Thursday, July 28, 2011

Tennesse 6th Senate District candidate Victoria DeFreese

Victoria DeFreese has provided the following answers to the gun rights questionnaire*. The same questions have been provided to her opponents, but they have not yet responded.

July 27, 2011

1. Do you believe that the Constitution is the "supreme law of the land" and that the Bill of Rights acknowledges our birthrights?

I believe that the Bill of Rights clarified natural rights of man that are God-given ~ life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and property.  I do believe that the US Constitution is the "supreme law of the land."  I also believe that the 10th amendment was ratified to explain the limits of the federal government:  "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

2. If so, should these rights be proactively protected from infringement by all levels of government, including city, county and state?

I believe that the powers of the federal government should be limited.  I believe any infringement on our Bill of Rights should be proactively protected by and from all levels of government.

3. Please give some examples of gun laws you consider constitutional.

Most gun laws that are restrictions on gun carry or ownership I do not support. I think  any restriction on a non felons from gun carry or ownership in about any situation  is a bad law and unconstitutional. I guess I would go with gun crime laws such as armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and such would be constitutional gun laws.

4. Please give some examples of gun laws you consider unconstitutional.

Bans on public land (outside of courtrooms) from right to carry.  

5. Does the right to bear arms include the right for any peaceable citizen to carry them concealed without a permit, as in Vermont?

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Gun rights policy conference coming soon

Click on the banner for complete registration information.

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Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

July TFA meeting guest speaker Tim Burchett

See my article over at the Examiner.

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If you find this article to be informative or interesting, please share the link with your friends. Feel free to share the entire article, including this link back: http://goodhillpress.blogspot.com/
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Shop Brownells.com!
Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

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