Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has refused to meet for prayer with Christians at the Riverbend Prison, opting instead to sign off on the execution of his brothers in Christ. He also refused to meet with people who were protesting racial injustice last summer, opting instead to send state troopers to harass and arrest them and ultimately make their protest a felony. Now he has refused to acknowledge a group of doctors asking to speak with him. This during a deadly pandemic in a state which, if it were its own independent nation, would be second in the world in new cases of COVID. The doctors waiting to meet with him had with them a petition signed by over 6,000 Tennessee physicians, begging him to implement common-sense measures to make his constituents, especially schoolchildren and their teachers, safer. But he ignored them as they tried to speak to him, perhaps fearful that listening to the counsel and actually taking this emergency seriously might hurt his chances of being Trump’s running mate.
I recently observed Bill Frist tweeting in the direction of Bill Lee without naming him at about the same time I observed a number of young friends and former students in Tennessee with very little institutional power or protection publicly confront him by name. Their courage inspired me to share Preston Shipp’s assessment of where we are in relation to our governor who appears to have mistaken his oath of office for a platform that can be made to serve his secret ambition. Preston’s assessment is sound. I encourage you to share it with everyone you know in Tennessee. An oath is not a platform.
If you’re outside of Tennessee, I offer it as an interesting story that might shed light on other stories involving men who, with the encouragement of others, begin to believe God has called them to exercise power over others. Perhaps you live in state that has custody over a man or woman who’s behaving violently toward their own constituents. Perhaps you’re a free citizen disinclined to abide abusive behavior from your public servants.
If you or someone you know still has Bill Lee’s ear, please contact him and/or them today. Bill Lee has proven to be an unsafe man when it comes to public trust. Nobody I know would accept this kind of behavior from a teenage lifeguard. Bill Lee is a grown man who sought this office and is now publicly debasing himself and endangering the lives of people he swore to serve. Speak up. If not now, when?
I had not heard that quotation before from Preston Shipp, and I agree with your reflections on this situation and our governor. I have shared your post on FB and Twitter, hoping others will share as well! Thank you for sharing this, David!