VOLuntarilyConservative

The Knoxville chapter of the Tennessee Firearms Association will have its monthly meeting tonight. Special guest speaker will be Knoxville Mayor and 2010 gubernatorial candidate Bill Haslam.

Monthly meetings are held at The IHOP restaurant in front of Lowes, on Chapman Highway at the intersection of John Sevier Highway in South Knoxville. A pre-meeting social hour is from 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. during which you may wish to eat dinner from the menu. The meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. and end at 8:00 P.M. Participation by those in attendance is always encouraged.

Gun owners, persons involved in the shooting sports, Second Amendment supporters and interested public are urged to attend; YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER TO ATTEND.

No word on whether Jackie and Dunlap will be making the trip from Murfreesboro to pepper Haslam with firearms questions. From the sounds of this ADULT RATED video (consider yourself warned...), they certainly have a new interest in owning firearms in Tennessee.

Labels: Red State Update, Second Amendment, TFA, Videos

A quote from a recent op-ed in the New York Times:

"NRA leaders have misled many gullible people into believing that our weapons are going to be taken away from us, and that homeowners will be deprived of the right to protect ourselves and our families. The NRA would be justified in its efforts if there was a real threat to our constitutional right to bear arms. But that is not the case."

- Jimmy Carter, the worst of our 44 United States Presidents.

I really didn't think the power-mad Democrats would make a play for gun control during this congressional term - until I started reading quotes like this one from Carter. Now it seems like a mathematical certainty. Of course, this would be against the will of the American public, which, according to a recent Zogby poll, is overwhelmingly (to the tune of 74%) against new laws to limit civil liberties pertaining to firearms.

Labels: Jimmy Carter, Quotes, Second Amendment

The Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Firearms Association will have its June meeting tonight, June 2nd in South Knoxville.

The guest speaker is Jonathan Pirkle of Coal Creek Armory and his presentation will be about Class 3 firearms.

This meeting will he held at The IHOP restaurant, in front of Lowe’s, on Chapman Highway at the intersection of John Sevier Highway in South Knoxville. A pre-meeting social hour is from 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. during which you may wish to eat dinner. The meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. and end at 8:00 P.M. Participation by those in attendance is always encouraged.

Gun owners, persons involved in the shooting sports, Second Amendment supporters and interested public are urged to attend; YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER TO ATTEND.

Labels: Second Amendment, TFA

I've got to give credit to my former employer, the NRA. I was very interested in how they were going to finesse the 2008 White House race as soon as it became apparent that a GOP nominee with a poor record on gun owners rights was going to take on a Democratic nominee with an abysmal history of respecting the Second Amendment.

The NRA answered by attacking Obama through e-mail and press releases, as an Obama presidency obviously hurts those who respect the Second Amendment. However, the NRA hasn't really propped up McCain, which more than likely would have angered significant numbers of their membership. Of course, McCain (and the NRA) has been helped by strong firearms advocate Sarah Palin bringing the only true credentials to either ticket.

The NRA has done a good job of finessing the national race. It's a shame, though, that they have done such a poor job here in Tennessee of using their political influence to make sure that pro-gunners control the General Assembly. But that's a topic for another day...

Here is what the NRA had to say today about Obama:

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

- Senator Barack Obama (April 6, 2008)


Obama's Gun Control History


- Running for the Illinois State Senate in 1996, Senator Obama supported banning "the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns." Senator Obama also supported waiting periods and background checks to purchase all firearms.

- In 2001, Senator Obama voted against a bill to allow individuals to carry a concealed weapon when they have a valid order of protection out against another person.

- In 2003, Senator Obama voted in support of legislation that "would have banned most of the privately held hunting shotguns, target rifles, and black powder rifles" in Illinois. He also voted in support of a measure that would have prohibited multiple sales of handguns within a 30-day period.

- In 2004, Senator Obama voted against legislation "drafted to protect homeowners from being prosecuted in cases where they used a firearm to halt a home invasion."

- In 2004, Senator Obama expressed his opposition to right to carry concealed weapons by saying, "I mean, I am consistently on record and will continue to be on record as opposing concealed carry."

- Running for the U.S. Senate in 2004, Senator Obama received an "F" rating from the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund. Senator Obama advocated national legislation banning concealed carry.

- In a 2004 candidate questionnaire, Senator Obama supported banning assault weapons.

Labels: 2008 General Election, Second Amendment

Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden, in his own words, on gun owners:



Apparently, Average Joe believes either 1) that all gun owners have mental issues or 2) that he can diagnose the questioner as mentally ill using his experience as a medical doctor and based on a video clip under thirty seconds in length.

That's the kind of deep thought America can expect from a ticket that believes buzzwords like "hope" and "change" are all that American voters want out of their political leaders.

Labels: 2008 General Election, Second Amendment

Good catch by the Tennessee Firearms Association (of which I am a member) and the Tennessee Republican Party for exposing House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh as the liar that he is. The irony is that it was over a firearms issue, which are always the target of Naifeh's notorious parliamentary maneuvers.

Read more over at A.C.'s domain.

Maybe Doug Overbey and rest of the Republicans that continue to vote for Jimmy Naifeh to remain as House Speaker can come up with a gaggle of excuses to manipulate Naifeh out of this snare.

Labels: General Assembly, Second Amendment, TFA, TN GOP

Professor Reynolds has a noteworthy post on a seemingly erroneous opinion by a federal judge in the Virgin Islands that basically ignores the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Heller (the case that struck down the D.C. gun ban and embraced the "individual right" theory of Second Amendment interpretation).

Two thoughts:

1) I am a big fan of sites like Instapundit and Volokh delving into the opinions of the federal judiciary. Lord knows that the traditional media doesn't do an adequate job of shining a light on judicial practices (particularly in the federal district and state appellate realms), and more people probably read Instapundit and Volokh than watch MSNBC.

2) Reynolds hits on a key point that everyone should remember from Heller:

"...that the "collective right" approach, which the pre-Heller lower court caselaw followed, was rejected by all nine Supreme Court Justices."

No one defended the "collective right" approach - not in the Opinion, not in the Dissents. The "collective rights" approach is dead. Somebody just needs to tell the federal district court judges (and probably the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit) that the funeral, wake, and obituaries have been cast.

Labels: Judiciary, Second Amendment

This from the TFA's Knoxville Chapter regarding their May meeting:

TENNESSEE FIREARMS ASSOCIATION

KNOXVILLE CHAPTER

THE MAY MEETING WILL BE HELD ON

TUESDAY EVENING MAY 6, 2008

Our guest speaker is Mike Acuff from the American Eagle Foundation, he will talk about their operations at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge.

Monthly meetings are held at Bob’s Mountaineer Restaurant, 10321 Chapman Highway (Rt. 441) in Seymour, TN. A pre-meeting social hour is from 6 PM to 7 PM during which you may wish to eat dinner either from the menu or from the buffet. The meeting will begin at 7 PM and end at 8 PM. Participation by those in attendance is always encouraged.

Gun owners, persons involved in the shooting sports, Second Amendment supporters and interested public are urged to attend, YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER TO ATTEND. For more information contact: Bill Noll; wsnoll@comcast.net 865-688-0321 or Charlie Thoms; Cthoms43@aol.com 865-379-2151.

Labels: Second Amendment, TFA

From the NRA Foundation:

The Smokies Friends of NRA plans to hold a banquet on Saturday, May 10th at 6:00 PM at the Mainstays Suites, 410 Pine Mountain Road in Pigeon Forge. Tickets may be purchased at Sevier Indoor Range, 1874 Country Meadow Drive in Sevierville or by calling (865) 774-6111. You may also purchase tickets by contacting local committee chairman Tom Ressler at (865) 604-1026 or tomressler@worldnet.att.net.

Friends of NRA is a key event that supports thousands of community service related to firearm education, hunter safety, wildlife conservation, range improvements, youth marksmanship and law enforcement, among others. Working with NRA field representatives, the members and volunteers organize banquets in their communities, complete with auctions, special drawings and fellowship. Much of the merchandise at the banquets is donated or provided at reduced cost by hundreds of participating vendors.

The Friends of NRA is the face of the NRA, run at the grassroots level by people from all walks of life. At a Friends of NRA banquet, you'll meet fire chiefs, engineers, shopkeepers, police officers, and teachers: all mainstream citizens working together to support an important cause in preserving our rights and heritage.

Half of the profits raised by each Friends of NRA banquet will be spent in the state in which it was held. The other half supports qualifying national-level programs like the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program, Women On Target®, and other educational and safety services. State Fund Committees made up of volunteers review grant applications from local organizations and make recommendations to The NRA Foundation on how the money might best be used in their areas. For more information about Friends of NRA, visit www.friendsofnra.org.

Labels: NRA, Second Amendment

National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre - whose office used to be right down the hall from mine only 4 short years ago (although Wayne's office was much nicer and had a better view) - is slated to attend an event in Kingsport next month. Here is a press release I received a few days ago from Jim Holcomb (former candidate for Congress out of the 1st District) of the Tennessee Conservative PAC:

Leader of NRA to Visit Kingsport; will speak on Gun Rights Issues

Bristol, TN – Tennessee Conservative PAC has announced an event featuring Mr. Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice-President of the National Rifle Association on Friday, April 18, 2008 at Meadowview Conference Center starting at 7 P.M.

“We are excited that the leader of the NRA will be in Northeast Tennessee for Tennessee Conservative PAC,” Jim Holcomb said. “The evening will be full of useful knowledge for those who are interested in protecting our Second Amendment rights at the Federal and State level and other conservative issues.”

Everyone is invited to attend. Tickets to the event are a suggested contribution of $15 and may be purchased by calling 423-646-1589.

Wayne LaPierre has served as the executive vice president and chief executive officer of the National Rifle Association of America since 1991.

Since then, NRA almost doubled in size, exceeding four million members, and is recognized as the most politically influential organization in America.

Wayne joined NRA in 1978 as a state liaison for the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), and by 1986 was elected its executive director, managing NRA initiatives before Congress, the executive branch and state legislatures.

Wayne’s latest book, The Global War on Your Guns: Inside the U.N. Plan to Destroy the Bill of Rights, exposes the worldwide movement to undermine American firearm freedoms. His previous books include Guns, Freedom and Terrorism, Shooting Straight and Guns, Crime and Freedom, which reached #11 on The New York Times bestseller list in 1994.

Wayne’s commitment to preserving our Second Amendment freedoms extends to those safeguarded by the First Amendment. As a key strategist opposing the onerous Campaign Finance Reform Act upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, he is committed to the restoration of free political speech for all Americans.

As NRA’s principal spokesperson, Wayne is regularly quoted, debated and interviewed on the nation’s most influential TV networks, cable programs, radio shows and in global magazines and newspapers. For years, he hosted “The Wayne LaPierre Show,” a syndicated radio program broadcast in over 100 markets.

In 2000, Wayne launched NRA Sports. Though in its infancy, NRA Sports has already touched hundreds of thousands of lives through promotion of the shooting sports.

Under his guidance, the NRA played a strategic role in the 2000 election of George W. Bush over his outspokenly anti-gun opponent. Indeed, NRA’s vigorous campaign and grassroots support was widely credited as one of the keys to that victory.

During the 2002 election cycle, Wayne again helped lead the NRA to record-setting victories. By orchestrating get-out-the-vote rallies in key battleground states, NRA energized American voters to elect the most pro-gun, pro-freedom Congress in recent history. NRA won 94 percent of its U.S. House races and 88 percent of its U.S. Senate races, proving again that NRA voters comprise one of the most formidable political forces in the country.

Wayne LaPierre has helped the National Rifle Association restore the relevance and sanctity of the Second Amendment and, today, this right is preserved by freedom’s largest, most potent and devoted voluntary organization.

Labels: NRA, Second Amendment

I read this column by Pastor Chuck Baldwin that made some serious allegations against Republican Nominee-in-waiting John McCain and his record on the Second Amendment and firearms rights.

So I decided to look into McCain's record. Here are the ratings by Gun Owners of America for John McCain over the past several election years:

• 2006 - F-
• 2004 - F-
• 2002 - C-
• 2000 - C-

This is no better than Obama (F) or Clinton (F-) received.

From what I can tell, McCain's last ranking of significance from the NRA was a C+. That ain't too good, because NRA ranks on a more friendly scale than the often overharsh GOA.

So, my fellow supporters of the Second Amendment, it appears that our candidate - the one who would actually support our right to keep and bear arms as stated in the U.S. Constitution - hasn't declared his or her candidacy yet, as none of the 3 options at this point even come close to passing muster with GOA.

UPDATE: The Countertop Chronicles - a pro-gun blog if there ever was one - has a different take on GOA that brings their McCain rankings into question. Countertop basically believes that GOA has been overrun by the Ron Paul supporters, which would explain the anti-McCain rhetoric, and breaks down McCain's votes. That still doesn't explain the NRA ratings, though.

I do know that McCain is currently down as co-sponsor of the carry bill in national parks currently before the Senate. Maybe McCain isn't so great on guns, but maybe he isn't as bad as GOA makes it appear.

Labels: 2008 General Election, NRA, Second Amendment

Thanks to a brief filed in District of Columbia v. Heller, the premier Second Amendment Supreme Court case in the past 70 years, we now have proof that the Bush Administration has been decidedly pro-gun control. That brief was filed on behalf of the Administration by Bush's own Solicitor General.

In the following letter, Congressman Virgil Goode (R-VA) lets Bush know that he's in the wrong on this one:

January 22, 2008

President George W. Bush

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC 20500

Dear President Bush:

Your Solicitor General has just filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the D.C. v. Heller case arguing that categorical gun bans of virtually all self-defense firearms are constitutional if a court determines they are "reasonable" -- the lowest standard of constitutional review.

If this view prevails, a national ban on all firearms -- including hunting rifles -- could be constitutional, even if the court decides -- on ample historical evidence -- that the Founders intended the Second Amendment as an individual right.

I would ask that you direct the Justice Department to withdraw this unfortunate brief and to replace it with an opinion which reflects the right of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Virgil Goode

Gun Owners of America has generated this press release along the same lines. The National Rifle Association has issued several statements regarding the amici briefs. Say Uncle also has a few thoughts.

The Administration's brief is a real shame. It gets quite a bit of the argument right, and then it takes a horrid turn for the worse about 2/3 of the way through, venturing into some fantasyland where criminals abide by the laws and machine guns can be found as easily as crack cocaine. It makes one wonder if President Bush really did support the Brady Gun Ban, that it wasn't just lip service that he hated to see it go when it lapsed back in 2004.


I guess we can chalk this up to another issue that went wrong under President Bush.

Labels: SCOTUS, Second Amendment

Senate Bill 23, authored by State Senator Doug Jackson (D-25), will be heard by the full Senate today.

SB23 allows a person who has a valid Right-to-Carry permit to carry a firearm in a place where alcohol is served, as long as the permit holder is not consuming alcohol or is not otherwise prohibited by posting provisions.

Of course, I suppose the vote matters little since Naifeh will - as is typical - make sure that it never gets to a vote in the House. It is a serious failure on the part of pro-firearm groups that Jimmy Naifeh hasn't been politically removed from the Speaker's chair.

Labels: General Assembly, Second Amendment

"I consider good gun control as a real steady aim."

- Fred Thomson, speaking in Manchester, Iowa, on Tuesday.

(Hat Tip: Say Uncle)

Labels: Fred Thompson, Quotes, Second Amendment

I was planning on summarizing the bill passed by Congress this week that addresses issues with the National Instant Check System (NICS), as well as those who have had mental health adjudications and their ability to purchase firearms.

However, Say Uncle beat me to it, so I'll save time and link to his excellent round-up of reactions.

I think the bill is good for gun owners. It was supported by the NRA, and there are several positive aspects of the bill. Even the part that the Brady Campaign and VPC wanted (regarding the mental health adjudications that wouldn't have stopped what happened at Virginia Tech, no matter how you slice it), in my opinion, is something that many in the NRA were not opposed to for several years now.

Looking at it that way, we gave up nothing to gain several positive things. Not bad.

Labels: NRA, Second Amendment

After going through the remarks made by the various candidates at the NRA's "Celebration of American Values" Conference that took place in Washington, D.C., last week, it is pretty clear that only two of the Republican candidates that bothered to show up (that eliminates Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Tom Tancredo, who had better things to do) have a grasp of the meaning of the Second Amendment.

Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee seem to be your strongest candidates on the Second Amendment.

MORE: One funny part of Thompson's remarks that Vol fans might be able to relate to:

"When I was in Florida just last week, I went to a gun show right before the UT-Florida football game. I should have stayed at the gun show."

Ain't that the truth...

Labels: 2008 GOP Presidential Primary, NRA, Second Amendment

As I predicted, Jimmy Naifeh would never allow Tennesseans the right of protecting themselves on state grounds.

I'm disappointed, but I'm not surprised.

Labels: General Assembly, Second Amendment

Pretty easy action-reaction in this case:

1) Tennessean decides that it wants some attention.

2) Tennessean assembles database of concealed carry owners, as such information is public record.

3) Tennessean pisses off SayUncle, who is already looking at other public records (arrests, divorces, tax liens, financial statements, motor vehicle records, etc.) involving Tennessean employees, publishers, etc., so that he can publish that information, because at least in those cases it will probably involve some wrong-doing, unlike the CCW database, which will only serve to create more wrong-doing.

4) Bloggers (A.C., Blogger Blaster, yours truly) who believe in the Second Amendment cheer on SayUncle.

UPDATE: Uh oh. Add Instapundit and Blake Wylie to the list of bloggers who aren't too complementary of the Tennessean. As Professor Reynolds notes, Steve Gill has answered the call against the database. When the #1 blogger in the nation meets up with the #1 talk radio host in Tennessee...

Now you're in trouble, Tennessean...

Labels: Second Amendment

According to my friends at the NRA, two pro-gun bills are heading towards Governor Bredesen's desk for signature.

House Bill 1285, sponsored by State Representative Dolores Gresham (R-94) and its companion bill, Senate Bill 1597, introduced by State Senator Mark Norris (R-32), unanimously passed both the House and Senate. HB 1285/SB 1597 would protect our Second Amendment rights during a state of emergency by prohibiting any government agency from regulating the lawful sale, possession, transfer, transport and carry of firearms, such as occurred following Hurricane Katrina.

It is unclear as to whether Bredesen will sign this bill or not, as he has already voiced his opinion that he would clearly exercise the power he believes he has to confiscate firearms if need be. Of course, Governor Bredesen never has been that familiar with the Tennessee Constitution that he swore to uphold and defend, because those actions would clearly be unconstitutional (as per the interpretation of Professor Reynolds, who was one of the scholars that put together one of the first interpretations of the Tennessee Constitution back in the 1990s).

House Bill 145, sponsored by State Representative Michael McDonald (D-44), and its companion bill, Senate Bill 135, sponsored by State Senator Doug Jackson (D-25), were also passed by a unanimous vote. HB 145/SB 135 require land managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency to have a base line number of public hunting acres that are always open to hunting, guaranteeing that future generations have the same hunting opportunities that are enjoyed today.

HB145/SB135 is partly a reaction to the David McMahan-led corruption of the TWRA, an episode that proved that it really is who you know when it comes to a set of rights for the elite and a different set of laws for everyone else.

You can call Governor Bredesen at (615) 741-2001 to let him know that he needs to sign these bills.

My sources with the Tennessee Firearms Association have indicated that HB132 (Mike Bell's bill which would allow for a citizen with a handgun carry permit to carry on all public hunting lands) and HB2184 (which is Frank Nicely's bill that would allow carry within the boundaries of any state park) have been rolled to next week in order for all members of House Judiciary to be present.

The fate of these two bills lies with Democratic Representatives Henry Fincher and Eddie Bass. They have shown support for the bills in the past, but it is likely that they will face significant arm-twisting by Speaker Naifeh and his minions (Briley and Sontany in this case) over the next week.

If you feel so inclined, give Rep. Fincher (800-449-8366, x 11875) and Rep. Bass (800-449-8366, x 11864) a call and ask them to continue to support these bills.

With the General Assembly doing next to nothing about illegal immigration (or many other important issues), it would be nice to come out of this session with some quality pro-firearm legislation.

Labels: General Assembly, NRA, Second Amendment, TFA

Just passing this along...

***

TENNESSEE FIREARMS ASSOCIATION
KNOXVILLE CHAPTER

May's meeting will be held on Tuesday evening, May 1, 2007.

Guest Speaker: Tom Wiest

Tom writes “Outdoors” articles for some local newspapers and will speak on various subjects related to hunting including remedies for the national decline in hunting.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Monthly meetings are held at Bob’s Mountaineer Restaurant, 10321 Chapman Highway (Rt. 441) in Seymour, TN. A pre-meeting social hour is from 6 PM to 7 pm during which you may wish to eat dinner either from the menu or from the buffet. The meeting will begin at 7 PM and end at 8 PM. Participation by those in attendance is always encouraged.

Gun owners, persons involved in the shooting sports, Second Amendment supporters and interested public are urged to attend, YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER TO ATTEND.

Labels: Second Amendment, TFA