MATTHEW BURNETTE

Staff Writer

Dipping my toe into the murky pool of political discourse is not an activity that I enjoy participating in. I much prefer to stick with much more light-hearted and upbeat topics on my half of our Opinion page.

That being said, sometimes a current event strikes a chord, and it feels wrong to not address it, especially when it stretches beyond just a political matter.

In the middle of my morning scroll through social media, I landed on a recently released ad from current U.S. Senator and Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidate Marsha Blackburn, who could possibly be the state’s first female governor.

The ad features Blackburn sitting in a Chinese restaurant smashing what seems to be a bulk order of fortune cookies, signifying how tough she has been and will be as Governor on “Communist China.”

Now, I will admit upfront that I’ve never been her biggest supporter, but my lack of support has little to do with her political affiliation, though there are many things we disagree on, and more so stems from how she carries herself as a political figure.

It never made sense to me why a senator from the state of Tennessee, which doesn’t touch the Mexican border, would make at least four documented trips down there for media opportunities and photo ops.

I’d rather hear her speak more about how Tennessee is one of the least funded states in the nation for education or other issues that are more relevant to the state she represents.

Aside from the aforementioned ad, I also haven’t really been fond of some of her other posts on social media. Her “Keep Tennessee Tennessee” slogan speaks to the preconceived notions that many have about the South and its resistance to change of any kind.

Her stern warnings to newcomers to the state to leave their “blue state policies” where they came from also leave a sour taste in my mouth. I wonder if she realizes that nearly 20% of voters in Tennessee sit on the opposite side of her.

But regardless of any preconceived opinions I may have had about Blackburn leading up to this morning, the ad sheds light on a much deeper issue than just surface level disagreements.

On so many occasions recently, there have been calls from all along the political spectrum to “tone down the rhetoric” due to acts and threats of violence that stem from harsh words shouted back and forth.

I can’t help but wonder what sort of negative effect the image of our potential future governor crushing a stereotypical symbol of Chinese culture may have on our fellow Tennesseans of Asian descent.

Anybody with a sound mind can understand the statement she’s trying to make. She wants to keep foreign interests out of Tennessee. However, it’s not usually the ones with a sound mind who take things too far.

It only takes one wayward individual to misconstrue a message and turn it into a retaliatory effort against a group of people.

Tennessee has an Asian population of 2.4% according to the most recent census. That’s roughly 184,000 residents who could potentially be targeted because one careless candidate tried to be clever.

If there are any “Communist Chinese” entities trying to infiltrate Tennessee, I doubt they’re hanging out in our local Asian restaurants like the one portrayed in the commercial.

Instead, those establishments are owned by families here in an effort to achieve the American Dream that candidates like Blackburn claim to be in favor of.  They don’t deserve that kind of ridicule.

Tennessee has been my home since birth. Do I agree with every decision that’s ever been made or politician that’s been elected in that timespan? Absolutely not. But I love this state despite the things I wish were different.

I can handle Tennessee electing a governor that doesn’t check every box on my checklist of issues. It’s happened before.

Putting someone in charge, though, who seems to lack empathy and wants to keep everyone who doesn’t totally agree with her out of the state would do it an egregious disservice.

In its rich history that nearly dates back to the founding of the country, Tennessee has never elected a female governor. To do so would be an incredible step of progress and an historic moment.

Is Marsha Blackburn the woman that we want to be awarded that distinction?

I guess we’ll find out.