The 3 - April 2, 2023

In this week's edition of The 3, there is a brief review of the tragic shooting at a Christian school in Nashville and its possible implications - there is also an update on what several states are doing to protect children from permanent physical and emotional damage through surgeries and treatments designed to change their biological sex. Also, a negative attitude toward a Christian event at a local library in Tennessee has resulted in a librarian losing his job.  Plus, the governor of Virginia has signed a bill that protects churches from discrimination in the event of an emergency, which happened in the state during COVID.

Nashville Christian school endures shooting, state momentum on protecting children continues

There are six victims at the hands of a shooter who broke into the school she once attended and began to take lives until she herself was cornered by police and quickly lost her own life.  Because the tragedy occurred at a Christian school and because of the gender identity of the shooter, based on police comments, there has been speculation that the shooter's sexuality may have contributed to what occurred, especially in light of heightened rhetoric and threats within the transgender community.

CBN News reported that following the tragic event...

...investigators found more guns and evidence at Hale's home, including detailed maps, surveillance of the school, and a manifesto, all revealing a planned, targeted attack.

The Washington Stand quoted from Tennessee state representative Tim Burchett, who told Family Research Council President Tony Perkins: "Obviously, it’s a mental health issue, and it’s just a complete and total tragedy,” adding, "I honestly feel like this is some sort of demonic possession that has gotten into our world today. And it’s become accepted."

The article went on to say:

Perkins said the shooting shows that Christian school students are “not beyond the reach of” the “corrupting and chaotic influence of [U.S.] culture.”

Hale’s former classmate at the Nossi College of Art and Design confirmed that the shooter identified as male, using the name “Aiden Hale.” Reporters pressed Drake for additional details about what role Hale’s transgender identity played in the mass murder inside a church-run school.

“Do you have any reason to believe that how she identifies has any motive for targeting the school?" asked one journalist.

“We can give you that at a later time. There is some theory to that,” Drake answered.

Tennessee had just passed strong legislation preventing experimenting on minors by attempting to change their sex through surgeries and treatments.  The state also passed legislation preventing drag performances in front of children.  But, according to the Washington Examiner:

A federal judge in Tennessee temporarily blocked a new state law on Friday that would criminalize drag performances in public or in front of children. The ruling came just hours before the law was set to take effect at midnight.

Judge Thomas Parker issued a temporary restraining order, citing the law as a "vague and overly-broad" restriction to the constitutional protections of freedom of speech.

A number of states have passed legislation to protect children from the "gender identity" agenda, according to The Washington Stand, which reported:

In the first two months of 2023, four state legislatures passed bills offering some degree of protection to minors from health care professionals who would perform gender transition procedures on them. Utah’sSB 16 was signed into law on January 28. South Dakota’sHB 1080 was signed into law on February 14. Mississippi’sHB 1125 was signed into law on February 28. And Tennessee’sSB 1 was signed into law on March 2 (though passed in February).

This legislative progress accelerated in late March, as four state legislatures passed bills in rapid succession.

Those legislatures were in Iowa, Georgia, West Virginia, and Kentucky; about the Bluegrass State, the article said...

...on March 29, the Kentucky General Assembly voted (29-8 in the Senate and 76-23 in the House) to override a veto of SB 150 by Governor Andy Beshear (D). The measure protects children from gender transition procedures, as well as securing school locker rooms and bathrooms from members of the opposite sex and guaranteeing parental rights in education.

Actor's reading event results in librarian being fired

Also, in the Nashville area, actor Kirk Cameron was featured in an event in a library in suburban Hendersonville, Tennessee, reading his children's book, As You Grow. The Christian Post reported that the librarian there was generally unsupportive of the event. 

The article says:

The Sumner County Library Board voted 4-3 to fire Hendersonville Library Director Allan Morales, reported The Tennessean on Thursday, with Mayor John Isbell stating that the termination was "related to the Kirk Cameron event."

Missy Robertson of Duck Dynasty, who was featured at the event, along with former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, had "...claimed that the library staff was talking loudly, playing music and banging cabinets when she and Cameron attempted to film a promotional video on the day of the event." The Post article also stated:

According to Robertson, a Brave Books team member then asked someone in charge if they could ask their staff to keep it down for a few minutes. While Robertson didn't mention Morales by name, that person allegedly told the Brave Books team member something to the extent of, "You're not even supposed to be here anyway."

According to the reality star, there had been "tension" leading up to the event, as some unnamed individual had attempted to lead a campaign against the library event.

The article goes on to say:

In a series of email messages between the library and a Brave Books representative obtained by CP, the former library director appeared concerned about the event's size and that it would be political.

The former library director noted that a recent Fox News article had created a "stir" and that the activities and guest appearances described by the outlet were not part of an original agreement.

County Commissioner Tim Jones made comments on the incident on Facebook. The article notes that Jones indicated that "Brave Books had a contract with the library stipulating that they could use the facility's community room for the event and that Morales 'reluctantly agreed' to let the group use the foyer to film promotional videos." It went on to say: "Jones believes that Morales did not intervene when his staff became disruptive, and he maintained a negative attitude despite the mayor expressing support for the event."

Virginia bill protects churches during emergencies

In state after state during the coronavirus pandemic, you saw governments that treated churches as second-class citizens, determining that churches were "non-essential" and had to remain closed, while businesses of different types, including liquor stores and abortion clinics, were allowed to stay open.

The state of Virginia had stringent regulations in effect, and a different governor, Glenn Youngkin has been elected.  Alliance Defending Freedom reported on its website that Youngkin signed "a bill that ensures churches are allowed to remain open during a state of emergency on the same or better terms as other businesses and services.

ADF Legal Counsel Greg Chafuen commented by saying:

While public officials have the authority and responsibility to protect public health and safety, the First Amendment prohibits the government from treating churches worse than shopping centers, restaurants, or gyms. This bill takes the modest step of ensuring that officials cannot use a public crisis to discriminate against religious services in churches and other houses of worship.