The Breakfast Club - DONKEY: Tennessee State Lawmaker Paul Sherrell Suggests 'Hanging By Tree' Death Row Penalty For Inmates

Episode Date: March 3, 2023

Tennessee State Lawmaker Paul Sherrell Suggests 'Hanging By Tree' Death Row Penalty For InmatesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hello, my undeadly darlings. It's Teresa, your resident ghost host. And do I have a treat for you. Haunting is crawling out from the shadows, and it's going to be devilishly good. We've got chills, thrills, and stories that'll make you wish the lights stayed on. So join me, won't you? Let's dive into the eerie unknown together. Sleep tight, if you can. Listen to Haunting on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sleep tight, if you can. but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence, and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle.

We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other, so join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all. Nimany here. I'm the host of a brand-new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. The tip of the cap, there's another one gone. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history. Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing.

Check it. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jacqueline Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while running errands or at the end of a busy day from thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry we'll explore the stories that shape our culture listen to black lit on the black effect podcast network iheart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast this is a miracle there is no question that there are problems in this country between police and community.

Yes, you are a donkey. The latest on that police killing of a black man. Now to new developments in the deadly spa shooting rampage. And yesterday was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did. And so we are in a state of emergency. Okay, white supremacist violence is and always has been the number one threat to our society. But I'm also very proud that my wife is white. To the breakfast club, bitches!

Alright, Charlene, please tell me, why was I your donkey of the day? Hold on, let me sip this damn medicine. Mmm, mmm. Let me tell you something, boy. Them medicine balls from Starbucksbucks be slapping you hear me donkey of the day for friday march 3rd goes to state representative paul cherelle now paul was in a house criminal justice committee meeting tuesday discussing an amendment to a bill that would allow death row inmates to be executed with a firing squad yes a method that

is currently not allowed in tennessee now needless to say paul shirell is with it all right he wants to death by firing squad even though it's clearly a method of execution that's cruel and unusual all right even in my home state of south carolina a richland county court ruled back in december that both electrocution and the firing squad violate the south carolina constitution because the state constitution bars methods of execution that are cruel, unusual or corporal and the court found both methods are cruel, unusual and corporal but this is what Paul wants

in Tennessee. This isn't all he wants. See Paul is old school. He was born in 1959. Five years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was implemented. The reason I'm bringing that up is because what do you think he was hearing as a young child in Tennessee from the older people around him during that time? Would you like to guess what you think his father, his grandfather, what do you think they was instilling in young Paul's head?

Do you think they was telling him about the good old days when lynching was a public spectacle, a celebration of white supremacy, it sure sounds like it. Okay, because Paul not only wants to see death by firing squad implemented, he added something else to the menu. Let's go to News Channel 5 Nashville for the report, please. All right, it's February 28th. Welcome to the Criminal Justice Full Committee. It was a typical meeting on Capitol Hill that quickly turned to a very atypical topic surrounding death row inmates and how they're executed. The opportunity to add a firing squad as a method of execution. The suggestion of a firing squad in the wake of several failures

from the State Department of Correction to properly follow protocol when executing prisoners using lethal injection, leading to questions not usually heard on Capitol Hill. Will a person be shot in the head or the heart or where will a person be shot? But then came the comment prompting an apology tonight. It came from Republican Representative Paul Sherrill from Sparta. Thank you, Representative Powers, for bringing this. I think it's a very good idea. Could I put an amendment on that? It would include hanging by a tree also. Jesus. Could I put an amendment on that? It would include hanging by a tree also. Damn. Southern trees bearing strange fruit. Blood on the leaves and blood at the root. Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze.

Strange fruit hanging from the polar trees. Hanging. That good old American pastime. As I said before, lynching was a celebration. Okay, and from 1882 to 1968, 4,743 lynchings occurred in the U.S. According to records maintained by NAACP. And black people were the primary victims of lynching. OK, 72 percent, 72 percent.

I repeat, 72 percent of the people lynched were black, but they weren't the only victims of lynching. OK, some white people were lynched for helping black people or for being anti lynching. And for the record, there were 236 lynchings in Tennessee between 1877 and 1950, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. Those are not so fun facts. Well, fun probably for people in Paul Shirell's family. I'm sure he was told about the good old days, the good times they had at lynchings, and he would love to bring black tradition.

He would love to bring back tradition. Okay, well, tradition for you is trauma for us, Paul. Now, Paul did apologize. Let's go back to News Channel 5 Nashville for the report, please. Tonight, Sheryl apologized in a statement released from the House Republican caucus, saying, I regret that I used very poor judgment in voicing my support of a colleague's bill. And my exaggerated comments were intended to convey my belief that for the cruelest and most heinous crimes, a just society requires the death penalty in kind.

He goes on to say, my intention was to express my support of families who often wait decades for justice. I sincerely apologize to anyone who may have been hurt or offended. Tonight, the Tennessee State Conference of the NAACP responded saying in part, Representative Sherrill's comment is beyond disgusting. He is celebrating a particular form of execution used against African Americans in Tennessee and across the nation, including innocent and wrongfully convicted persons. In many parts of the South, lynchings took place in nearly every county as it exemplified racialized and anti-black violence. He just apologized because he said it out loud.

OK, remember about six years ago, maybe a little longer than that, probably a little longer when President Obama was in office. And, you know, we thought we was living in a post-racial America and there were these conversations about old bigots dying. All right. Some people would ask the question. Some people would make a statement. But basically, the sentiment was racism will end when old bigots die. I don't think anyone ever thought racism would disappear completely, but that it would maybe lessen with each generation. You know, some people, to the chagrin of Dr. Umar, thought the more interracial relationships that popped up and the more biracial children there are the more equality we would see I never agreed with that because you can be biracial but if you present as black you are indeed

still nigga and some people thought the more people of color we see in positions of power it will help to change the way people see race well we had a black president a black and Asian vice president we got people of color on the Supreme Court all throughout Congress all I'm saying is this people of color in positions of power everywhere now, but I don't feel racism lessening.

OK, at all, especially when you have people like Paul Sherrill in positions of power in their respective states. Like, you know, hearing Paul asking to add hanging to that amendment doesn't surprise me in the least bit. Nope. Doesn't surprise me at all. Simply because in the words of Thanos, as long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. Tradition for you is trauma for us. Please let Chelsea Handler give Paul Shirell the biggest hee-haw. Hee-haw, that is way too much Dan Mayonnaise.

I ain't hear the hee-haw now. Let me hear that hee-haw. Hee-haw, hee-haw. That is way too much Dan Mayonnaise. I ain't hear the hee-haw now. Let me hear that hee-haw. Hee-haw. Hee-haw. That is way too much Dan Mayonnaise. All right. Hold on now.

You know Captain Griffin want to say something. Please give this giant jar of mayo the biggest hee-haw. What else you got? You know Chris Rock performing live in Baltimore tomorrow for the first ever

Netflix special stand-up that's going to be live. And you're going to hear that tomorrow night. Okay? I've seen that set a couple times. Matter of fact, play it again one more time, Chris Rock. That's right. What about my girl? My girl working this morning?

Okay. It's making show. All right. Everybody's up. All right all right well thank you for that donkey today now when we come back uh don toliva will be joining us yes don toliva will be here man don toliva is a young artist from houston man he just had a show here in new york he just put out a project um and you know who else is going to be joining us our good our good sister nyla simone because today is friday know, she does pass the aux on Friday. So she was in here with me when Don Toliver was here. So we had a nice conversation with Don Toliver.

And Don Toliver is Travis Scott's artist. He is? Yeah. I didn't know he was Travis Scott's artist. Yeah, he's Travis Scott's artist. Oh, I knew that. That's cool. Nah, I think he's Travis Scott's artist.

Alright. We didn't talk about that during the conversation. Alright. Well, we'll talk to him next. It's The Breakfast Club. Good morning. The Breakfast Club. Donkey of the Day is brought to you by the law office of Michael S. Laminsoff.

Don't be a donkey. Dial pound 250 on your cell and say the bull if you've been hurt in a construction accident. That's pound 250 from your cell and say the bull. Hey, guys. I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their

stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, my undeadly darlings. It's Teresa, your resident ghost host. And do I have a treat for you. Haunting is crawling out from the shadows, and it's going to be devilishly good. We've got chills, thrills, and stories that'll make you wish the lights stayed on. So join me, won't you? Let's dive into the eerie unknown together.

Sleep tight, if you can. Listen to Haunting on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show, Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence,

and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other. So join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all. Niminy here. I'm the host of a brand-new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone.

Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. The tip of the cap, there's another one gone. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history. Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jacqueline Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. Black Lit is for

the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while running errands or at the end of a busy day. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Listen to Black Lit on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.