Shutting down the U.S. Department of Education isn’t about ‘state control.’ States already control most of public education. It’s about taking away much-needed services from our students, and then dismantling, defunding and privatizing our great public schools. For a state which played such a prominent role in the history of the U.S. civil rights movement, Tennesseans know more than most how important federal protections are in the course of our nation’s history for vulnerable and minority students and communities. If the U.S. Department of Education is broken apart, the rights of students—particularly our most vulnerable—will be undercut. Our students would be at risk of losing ... (click for more)

Christians are called to a radical lifestyle that prioritizes the marginalized, the oppressed and the forgotten. We are called to be a voice for the voiceless, even when it challenges the comfort of our own communities and political affiliations. Too often, we see Christians aligning in lockstep with political parties, sacrificing the core tenets of our faith for partisan agendas. This is a betrayal of our calling. We are not called to be Republicans or Democrats first, but Christians first. It is in this light that recent actions demand we examine whether we are truly living up to this calling. The drastic cuts to USAID, for instance, are projected to impact millions, with estimates ... (click for more)