Former Vice President Mike Pence Discusses January 6th and Democracy at Middle Tennessee State University

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Former Vice President Mike Pence will admit that the ideas of democracy have been examined throughout certainly one of his remaining acts of energy in 2021.

While protesters tried to overhaul the Capitol on Jan. 6, Pence began the proceedings within the U.S. Senate to undergo the electoral school votes and begin the transition of energy from former President Donald Trump to present President Joe Biden. In the early morning hours on Jan. 7, Pence declared his ticket misplaced.

He relived that reminiscence at MTSU on Tuesday because the keynote speaker for the college's Constitution Day.

“When that day came three years ago, I think of the oath I took to the American people and almighty God,” Pence stated. “I will leave the judgment to others and history. It was by God's grace I did my duty that day, and it was a great honor to do so. On. Jan. 6, President Trump was wrong. I had no right to reject votes.”

He stated that to a room filled with applause. Only a handful of scholars protested on campus. Pence spoke inside Tucker Theatre, full of scholars and school on the subject of American democracy.

Pence stated that those that have been violent on Jan. 6 have to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the regulation. He mentioned Jan. 6 amongst different subjects together with government immunity and impeachment.

“I have to be honest when I witnessed President Trump impeached over a phone call to a foreign leader, I feel like we broke the boundaries that the founders had in mind,” Pence stated. “There's been on both sides of the aisle there's been too much politics played on the Constitution. We should return to a commitment as Americans. If you're entertaining the illusion that sets us apart from the rest of the world, we are from the rest of the world. But it's our principles, our ideals, our form of government — the key. To solve the challenges America faces today, we should go back to the framework of the United States.”

Sen. JD Vance additionally turned a subject of dialog because the moderator requested if Pence had any recommendation for him or if he would sit down with Vance, who's working on Trump's presidential ticket in November.

Pence stated the aim of the vice presidency was to imagine the duties on a second's discover within the occasion of tragedy.

“Of course, I would sit down with Sen. Vance,” he stated. “We have prayed more than once for him. I would tell him what I tried to tell myself every day as vice president. In the morning when I got dressed, I always wanted to think about three things I wanted to do every day. Full disclosure, I got out a magic marker and wrote on the mirror. Be informed, be prepared and be of service. I wanted to make sure my heart was in the right place if history called.”

The moderator did converse up about college students' fears about Pence coming to campus, particularly the LGBTQ neighborhood at MTSU. He instructed college students that his perception was marriage was to be between one man and one lady, which was met by many within the viewers booing.

“That's what freedom sounds like,” Pence stated. “But the Supreme Court of the United States recognized same-sex marriage as the law of the land. Here's the great thing about the Constitution. You can disagree with the SCOTUS but you can't disobey it. It was the greatest honor of my life to be your vice president. I think as I said when I was governor. No one should ever be mistreated or abused because of who they are, who they love or what they believe. I don't support discrimination.”

MTSU celebrates Constitution Day yearly as a part of a week-long programming. Constitution Day is widely known each Sept. 17.

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Remembering Eudora Boxley, a trailblazing TV prepare dinner from WLAC's early days

I LOVE Forrest's tales on the historical past of NewsChannel 5 as we rejoice our seventieth anniversary. Here's a narrative I wasn't aware of till just lately. Eudora Boxley had a reside cooking present within the early days of the station. She might have been the primary black on air at NewsChannel 5 and maybe, one of many first African Americans to have a TV cooking present anyplace within the nation. It wasn't till her grandson reached out to me that I even heard of Ms. Boxley. Thankfully, I used to be in a position to join him with Forest to study extra about this nice nugget in NewsChannel 5 historical past.

-Lelan Statom