Jerry Knowles Calls for House Censure of Pro-Choice Activist Brian Sims

Then, The Canary recently criticized Schuylkill County’s elected representatives in Harrisburg for not acting against their college, Rep. Brian Sims.

You’ll remember, Sims is an obnoxiously vocal pro-choice heckler and a sitting member of the Pennsylvania House. He created two videos in which he verbally berates pro-life activists outside a Planned Parenthood in Philadelphia.

READ: Schuylkill Leadership in Harrisburg Silent on Rep. Brian Sims Planned Parenthood Videos

Well, credit one Schuylkill County representative for doing something. Rep. Jerry Knowles (R-124) says he issued a co-sponsor memo in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The memo calls for Sims’ censure in the State House.

Knowles says Sims should be “removed as a member of all standing committees and that he receives no appoints to any positions or committees that fall under the authority of the Speaker or House Leadership for the remainder of this term.”

Jerry Knowles: Censure Sims!

Refreshingly, Knowles doesn’t mince words in a statement finally released to the press this week.

He correctly says that Sims puts private citizens’ safety in danger through his actions on the videos.

Knowles statement reads:

On the first occasion, Representative Sims recorded himself berating, harassing and violating the First Amendment rights of an individual, whom he labeled, an ‘old, white lady’ for peacefully protesting and praying in public.

Knowles is clearly talking about a Periscope video in which Sims went live to harass a sole protester outside Planned Parenthood. To be fair here, Sims reminded all white people of their moral obligations.

Then, Knowles then takes aim at Sims’ behavior in another video. In that one, Sims confronts a group of teenage girls with one adult woman. In that video, he offers $100 to anyone watching if they’ll produce personal information about these girls.

They call it doxxing.

Knowles says:

By soliciting strangers on the internet for their personal identifying information (i.e. names and addresses), Sims placed these citizens in reasonable fear for their own safety, merely because they were exercising their constitutional right to peacefully protest.

Still Waiting on That Apology

Knowles, like a lot of people, seem to be waiting for an apology from Sims.

“Representative Sims has yet to publicly apologize to the victims of his actions, and to the PA House of Representatives for the shame that he has brought upon this institution,” Knowles says.

That’s probably not going to happen. Sims is clearly too proud of himself to actually apologize to anyone he directly affected by his actions on these two occasions (that he recorded).

In attempts to apologize, Sims can’t help breaking into his own megalomaniac talking points. In veiled apologies, he ends up just talking about himself and all the work he’s doing to give special rights to people seeking equal rights.

Knowles’ move here is one to reduce Sims’ impact in Harrisburg. And Knowles’ House colleagues should join his effort here. Letting Sims carry on in Harrisburg as he has shouldn’t last another day.

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