Tennessee’s Governor, Phil Bredesen, sent a letter to the Speaker of the House informing him of his intent to veto HB0962. HB0962 permits Tennesseans with carry permits to be armed in restaurants serving alcohol as long as they aren’t drinking alcohol. In so doing, the Governor demonstrates the basic problem with Government. Government will deceive the people to get what it wants and it has either no understanding of or commitment to the foundational documents that rule them, the Constitutions of the US and the separate States.
The Governor begins with a meaningless statement of support for the US 2nd Amendment and the TN Constitution. Then he proceeds to ignore them. Of what value is the right to self defense if it is taken from you depending on where you are sitting? What protection do you have when your right to protect yourself is taken from you because someone believes firearm safety tenets supercede your unalienable rights? The right to self defense is not limited by our Constitutions to place and time. We are able to defend ourselves at all times. If we abuse that right that we ought to answer to Government. But leaving us defenseless because something bad might happen and claiming to support self defense is hardly common sense.
Respecting current law, law abiding citizens leave their weapons in their cars if they enter a restaurant serving alcohol. Common criminals do not. The Governor says “Guns and alcohol don’t mix” but HB962 prohibits those carrying a weapon from consuming alcohol. Law abiding permit holders will comply. Common criminals will not. Citing common sense and public safety, the Governor makes law abiding citizens less safe and empowers the common criminal.
How is this common sense? You take away my rights because there might be problems? We don’t tell people they can’t speak because their words might be dangerous. We prosecute those abusing their right to speak. We don’t prevent people from assembling because riots are bad. We prosecute those abusing their right to assemble. Why forbid self defense because of what might happen? Why not simply prosecute those abusing their right? Words and crowds pose just as real a threat yet we use common sense concerning those rights. Why not with our right to self defense?
As to deception, the Governor mentions restaurants but closes with the picture of carrying a gun into a bar at midnight. HB0962 doesn’t permit carrying guns into bars; into businesses which only sell alcohol. He’s playing misleading word games. It’s not a Guns in Bars bill. It’s a Guns in Restaurants bill. Phil Bredesen knows this and still uses pejorative and deceptive language.
The General Assembly should override the veto. There was broad support for the bill in the Legislature and in the state. Unlike the Governor, Tennesseans see common sense as being able to defend oneself wherever they are, not just here and there, now and then, which seems to be the Governor’s idea of common sense. I cannot see the common criminal disagreeing.
Blue Collar Muse
SEE ALSO:
Is Phil for Guns in High Schools by Stacey Campfield @ Camp4 You;
Bredesen to Veto Guns in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol Bill? by Uncle @ Say Uncle;
Statement from Rep. Curry Todd on the Veto by Uncle@ Say Uncle;
Whining the Override by David Oatney @ The World According to Oatney.
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