1. United States
2. Tenn.
3. Letter

I am writing to you as a concerned constituent to express my deep opposition to the PEACE Act and the dangerous precedent it sets for civil liberties. While I understand the stated intent of the legislation, it is clear that the true impact of the PEACE Act is to suppress the right to peaceful protest. This law unjustly paints peaceful protestors as threats and creates an atmosphere of fear and censorship under the guise of "protection." The First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech, assembly, and protest. We all benefit from seeing civic engagement in action—we learn what it means to live in a democracy. Protest is often uncomfortable. But it has also been the bedrock of every major civil rights advancement. Rather than ensuring safety, this Act endangers our civil rights and threatens to chill dissent. I urge you to reconsider your support for this legislation. Safety cannot come at the cost of eroding the freedoms that make this country—and this state—great. Please do what is right for all Tennesseans and stand against policies that prioritize comfort over justice and censorship over democracy.