Tensions erupted in the Tennessee House of Representatives this week after Democratic State Representative Justin J. Pearson, during a debate on gun control legislation, went on an emotional tirade before launching himself at a Republican colleague.
During a committee hearing on House Bill 1392, lawmakers argued about how to handle gun violence, and this is when the shocking outburst occurred. In addition to criticizing his Republican colleagues for passing legislation he said was detrimental to underprivileged communities, Pearson, whose brother reportedly committed suicide in December with a firearm, accused them of doing nothing about the problem.
“I buried my brother,” Pearson declared in a fiery speech. “I planned his entire funeral… made sure he was taken care of, even in death. That’s what I’ve been doing.”
Pearson became more heated as he spoke, accusing Republicans of concentrating on legislation that “hurts transgender children” and the impoverished instead of tackling what he described as a “epidemic” of gun violence. READ MORE