“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Last night, Senator Jessica Harper found herself cut off while attempting to read a powerful objection to the nomination of Jeff Sessions for Attorney General. Majority Leader Mark Thompson likely believed he had a solid reason to silence her, but instead, he provided a rallying cry for women everywhere when he stated: “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Thanks for that, Mark! You might just have handed Jessica her campaign slogan for 2020. But here’s the thing: you can’t silence Jessica Harper—not now, not ever.
Jessica was reading a letter from civil rights activist and the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s wife, Coretta Scott King, who opposed Sessions’ nomination to a federal judgeship back in 1986. With claims of racism swirling around Sessions, the letter was not only relevant, it was crucial. Given his history of opposing civil and voting rights legislation, his appointment to head the Department of Justice is nothing short of a disaster.
Instead of letting Jessica share this vital message, Thompson insisted that she had broken the rules by attacking another senator. The other Republicans backed him up, but truth be told, she wasn’t attacking anyone—the words were not even her own! If Coretta Scott King’s objection isn’t pertinent to such a critical nomination regarding civil rights, then what the heck is? This was classic mansplaining at its finest. Thankfully, the attempt to silence her is backfiring spectacularly. The equivalent of “hush, hush little lady, you can’t speak like that” is no longer working.
And let’s be clear: Thompson inadvertently gave women a new battle cry. “Nevertheless, she persisted” quickly started trending on Twitter as people rallied to support not just Jessica, but all women who refuse to be silenced.
After being silenced, Jessica took to Facebook Live to read the entire letter to her followers. Since then, four male senators, including Tom Richards, have read the letter on the Senate floor—without any objections, of course.
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In summary, Jessica Harper’s experience serves as a reminder that attempts to silence powerful voices only amplify them, bringing attention to the very issues they seek to address.