If you really are or want to be somebody in the Second Amendment advocacy world, you were there.
The
Gun Owners of America Leadership and Advocacy Summit just concluded
this past weekend. Held in Knoxville, Tennessee for the second year in a
row, it brought together those interested in advocating for a return to
the promise of the Second Amendment, codified and enumerated in our
Bill of Rights.
Home to the event, Tennessee was well represented in attendees from
the great unwashed, but there was a paucity of government officials of
any ilk, elected or want-to-bees. You know, “candidates”, with their
hands out for dollars and votes to ascend to elected positions. Two
state Representatives gave of their weekend to attend, Monty Fritts and
Michelle Reneau out of the ninety-nine, and not a single Senator, close
or far.
Of the nine federal Congress district representatives, Tim Burchett
was the only one who respected the Second Amendment enough to show up,
but we would expect that, as he is a Champion in that field. I have
always felt it best if I wanted to fish, to go to where there was water.
Seems if one wants to make a statement about being a Second Amendment
advocate, a collection of Gun Owners might be fertile ground? Yet, not a
single announced candidate for governor (and that race is already
cooking) thought enough of the pool of thousands of voters assembled
worthy of their time and effort to glad hand. Toss in the federal house
races for the 4th and 7th Congressional Districts (you would need a bus
to get all the hopefuls to the site) but not one considered that group
of potential voters worthy of a ride to Knoxville.
Of note, the date, time and place of this event was announced last
year at the conclusion of the previous event, anyone paying attention
was aware, I was…
I suppose the reasoning would follow that gun owners don’t cry enough
or with sufficient volume to get noticed. Maybe they believe the lie
that Tennessee has great gun laws, instead of the truth that we are
governed by a Jim Crow era infringement that makes it a crime for the
average taxpayer to carry any firearm for any reason (TCA 39-17-1307
Unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon. (a) (1) A person commits an
offense who carries, with the intent to go armed, a firearm or a club.)
You can believe that fluid hitting your shoes is rainwater, but it is
yellow and smells bad if you really pay attention. It is a crime to
bear a “firearm” in Tennessee, and the legislature has defined that so
broadly that it includes hand grenades, just so they can keep you
unarmed outside of a permission slip that allows handguns only, that you
pay a tax to exercise as a right, or are provided an exception,
exemption or defense by the grace of the servants you hire and pay to
protect your rights…under their oath to propose or ascent to nothing
that would infringe your natural right to arms.
If you believe that, I have some beachfront property for sale in Weakley County…
C. Richard Archie
West TN Director, Board Member
Tennessee Firearms Assoc.
