Chris Todd is Scared

I write a monthly column for a state-wide media outlet in Tennessee. My columns are informed opinion pieces that address current political and social issues that are taking place across the state.  

A few weeks before the Covenant School tragedy occurred, I wrote the following piece about State Representative Chris Todd, a Madison County resident. Since 2018, Rep. Todd has introduced legislation that reflects the values of the most extreme minority of the Republican Party. Not only has he introduced that legislation, but he has also arrogantly and rudely addressed critics of his legislation, including a Tennessee Highway Patrolman sent on behalf of Governor Bill Lee to testify during a hearing.

This week, in the special-called session to address gun violence, Rep. Todd introduced a bill that would allow more guns to be in schools while not allowing the school the option to deny access to their building to someone legally carrying a handgun. The proposed bill stated that any retired military or law enforcement officer, as well as anyone with an enhanced permit carry, would be allowed to carry a handgun into a school. 

When Rep. Todd was questioned about the Covenant shooting in the presence of Covenant parents whose children experienced that tragic event, he responded callously that the killer “probably would’ve driven over those kids…or used a rock.” His answer to combat the leading cause of death among children in Tennessee is to introduce more of the “inanimate objects” that are used as tools in those deaths into an environment that is filled with children – PreK-12 public school buildings

During the special session called by Governor Lee this week, Rep. Todd sat stone-faced as parents of Covenant students pleaded with his committee not to move forward with the bill Todd introduced; thankfully, that bill didn’t pass. However, the persistence of pushing that particular bill despite pleas from concerned parents from Covenant tells you all you need to know about Chris Todd. It’s something I’ve known for a while.

When I sent the following piece to the media outlet last March, they sent it back to me; it was a little too personal for them to run. I’ve kept it in my back pocket until today.

Without further ado, this is the piece I wrote last March about Rep. Todd and my personal experiences with him over the last several years.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

Chris Todd is Very Afraid

For ten years, I was a TSSAA high school basketball official. I ran up and down the court four nights a week all over West Tennessee. I drove county roads from Parsons to Covngton to Savannah and everywhere in between. I loved it. I ended up being a pretty good official, too. I refereed post-season tournament games in Nashville, Summertown, and Memphis. In 2020, I was selected to be an official in the TSSAA High School State Tournament in Murfreesboro. I wasn’t the best referee around, but I was pretty damn good. 

As a public school teacher, officiating was a way I could supplement my income as a single parent. Not only did I referee high school games, but I would also pick up recreation league games on Saturday mornings. These games were chaotic – fourth and fifth graders running wildly up and down the court, forgetting to dribble and looking to shoot. My main job was to keep the kids from getting hurt. If I called every foul or every travel, the actual game of basketball would never even be played on those mornings. 

For the most part, the games were easy money. The parents just wanted to see their kids have fun; the coaches just hoped for the kids to remember one of the ten things they were told to do. I only had an issue once in my years of refereeing rec league games.

After one game nearly ten years ago, an older-looking gentleman in a plaid shirt made his way to where I stood with my officiating partner. (Side note: a fan approaching an official immediately after a sporting event is never a good idea). This man laser-locked eyes with me – pupils dark and intense with anger. He extended a piece of paper and pen in my direction.

“Write down your name and number.”

Because my experience in these rec league games had always been positive, I assumed this man wanted my number to contact me for future games or maybe even a scrimmage for his kid’s team. 

After he demanded my name and number, he informed me in an aggressive tone that this elementary school girls’ game was the worst officiated game he had seen, and he wanted to contact my supervisor. I laughed, dropped the pen and paper on the floor, patted him on the back, and said, “Go for it.”  

That was the first time I met State Representative Chris Todd. Back then, though, he was just an obnoxious fan who couldn’t run up and down the court – far less damaging than the position he finds himself in now as he marginalizes groups of people and pushes for dangerous gun legislation in Tennessee. 

Since that Saturday, I’ve had various interactions with Todd and have followed his legislation in Nashville. Based on my interactions and distant observations, I figured Todd was a little insecure. What I’ve realized recently, though, is that Todd isn’t just out of touch; he’s scared to death.

In 2018, Todd sought the Republican nomination for the District 73 seat of the State House of Representatives. Todd ran against Attorney Jay Bush in the primary. 

One afternoon that Spring, I found a political mailer with a picture of Jay Bush on the front. Jay was portrayed unflatteringly and called “a tax and spend liberal” and “anti-Trump.” The image was also placed on a Facebook page run by “Keep Tennessee Conservative” and paid for by CAS PAC, which was closely affiliated with former House Speaker Glen Casada. While Jay Bush is far from a “tax and spend liberal,” it doesn’t take a lot of deduction to understand that politicians like Casada would much rather have a legislator like Chris Todd than Jay Bush. The more extreme, the better.

Since Todd has been in the House, his legislation has focused heavily on repealing the government’s authority on weapons and, most notably and most recently, waging a culture war on drag shows in Tennessee. 

At first glance, these are both political narratives of the Far Right. But with all things, a deeper dive into a given topic could provide some nuance to add to the discussion.

Last September, a family-friendly Drag Show was announced for Pridefest in Jackson, Tennessee.  I volunteered at Pridefest in 2019, and the event was celebratory and inclusive of all people in Jackson. There were kids there. There were musical acts. There were local businesses. It was a wonderful experience for all involved. An added event to this past year’s Pridefest was the drag show. And after that announcement, all hell broke loose.

Chris Todd spearheaded a movement to stop Pridefest and the drag show. He threatened litigation and referred to heavily edited YouTube clips to make his case. Rep. Todd and I ended up on the same radio show a week before the event was scheduled. It was then I realized how frightened Todd seemed to be.

During the back and forth between Representative Todd and myself, he kept harping on “protecting the children.” He used this phrase over and over. After he said it for the fourth time, I asked him what he was afraid of. 

“I’m not afraid of anything.” That was his response. So, let’s dive a little deeper into that.

My daughter is 16 years old. She just got her driver’s license last week. I worry every time she leaves the house. I tell her to wear her seatbelt; I tell her not to touch her phone while she’s driving. I ask her to wait a second before accelerating when the light turns green to ensure she’s not the victim of someone else’s reckless decision-making. I want to protect her from that, so I annoy the hell out of her with my constant driving advice and rules for the car. I’m scared. I want to protect her.

When Chris Todd kept using the word “protect,” I tried to explain that using that word clearly communicated that he was afraid of something. I then tried to explain that his fear was unfounded – that a drag show was not trying to groom kids or sexualize them in any way. A drag show was simply a performance. He kept saying he wasn’t afraid. And this, among many other things, is what is so dangerous about Todd and politicians like him. There is no ability to self-reflect or see outside of whatever narcissistic mind-bend they have created for themselves. They harbor narratives of resentment toward groups of people because they seemingly lack the ability to understand that viewpoints other than their own exist. Instead, they use their power to disparage and demean groups of people who don’t have the numbers or the strength to fight back. 

Over the four years that  Representative Todd has held his elected position, he has been in meetings with local leaders in Jackson. I know most of the people with whom Todd has interacted, and nearly every one of these people would tell me that Chris Todd is a difficult person to deal with. 

Two weeks ago, when Todd presented HB1005 – a bill that would lower the carry age to 18 and change “handgun” to “firearm” – he was met with resistance from a Tennessee Highway Patrolman and a liaison from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. These witnesses were sent by permission of the Governor’s Office to offer their expertise concerning the bill. Rather than listening and considering their non-partisan stances on the matter, Todd became irritated with the fact that they would even question the bill he was presenting. It was another case of Todd’s inglorious ego and unearned confidence shading any amount of logical conversation that could have been had. 

When I read about this exchange, I couldn’t help but think back to the first time I met Rep. Todd at a meaningless basketball game on a Saturday morning. Without merit or any amount of officiating under his belt, Chris Todd – in his own mind – thought he knew what was considered a “well-officiated” basketball game between fourth and fifth-grade kids. I laughed when I patted him on the back and left him standing there.  It concerns me now.

The same arrogance he showed years ago is still on display. This time, however, he’s questioning an authority far more critical than a basketball official. He’s creating and passing laws that will literally allow people in this state to be hurt or killed. Make no mistake, Chris Todd isn’t representing the majority of Tennesseans. He’s a frightened person. He’s also a very dangerous politician in a state that is unable to check malicious power.