After a succession of murders that has left Memphis traumatized, politicians are trying to reassure citizens that actions are being taken to stem the violence.
But some of the strong talk — and proposed solutions — are mere grandstanding, says political analyst Otis Sanford.
Tennessee's two US Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty have recently blamed Democrats for America's crime wave.
But in Tennessee — a state where budgets, law enforcement priorities and lax gun regulations are set by Republicans — Blackburn's recent queries about some system failures in the state appear to reflect upon the state's leadership.