Justin Kanew
The founder of a popular progressive news site in Tennessee that recently broke the story of his state’s lieutenant governor’s interactions with a young gay man who posts “racy” images on Instagram says someone shot up his home Saturday night while he and his family were asleep.
“On Saturday night, someone targeted our home by shooting several bullets into our house while my family was sleeping. This violence has no place in a civilized society and we are thankful no one was physically hurt,” says Justin Kanew, the founder of The Tennessee Holler, a former 2018 Democratic congressional nominee, and a former contestant on “The Amazing Race.”
“The authorities have not completed their investigation and right now we do not know for sure the reason for this attack. We urge the Williamson County Sheriff’s office to continue to investigate this crime and help shed light on Saturday’s unfortunate events and bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice,” Kanew says in his statement.
“In the meantime, our family remains focused on keeping our children healthy and safe. We don’t plan on making any additional statements at this time and hope everyone will respect our privacy.”
On Twitter, Kanew adds, “Love each other.”
\u201cOur family\u2019s statement on something that happened to us this weekend. Love each other.\u201d— Justin Kanew (@Justin Kanew) 1680702546
In 2021 Kanew spoke at a school board meeting during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m a dad of a new kindergartener and her first day was right after the chaos last week,” Kanew told attendees. “She went to school and was one of just a few kids in her class wearing a mask which made her ask me why she had to. My answer was because we want to take care of other people. She’s five years old, but she understood that concept, and it’s disappointing that more adults around here can’t seem to grasp it.”
“I asked a pastor friend of mine and he was very clear, there’s no actual biblical justification for using the Bible to get out of a mask mandate passed by a majority of this elected board, but thousands are doing it anyway, calling it a ‘religious exemption,’ which is frankly just sad,” Kanew said. “Avoiding masks is not in the Bible but taking care of others is.”
He also took the opportunity to blast parents attacking Critical Race Theory, explaining that it “is not in our schools, and it never was.
”Some on social media called him a “hero.”
\u201c\ud83d\udd25WATCH: \u201cCRT is not in our schools, you didn\u2019t know what it was 6 months ago\u2026 my 5yo gets that we mask up for others, wish more adults grasped that\u2026 if you only like democracy when it goes your way, you don\u2019t like democracy\u201d\n\nHoller\u2019s @Kanew at last night\u2019s WILCO board meeting\u201d— The Tennessee Holler (@The Tennessee Holler) 1629214735
“During the 2023 legislative session, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, called Kanew a ‘jackass’ and ‘loser’ for asking about his support of anti-LGTBQ legislation,” notes Tennessee Lookout, reporting on the attack on Kanew’s home. “Gov. Bill Lee told Kanew his question about a photo of the governor dressed in drag in high school was ‘ridiculous.'”
NCRM has repeatedly relied on The Tennessee Holler’s excellent reporting, as recently as Monday, in a story about the Speaker of the Tennessee House kicking Democrats off their legislative committees and moving the expel them.
Read Kanew’s statement and watch his video above or at this link.
Reprinted with permission from Alternet.
