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A resolution condemning all political violence in America.
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WHEREAS, a rise in hateful rhetoric has created a climate of danger and fear; and
WHEREAS, political violence of any kind undermines the foundation of democracy and must never be tolerated; and
WHEREAS, all public officials, leaders, and citizens must work to promote a culture of respect, nonviolence, and tolerance in political and public discourse; and
WHEREAS, America is a nation that was built on the idea of freedom but unfortunately has too often resorted to political violence to achieve it; and
WHEREAS, this violent legacy includes, but is not limited to, the colonizers' violence against Native Americans through murder, disease, and land theft; the institution of human chattel slavery primarily affecting Africans and African Americans; the 1837 lynching of abolitionist clergyman Elijah P. Lovejoy; the 1859 beating of anti-slavery Republican Charles Sumner on the Senate floor; pro-slavery congressmen threatening Northern colleagues with violence; the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln; the founding of the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, TN; the 1875 election violence in Mississippi where an angry mob set buildings on fire, killed four men and forced African Americans from their homes; the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, when white mobs burned down 35 city blocks of Black Wall Street, resulting in 300 deaths, 800 injuries, and the displacement of 9,000 residents; and the Red Scare of the 1950s; and
WHEREAS, furthermore, we have witnessed additional instances of political violence including the Nashville bombings of Hattie Cotton School to resist desegregation; the bombing of the home of civil rights leader, attorney, and former Councilmember Z. Alexander Looby; the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy, and Malcolm X; the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, which killed four young Black girls-Denise McNair (11), Addie Mae Collins (14), Carole Robertson (14), and Cynthia Wesley (14)-and injured 20 others; and the 1974 shooting at Ebenezer Baptist Church that resulted in the death of Alberta Williams King, mother of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and
WHEREAS, still unable to resolve our political differences, America has witnessed further acts of political violence, including the 2011 shooting of Representative Gabby Giffords and 18 others; the 2015 Mother Emanuel Charleston Church shooting, which claimed the lives of state Senator Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Hurd, Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Tywanza Sanders, Ethel Lance, Susie Jackson, Depayne Middleton Doctor, Rev. Daniel Simmons, and Myra Thompson; the 2017 shooting of Majority Leader Steve Scalise and others; the 2020 foiled kidnapping attempt of Governor Gretchen Whitmer; the January 6th insurrection that attacked the United States Capitol, assaulted Capitol police officers, threatened to hang then Vice President Pence, and sought to attack then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi; former President Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric directing neo-fascist white nationalists to “fight like hell” and to “stand back and stand by”; the 2022 assault on Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; and the most recent assassination attempt on former President and political candidate Donald Trump; and
WHEREAS, political violence also encompasses the forced continuation of pregnancies despite medical necessity to terminate, the execution of unarmed individuals by those sworn to protect and serve, the withholding of humanitarian aid, violence at borders such as the use of razor wire in the Rio Grande, America’s role in global conflicts, genocides, and territorial disputes, the rise in violence against women, Black people, the LGBTQIA+ community, and an increase in harmful rhetoric and legislation, as well as a troubling rise in hate against AAPI communities since COVID-19, anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, and anti-Muslim violence and hate; and
WHEREAS, these instances of political violence have caused profound harm and division, threatening the core values of democracy and justice; and
WHEREAS, condemnation of political violence in any form is necessary to preserve our democratic institutions and ensure the safety of all Americans; and
WHEREAS, it is our collective responsibility to confront and reject divisive rhetoric and actions that threaten the safety and unity of our communities; and
WHEREAS, political differences should be handled at the ballot box, and the results of elections should be honored; and
WHEREAS, there is no place for political violence in the United States or in Nashville and Davidson County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as standing against and condemning political violence in all forms and reaffirming our commitment to peace, unity, and respect in all political and public discourse.
Section 2. The Metropolitan County Council calls upon all citizens, residents, leaders, and institutions to actively work towards fostering a culture of nonviolence, understanding, and cooperation.
Section 3. The Metropolitan County Council acknowledges that it is our shared responsibility to reject violence in all its forms and to build a future where democratic principles and human dignity are upheld for everyone.
Section 4. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.