Tennessee

Tennessee Passes Bill To Tamp Down 'Gateway Sexual Activity'

David Taintor | April 30, 2012, 4:23PM

You've heard of gateway drugs -- smoking marijuana supposedly leads to harder, more addictive substances. But what about "gateway sexual activity": the hand-holding, lip-locking and light-grazes that can lead to ... other things?

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John Guandolo

Group Behind Anti-Muslim Police Training Says Focus On Sharia Law!

Jillian Rayfield | February 20, 2012, 9:27AM

The group that hired an anti-Muslim training group to teach part of a seminar to police officers in Tennessee is defending itself against subsequent criticism by arguing that the media should really be focusing on Muslim groups like CAIR and ISNA that are trying to "infiltrate every phase of our society at every level" in order to "alter the mindset and agendas of our society for the overthrow of our Constitution and the implementation of Sharia Islamic Law."

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Islamic Center of Murfreesboro

Tennessee Police Training Seminar Taught By Notorious Anti-Muslim Activist

Jillian Rayfield | February 16, 2012, 6:19AM

A number of police officers in Tennessee attended a training seminar in Murfreesboro this week that was taught by a known Islamophobe who claims that Muslims should not get First Amendment rights.

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Tennessee

Tennessee Bill Would Give Anti-Bullying Laws A 'Religious And Political Beliefs' Loophole

Jillian Rayfield | January 4, 2012, 1:33PM

A proposed bill in Tennessee would create a loophole in the state's anti-bullying laws to protect those expressing religious, philosophical or political beliefs, which one proponent says would ensure that people can still express their "views on homosexuality."

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Tennessee

TN Tea Party Prez Sort Of Apologizes For Tweet Calling Barney Frank 'Perverted Sodomite'

Jillian Rayfield | November 30, 2011, 5:57AM

The president of the Tennessee Tea Party apologized for a tweet someone in his group sent out calling Barney Frank a "perverted sodomite," though she added a caveat: "While privately and inwardly I may agree with the commentary, it is completely irresponsible for any one of us to write these kinds of commentaries."

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Tennessee

ICE Sued For Alleged Warrantless Raid In TN: 'We're ICE...The Warrant Is Coming Out Of My Balls'

Jillian Rayfield | October 24, 2011, 1:50PM

The Tennessee chapter of the ACLU is suing Immigration and Customs Enforcement over an alleged warrantless raid on an apartment complex housing people suspected of being illegal immigrants, during which an officer reportedly said "we don't need a warrant, we're ICE."

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Voter Identification

91-Year-Old Who Can't Stand Unable To Get Voter ID In Tennessee

Ryan J. Reilly | October 22, 2011, 1:18PM

If you're trying to avoid being disenfranchised by your state's voter ID law, it's usually a good idea to avoid being a minority, a college student or poor. As it turns out you also probably shouldn't be 91-years-old and have trouble standing for a long period of time.

Tennessee resident Virginia Lasater found out the hard way after she was unable to get the photo ID required to vote in her state because she wasn't able to stand in a long line at a DMV:

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Curry Todd

Tennessee Guns-In-Bars Law Sponsor Resigns Committee Post Following DUI Arrest

David Taintor | October 18, 2011, 11:58AM

Here's a sobering bit of news from Tennessee: A state lawmaker who sponsored legislation allowing gun owners to carry firearms in bars resigned on Monday as chairman of the House State and Local Government committee following his DUI arrest with a gun.

"Today, I told Speaker Harwell (R) that I would step aside as Chairman of the House State and Local Government Committee until this matter is resolved and she has accepted it," Rep. Curry Todd (R) said in a statement. "The Committee's work is an important aspect of the General Assembly and I do not want my actions to distract from that."

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Darren Huff

The Strange Case Of The Birther OathKeeper -- Who Tried To Take Over A Courthouse -- Heads To Trial

Jillian Rayfield | October 18, 2011, 5:05AM

On Tuesday, Georgia OathKeeper Darren Huff will begin his trial for an alleged attempt to take over a Tennessee courthouse and conduct citizens arrests on local judges and officers.

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Gay Rights

High School Student Alleges Principal Assaulted Him Over Pro-Gay Shirt

Jillian Rayfield | October 5, 2011, 10:03AM

The ACLU has gotten involved on behalf of a student who alleges that his high school principal physically and verbally assaulted him for wearing a shirt in support of establishing a gay-straight alliance at the school.

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Geert Wilders

TN GOPers Host Anti-Muslim Dutch Pol Who Once Called Islam 'The Ideology Of A Retarded Culture'

Jillian Rayfield | May 13, 2011, 3:50PM

Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilders

If you like free barbecue and Islamophobia and you weren't hanging with Tennessee Republicans on Thursday, you seriously missed out.

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Creationism

Tennessee House Passes Bill That Lets Teachers Question Evolution In Science Class

Jillian Rayfield | April 7, 2011, 6:29PM

Tennessee State House

The Tennessee House of Representatives voted Thursday to pass a bill that would shield teachers from disciplinary action if they question the theory of evolution during class.

State Rep. Bill Dunn (R), who introduced the bill, said it was meant to promote "critical thinking" in science classrooms. But the bill's language is more open-ended. It lists "biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning" as issues that "can cause controversy," and says that therefore, no school administrators or officials can prevent teachers from helping students "understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught."

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Tea Parties

TN Tea Partiers Demand Schools Not Teach Too Much About 'Minority Experience'

David Taintor | January 14, 2011, 8:36AM

Tea Party activists in Washington, D.C.

Tennessee's tea partiers are sick and tired of all the made-up criticism of our founding fathers -- and about schools spending too much time teaching about the "minority experience."

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Islamic Center of Murfreesboro

At TN Mosque Hearing, Plaintiffs Claim Islam Isn't A Religion

Rachel Slajda | September 30, 2010, 1:30PM

Future Site of Murfreesboro, TN Islamic Center

Opponents of a proposed mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn., spent the last two days arguing in court that Islam is not a religion and that the leaders of the mosque -- which has been in the town, in a different location, for decades -- preach jihad and a Sharia law takeover.

Three opponents of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro's planned expansion have sued the county, claiming officials broke open meeting law when they approved the mosque's building plan. The officials deny violating any laws. But the case quickly became, not about open meeting laws, but about Islam itself.

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Frank Gaffney

TN Mosque Opponents Bring In National Sharia 'Expert' Frank Gaffney

Rachel Slajda | September 28, 2010, 1:56PM

Frank Gaffney, CEO and founder of the Center for Security Policy.

The opponents of a proposed mosque near Murfreesboro, Tenn., have brought in prominent Sharia law fearmonger Frank Gaffney to help them stop the project in court.

Gaffney, who has been warning about the supposed threat to the Constitution from Sharia for years, was the only witness in the first day of hearings in a lawsuit filed by a handful of opponents to the mosque. They're trying to convince a judge to file an injunction against the mosque's construction, on the grounds the public officials violated open meeting law when approving the project.

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Islamic Center of Murfreesboro

Tenn. Mosque Opponents File Lawsuit To Block Construction

Rachel Slajda | September 20, 2010, 11:11AM

Future Site of Murfreesboro, TN Islamic Center

Opponents of a proposed mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn., have sued several of the town's officials in an attempt to stop construction.

The opponents, led by Kevin Fisher, filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that county officials violated open meeting laws and, therefore, that the approval of the mosque project is void.

According to Fisher et al, the officials didn't give proper notice for the planning commission meeting where the mosque was approved, and also held a secret "pre-meeting" that was closed to the public.

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Scott DesJarlais

Tenn. Republican Nominee For Congress Accused Of Harassment, Intimidation and Abuse

Ryan J. Reilly | September 16, 2010, 11:29AM

Scott DesJarlais

Republican Scott DesJarlais -- challenging Rep. Lincoln Davis (D) in Tennessee's 4th district -- was accused by his ex-wife in a divorce proceeding a decade ago of harassment, intimidation and physical abuse, Roll Call reported Thursday.

Back in November 2000, DesJarlais' wife sought to obtain sole possession of the couple's home and said she was forced to leave after her husband became violent. DesJarlais was accused of "dry firing a gun outside the Plaintiff's locked bedroom door, admission of suicidal ideation, holding a gun in his mouth for three hours, an incident of physical intimidation at the hospital; and previous threatening behavior ... i.e. shoving, tripping, pushing down, etc."

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Rev. Bob Old

Tennessee Copycat: My Koran Burning Stunt Is Still On!

Ryan J. Reilly | September 10, 2010, 9:26AM

It's not clear whether Florida pastor Rev. Terry Jones will go forth with his plan to burn Korans tomorrow.

But the Rev. Bob Old of the Disciples of Christ ministry -- who was inspired by Jones and planned to burn the Koran on Saturday at his home and post the video on YouTube -- said he's pushing forward. He also says that Jones backing down shows he wasn't committed to the cause.

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Rev. Bob Old

Koran Burning Pastor In Florida Inspires Copycat in Tennessee

Ryan J. Reilly | September 9, 2010, 12:50PM

Dr. Terry Jones, leader of the Dove World Outreach Center

Inspired by the plans of Rev. Terry Jones of the Dove World Center Outreach in Gainesville, Fla. to burn Korans this Saturday, a former Tennessee pastor says he plans to do the same and will post the video online, The Tennessean reports.

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Islamic Center of Murfreesboro

Feds Declare TN Mosque Site Fire An Arson

Rachel Slajda | September 3, 2010, 5:50PM

Future Site of Murfreesboro, TN Islamic Center

Federal authorities have officially declared the fire at the site of a community center and mosque near Murfreesboro, Tenn., an arson.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said today that an accelerant was definitely used in the torching of construction equipment at the site last Saturday morning. The agency is offering a $20,000 reward leading to an arrest.

Authorities told the Tennessean that they cannot rule the arson a hate crime until they have a suspect.

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Islamic Center of Murfreesboro

FBI Seeks To Reassure Tenn. Muslims After Mosque Site Fire

Rachel Slajda | September 2, 2010, 10:05AM

Future Site of Murfreesboro, TN Islamic Center

The FBI met with Tennessee's Muslim leaders Monday to discuss the recent arson at a mosque site in Murfreesboro and reassure the leaders that federal officials are on the case.

As the Washington Post reports, the meeting took place at the U.S. attorney's office in Nashville. The U.S. attorney is the one who will determine whether the fire rises to the level of a hate crime or civil rights violation, and the FBI is the agency which conducts hate crimes investigations.

It's a signal that the feds are looking at the arson as a hate crime, even though they've officially said there's "no indication" that the fire qualifies.

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Islamic Center of Murfreesboro

Police Report In Tennessee Mosque Site Fire: Engine Was Running

Rachel Slajda | September 1, 2010, 11:57AM

The police report filed by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department, the local agency investigating a fire that destroyed construction equipment at the site of a mosque in Tennessee, shows that the engine was running on the dump truck that was torched.

The police report, obtained today by TPMmuckraker, is brief. But it does reveal two bits of information: One, that the engine was running on the destroyed machinery. Two, police observed someone in a car watching the fire from the road, who then drove away.

You can read the report here.

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Islamic Center of Murfreesboro

Former Civil Rights Division Lawyer: TN Mosque Attack Looks Like A Hate Crime

Rachel Slajda | August 31, 2010, 3:34PM

Future Site of Murfreesboro, TN Islamic Center

A veteran of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division says he'd be surprised if the fire at the site of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. isn't investigated as a hate crime.

"I think it's pretty clear that there's a hate crime investigation underway," William Yeomans, who served in the division for 24 years and was briefly the acting director, told TPMmuckraker today.

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Islamic Center of Murfreesboro

Tennessee Mosque Received Threats Before Fire

Rachel Slajda | August 31, 2010, 11:11AM

Future Site of Murfreesboro, TN Islamic Center

The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro reportedly received threats in the week before the fire on its property, according to a local TV station, including one that was recorded on voicemail.

News Channel 5 reports that someone called the Islamic center a few days before the fire and left a message saying, in part, "You need to get out of the country now."

A fire was discovered early Saturday morning at the site of the proposed Islamic center and mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. An accelerant had been dumped over four pieces of construction equipment, and one was set on fire.

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Mosques

ATF "Leaning Toward Arson" In TN Mosque Fire

Rachel Slajda | August 30, 2010, 2:59PM

Future Site of Murfreesboro, TN Islamic Center

Local and federal authorities are investigating a fire at the construction site of an Islamic community center and mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn., this weekend, as well as reports of gunshots as community members gathered at the site.

The fire, which damaged a large piece of construction equipment, was discovered early Saturday morning. The local sheriff's office, the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau and the FBI are investigating.

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Jon Stewart

Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi: Peaceful Muslims In TN Ruining It For The Rest Of Us (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | August 26, 2010, 9:41AM

Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi was on the scene in Tennessee to report on local opposition to a planned mosque in Murfreesboro. "Opponents say building a mosque two blocks from Ground Zero is simply too close," Mandvi said. "But did you know that 18,000 blocks is also too close?"

Mandvi found out that there was already a mosque in the town that had been there for about 30 years. So he asked a local Muslim woman: "Thirty years? What is taking so long? I mean, let's go people. I mean, you're not a sleeper cell. You're a comatose cell!"

When she contended that all they want is a place to worship, Mandvi replied: "A few good apples like you could really ruin it for the rest of us, you know that?"

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Muslims

Mosque Ado About Fear-Mongering: Right Wing Takes On Muslim Worship Anywhere And Everywhere

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 20, 2010, 8:58AM

Protesters against the proposed Cordoba House, a community center and mosque near ground zero (Islamic Center of America inset).

Long story short: It's starting to become clear that some conservative groups think that if Muslims are able to worship on American soil, the terrorists have won.

In big cities and small rural communities, from New York to Tennessee to California, the right-wing fear machine is spinning up to take on the construction of mosques and Muslim community centers. In each case, the argument is essentially the same, when the hedging is peeled away: you don't necessarily have to exercise your freedom of religion in the privacy of your own home, but hey, you can't do it in public here either.

July is proving to be the month where the tea party movement is finally coming to grips with -- and rebuking -- some of its more racist elements, a move that many observers would say is a long time coming. But at the same time, plans to build an Islamic community center near the Ground Zero site in New York City has brought to the surface a different kind of bigotry among some conservatives -- namely, the idea that if Muslims are allowed to worship where they want, terrorist violence will spread across the country.

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Ron Kirkland

Experts Question Independent Spending Effort By Brother Of GOP House Candidate

Justin Elliott | April 14, 2010, 2:54PM

Republican congressional candidate Ron Kirkland of Tennessee

A Republican candidate for the House in Tennessee is the beneficiary of a novel campaign fundraising setup: his own brother is running an independent expenditure effort -- not subject to giving limits -- that is raising the eyebrows of some campaign finance experts, Roll Call reports.

Robert Kirkland, the brother of Ron Kirkland, who is running in the GOP primary for an open House seat in western Tennessee, has so far spent $135,000 on Ron's candidacy effort.

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Tea Parties

All The Tea In China: Conservative Activists Gather At Hunan Dynasty For Anti-Reform Press Conference

Zachary Roth | March 9, 2010, 6:01PM

A coalition of Tea Party groups will gather in a Chinese restaurant on Capitol Hill tonight to announce plans for one final Washington showdown over health-care reform.

The event, dubbed "Take the Town Halls to Washington," is designed to bring Tea Party activists to Capitol Hill during the month of March, in order to target 50 House Democrats who have not yet announced their vote on health-care reform, according to a press release. It's being put together by Mark Skoda, a prime organizer of last month's controversial National Tea Party Convention, where Sarah Palin was the keynote speaker, and by Michael Patrick Leahy, a Tea Party leader and GOP consultant.

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