The battle for the soul of America has been going on for a while, but up to now, it hasn't been waged openly or directly.  It has mostly involved lying politicians and media, hidden election manipulation, clandestine censorship by corrupt government agencies — things like that.  The tactics are about to change.

The events of the last few weeks have drawn national attention to Tennessee, providing the left with the opportunity it needed to begin attacking red states openly and directly.  Like the Eye of Sauron, the left has now focused its malevolent gaze upon Tennessee.  From the venal, twisted creatures they've fraudulently installed in national office all the way down to any slimy thing they can coax out from under a rock, the forces of Mordor are coming for Tennessee.

Tennessee is under attack because of what it represents.  Tennessee is a red state that still upholds the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the rule of law.  Its people are free to live their lives, and they still cherish traditional American values like faith, family, and patriotism.  Tennessee, you have so much to be proud of.  You're still everything the rest of us love about America, and the left hates you for it.

The pressure is only going to intensify regarding both the Nashville school shooting and the expulsion of the two Democrat representatives from Memphis.  Two of the left's favorite activities are involved here: making opportunistic demands for gun control after an incident and making spurious claims against Republicans of racism.  They're using public pressure to force Tennesseans into gun control and to get them to acknowledge their claims of racism.  This is the opening skirmish in an existential fight over 10th Amendment protection from the federal government, and it will affect the survival of all red states going forward.

When Gov. Lee, a few months ago, told some media flak who was talking about concealed-carry permits that the Constitution is his carry permit in Tennessee, every Republican in America pumped his fist and said, "Yes!"  After the Nashville school shooting, he brought up the idea of placing armed security guards at schools.  Bravo — that was the right idea.  But suddenly, now that the left is pressurizing the Nashville shooting, he's advocating for red flag laws.  That is the wrong idea.  Doesn't he recognize the face of tyranny when he sees it?

Red flag laws are just "foot in the door" gun control, and they are being abused by leftist federal judges in many states to take guns from people on flimsy pretenses.  Red state voters fully understand that the actual purpose of the Second Amendment is to ensure that the people can protect themselves from a tyrannical government.  They also know what "shall not be infringed" means.  As Margaret Thatcher once said, "This is no time to go wobbly."

The leftist city government in Nashville has refused to release the school shooter's "manifesto" to the public for over a month.  I heard Buck Sexton and Clay Travis on the radio saying that inside information exists suggesting the shooter's manifesto contains an explanation of why the Christian school was chosen as a target: it had minimal security.  The leftist city government of Nashville should not be the arbiter of what the public is allowed to know about this case. 

The fact is that schools get shot up because states allow the Department of Education and the American Federation of Teachers to dictate that schools be "gun-free zones."  Gun-free zones are tourist attractions to lunatics who want to do violence.  Gov. Lee should just go right ahead with his idea of installing armed security.  The Department of Education and the American Federation of Teachers have no constitutionally based authority over Tennessee schools. 

Gov. Lee should also step in and clear up this manifesto issue for the citizens of Tennessee.  This is particularly important when the possibility exists that Nashville's leftist politicians are attempting hide the truth and cover their keisters.  The people of Tennessee have a right to know if policies championed by the left led to the deaths of those children.

The left is threatening to use its corrupt DOJ to investigate the expulsion of those reprehensible Democrat representatives from the Tennessee Legislature.  Those people were rightly expelled for disrupting the legislative session and inciting violence with a bullhorn during a protest at the State House. 

The left is pushing the claim that the expulsions were based on racism.  As we have already seen, the Biden administration and its DOJ aren't interested in the truth.  Biden's DOJ wants to intimidate the other red states by illegitimately throwing its weight around in Tennessee.  Now the DOJ is suing Tennessee for having the audacity to vote to protect the state's children from the trans movement.  The DOJ has no authority to interfere with the state government of Tennessee.

Gov. Lee can provide a leadership example to red state America by disregarding the Department of Education, the DOJ, the American Federation of Teachers, and leftist politicians.  He should make it clear that Tennessee has no obligation under the Constitution to submit to federal overreach, nor is Tennessee obligated to provide a stage for the left's political stunts.  Again, these are vital 10th Amendment and states' rights issues.

I hope, for his sake, that Gov. Lee comes to realize that he cannot work with or appease the people who are attacking Tennessee.  Any attempt to do that with these leftist politicians or the "state-controlled media" will be reciprocated with the back of their hand.  Red flag laws are just the beginning of what the left will demand from him, and then they'll publicly rub his face in every concession he makes.  They'll destroy his career, and when they're done, they'll just laugh and kick him to the curb.  Yet he is walking into their trap.

There is still time for the governor to back away from this trap.  The voters of Tennessee will fully support him if he refuses to capitulate.  But what will they think if he gives in?  What will Republicans nationwide think?  How will it affect the other red states, which many see as the last hope of this country, if Tennessee is lost?

If Gov. Lee takes a strong stand against the left now, when everything is on the line, he'll be the toast of America.  If he tries to work with or appease the left, I'm afraid he'll just be toast.

Image: Brent Moore via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.