Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Politics / Woods Metro Council Members Wring Hands over Whether to Ban Guns in Parks
Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 5:50 AM
It was a WTF? moment for Pith when Jameson informed his favorite blogger that he was on the fence about banning guns in Metro parks. He confessed he's wringing his hands over whether such a move would invite a lawsuit from the gun lobby and whether the Second Amendment actually gives Americans the right to stroll about with loaded weapons wherever they please. In other words, he's worried Metro might have to spend a little money defending itself in court. Here's what Jameson said:
"I'm not a gun nut. I don't own one and I don't like them. But you have an individual God-given right now to gun ownership. The problem we've got is that, if you are removing that ability even within a limited circumstance like in Metro parks, you've got to have a compelling interest. I assume the sponsors say it's safety. And if we can't demonstrate that, then I think it's ripe for a legal challenge. Unless we can demonstrate it, then we might be walking into a lawsuit. I want the sponsors to be right, don't get me wrong. But right now, I'm going in the other direction."
That's crazy talk. If ever there was a compelling state interest, it's to prevent armed nutjobs from roaming about in our parks where children are playing. Did you see yesterday's report saying licensed gunmen were responsible for more than 50 killings in only the past two years? That's a murder spree to make Charlie Manson proud. How safe will parents feel with their children sharing, say, Dragon Park with a guy with a gun? Even if the legal issues were as cloudy as Jameson thinks, this is no time for our city's public officials to run and hide. Some matters, such as the safety of children on playgrounds, are too important for cost-benefit analysis.
Update: One council member wants to allow guns in parks at night.
Comments (12)
Showing 1-12 of 12
"If ever there was a compelling state interest...."
Ha!
You don't even remotely resemble any sort of legitimate authority what is or isn't a "compelling state interest" on this issue or any other.
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How many handgun permit holders are there in the United States?
How many of the alleged 50 shootings by handgun permit holders were justifiable?
If you don't know that, then you don't know what these alleged numbers suggest. Tennessee has almost a quarter million handgun permit holders. How many of those have been involved in unjustifiable shootings under circumstances that implicated their permit (for example, outside their home)? The writer has clearly picked up a number from the internet and attempted to exploit it without a shred of critical thinking. For shame, this paper should be better than that. This is just a rant by a person with an agenda, which I guess is all it is meant to be.
By the way, there have been many, many thousands of kids around me and my permit and my guns over the last fifteen years at places like McDonald's, Starbucks, Home Depot, Publix, and lots of other places. Somehow, every single one of them survived.
How about banning anyone from parks who DOESN"T have a handgun? Then let the assholes kill each other off.
I will remember this when I vote next election. I thought Jameson was great until this. Mike, you've got to realize the gun nuts make a lot of noise but they're actually not very many of them. There are a lot more people like me. A mother who would not like to take a child to play in a park if there's a chance even another mom has a pistol in her purse, much less paranoid vigilantes parading around hoping for a chance to protect us from some pathetic homeless dudes.
God-given right
WAT?
A mother who would not like to take a child to play in a park if there's a chance even another mom has a pistol in her purse
This is what I fail to understand: an irrational, emotionally based fear of ALL guns. FYI stella you have probably sat in restaurants & movie theaters and shopped at stores many, many times with people who were carrying. Driving to and from the park is far more dangerous than a possible CCW holder.
"There are a lot more people like me"
Prove it.
" A mother who would not like to take a child to play in a park if there's a chance even another mom has a pistol in her purse, much less paranoid vigilantes parading around hoping for a chance to protect us from some pathetic homeless dudes."
Since you're the one getting your panties in a wad over soemthing that other people may be doing (which isn't any of your business in the first place), I'd say you are the one who is paranoid.
I think we should push to allow guns in Metro Council meetings and see what the bitches say then.
Just because we're paranoid, Gilbert, doesn't mean you're not a slobbering, jabbering dumbass.
"But you have an individual God-given right now to gun ownership." So this mean God selected each individual who has a gun for gun ownership? Or does it mean Mike Jameson thinks he's running for another office? I hope it's not at-large or county-wide because he doesn't have my vote.
Uh oh here we go again. Those crazy guns that just uncontrollably jump out of their holster to shoot people. Funny they only jump out when in parks and restaurants. Never do the HCP holders guns jump out @ other venues.
You sheep have been walking in parks, and malls, and restaurants for 10 years with people who are carrying illegally. But lets not stop them! They don't cause any problems (sarcasm).
I'm not carrying to protect your sorry asses, I'm carrying to protect the lives of myself and my family. As far as I care, the criminals can shoot you. Don't expect me to help.
Call me a gun nut all you want, but know I will be the one who walks away breathing when the criminal tries to rob me.
the vpc hit and run job on ccw holders claiming that we are so dangerous is completed discredited here...
http://www.examiner.com/x-3253-Minneapolis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m7d21-Lies-damn-lies-and-VPC-statistics
Again I ask when has anyone lost an election because they are progun in TN? I can name several who lost in this state because they were anti gun--Al Gore 2000, Jim Sasser 1994, Riley Darnell 1992, Al Gore sr 1970..etc. You anti gun panty wetters have no political power in this. The only way anti gunners can get elected in this state is by misrepresenting their anti gun stance ala that carpetbagging scum in the governor's mansion.
