A black Arkansas lawmaker has gone viral for her passionate remarks to her white colleagues during a Stand Your Ground debate.
The law was thrust onto the national stage in 2012 after then 27-year-old George Zimmerman shot and killed unarmed Trayvon Martin in one of the nation’s most divisive racial profiling cases. Zimmerman was later acquitted of the crime.
During a debate about Senate Bill 484, which aimed to end the “duty to retreat” within the state. Rep. Stephanie Flowers (D) is seen raising her voice as she demands more time from other state judiciary committee members to discuss the measure.
“My son doesn’t walk the same path as yours do, so this debate deserves more time,” Flowers said Wednesday (March 6). “When you bring crap like this up, it offends me,” she said Wednesday.
Reportedly, Flowers is the only black person on the eight-member committee. When Sen. Alan Clark (R) a white male committee member attempted to silence her, Flowers refused.
“Senator, you need to stop,” Clark said.
“No, I don’t!” Flowers responded.
“Yes, you do,” Clark said.
“No, the hell I don’t. What are you going to do, shoot me?” Flowers responded.
According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Flowers left the chambers soon after the exchange to smoke a cigarette. When she returned Clark said no action would be taken against her. A video of the debate made its way online via Now This and quickly amassed more than 362,000 views.
State Sen. Stephanie Flowers had a powerful and emotional response to a white lawmaker trying to silence her in a debate on Arkansas' ‘stand your ground’ gun laws pic.twitter.com/aZ1OQg2mOs
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 8, 2019
The GOP controlled committee reportedly voted 4-3 against the bill.