
Nashville Reporter Only Sees Racism In Moving To A Christianity-Friendly Small Town
Terry Gant Visit on Twitter @scriptmanuscr1
As Venezuelan gang soldiers set up shop in Tennessee, a Nashville reporter directs ire at a handful of American families who’ve moved in.
On Nov. 18, Nashville News Channel 5 reporter Phil Williams delivered a breathless “exclusive investigation” into the supposed right-wing radicals targeting rural Jackson County, Tennessee, for a takeover. He claimed, “their views are not so different from the ideas espoused by the neo-Nazis and other white supremacists seen marching down Nashville streets in the past year.”
His camera crew, his drone, and even a news helicopter descended on the tiny town of Gainesboro so Phil could “speak truth to power,” as he describes his mission in his X bio. As a native Tennessean, former Nashville police officer, long-time resident of the area, and friend to several of these so-called radicals, I thought I’d offer my perspective.
Conservative Americans Moving to Conservative Towns
At the center of Williams’ article are two podcasters who decided to move to Jackson County and bought land with the Highland Rim Project, an initiative led by my friend Josh Abbotoy and his real estate company RidgeRunner. RidgeRunner’s philosophy isn’t some secret, and a quick glance at their website would’ve saved Williams months of trouble in his quest to uncover their intentions.
They aim to conserve what’s good, revitalize what’s distressed, and innovate toward a better future in small towns and rural areas of Appalachia. They connect the millions of Americans fed up with the chaos, danger, and insanity of big cities and blue states to desirable locations elsewhere. It has nothing to do with white supremacy.
While Phil thinks he’s found a story in the X feeds of people who’ve chosen the pioneer trail to rural America, he’s right that the big story in America today is about movement. There’s no stopping the Big Sort, just like there’s no stopping growth in and around Nashville, so any journalist should be looking into who’s moving to Tennessee, why, and what it will mean for local communities.
With so many Americans relocating nationwide, many red-state residents worry that large crowds of new arrivals will result in sudden changes to the established social and political order. “Don’t California my Texas” is the constant cry of those overrun in the Lonestar State. Red states could go purple — even blue — if too many leftists move in, voting for the very things that sent them packing in the first place.
Small-Town Classic American Culture
RidgeRunner views the Big Sort as an opportunity and is leaning into it. RidgeRunner recently announced its plan for an innovative yet traditional community in Gainesboro, Tennessee, a small town close to my home in Cookeville. It’s not just land and houses. RidgeRunner has already recruited four businesses to the area, including one that will bring 150 well-paying manufacturing jobs starting in 2027.
You won’t hear anything about that in Williams’ piece. Phil is happy to venture out from his blue bubble in Nashville to fearmonger among the good people of Gainesboro, but he doesn’t care about what the job market looks like in Jackson County. The pioneers do. That’s why they’re moving there. That’s why they’re bringing jobs with them.
They’re attracting good families eager to live peaceful and productive lives in well-governed communities with the traditional American, Christian small-town culture that most Americans enjoyed Americans until quite recently. Unlike other developers looking to carve up the countryside in the name of maximum profit, their project seeks to honor the history, culture, and way of life enjoyed by its native population.