Subject: Gun Control

• A Run On Guns: Locals Fear Tighter Gun Control Laws, Sales Up

  November 10, 2008

• Weak Gun Laws = More Murder and Gun Crime, Study Says

  No topic on PITW attracts as much discussion and vitriol as the topic of gun control. So, without further ado, I give to you the findings of a study commissioned by this group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Now I will preface this by saying that the study finds a majority of this type of crime is committed by a minority of gun owners. Mandatory background checks go a long way to keeping guns out of the hands of unsavory characters with checkered pasts, but that doesn't stop the interstate traffic

  December 23, 2008

• Haslam's Guns-and-Gas Problem

  Bill Haslam may be "a Bredesen with charisma," as Frank Cagle suggests in this Metro Pulse column. But in what's certain to become a bloody GOP primary, Haslam isn't without exploitable faults--the most obvious being his membership in Michael Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns. The National Rifle Association, not surprisingly, claims Bloomberg's really waging war against legal gun ownership. To the right, see the cover of the April 2007 NRA magazine depicting Bloomberg as a crazy octopus.

  January 7, 2009

• Crossville Under Siege by Gun Nuts

  The National Rifle Association is taking aim at little Crossville, Tenn., for having the audacity to try to ban weapons on city-owned property. City officials proposed the ordinance, which comes up on final reading tonight, after a firefighter accidentally discharged his gun while cleaning it in a firehouse. As this story explains, a couple of other city workers were in the room at the time, and they were lucky they weren't shot. So officials decided that they needed to set some rules about fire

  February 3, 2009

• Our Gun Laws Not Nation's Weakest: Let's Work On That

  Here's something for our state lawmakers to work on this session. Somehow, we have managed to avoid putting the weakest gun laws in the country on the books. We're only No. 33. That's according to the latest ratings by those pinko communists at the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.Kentucky, Louisiana and Oklahoma score the worst--or the best, should we say?--apparently because they force businesses to allow guns in the workplace. We don't do that yet. What's wrong with us?We don't do a lot

  February 5, 2009

• Why Sen. Jackson Opposes Gun Microstamping

  The liberal blogosphere is puzzling over Sen. Doug Jackson's bill to thwart basic police work by banning the sale of guns that have been microstamped. We're talking about new technology to link cartridge cases to guns by engraving microscopic codes on the firing pin. It allows the matching of a spent cartridge to a specific gun and provides one additional piece of evidence for investigators to gather in building a criminal case. Sounds reasonable, right? All the more cause to arouse the suspici

  February 18, 2009

• Capitol Cowards: Guns OK on Playgrounds But Not at Legislature

  In one of the worst hypocrisies of the World Capital of Hypocrisy--a.k.a. the Tennessee General Assembly--politicians are pushing legislation to let gunmen go all over the place, even onto city playgrounds. But guess which bill has yet to be introduced? That would be the one letting people carry their 357 Magnums into the Legislative Plaza. There are signs up all over the place here, in fact, warning that guns are prohibited. Long ago, a senator tried to amend a gun bill to let people take weap

  February 27, 2009

• NRA Checks Who's Naughty and Who's Nice

  Rep. Curry Todd has just announced to the House of Representatives that National Rifle Association chief lobbyist Chris Cox is in the gallery today for the big vote to override the governor's veto of the guns-in-bars bill. Isn't that nice? He's like Santa Claus, making a list. We're not sure when the House will vote, but Todd says it'll happen today.

  June 3, 2009

• In State House, Another Obama 'Birther' Steps Forward

  Pith in the Wind is pleased today to introduce a strong new competitor for our Kook Power Rankings. It's Matthew Hill! Watch out Frank Niceley. Hill wears the clown shoes proudly, and he's not to be denied. A state representative from the hinterlands of northeast Tennessee, he's also the star of various shows on his family's far-right religious radio station. Hill, who once plastered an ultrasound picture of his fetus-baby in a campaign flyer, hosts "The Matthew Hill Show" daily, plus another pr

  March 18, 2009

• Let Freedom Ring! House Overwhelmingly Votes for Gun Bills

  Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show arrived with great fanfare on the state House floor this morning, with those crowd-pleasing buckaroos voting in near unanimity to liberalize gun laws in ways never before contemplated by modern civilized society. "We want to be the safest state in the union with the most freedom possible," Rep. Phillip Johnson declared as the first of the legislature's many gun bills flew out of the House chamber. Yippee-aye-oh-ky-aye! The House voted 88-2 to bar the Safety Departm

  March 19, 2009

• Morning Roundup: SJR127 Passes the Senate, Plus All the Budget Stuff and Other News

  The Senate adopts SJR127 by a vote of 24-8, and sponsor Diane Black predicts House passage this time: "Some of the players have changed, but I fully expect it's going to make it to the (House) floor and get the majority vote that it needs" to pass. ... Rep. Stacey Campfield has drops his ridiculous claim of legislative immunity in the libel suit against him. ... Hamilton County GOP investigates "false" email. ... TBI seizes Knox County trustee office records. ... Tom Ingram leaves Alexander, goe

  March 24, 2009

• Cowardly House Flinches, Votes Down Guns at Capitol

  Courageous champions of the Second Amendment roar like a lion in the state House.The House finally voted today against introducing guns into a new place, namely the Capitol. That's right, it's OK with our courageous lawmakers for licensed gunmen to take their weapons into saloons and playgrounds and state parks. But when it comes to the Capitol, well, that's obviously a different matter. As it turns out, there are legitimate restrictions on Second Amendment rights. This embarrassing moment in H

  April 2, 2009

• Love-Hate Mail

  March 5, 2009

• Grandpa drug dealer, Killing the literate and more

  February 26, 2009

• Love-Hate Mail

  January 1, 2009

• Gun Play

  Bredesen blasé about lunatics buying firearms

  February 7, 2008

• Gun Nuts

  May 17, 2007

• Love/Hate Mail

  Not so predictable

  December 19, 2002

• A List

  December 12, 2002

• Love/Hate Mail

  On Alan, we agree

  November 7, 2002

• Why Can’t We Pull the Trigger?

  Even with a string of deadly shootings, gun control is untouchable in politics

  October 31, 2002

• Rooting for the Doves

  Trigger-happy candidates bear—and bare—arms over Labor Day

  September 5, 2002

• 2nd Amendment Center Urges Arming Altar Boys

  2nd Amendment Center Urges Arming Altar Boys

  May 30, 2002

• Second Amendment Center draws fire for “funny” shirts

  March 29, 2001

• Love/Hate Mail

  March 22, 2001

• The Opposite Sex

  May 25, 2000

• The Fabricator

  August 26, 1999

• How About Special Badges for Our New Force of Homeland Guardians?

  This one looks really nice.An update on that handgun carry permit holder who was firing his weapon on a bicycle path in Knoxville.* Police say he "did not seem to be mentally stable," there were children playing nearby, and he was carrying an official-looking badge identifying himself as a member in good standing of our courageous law-abiding force of licensed gunmen. Apparently, you can buy these badges at gun shows. "We do not recommend or encourage civilian permit holders to do anything to b

  May 8, 2009

• Love-Hate Mail

  June 11, 2009

• Gun Freaks Surrender to Common Sense, Agree to Leave Our Children Alone

  Gun advocates in the legislature say they've cut a deal with the governor to avoid another veto of any of their fabulous bills. The upshot: Guns will remain banned in city parks and playgrounds. Our children can climb on the monkey bars in peace! In return, the legislature will bar local governments from using beer permit ordinances to outlaw guns in bars, and the governor won't put up anymore fuss over any of this. "We're taking out the local parks in return for the governor's commitment not t

  June 11, 2009

• Second Amendment Man Offers His Congratulations to Sen. Doug Jackson

  Clearly you notice me. I stride toward the doors with a gait of masculine purpose. Despite my bantam physique, my eyes that twitch from side to side scanning for danger, you notice the bulge. Not that kind of bulge, you pervert. The one underneath my jacket. I am carrying a gun. Five, to be exact. I am a portrait of virility. I'm on my way to the Capitol to congratulate Mr. Doug Jackson. He's the senator behind the guns-in-bars bill. Though I'm a bit betwixt by his reticence -- where's the law a

  June 16, 2009

• What Happens When You Have a Gun, But No Place Left to Carry It?

  I spent the weekend in West Tennessee, visiting friends and causing havoc (you can, unless Unmarked West Tennessee grave after Local Blogger almost falls into it.you're my Mom, read all about it here).  I talked to a lot of folks in a lot of bars and restaurants and gas stations...No, I take that back.I talked with few folks in bars and restaurants, because there were few folks in those bars and restaurants.  The interstate was busy and whoever is running Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch need

  June 29, 2009

• What Were They Thinking? Guns Laws Backfiring on Legislators

  Our legislature may have succeeded in stamping out Little League baseball in Murfreesboro.It looks like the legislature's Republican majority has created a fine little mess for itself by enacting all those gun laws this session. As Pith's own Betsy Phillips learned on a trip to the wild hinterlands of West Tennessee, even many hillbillies think the laws are stupid. Lawmakers made the mistake of supposing the loudmouths in the gun lobby speak for the majority of voters. "They did a very good lo

  June 30, 2009

• Marsha Blackburn Returns to Triumph Over This Week's Kook Power Rankings

  If we ever accidentally elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the presidency, Marsha has us covered. After weeks of keeping her weirdness in check, Marsha Blackburn returns with a flourish to lock up pole position in this fabulous edition of the Kook Power Rankings.1. Congressman Marsha: She insists on being called "congressman," and now she's insisting that all presidents be -- gasp! -- American. Though she admits Obama is American -- even that's too weird for Marsha -- she's signed on to legislation re

  July 6, 2009

• Governor Calls for Rolling Back Gun Laws, Denounces Guns-In-Bars as Legislature's 'Monster'

  Gov. Phil Bredesen said today the legislature "created a monster" by enacting the guns-in-bars law and predicted a public backlash next session. "They're just shaking their heads and thinking it's craziness," the governor said of the public reaction. He called for rolling back some of the state's new gun laws "into a more reasonable position." He said the state's Second Amendment champions number only a few thousand and hold too much influence over public policy. He said he'd oppose any attempt

  July 14, 2009

• Love-Hate Mail

  July 16, 2009

• Hats Off to Tootsie's Owner for Manning Up to the Guns-in-Bars Crowd

  Thanks to owner Steve Smith, Tootsie's won't look like this anytime soon. As reported in Tuesday's Tennessean, bouncers at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge will soon start using metal-detecting wands to ensure that patrons respect the bar's "no guns" policy. Yesterday, a story posted on Forbes magazine's website about the first day of Tennessee's transformation into the Wild Wild West featured these words from Tootsie's owner Steve Smith:We've never had nobody seriously injured at Tootsie's, and I don'

  July 16, 2009

• Morning Roundup: House Speaker Williams Insists He's No One-Term Fluke

  Kent Williams says if he wins reelection in 2010, he'll run for House speaker again, and he hopes to do it all as a Republican: "I hope to be in the Republican primary in August. But if that doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I didn't take myself out of the party, and I can't put myself back in. I don't think anyone can argue that I'm not a Republican." Williams also says he's reviewing tapes of House committee meetings to see if complaints are true that some lawmakers "tried to push their per

  July 20, 2009

• Gun Permit Holders Have Killed Seven Cops, 44 Others in Only the Past Two Years

  During this year's debate over whether Tennessee should relax the law to let licensed gunmen wander freely into bars and city parks, the gun lobby has insisted there's been no history of violence by citizens with permits to go armed. A new study disproves this. Concealed handgun permit holders killed at least seven police officers and 44 private citizens in 31 shootings over roughly the past two years, according to the Violence Policy Center, a gun control advocacy group. And the center says

  July 20, 2009

• Metro Council Members Wring Hands over Whether to Ban Guns in Parks

  Mike Jameson trembles before the mighty NRA.Across the state, cities are taking the commonsense measure of banning guns in parks. But the Metro Council has yet to act and, if the bill isn't delayed and comes up on second reading tonight, passage is not assured. That's because even squishy liberals like Mike Jameson aren't convinced the city should opt out of the state's new law allowing licensed citizen gunmen to carry loaded weapons into parks and playgrounds. It was a WTF? moment for Pith wh

  July 21, 2009

• Morning Roundup: See Administration Officials Spinning Through the Revolving Door

  ​Channel 4 I-Team investigation hits Paula Flowers, Dave Cooley and Bob Corney for their spins through the revolving door. ... Tennessee and Sewanee make the Top 20 party schools. ... Marsha Blackburn's crazy talk disappoints Louisiana officials. ... Georgia still has Tennessee water on its mind. ... Nashville car wash to use solar panels. ... The New York Times looks at Tennessee's novel use of stimulus money in Perry County. ... Gun lobbyist John Harris is upset by the AG's ruling bannin

  July 28, 2009

• Ron Ramsey Urges Vote Against Sotomayor; She Ain't Gun Enough

  Ramsey attempt to court the Paul Stanley wing of the party​Tennessee gubernatorial aspirant Ron Ramsey doesn't seem to have learned from the backlash against the legislature's guns-in-parks-and-bars bills. So he's decided to insert himself into the confirmation vote on Judge Sonia Sotomayor, hoping to push his unique brand of gooberism on the federal level. In an announcement this afternoon, Ramsey called on Tennesseans to urge their senators to vote against the nominee. He doesn't actuall

  July 31, 2009

• Metro Council Votes to Ban Guns in City Parks

  ​The Metro Council has just voted 20-14 to ban guns in city parks and playgrounds. Tonight's vote was the second reading, which is the one that matters. The third reading is usually perfunctory. Council members, including Eric Crafton and Jim Gotto, made the same tired arguments during the debate. All those courageous, highly trained Quick Draw McGraws out there with state handgun carry permits will make our parks safer. "Handgun carry permit holders are not gunslingers," said Phil Claiborne

  August 6, 2009

• A Shining Endorsment of Tennessee Gun Laws Courtesy of History Channel's Gangland

  ​ The History Channel series Gangland featured an episode on street gangs in Nashville, titled "Hunt and Kill," which aired several times throughout the month of August. The show's hyperbolic tone at times made it sound like the streets of Nashville were a war zone comparable to South Central. Regardless of the exaggeration, there were enough specific details about gang activities here to remind us that Nashville isn't the quaint and cozy town pictured on postcards hawked in the tourist tr

  August 24, 2009

• Tales of the Bizarre: New York Times Praises Tennessee

  ​The New York Times, which has delighted in poking fun at Tennessee hillbillies throughout its storied history, praised our state this weekend for something. In an editorial with the astonishing headline "Good Sense in Tennessee," the Gray Lady hailed the 70 cities and counties that have given the NRA the finger by opting out of our new guns-in-parks law. Safety-minded localities in gun-friendly Tennessee have delivered a blunt and very welcome lesson in gun control to the National Rifle

  September 13, 2009

• Investigation Reveals Embarrassing Facts About Nashville Gun Shows

  ​New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a little experiment (which one of our state senators is mocking) to see who's selling firearms like they're cap guns. Answer: Us. And a few other states with gun-show loopholes that allow just about -- well, not just about -- practically anyone to buy a handgun. Forty undercover investigators roamed the Tennessee Expo Center, the Tennessee State Fairgrounds and five other gun shows in Nevada and Ohio for four months, buying up weapons when the tr

  October 7, 2009

• Tennessee City Parks: Enter At Your Own Risk

  Having fun is risky business in our city parks now.​And so it begins. Thanks to the National Rifle Association and its lapdogs in the legislature, even tossing a frisbee in a city park is a little dicey now in Tennessee. In Germantown, some dude playing golf disc made the mistake of arguing with a guy who turned out to be one of our state's fine, law-abiding citizen gunmen. The next thing the frisbee-tosser knew, the gunman was taking his weapon out of his car and strapping it on. The p

  October 8, 2009

• GOP Goes After Handgun Database to Shake Down Gun Nuts

  ​At the state Capitol, the land of audacious hypocrites, Republicans are King for a Day. After fighting unsuccessfully all through this year's legislative session to seal state handgun permit records supposedly to protect the privacy of our many citizen gunmen, the GOP now is gobbling up the database for fund-raising purposes. The AP's Erik Schelzig reports that copies of the state's database of more than 257,000 handgun permit holders were recently requested by the National Rifle Associatio

  November 2, 2009

• Hog Wild: Forget Guns in Bars -- How About Guns Out in the Woods?

  ​How is it even possible in a state where everyone can carry a gun everywhere (except the State Capitol, of course) that we have a problem with feral hogs? Can't we just let gun owners shoot feral hogs on sight and encourage them to go out and look for the animals once or twice a month? It's costing the state $1,000 an hour to hunt these hogs and kill them. Gun owners, you would be doing your civic duty AND saving the state money if y'all went out there and did this instead. It just boggles

  March 18, 2010

• Glorious Bastard: Bill Bernstein Talks Gun Control, Registration and Israel

  In this week's Scene cover story, Jack Silverman profiles East Nashville gun dealer Bill Bernstein -- a devout Orthodox Jew with an Ivy League/Oxford education who's an exasperating foe to anti-gun activists, yet oddly endearing even to some of his ideological adversaries. Above you'll find video of Bernstein and his friend, filmmaker Gandulf Hennig, shooting skeet with some sweet-ass artillery. After the jump, Silverman provides more quotes from Bernstein the online provocateur on a variety

  March 18, 2010