One black lawmaker refused to retreat when her white, male colleagues moved to cut off debate on a bill that would let Arkansas residents use lethal force as the first line of self-defense if they felt threatened.
After her deeply personal tirade against so-called "stand your ground" propositions, the bill was defeated. Now, video of the comments, which allude to racial tensions simmering far beyond Little Rock, has gone viral.
"I'm the only person here of color, OK. I am a mother, too, and I have a son, and I care as much for my son as y'all care for y'alls, but my son doesn't walk the same path as yours does," state Sen. Stephanie Flowers, a Democrat, said Wednesday during debate in the GOP-controlled Judiciary Committee. "So, this debate deserves more time."
"For a long time since I've been back here in Arkansas, I have feared for my son's life," she said, according to official video of the meeting. "Now, he's 27 and he's out of Arkansas, and I thank God he is when you're bringing up crap like this. It offends me. And then to limit the debate, too. This is crazy."
