesters asking for gun control legislation at the Capitol that day.

FADEL: And so ultimately, they broke a rule of decorum in the House, right?

GAINEY: Correct.

FADEL: So what I'm trying to understand is how unprecedented this is. Other than just after the Civil War, only two lawmakers have ever been expelled, and that was over possibly criminal behavior - one convicted of bribery⁸, the other accused of sexual misconduct. So what is the GOP in Tennessee - what message are they sending by expelling these two members over breaking a rule?

GAINEY: The House speaker, Cameron Sexton, says he didn't want the actions of the lawmakers to be taken lightly. He thought it set a bad precedent⁵. He felt that expulsion was the right punishment. But several worry it could set a bad precedent, actually, to expel the lawmakers over breaking a House rule and not something more serious as sexual assault or bribery.

FADEL: And what has the public's reaction been to these expulsions?

GAINEY: They've been upset - the ones physically⁹ at the Capitol and the ones that I've seen commenting online. Every now and then, you'll find a commenter that does feel the three deserve to be expelled, but it doesn't nearly match the several tweets and emails I've gotten claiming otherwise. I've also seen several pointing out that the only two that were expelled were Black men under 30 who were outspoken¹⁰ about their dissent¹¹ of certain bills that come up during session.

FADEL: What happens next for these members who've been expelled?

GAINEY: Well, the two lawmakers expelled come from Democratic-leaning counties, and that could mean they'll be back in their seat before the end of the month. On Monday, Nashville's Metro¹² Council is going to vote to seat a representative for the empty seat left by Jones. And several members on that council have already said they choose Jones. While I haven't heard what county commissioners¹³ in Shelby County, where Memphis lies, expects to do, I get the sense they'd do the same for Justin Pearson.

FADEL: WPLN Political reporter Blaise Gainey.

Thank you so much for your time.

GAINEY: Thank you.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

5 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 wielding   

手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的现在分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响）

参考例句：

• The rebels were wielding sticks of dynamite. 叛乱分子舞动着棒状炸药。
• He is wielding a knife. 他在挥舞着一把刀。

8 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

9 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

10 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

11 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

12 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

13 commissioners   

n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官

参考例句：

• The Commissioners of Inland Revenue control British national taxes. 国家税收委员管理英国全国的税收。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The SEC has five commissioners who are appointed by the president. 证券交易委员会有５名委员，是由总统任命的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件