Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Do as I say, not as I do

Let's revisit the recent 'campus carry' bill that was shot down (pardon the pun) in the 2011 Tennessee legislative session.

The bill would have allowed lawful handgun carriers who are employees of state colleges and universities to carry their handguns on campus.

As I mentioned in my previous post, there was a great brouhaha over this legislation, but one hoplophobic professor made a good point, that the legislature is posted against all weapons. His question was essentially, why would the legislature legalize carry on campuses, while prohibiting the same in the legislature?

This has the ring of "do as I say, not as I do," something we have become all too accustomed to hearing from our  government at all levels nationwide.

Its time for the legislature to legalize carry where they work, too, don't you think?

Monday, June 13, 2011

Bad guy, good guy

In the 2011 Tennessee legislative session, the Republican leadership accomplished nothing for gun rights. One interesting piece of legislation (that died) would have provided state university employees the legal option of being armed on campus. The usual suspects came out against this legislation, with their boringly predictable comments such as blood in the streets, drunk teenagers shooting it out, etc.

A University of Tennessee Police Department spokeswoman did have an interesting comment, according to the Knoxville News-Sentinel. '"It's going to slow down our response time to determine who is the bad guy and who is the good guy," said Lt. Emily Simerly, a UTPD spokeswoman.'

Note to Lt. Simerly, your department doesn't seem to be doing too well at determining bad guys vs good guys. Take for example, the story of a UTPD officer "linked to gambling operation" according to a News-Sentinel report last November.

    - or -

The story of a UT cop as one of 50 arrested in a drug sting, as reported in the News-Sentinel just last month.

Pogo had a saying, "We have found the enemy and he is us." Should the UTPD paraphrase Pogo, and adopt the slogan, "We have found the bad guy, and he works for us."?


Monday, June 6, 2011

Dumas, part deux - on weapons

"In every country where independence has taken the place of liberty, the first desire of a manly heart is to possess a weapon which at once renders him capable of defence or attack, and, by rendering its owner fearsome, makes him feared."
- from The Count of Monte Cristo