Tullahoma alderman won’t apologize for family Christmas party photo with Confederate flag
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TULLAHOMA, Tennessee (WSMV) — “I’m sorry but I just can not apologize, I will not apologize for attending a party on my own time, not as Alderman Amacher but as my Dad’s daughter and my brother’s little sister,” said Alderman Jenna Amacher as she addressed the other Alderman and Tullahoma Mayor Tuesday night in a virtual meeting.
She continued, “And it’s unfortunate that people are so easily offended but I just want you to know that talking about diversity and inclusion tonight, remember that if you are offended by something, the very premise behind diversity and inclusion is to embrace and respect other people’s ideas, values, and ideologies outside of your own.”
The comments from Amacher come after a picture of her at her family’s Christmas party was shared on Facebook and other social media of the alderman posing in front of two confederate flags.
Enough people saw the photo that Tullahoma Mayor Ray Knowis posted on the City of Tullahoma’s Facebook page this message: “The recent social media post by a newly elected Tullahoma city alderman is controversial in nature and, in my opinion, does not reflect the values of the Tullahoma Board of Mayor and Aldermen.”
Tuesday night, two citizens called on Amacher to resign.
Marie Desilets spoke over Zoom and said, “Tullahoma is embarrassed by her unethical behavior.” She went on to say, “She does not represent me or the greater community of Tullahoma and I’ asking that Jenna resign or be removed from her position.”
Pastor Elmore Torbert, with similar feelings, said “the blight is to have a person sitting on our board of alderman for the this fine city, engrossed in racist rhetoric and humiliating racist actions. Then that same said person goes live on social media to say it was a joke” He not only called for Amacher’s resignation but said, “We’ll put pressure and move forward to seeing a resignation or resolve of this matter. We are mobilizing to see that she is no longer representing the beauty and the best of Tullahoma by spreading what is historically the worst of America.”
But Amacher put blame on the context of the photo.
She said, “You know context is everything and the two people that have spoken to this board tonight have never actually had a conversation with me and I think that’s a problem to go an ask for somebody’s resignation that you never talked to.” Amacher said she’d be willing to speak to any citizens. She continued, “Once you get to know me you’ll know that I have a love of satire and I do think that comedy is very important. In fact some of the greatest authors and greatest leaders in world history, from time to time liked to use comedy to make light of situations in very serious subjects. Such as Shakespeare and Orwell and I think there’s lots to be learned from those individuals and lots of our leaders in history from time to time used comedy.”
Amacher also went live on Facebook Tuesday said they dressed up and “poked fun at the rednecks in society and stereotypes.” She said, “just because I’m an elected official by a part time board that does not pay my bills by the way, I’m a public servant, does not mean that I will bow down and give up, number one attending any function with my family or number two, bow down and say I’m sorry if that family function offended you.”
There’s also accusations that Amacher was recorded using the N-word before she was an elected official. News4 has a screen shot of her addressing that Wednesday, writing to a person, “I said “*****” and not in a demeaning or harmful way. It was in a personal conversation that was recorded and then disseminated in an illegal manner.”
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