Tennessee Gets a Lot of Bang for the Buck in Education Spending

 

by Rod Williams, April 29, 2026 - A report has been released by the National Education Association calculating how much each state and the District of Columbia spends on public education. The Tennessean reports it this way: "Tennessee ranks dead last in student spending, report shows."

Here is an excerpt from the Tennessean article:

Tennessee spent $12,147 per student during the 2024-25 school year, according to a report released by the National Education Association on April 10. The number is based upon spending across the average daily attendance numbers in Tennessee schools.

That puts Tennessee at No. 51 on the list, which includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and marks a three-place drop from the previous year. By comparison, the national average was $18,826. The District of Columbia topped the list at $34,579, which had a razor-thin lead over New York at $34,577.

The article then quotes some Democratic politicians lamenting the fact, such as the following: 

Tennessee just hit rock bottom — dead last in the country for what we spend on our public school students," Lamar said in an April 28 news release. "While Gov. Lee and Republicans were busy shoveling hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into their private school voucher scam, they left nearly a million kids in Tennessee's public schools with less funding per student than anywhere else in the nation. This isn't an accident — it's a choice. And Tennessee families are paying the price."

The article does quote a Tennessee Department of Education official saying, "While per-pupil spending is a significant factor, research and experience show that increased funding alone does not always translate to improved outcomes. Instead of assuming that higher spending always leads to better performance, we prioritize evidence-based investments designed to support student achievement."

I am pleased to see the Tennessean offer this side of the story. Other news outlets made no attempt to provide a rebuttal to those who awfulize that we are not spending more. Instead of being something to lament, I think that the fact that we do much better with less should be something to celebrate.

Look at the graphic from a U.S News and World Report at the top of this page. In pre-K - 12th grade, Tennessee is ranked the 18th best state in the nation. If you look at Wallet Hub's ranking, for "quality ranking," Tennessee ranks 14th in education quality. 

Now take a look at the top spender in the nation, Washington D.C. U.S News and World Report does not rank Washington D.C, but Wallet Hub gives it a quality ranking of 21. So Tennessee spends only 35% of what Washington D.C spends and yet our performance is ranked seven points better. We rank 14th best and Washington D.C ranks 21st best. 

I do not think this report from the NEA is something to lament, but instead something to celebrate. 

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Charlie Hatcher, Candidate Challenging Andy Ogles for TN-05 Seat, to Address Bellevue Breakfast Club Gathering, May 2nd.

 From Lonnie Spevak:

Dr. Charlie Hatcher

Greetings Breakfast Club Members,

Please join us for the next Bellevue Breakfast Club gathering on Saturday, May 2 at 8:30 a.m. at Plantation Pub.

We’re pleased to welcome Dr. Charlie Hatcher, former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture and candidate for Congress in TN 5, as our featured speaker.

Dr. Hatcher served as Tennessee’s 38th Commissioner of Agriculture from 2019 to 2025, appointed by Governor Bill Lee. With more than 20 years in veterinary practice and a decade as Tennessee’s State Veterinarian, he brings deep expertise in animal health, agriculture policy, and leadership at both the state and national levels. His service includes leadership roles with the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, the United States Animal Health Association, and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

A fifth-generation Tennessean and tenth-generation American farmer, Dr. Hatcher and his family operate a seventh-generation dairy farm in College Grove dating back to 1847. Their operations—including Hatcher Family Dairy, Rock-N-Country Veterinary Services, and Battle Mountain Farm—are recognized across the region for excellence in dairy production and agritourism.

Dr. Hatcher currently brings his experience and perspective to the public arena as a candidate for Congress in Tennessee’s 5th District.

This will be a great opportunity to hear firsthand insights on agriculture, leadership, and the future of our region.

We hope to see you there.

Best regards,

Lonnie

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The Thrill is Gone, State of Metro Address, Are You ready for Freddie Again?

from Megan Podsiedlik, The Pamphleteer, April 29, 2026 - Earlier today, Mayor Freddie O’Connell delivered the 63rd annual State of Metro Address. He opened up by curtailing the ice storm conversation, highlighting a number of duty-driven men and women who put boots on the ground during the disaster instead. 

“And just like our friends and partners at Second Harvest, who fed us when the federal government wouldn't; United Way, who helped us recover after the winter storm; the Community Foundation, TIRRC, and Conexion—all of whom strengthened our sense of belonging throughout the year—your work makes the lives of others better,” said O’Connell, taking a jab at the current administration within the first few minutes of his speech. 

O'Connell Pushes Back The mayor continued to punch up when reflecting on DOGE cuts, immigration enforcement, and the state “taking over our airport, part of our downtown, and trying to interfere with our local elections.”

“Legendary Nashvillian Lucinda Williams once wrote a song about joy, and in it she sings, ‘You took my joy. I want it back.’ Well, I want it back too,” said O’Connell. “And here's the thing: they couldn't stop us from taking care of each other, and they can't and won't stop us from standing up and pushing back.”

Between noting the empty seats at Geodis Park during soccer games due to ICE activity and highlighting Metro’s six lawsuits against federal government overreach, O’Connell reflected on the last year and featured some new deliverables. 

Crowning Achievements The mayor took time to tout the city’s reduction in crime, Metro Nashville Public Schools’ “historic results," the expansion of the Nashville Strong Babies program despite federal cuts, Metro’s record creation/preservation of nearly 3,000 affordable homes, and over one million fare-free bus trips thanks to Choose How You Move.

O’Connell also borrowed some credit for the redevelopment plan that will transform East Bend’s scrapyard into a neighborhood (funded by a group of private investors), announced that the Tennessee Performing Arts Center will break ground on a new auditorium in East Bank next year, and highlighted how Nashville wages are growing faster than rent.

Grocery Tax Though he took your half-cent for transit, the mayor plans to give it back by lowering Nashville’s tax on groceries.

“Reducing our grocery tax doesn't just change a line on a receipt; it acknowledges that feeding your family shouldn't be treated like a luxury,” said O’Connell.

According to a press release distributed by the mayor’s office, “the tax reduction is expected to save the average Nashville family of four $72 per year on their groceries.” In comparison, planning documents estimated that the half-cent sales tax funding O’Connell’s Choose How You Move initiative costs the average Nashville family approximately $70 annually. 

Small Businesses As for Nashville businesses struggling to keep their doors open after last year’s reappraisal and O’Connell’s property tax hike, the mayor said he’s got your back. O'Connell plans to establish two new grant programs: a Legacy Business Fund pilot program to help “ease the burden of evolving costs” and a Workforce Advancement Grant to provide employees with opportunities to enhance their skills.

Will Freddie Run Again? Mayor Freddie O’Connell has one more year left in office. Though he hasn’t formally announced a 2027 reelection bid, the signs are all there—including today’s speech, which struck a clearly forward-looking tone:

Our political environment requires us to be as strategic as we are principled. We pick the fights we can win, build coalitions we need, and never let perfect be the enemy of real progress for real people. I wake up every day excited to lead Nashville for so many reasons, and I'm excited to continue serving the city in the years ahead.

So, are you ready for Freddie again?

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Harwood Salon Nashville Presents Meg Tuszynski, "Economic Freedom and Women."

 

From Harwood Salon Nashville:

Join us in Nashville for an event with Dr. Meg Tuszynski, Managing Director of the Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom in the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. 

During this event, Dr. Tuszynski will explore how economic freedom uniquely impacts women across different countries and contexts. While most research focuses on how economic freedom affects the average individual, growing evidence suggests that its effects can differ meaningfully for women.

Drawing on a multi-year research initiative, this discussion will examine how economic freedom relates to women’s rights, fertility choices, education, entrepreneurship, and participation in the workforce. The project brings together insights from a series of commissioned papers that highlight the varied experiences of women around the world.

The conversation will also explore how this work is shaping a broader research agenda on women and economic freedom and what it reveals about the conditions that support greater opportunity, autonomy, and human flourishing.

Harwood Salons – Nashville is made possible through the generosity of supporters like you. We encourage you to become a member or make a donation to support the American Institute for Economic Research and ensure the continuation of these important events. All donations are tax-deductible and directly contribute to sustaining Harwood Salons – Nashville.

Registration Required.

Agenda 

6:00 PM – 6:30 PM – Networking

6:30 PM – 7:15 PM – Presentation by Dr. Meg Tuszynski

7:15 PM – 7:30 PM – Q&A

About the Speaker

Meg Tuszynski is the Managing Director of the Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom in the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. She is also a Research Assistant Professor in the Cox School. Meg’s research interests primarily fall into two categories. One category of research seeks to understand the causes and consequences of variations in economic freedom across nations, states, and localities. A second strand of research seeks to advance our understanding of entangled political economy, which analyzes the inextricable intertwining of commercial and political interests. Meg has published research in Public Choice, the Southern Economic Journal, the Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, the Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, and the American Journal of Entrepreneurship, among several others. She has also published popular pieces in outlets including Investors Business Daily, the Washington Examiner, the Dallas Morning News, and the Daily Caller.

Meg earned her PhD, MA in economics, BA in economics, and BA in philosophy from George Mason University.

This is a free event. The program, the fellowship, the libation, and the food are good. To register, follow this link. 

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The Federal Minimum Wage Is Irrelevant. Good.

 The national wage floor is so low that it might as well not exist. 

by Jared Dillian, Reason, April 28, 2026 - The last federal minimum wage increase went into effect on July 24, 2009, raising it from $6.55 an hour to $7.25. We have experienced nearly 50 percent inflation since then, yet the minimum wage has stayed the same. Even in 2009, only 4.9 percent of workers were actually paid $7.25 an hour, and that number has dropped to 1.1 percent today. ... 

... With a floor on prices above equilibrium, supply will exceed demand, producing a surplus of labor willing to work at that price—otherwise known as unemployment. ...

The jobs that pay the minimum wage are not intended to be careers. They're intended to be stepping stones for young, unskilled workers to graduate to higher-paying jobs later in life. I personally have one employee who told me that his first job paid the minimum wage, stacking inner tubes at a water slide park. Five years later, he is making multiples of that. But by taking that job, he acquired skills—not in stacking inner tubes, per se, but in putting on a uniform, showing up on time, working in an organization, and having a cheerful, positive attitude. ... By raising the minimum wage, we are depriving young people of these opportunities. No teenager in Connecticut will get an entry-level job for $16.94 an hour, bagging groceries or stacking inner tubes. Their first job will most likely come at 22, when they graduate from college and the stakes are higher, never having acquired those basic habits of showing up on time and conducting themselves professionally.... 

... If we could legislate prosperity, why not make the minimum wage $100 an hour? $10,000 an hour? The unemployment rate would skyrocket. The federal minimum wage has not moved in nearly two decades, and for now, that is something close to a blessing. (read it all)

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Is Your Starbucks Barisa Conservative. Know the Warning Signs!

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Positioning Tennessee to Be America’s Energy Leader

by Jason Edmonds, Beacon Blog, April 27, 2026 - Tennessee has a long history of nuclear innovation. From the breakthroughs of the Manhattan Project to the nuclear power research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to receiving the first approval in the nation for the next generation of nuclear power, the Volunteer State is positioned to become America’s energy leader. Governor Bill Lee established the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council in 2023 to identify and remove unnecessary barriers that existed to expanding nuclear energy in the state. Since then, Tennessee has maintained hundreds of nuclear companies and attracted more by being a business-friendly state.

Yet hurdles remain. Even with plentiful sources of generation, from hydro to nuclear, Tennessee’s electricity usage has outpaced its production, with the state consuming about four times as much energy as it generates. Tennessee has experienced significant population growth due to its appeal to businesses, families, and individuals, and this growth is expected to continue. With this growth, industries ranging from automotive manufacturing to advanced tech have flocked to the state, where they survive and thrive on inexpensive, reliable energy. In recent years, the Frontier supercomputer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory became operational, Elon Musk’s xAI constructed its supercomputer in Memphis, and an Oracle executive stated they’re coming to “position Nashville as a hub of AI innovation.” While Tennessee has long been a home for nuclear tech, these examples show the state is becoming an attractive landing spot for digital tech companies, too. Given population and industrial growth, energy needs are likely to continue to climb across the state. To stay competitive and lead the nation in affordable, reliable energy in the future, Tennessee must continue to harness the opportunities created by its nuclear history. 

Unlike other states, Tennessee’s energy landscape is heavily controlled by the federal Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). This presents unique challenges and opportunities. Although state lawmakers have limited direct authority to influence energy policy and generation, that does not mean the state is unable to make important policy decisions. Establishing the Nuclear Energy Advisory Council was a good first step in pinpointing areas where the state can improve its regulatory framework. However, recommendations do little if not enacted. This is why Beacon released its newest report, From Atoms to Algorithms: Position Tennessee to be America’s Energy Leader, by Taylor Barkley, Beacon Center’s Senior Fellow for Technology and Innovation and Abundance Institute’s Director of Federal Government Affairs and Policy Advisor.

In the report, we highlight how the state is experiencing unprecedented energy demand while also poised to leverage tremendous opportunities in nuclear energy. These include: 

• Harnessing the state’s authority to approve permits and occupational licenses to prepare Tennessee for the next generation of the nuclear energy industry. 
• Clearing the way for new energy generation by updating regulations to match innovative technology, not legacy assumptions.
• Removing government barriers to cheap and abundant electricity by creating a one-stop shop with TVA for permit approvals, complete reciprocity for out-of-state nuclear certifications, and fast-tracking new applicants. 
•  Advocating for smart federal reforms on nuclear policy.

Tennessee’s rich nuclear history shows the state is a leader in nuclear energy and advanced technologies. With new technology and rising electricity demand, there are now opportunities for Tennessee to not only meet the energy needs of its growing population but also to be a model for the whole country in developing and deploying affordable, abundant energy. 

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Andy Ogles Responds to the Attack at the Correspondents Dinner

 by Kevin Bart, Facebook, April 26, 2026- The White House Correspondents’ Dinner was interrupted by a man with a shotgun. He never made it within 100 feet of the President.

This time there were no movie props or stage photo-ops. No theatrics required. This one just needed distance, and distance held.

For a few minutes, power learned what most AmericanA schoolchildren already understand. No one is invulnerable. Fear is sudden. It is loud. It strips titles down to reflex. Heads drop. Hands come up. Phones find loved ones before they find explanations.

The system did what it was built to do. Agents moved. The room cleared. The threat stopped outside the perimeter. In the narrow way we measure these things, it worked.

But this is not about those minutes.

This is about what came after.

Tennessee Republican Congressman Andy Ogles posted a video. He looked like a man still catching up to his own pulse.

“Pray for our country,” he said. “Pray for the leaders that were… may still be on premise.”

That is fear before it organizes itself. Uncertain. Searching. Briefly, almost human.

It didn’t stay there long.

First came the scope. Ogles took to X.

“Hey Senate Libtards fund the dadgum government; DHS and Sec Service. They just tried to kill the President and you are coconspirators. YOU ARE GUILTY!!!”

A verdict. Delivered while the room was still emptying. Congressional Democrats, in Ogles’ telling, had just attempted to assassinate the President of the United States.

Then, apparently, that wasn’t wide enough.

“You libitards are crazy.”

No more coconspirators. No more Senate. Just everyone. Half the country, guilty by disposition.

Watch what happened in that sequence. He started with a legal-sounding accusation; coconspirators, specific, targeted, the kind of word that implies evidence. Then he couldn’t hold it. The frame slipped. What was underneath wasn’t strategy. It was just contempt, looking for a place to land.

Nothing about the facts had changed between those two posts. The shooter was in custody. The President was secure. The perimeter held.

The accusation arrived anyway. Then expanded. Fear lasts minutes. Narrative lasts longer.

A security incident becomes an indictment. Uncertainty becomes certainty. A man with a shotgun becomes proof of something already decided.

Ogles needed an answer before there was one. So he manufactured two.

Andy Ogles has represented Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District since 2023. He has called for the execution of members of Congress. He posed with his family in a Christmas photo holding assault rifles, weeks after twenty children were murdered in Newtown. He has been the subject of an FBI investigation, and he has never, to public knowledge, held a single town hall in his district.

He knows what fear feels like. He recognized the feeling before the room finished settling. Not the sound. The opportunity inside it.

Most people reached for someone they loved. Andy Ogles reached for his phone and typed “libitards.”

Kevin Hart is a writer and lives in Nashville. 

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School Choice, Immigration Bills, Preempted Local Control Mark Session's Last day

by Kim Jarrett, The Center Square,  Apr 25, 2026 - The final day of the Tennessee General Assembly included debates over school choice and artificial intelligence.

An effort to expand eligibility requirements for Education Savings Accounts was thwarted by the Senate on Wednesday. The original bill's testing provision passed.

Education Savings Accounts are available to students in Shelby, Hamilton and Davidson counties and are the predecessor to the Education Freedom Accounts, the statewide school choice program passed in 2025. 

An amendment from the House of Representatives would have relaxed eligibility requirements and expanded the program to more students. 

Lawmakers passed the original version of the bill, which removes a state testing requirement for students receiving Education Savings Accounts. 

Americans for Prosperity called the bill's passage a win.

“These reforms remove barriers to school choice by removing unaligned, high-stakes testing from the ESA program that kept families from applying and schools from accepting Education Savings Accounts," said Tori Venable, Tennessee state director for Americans for Prosperity. "Families and schools don’t want or need more testing, just a shot to receive and deliver a quality education in whatever form suits the needs of the child.”

Lawmakers agreed on April 16 to expand the Education Freedom Scholarships from 20,000 to 35,000.

The General Assembly passed a bill allowing drivers from other countries to obtain a three-year temporary driver's license if they pass the test in their own language. After the license expires, the person must pass the test in English. 

The bill was one of several immigration-related bills that passed both chambers. A bill that creates a misdemeanor offense for any person with a final deportation order who does not leave the state within 90 days was signed by second-term Republican Gov. Bill Lee this week. 

House Bill 1704 creates a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail if a person with a final deportation order doesn't leave the state within 90 days.

The House and Senate exchanged barbs in the last hour of the session over House Bill 1455/Senate Bill 1493. Its original form would have created a felony for training artificial intelligence to encourage suicide or homicide. The bill was amended to authorize a study of the issue.

Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, accused the Senate of giving in to lobbyists.

"I can't imagine leaving here, sine die, and us not taking a step to protect children, and God forbid, something terrible happens to a child because of AI," Zachary said. 

Sen. Adam Lowe, R-Calhoun, said he objected to the notion that the bill was "lobbied out of place."

Sen. Debbie Massey, R-Knoxville, said she believed the original bill was better, but felt like the current bill would "keep the conversation going."

"I'm going to vote to concur because I want to keep this moving," Massey said. 

It was Lee's final session as governor. 

“When I first became governor, I was hopeful about what we could accomplish in partnership with the General Assembly to serve Tennesseans,” Lee said. “Over eight legislative sessions, we’ve passed strategic measures to invest in education, strengthen our workforce, improve infrastructure, and secure our state’s position as a leader in next-generation nuclear energy."

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Tennessee lawmakers pass deadly force, immigration and voucher bills on the final day of the session

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) - ... One of the final pieces of legislation passed includes a bill sponsored by State Rep. Kip Capley (R-Summertown) that allows Tennesseans to use deadly force to protect their property. ... 

287-G

A slew of immigration bills also generated controversy, including one that requires every sheriff in the state to enter into agreements with immigration officials by 2027.

The 287-g program allows sheriff's offices to partner with ICE to detain migrants at local jails. Dozens of counties currently participate voluntarily, but the new bill makes it a requirement. Departments could lose funding if they do not comply. (read more)

Bill to overhaul Nashville Electric Service board passes House, Senate A bill to overhaul the governing board of Nashville Electric Service, sponsored by Republicans from Memphis and Lebanon, was approved by both the House and Senate on April 20.

House Bill 2592 would require NES to add board members from each county it operates in with 3,500 or more ratepayers. If board members from surrounding counties grow to outnumber the home county, more board members from Davidson County could be appointed to make a majority. Counties are not required to appoint a member if they don’t want to.

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TN legislature adjourns after vote-a-rama on local preemption bills

by Vivian Jones, The Tennessean,  April 24, 2026 - After four days of marathon session meetings during which lawmakers preempted local control of airports, the state’s two largest public utilities, its largest school district and all 95 sheriff’s departments, the Tennessee legislature is adjourned for 2026.

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Moderate Democratic Group Backs New Candidates in Key Congressional Races, Including Chaz Molder

by Tyler Spence, NOTAS, April 25, 2026 -The New Democrat Coalition is backing a slate of congressional candidates that it believes are primed to win in some of the most difficult races across the country in November’s midterms.

On Friday, the coalition of moderates announced a slate of six new endorsements for candidates whom it says are critical to Democrats winning a majority in the House of Representatives. ... 

Stanton said the caucus is looking for trusted community leaders regardless of whether they have political experience, which means they end up with candidates who have a diverse set of experiences. Some are doctors, armed service members, sheriffs, ministers or former TV broadcasters.

... The New Democrat Coalition looked for candidates in districts that expand the map for Democrats. According to a list shared with NOTUS, the new candidates getting endorsements are Chaz Molder, Sean McCann, Jamie Ager, Jessica Killin, Donna Miller and Johnny Garcia.

“It was not an easy decision,” Molder, a Democrat running in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District who received one of the new endorsements, told NOTUS of his decision to run. “We need to put forward leaders who are willing to be solutions-oriented and pragmatic and bring people together and build coalitions instead of drive people apart.” (link)

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Democrat House Majority PAC Makes $1.6 Media Buy to Target Ogles and Dem Primary Contenders Out Fundraise Ogles.

by David Nir and Jeff Singer, Down Ballot, April 25, 2026 - ... In Tennessee, for instance, HMP [House Majority PAC} has booked close to $1.6 million in the Nashville market, which includes the 5th District. While Republican Rep. Andy Ogles easily won a second term in 2024 as Trump carried his district by a wide 58-40 margin, this year’s race is looking considerably more eventful.

Ogles is not only plagued by a litany of scandals, but he’s also struggled to raise money to defend himself. On top of that, he faces opposition in the August GOP primary from former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher. Ogles ended the first quarter of the year with a woeful $85,000 in his campaign coffers, though he has Trump’s endorsement as he tries to secure renomination.

Meanwhile, both of the Democrats vying to take on Ogles, Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder and Nashville Metro Councilor Mike Cortese, have managed to outraise the incumbent. Molder has been the standout, banking $1.3 million as of March 31. (link)

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The Phony Moral Exhibitionism on Display at the Metro Arts Commission

by Rod Williams, April 22, 2026- Wokeism really galls me. Sometimes, I think that is the point. It is intended to trigger normal people. It is an in-your-face, ostentatious display of virtue signaling and holier-than-thou phony piety. As an example of what I am talking about, for years, I would get fundraising emails from Dakota Galban, Chair of the Davidson County Democratic Party. He would always follow his name with a "he/him" tag.  He stopped that about a year ago or more. Maybe some consultant told him it alienated some people and the Democratic Party should attempt to appear more normal, or maybe attaching a preferred pronoun to your name simply fell out of fashion. I don't know.

An example much more offensive than attaching a preferred pronoun tag to your name is the Land Acknowledgement ceremonies that some woke organizations engage in before conducting business. To see what I am talking about, watch the first minute and a half of the video of the last meeting of the Metro Arts Commission. They start every meeting with this recitation that says they are occupying stolen land.  As far as I know, the Metro Arts Commission is the only metro commission that engages in this little ritual.

If you look at the history of the world and want to think of it that way, aren't all, or almost all, people everywhere, living on "stolen land?" The country known as England has been inhabited for 800,000 years. Prior to the arrival of the Germanic tribes from the continent, it was inhabited by hunter-gatherers. The Germanic tribes settled there, followed by the Romans; after they departed, the Anglo-Saxon migrations began. That is kind of the way things work. 

So, if the Metro Arts Commission is going to acknowledge that they are occupying stolen land, who was it stolen from? Surely answering "the native inhabitants" does not answer the question. That is kind of vague. Which native inhabitants? I turn to my friendly Google AI looking for an answer:

Indigenous people have inhabited the Nashville area for at least 14,000 years, beginning with Paleo-Indians, followed by Archaic and Woodland peoples. The area was most notably dominated by the Mississippian culture (c. 1000–1450 AD), who built large mound cities. Later, the Shawnee, Cherokee, and Chickasaw hunted and settled in the region before European settlement.  

The Middle Cumberland area was heavily populated, with roughly 130 towns and villages existing within a day's walk of Nashville. These people were agricultural mound builders (e.g., Mound Bottom) who built significant, now-buried cities beneath modern downtown Nashville. Mississippian sites were largely abandoned by the late 15th century due to unknown reasons.

Durning the 1700s–1800s the region became a heavily used hunting ground, often contested by the Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw. The Shawnee were believed to have been pushed out of the area shortly before white settlement in 1779. The Cherokee remained in the region, with notable figures like Chief Black Fox maintaining camps nearby, until they were forcibly removed on the Trail of Tears in 1838. 

Throughout the centuries, this area was often a crossroads, and many tribes used the rich Cumberland River valley for hunting and trade rather than permanent habitation during the late 17th and 18th centuries. 

So, this area was not really occupied when "we" "stole" it. It was a vast contested unoccupied hunting ground. So, who did we steal it from?  The Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, or Choctaw? And who did they steal it from?

I question who the "we" is that stole it. I didn't steal it. I don't carry around with me the sins of my ancestors. I don't have any settler's guilt or White guilt or occupier's guilt. I am only responsible for the things I do. Even if I did carry around the burden of my ancestors' sins, they did not live in Nashville, so I still would not be guilty. 

I like the story of Stuart Reges, a professor at the University of Washington who taught an introductory computer science course at that school. The school had a land acknowledgement statement and Regis wrote a statement mocking the concept. The University tried to discipline him, but he fought back and won on First Amendment grounds. (link). This is what he wrote that got him in trouble:

"I acknowledge that by the labor theory of property, the Coast Salish people can claim historical ownership of almost none of the land currently occupied by the University of Washington." 

The Metro Arts Commission has been a dysfunctional mess for years. I wish there was at least one sensible person on the Commission who would speak up and ask to be recorded as not participating in the Land Acknowledgement ritual. That wouldn't solve what is wrong with the Arts Commission, but it would be something. 

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