Jason Sparks
@SparkyJSparks
Followers
486
Following
230
Media
51
Statuses
772
Industrialist, Philanthropist, Bicyclist - 2023 Metro Participatory Budget Chair - Gun Violence Survivor
Nashville
Joined March 2010
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
#C104
• 547060 Tweets
#KoreanMediaBeProfessional
• 290279 Tweets
#ClosingCeremony
• 263389 Tweets
IT WAS A SETUP
• 260696 Tweets
#12AUGHalfMarathon2024
• 197765 Tweets
Los Angeles
• 178362 Tweets
RUN WITH FOURTH
• 174749 Tweets
CHALLENGE WAS FAKE
• 159044 Tweets
Felix
• 141002 Tweets
Tom Cruise
• 113273 Tweets
設営完了
• 112264 Tweets
Billie
• 111338 Tweets
Snoop
• 61916 Tweets
トム・クルーズ
• 42878 Tweets
Samu
• 41190 Tweets
NASCAR
• 37844 Tweets
LISA FEAT ROSALÍA
• 31086 Tweets
Iron Dome
• 28147 Tweets
Jasmine
• 21662 Tweets
CHARLOTTE TIKTOK1M900K
• 21548 Tweets
Mets
• 19215 Tweets
坂元裕二
• 17125 Tweets
Hi-Fi Rush
• 15923 Tweets
レッチリ
• 15355 Tweets
Krafton
• 14174 Tweets
Tango Gameworks
• 13842 Tweets
連休最終日
• 13576 Tweets
Richmond
• 13043 Tweets
振替休日
• 11571 Tweets
I've spent years fighting against arming teachers in schools.
To see a bunch of folks eating Chick Fil A while making it a state law today was borh surreal and disgusting.
It was a real kick in the gut, and I am so sorry I failed my kids and their teachers...
2K
608
3K
Seven years ago today, I lost my best friend, Chris Sparks. He became one of hundreds of unsolved murders in Nashville.
What I didn’t know then, but I do know now, is that the
@tnhousegop
helped to create a world where his murder was easier. 🧵
1/22
31
177
480
I am so grateful for folks like the Tennessee Three,
@VoteGloriaJ
,
@Justinjpearson
, and
@brotherjones_
. They were literally willing to lose their seats to highlight this issue. Or all the many folks in the Democratic caucus that are fighting this fight.
18/22
3
37
222
Tonight is the yahrzeit for my brother Chris. On Sep 28, 2016, he was shot to death for honking at another car as he was driving home to walk his rescue dog Dawson. It's still unsolved. And now we are leading the nation in road murders.
It doesn't have to be this way.
17
36
207
Please. Drive safely. Don’t honk at other folks. Don’t drive aggressively. You just don’t know what other folks are capable of. And please, pay attention and vote in local elections. Hold your local officials accountable.
21/22
2
35
189
I have spent many years testifying at the legislature, speaking with legislators, and trying to raise awareness about these terrible bills. And I am so thankful for
@MomsDemand
&
@shannonrwatts
for all they have done. They are so inclusive and put victims first.
15/22
1
26
162
Here is a deeper dive into what happened to my brother:
22/22
5
35
152
In 2013, the TN State Legislature passed the “Guns in Trunks” law. We currently lead the nation in road rage murders. We also have 4 of the top 15 cities in the country in firearms being stolen from cars, Jackson, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis.
11/22
3
56
147
And the scary part is, they keep passing terrible laws. In 2020, we got Permitless Carry, even while all of the chiefs of police, major law enforcement organizations, and over 80% of the state opposed them. Here, Bill Lee signed it at a gun factory.
13/22
3
45
146
People are awake now. They are paying attention. They realize now about monsters like
@RepChrisTodd
, or
@GinoBulso
,
@WilliamLamberth
,
@JasonZacharyTN
, and more. I've been testifying against their legislation for years - and they really don't care, but people see.
17/22
1
28
139
@PaigePfleger
One of the first times I testified at the legislature, I was pretty crushed because the committee brushed off the story of my brother's murder. Out in the hallway as I was choked up, someone hugged me, I had no idea who it was. And that's the first time I met
@VoteGloriaJ
3
16
136
This was never going to be fixed in a performative "special session"; we spent 13 years legislating our way into this mess, now we need to legislate our way back out. People will need to lose seats. Citizens will have to stay aware.
20/22
1
17
132
If you look at the data, the numbers increase exponentially after the passage of that law.
12/22
1
38
125
I also appreciate all the many folks in the
@TNDemocrats
that are fighting this fight ,
@VoteBo
,
@JRClemmons
,
@yarbro
,
@CalebHemmer
,
@Campbell4TN
,
@TNRepParkinson
,
@SenatorLamar
and more, while their peers across the aisle shrug their shoulders and ignore constituents.
19/22
1
20
126
This year, they dropped the permitless carry age down to 18. And the next step is to arm teachers in schools (which conveniently excludes private schools).
14/22
2
41
121
But this year, another tragedy struck; the terrible shooting at the Covenant School. Yesterday was the 6th month anniversary. And now more people are finally paying attention. I hate that is what brought more people into this fight like
@SarahShoop33
and
@CovBrightTmrws
16/22
1
20
115
I really wanted to grow old with my little brother. I wanted him to be with my kids as they grew up. I would have loved to talk with him during the pandemic or with all of the insane politics that have transpired. About video games, movies, TV shows, so many things.
9/22
2
12
110
But that was all taken away from me and my family. My best friend’s life was suddenly ended in a moment, nobody was ever caught, and it happened in broad daylight on a busy road a block from the MNPD North Precinct.
10/22
1
22
102
It's been a long time since I lost my best friend. I so wish that my kids had gotten more time with him. It's sad his murder and hundreds of others are unsolved. I hate that our TN lawmakers have been making this tragedy easier for over a decade.
#GVSurvivorsWeek
@MomsDemand
Seven years ago today, I lost my best friend, Chris Sparks. He became one of hundreds of unsolved murders in Nashville.
What I didn’t know then, but I do know now, is that the
@tnhousegop
helped to create a world where his murder was easier. 🧵
1/22
31
177
480
6
43
104
In 2015, my brother had finally graduated from
@UTKnoxville
with a degree in Mathematics and Physics. He had spent the bulk of his life as a chef, but moved to Nashville and gotten his first-ever 9-5 job at the age of 35.
2/22
2
10
94
Along the way, he honked at a car driving erratically, that car then shot him twice at the intersection of Ed Temple and Buchanan, and then just drove away.
@NC5_EmilyLuxen
8/22
2
20
93
@AnnaCaudill4
@VoteGloriaJ
@TNGOP
I was there in that room. I'm a gun violence survivor.
Everyone there was an unpaid volunteer or concerned mom. If
@Jodyforstaterep
wants to have an honest talk about why the First Partner of CA wanted to meet with us, but our legislators won't, I'd be happy to meet with him.
1
15
95
Chris came here so he could be closer to my family, especially my kids Sam and Zoe. He was an amazing uncle and spent so much time with them. Funny coming from a guy who once claimed that he had no use for children. The year he lived here was amazing – it was his best. 3/22
1
11
89
You are so Nashville if...
"You live your life like Phil Williams is always watching. Because he is."
@NC5PhilWilliams
@NashvilleScene
3
10
87
He worked for the State Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The department had spent millions on a totally broken system that Chris had been tasked to fix. He was working way above his pay grade, but that doesn’t surprise me, he was brilliant.
4/22
1
11
83
I thought this surely must be a mistake, that they got the wrong person. But on his lunch break, he decided to go to his house in the Nations to walk his rescue dog Dawson; named after the late, great Richard Dawson.
7/22
1
11
80
Later on that night, my wife got a call from the medical examiner. We found out that Chris had been shot to death and they needed me to come identify his body the next day. I couldn't believe it.
6/22
1
11
74
On Sep. 28, 2016, we were messaging back and forth like we frequently did, about all sorts of things. Nashville politics, the upcoming presidential election, etc. But around noon, he fell silent.
5/22
1
7
70
Linda is one of the people I respect the most in this world.
The fact she was treated this way as a peaceful citizen is disgusting and reprehensible.
State troopers ordered by
@TNGOP
to drag Christians out of the Senate gallery.
@GovBillLee
’s legacy. Linda McFadyen-Ketchum is a mother, a choir member, a woman who faithfully serves families who lose loved ones to gun violence.
@bfrist
if not now, when?
#ItsTheGuns
4
91
185
17
14
72
Ms. Shaundelle is one of my sheroes. In all the years I've been doing this work, she has always been there. I've seen her heart broken by the callous statements of lobbyists and lawmakers. She knows what we need to do. And it's time that she stood in front of them.
For the past 5 years, I have walked into the Tennessee legislature, testified at committees, had gun lobbyists say ugly things to me, and watched politicians do nothing to stop gun violence. That is why I’m considering a run for House District 60.
#FightLikeAMom
91
316
2K
6
17
67
@Jodyforstaterep
Hi Jody. I was one of the folks that met with Jennifer Newsom. I'm a gun violence survivor; I actually live pretty close to Dickson. Nobody in that room was paid - it was all a bunch of concerned volunteers. I'd be happy to meet with you and explain if you'd like to be real.
5
3
62
Signed up to testify in House Criminal Justice against HB 2035, confirmed via voice, took time off, paid for parking, and... Chair Hulsey skipped over me and cut off debate, ramming through a vote. Not the first time this has happened to me at the Leg, but always frustrating...
19
13
60
Not only is
@WilliamLamberth
responsible for wrecking public education with the 3rd grade retention law, when I was in his office this year, he told me that I needed to move on from my brother's murder and that the problem wasn't guns, it was "certain communities without fathers"
4
26
60
@johnpaulkeith
It's true. It was me. Not only did he tell me to get over it, he claimed the issue wasn't guns but "certain communities without fathers..."
8
11
57
Hide your kids, hide your wife, hide your legislative interns;
@NC5PhilWilliams
is coming back...
Seriously tho, how is the Phil Williams Cloning Project™ not a thing yet? We need a Phil in all 95 counties, esp Jackson, Chatty, Knoxville, etc...
3
5
52
Remembering my brother Chris Sparks, a victim of gun violence, on this day as we meet with legislators and I speak tomorrow against permit-less gun carry and stand-your-ground laws.
@TNleg
@MomsDemand
#momsareeverywhere
2
15
51
@jhollymc
@voices4saferTN
Still processing this. They gave $5k to the guy that asked children "What gun would you like to be shot with...?" Or told me that the problem when my brother was murdered wasn't guns, it was "certain communities without fathers..."
4
16
47
@ChrisDavisMMJ
@WilliamLamberth
@NC5
This year, when I was in his office with a group of concerned citizens, I told him about my brother's murder. He told me that I needed to work on getting past it. Then he told me the problem wasn't guns, it was "certain communities without fathers..."
8
13
43
@jhollymc
@PartipiloJ
It is a dereliction of duty. It is a complete lack of empathy. And it because of zero accountability. I've testified in front of them. They won't make eye contact. They deflect. They know their constituents aren't paying attention. Voting them out is the only option.
2
5
42
As a gun violence survivor, MNPS parent, concerned citizen, and Chair of the Metro Nashville Participatory Budget, I'm proud to vote for
@freddieoconnell
And for At-Large:
@Oliviahill247
@DelishiaForNash
@AllenBurkley
@JeffSyracuseTN
Please vote - get friends out, too!
2
9
38
@NC5PhilWilliams
Good god. What's left? Does she know where Jimmy Hoffa's body is and is there a Polaroid of her with the shovel?
3
2
35
@TheTNHoller
@GinoBulso
See the part where the gun lobbyist shakes his hand on the way around the corner...
2
4
32
@KGreenMD
@KidsNotGunsTN
@Their__Future
It breaks my heart to know that since "guns in trunks" was passed in 2013, we have now risen to the
#1
state in the country in road rage murders. I never found out who shot my brother and drove away, but it would have been illegal 3 years prior... We legislated our way into this
1
15
27
@matthewsully
I think Gino works for his ego. And some sort of perverse Christo-patriarchy. Easily in my top-5 least favorite legislators.
0
1
25
@NC5PhilWilliams
Did you show them an 8.5x11" sign with no permit? It might have 'triggered' them...
0
0
25
To re-victimize the victims and families of gun violence survivors is appalling. To do it for a political purpose, ala Alex Jones post Sandy Hook -
@ToddGardenhire
,
@TennFirearms
,
@TheTNStar
, or whomever leaked should be ashamed for the trauma inflicted on
@CovBrightTmrws
0
11
24
@Jodyforstaterep
You say that you're open to meet up after attacking. But the way that you treat all of this with a lack of integrity is disappointing. Moms Demand is a nonpartisan group. Keeping our kids from getting killed should be everyone's goal. And I'm personally not a liberal.
1
2
21
@tnhousegop
@TNDemocrats
It's true, geniuses. You walk out when you're in the right. Not standing around wasting taxpayer money passing bills based on fantasy that won't get through. You had a great opportunity to get something done in this session. But you acted like petulant children. As always.
0
2
21
I'm really thankful to the author of this article for not only highlighting the amazing women featured on the cover, but also folks like
@PlanetLindaMK
and
@Natrixdreammom
who have been in this for a long time. One of my best moments during the Special Session involved Ibti.
Nashvillians of the Year: Gun safety advocates Sarah Shoop Neumann, Ibtihal Cheko and Maryam Abolfazli are at the center of a Nashville community calling for change.
78
145
455
0
5
19
@NC5PhilWilliams
@KeithSharonTN
I will be forever grateful for the story
@KeithSharonTN
wrote about road rage murders in TN and my brother's unsolved death. I've spoken to many journalists in print, radio, and TV over the years and deeply respect the time and attention to detail he put into that story.
0
1
20
Even folks from outside this state are wondering why our Governor and GOP Supermajority don't care about our gun violence epidemic. It was an honor to meet with Jennifer Siebel Newsom last weekend with all of the amazing women.
Governor
@BillLeeTN
and his GOP allies in the Tennessee legislature won’t meet with
@MomsDemand
volunteers and survivors to discuss the state’s gun violence, but California First Partner
@JenSiebelNewsom
will. 💪💪💪
38
292
1K
1
5
19
@JRClemmons
"...no one has done more harm...." until the next person ol Gov Lee slots in that position...
1
2
20
@Campbell4TN
They gave $5k to the guy that asked children "What gun do you want to be shot with?" and told me that my brother wasn't killed by guns, that the problem was "certain communities without fathers..."
2
8
19
@kristenschaaled
I'm testifying right now in Tennessee against an expansion to our Stand Your Ground law because my kid brother was shot to death in an unsolved murder 4 years ago. He freaking loved you.
8
0
17
As a MNPS parent, gun violence survivor, and Metro Participatory Budget member, I'm ready for
@freddieoconnell
Please get out and vote - get a couple of friends to as well!
Also At Large:
@Oliviahill247
@DelishiaForNash
@AllenBurkley
@JeffSyracuseTN
0
4
17
@TheTNHoller
@AndyOgles
Sounds like one of his many, many lies. Because I personally know those folks, and it has been radio silence...
0
0
16
@brotherjones_
Don't forget tomorrow, April 17, when at 5pm they'll pass HB 1202 and allow concealed guns on teachers in classrooms without parents or other teachers knowing who...
#itstheguns
4
7
17
Please vote, gang. This election is really important. As a gun violence survivor, Chair of the Metro Participatory Budget, MNPS Parent, and concerned citizen, we need to make
@freddieoconnell
our next mayor.
And for At Large:
@DelishiaForNash
@Oliviahill247
@AllenBurkley
Change does NOT happen when you don't show up to the polls. Vote like your life depends on it - because it does. Like, share, retweet, text 10 friends to see if they have voted. Comment when you have!
2
36
84
0
2
15
HEADS UP - the word is that early voting numbers for Nashville are LOW, like 10-11%. We cannot leave this to chance. Last day to early vote - get friends out - pester folks.
Mayor
@freddieoconnell
At-Large:
@DelishiaForNash
@Oliviahill247
@AllenBurkley
@JeffSyracuseTN
1
3
16
@Campbell4TN
Thanks
@Campbell4TN
, I've been fighting against this for years. What worries me is not that it is stopped in MNPS, but where it will be allowed elsewhere in the state.
And next year, should they decide to override local control for this measure with more legislation...
1
1
16
I am so excited to hear
@VoteGloriaJ
is running for Senate. As a fellow gun violence survivor and public educator, she is best for our state by far.
ALSO, get out and vote for
@freddieoconnell
And for At Large
@Oliviahill247
@DelishiaForNash
@AllenBurkley
@JeffSyracuseTN
2
4
14
@nthansen
@voices4saferTN
I'm proud to volunteer with
@MomsDemand
- a non-partisan, inclusive group that is actually doing work. Not just putting signs in yards, making human chains,
blasting social media, and raising money to give to these goons.
3
4
14
@SarahShoop33
My wife unfriended an acquaintance who was doing this for a children's travel baseball team in Mt Juliet last year. Super sick...
3
0
13
@KGreenMD
WHY are they so obsessed with the child trafficking thing? Is it because of that stupid Q-Anon inspired movie that came out this summer? I assume that's why they passed that bill during special session . That email was a masterclass in whataboutism and now my brain hurts.
1
0
13
@LADTNBlue
@Cstu05
@ChrisDavisMMJ
@WilliamLamberth
@NC5
Well, he also asked kids what gun they'd like to be shot with, sooooo....
0
1
13
@matthewsully
I've testified against his bills for years. He is despicable. And, he refuses to make eye contact with me by this point. He has introduced some of the most hateful legislation in our state in his tenure. And he displays zero empathy. This was horrifying to watch. I'm sorry.
0
4
12
@AnnaCaudill4
He is a soulless ghoul. When I first testified against one of his bills of several years ago (making it even easier for shooters to get away without thinking about what they had done), he simply brushed off the story of my brother's murder. And he refuses to make eye contact.
1
0
10
@Campbell4TN
That garage was PACKED with state trooper cars during the People's Plaza protests, but they were nowhere to be seen when election deniers and white nationalists were demonstrating there...
1
0
10
@JRClemmons
His sister is part of the LGBTQ community and he has signed off on laws that attack that demographic.
His own daughter shot herself in his home with his pistol and he signs awful firearm bills in gun factories.
His wife's friend is shot and he offers up lip service.
2
1
11
@JasonZacharyTN
@tnhousegop
@tnsenategop
And another great example of why you are:
A: Not an attorney
B: Great at passing lawsuits, not legislation
0
0
11
@AnnaCaudill4
@TNGOP
After I testified against Permitless Carry in 2021, Sam was kind enough to pull me aside afterwards; he voted against it and apologized for his party. He said the Governor wouldn't even speak to him about it, even though he lives in Whitson's district.
0
4
10
@schelzig
When I testified against Permitless Carry in committee back in 2021, Sam Whitson voted against it. He pulled me aside after and said that he apologized for his party, that they only cared about "the orange guy", and said that the Governor wouldn't even talk to him about the bill
1
1
10
Early Voting started today as a MNPS parent, gun violence survivor, Metro Participatory Budget board member and concerned citizen, I'm ready for
@freddieoconnell
Also for at-large:
@Oliviahill247
@DelishiaForNash
@JeffSyracuseTN
@AllenBurkley
Please. Get out and vote.
2
4
9
@JasonZacharyTN
@GlennJacobsTN
@FaithandFreedom
@TNFaithFreedom
Good gravy, you are a sad, tiny little waste.
1
0
9
@THEChrisOB
@WKRN
You can hope in one hand and Supermajority in the other and see which fills up first...
0
2
10
@TheTNHoller
@ghart14
@RepChrisTodd
I have testified against him many times up at the legislature. It's always shocking how little he knows about the bills he's trying to pass. Bill Beck used to destroy him. And after hearing my brother's murder story, he won't make eye contact with me...
1
1
10
1
2
9
Hi Nashville friends! If you haven't done so already, take a moment to vote on these amazing projects that were proposed by our fellow citizens. Voting runs from Oct 1 thru Nov 30. Anyone 14 and older that resides in Nashville can vote!
1
5
10
@nthansen
@MarshaBlackburn
@tnsenategop
@tnhousegop
Hey Nick. My first experience with
@VoteGloriaJ
was shortly after one of the first times I testified up at the Hill. I was pretty torn up, because the committee basically ignored the story of my brother's murder.. When I was out in the hall, someone came up and hugged me.
1
0
7
@KGreenMD
@WilliamLamberth
told me the problem was "certain communities without fathers" when I was sitting in his office.
Sorry, but that, "sin", or "mental health" (they won't fund) didn't kill my brother.
It was guns.
#ItsTheGuns
2
3
9
As much as I despise this guy, not sure that this poll is going the way he thought it would. Reminded me when
@WilliamLamberth
told me in his office that the problem wasn't guns, it was "certain communities without fathers"... riiiiiight. Because "Sin" didn't kill my brother..
What do you feel is the core issue driving the evil acts of violence we are seeing in our country?
5K
3K
3K
1
2
8
@jhollymc
It's like having the Sacklers raise money for opioid awareness. As a gun violence survivor, I find it nauseating.
0
2
9
@KGreenMD
Yep. It's also been on-brand how little
@AndyOgles
,
@JohnRoseforTN
,and
@RepMarkGreen
have had to do with Nashville in good times and in crisis. Just another example of
@tnhousegop
pettiness and hypocrisy about "lOcAL cONtRol"...
0
0
8
And despite her own painful personal story(ies!) she has always been there to support me in my grief. It doesn't have to be this way. She can help us legislate out of this mess. There isn't a hole deep enough for some of these folks that will run away from her gaze.
0
1
6
@afquillen
@GovBillLee
I can't believe they're back on attacking masks. Seriously. Of all things they could focus on. Perhaps it shows how little substance they stand for.
1
0
8
@JeremyFaison4TN
Was that why you threw out two black lawmakers? This post-racial thing doesn't seem to be working the way you think it is... Cause... I mean, did you even watch the video of yourself? Was your hood under your suit during the TN3 ouster?
@brotherjones_
@Justinjpearson
1
0
8
@jhollymc
They've been paying Republican lobbyists that have been doing nothing the whole time. They refuse to work with any other orgs. And their fundraising tool is the guy who single-handedly let the assault weapons ban expire. Other than yard signs and human chains - nothing.
1
3
8
@johnpaulkeith
@afquillen
@GovBillLee
It's true. I showed up in the Senate Ed Subcommittee ready to testify against arming teachers in classrooms, was approved, took time off work, adjusted our carpool, paid for parking, and they gavelled out in 30 seconds rather than even hear a single bill or... do their jobs...
1
0
7
@KGreenMD
@KidsNotGunsTN
@Their__Future
I know I will be spending a ridiculous amount of time at the legislature fighting these terrible bills, meeting with legislators, and begging for common-sense gun reforms. And now I also get to worry about the war against public ed. I really should choose a different hobby...
1
1
5
@careymoore615
@johnpaulkeith
I think it was:
- Total shock
- The fact I was representing Moms Demand
- I was with a group of other citizens
But he was super condescending and again, this is the guy that asked kids what kind of gun they preferred to be shot with.
2
0
7
@AnnaCaudill4
@TNGOP
@RepChrisTodd
I know Jackson, TN can do better than this sorry excuse for a human. And most of his GOP peers in the house are disgusting with this clown, too.
0
0
7
0
0
5
@JeremyFaison4TN
Masks? Really? You're choosing to focus on masks, out of all the many many things that are facing this state? I get it, when it's Proud Boys or Neo Nazis, totally cool, but to keep fellow citizens safe, that's where you draw the mask line.
Got it.
1
0
6