Musing on concealed carry permits

North Carolina qualification target

I recently applied for my North Carolina (NC) carry permit. The permitting process in NC involves taking an all-day class (Old School Protection in Johnston County) which includes a shooting qualification test at close range. I should get my permit within 90-ish days of applying.

As I was taking the class, in the back of my mind I was musing about the different requirements of various states. With a variety of requirements among the states, the results are always about the same - -

In the mid 1970's I got a "Pistol Toter's Permit" in Georgia. It had no training requirements. To this day, permits in Georgia do not have specific training requirements. I had a Tennessee permit for over twenty years. The requirements there are similar to NC requirements, a day of training with a shooting test. Both Tennessee and North Carolina require a background check; and North Carolina requires a check to see if you are reported to be a loony tune. Florida requires that you show some evidence of training and have a background check.

There are differences between between these states, and between them and other states. Tennessee just a few years ago enacted "Constitutional Vehicle Carry", meaning that with just a few prohibited areas, one may legally carry any firearm they lawfully own or possess in their vehicle. North Carolina, on the other hand has had "Constitutional Open Carry"* since 1921. In Florida, Open Carry (with a few exceptions) is strictly forbidden.

Some states require no permit, including Vermont, which has no permitting process, and Arizona, which makes permitting optional, for those who might want a permit for interstate travel to states that recognize the permit. Also, there's that pesky Federal gun-free school zone act that apparently makes an exception for permitted individuals.

Now what is the result, as mentioned at the beginning?

• Peaceable citizens, with rare exceptions, act responsibly when armed, whether permitted or not.
• The permitting process is a de-facto infringement on the right to bear arms.
• Bad actors with felony convictions or misdemeanor domestic violence offenses often continue to ignore laws and be ongoing bad actors.
• Bad actors, all to frequently, ignore gun-free-zone signs, and continue to kill and maim.
• Most legislators are accessories-before-the-fact, because they continue to mandate gun-free-zones for peaceable citizens, thus creating killing fields for mass-murderers as we have now seen in Florida.

For further information on state laws on guns, check out handgunlaw.us

* H/T John Richardson of Only Guns and Money blog

Presidential election, 2016

I have stayed mostly silent, because this far out, it's anybody's guess.

I definitely plan to vote for Cruz if he is still in the race during the primary.

In the general election, I don't see how I could vote for any of the socialist/statist candidates on the Democratic side.

That leaves me with the Republican candidate.

I hope it will not be another of those "hold your nose and vote" situations.

Never forget, Clinton likes the Australian method of gun control.

Simply put, its

COLLECT & CRUSH!

Do you agree that 2015 is the year for Gun Free Zones to go? Read my commentary HERE.

Open Carry and the Court of Public Opinion

See my Examiner article HERE.

Photos from NRA Indy 2014

Here are some pictures I took at Indy. For the related story, see my Examiner article HERE.

With Blaine from Illinois Firearm Safety, showing off our permits. Welcome to the club, Illinois.
Looking forward to the day the 2A is restored and permission slips . . .
. . . are no longer required

Tom Gresham of Gun Talk Radio at the Ruger booth

Open Carrier Darrin Drudge with daughter

Coming in July - knife law changes

Currently, switchblades are banned in Tennessee. It is also unlawful to carry a blade over 4" with intent to go armed. I suppose one can infer that it is currently OK in Tennessee to carry a 3 1/2" blade with intent to go armed.

July 1st, the law changes. Switchblades will be legal. Blade lengths over 4" will also be legal. Does that mean you swashbucklers will be setting a new standard in Tennessee?

Hmmm. . . .

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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.

Constitutional open carry defeated

House subcommittee shot down liberty again. Read about it HERE in Examiner.

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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.

Every Gang-banger in Memphis

• Concerning Constitutional Open Carry, Deputy House Speaker Steve McDaniel is reported in the Memphis Flyer, (as quoted by the Tennessee Firearms Association) to have said,

• Every gang-banger in Memphis will end up packing. Can you imagine?

Well, Mr. McDaniel, I can imagine that gang-bangers in Memphis, as well as Nashville and Knoxville are already packing. 

In case you didn't know, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Gang-bangers who are felons are already prohibited from packing by Federal law.

What you should have said, MR. Deputy Speaker, is,

All law abiding, low income resident of Memphis will be able to defend themselves against gang-bangers. Can you imagine?

I suppose your stance means that you are a member of the victim disarmament society. 

I thought we had already buried Jim Crow. 

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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.

Open Carry should be encouraged

Read about it HERE. Sound logic.

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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.

At Examiner: Are guns OK at Chick-fil-A?

Some stores and businesses post against handgun carry by law-abiding citizens, creating hazard-free work zones for criminals. Others recognize that the law-abiding citizen is part of the solution, not part of the problem.

For more on Chick-fil-A Day, see this post.

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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.

The greatest gun salesman in America

Via: Ammo.net

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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.

Gun owners buycott Starbucks on Valentine's Day

The National Gun Victims Action Council has called for a boycott of Starbucks on Valentine's Day, February 14. This hoplophobic organization is trying to convince Starbucks to post their stores against lawful citizen carry of firearms. These folks are laboring under the illusion that signs will prevent criminal acts.

The fact is that as handgun ownership and carry have increased in the United States, the violent crime rate has gone down, as Professor John Lott documents in his well researched books, More Guns mean Less Crime.
Lawful gun carriers and owners across the fruited plain are responding with a BUY-COTT at Starbucks on Valentine's Day, with plans to make a purchase, and thank Starbucks for their "non-policy" concerning guns. you can thank the corporate offices HERE.

See you there!

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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.

Tennessee permits good in Wisconsin November 1 - Knoxville gun rights | Examiner.com

Heading North next month. Wisconsin welcomes your Tennessee handgun carry permit, as I report in my Examiner column here: Tennessee permits good in Wisconsin November 1 - Knoxville gun rights | Examiner.com

But how will you get through Chicago legally?

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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.

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?

Tennessee carry bill follows Vermont law

UPDATE: This bill is DOA this year.

Senator Stacey Campfield recently introduced SB 397 in the Tennessee General Assembly. Here is a breakdown of the bill and the sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated it modifies. There are a few of my added comments, but the bill sections, when associated with the relevant TCA sections, are rather clear. 

In a nutshell, Section 1 states that anyone not prohibited from purchasing a firearm may carry one (except as otherwise prohibited). Section 2 duplicates the historical Vermont statute, while eliminating the vague with intent to go armed section of current Tennessee law. Section 10 explicitly states that a permit is not required to carry a weapon in Tennessee. If a person can legally own a gun, he/she can legally carry it.

Governor Haslam has publicly stated, as reported in the News-Sentinel,

"If the Legislature passed it and brought that to me, I said I would sign it."

The time has come for gun owners to contact their legislators, get a companion bill in the House, and get this passed into law! 


The bill and related current law are 'mixed' below. Color coding has been added for help.

SENATE BILL 397  - - By  Campfield 

SECTION 1.  Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13, is amended by adding the following language as a new section thereto: 
39-17-1313.  Any resident of Tennessee who is a United States citizen or permanent lawful resident, as defined by § 55-50-102, who has reached twenty-one (21) years of age, and who is not prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm in this state pursuant to § 39-17-1316 or § 39-17-1307(b), 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), or any other state or federal law, may carry a firearm in this state except as otherwise prohibited by law.  


SECTION 2.  Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1307, is amended by deleting subdivision (a)(1) in its entirety and by substituting instead the following:
39-17-1307. Unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon. —
(a)  (1)  A person commits an offense who carries with the intent to go armed a firearm, a knife with a blade length exceeding four inches (4²), or a club.
(a)(1) A person commits an offense who carries a weapon, openly or concealed, [with the intent or avowed purpose of injuring a fellow man.]  [bracketed text is identical to Vermont 13-1-85-4003]

Frank Cagle says 'State Gun Advocates Pushing Too Hard'

Read his MetroPulse article HERE, and read my comment at the bottom of that page.

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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.

Tennessee Governor's race, the final week

Last year, Bill Haslam met with the Knoxville Tennessee Firearms Assocation (TFA) group, and indicated he was in the learning mode. Many were skeptical, including this writer. He went on to recommend to the Knoxville City Council that they keep their 1962 parks ban in place. Indications were that he had not learned enough at that time.

More recently, however, Haslam has addressed the Nashville area TFA group, and his statements indicate he has learned. At that meeting, he indicated that he would sign a permit-less (Constitutional) carry bill if it was sent to him by the Legislature(video). And today's News-Sentinel story has him in favor of parking lot carry.

In contrast Mike McWherter, indicates his elitist disregard for the rights of Tennessee firearms owners. He thinks that we hillbillies can't be trusted to use good judgement, and therefore: 1) should not have had the restaurant carry bill passed this year, 2) surely can not be trusted with carrying a firearm until after we get our permission slip from the state, and 3) states his opposition to keeping a defensive firearm in a parking lot at one's place of employment. See his comments in the News-Sentinel links above.

Here's a quick look at the three issues I raise with McWherter - -

1. Restaurant carry: It is now law in Tennessee. No gunfights reported as a result. Lawful citizens are still good citizens, even when they are packin' heat.  Just like in the many other states where this has been law for years (handgunlaw.us).
2. Constitutional carry: Vermont has had this for decades. Alaska and Vermont now have it. And vehicle carry is legal in most states contiguous to Tennessee without a permit required (handgunlaw.us). Open carry (not concealed) on the person without a permit is lawful in five states contiguous to Tennessee(opencarry.org).
3. Parking lot carry: First, you must come to grips with the idea that a disgruntled employee will not be stopped or slowed down by a no guns policy in the building or the parking lot. Second, to prevent an employee from having the means to self-preservation available (under the guise of property rights) is unconscionable.

In conclusion, we can hope that Haslam has learned. And it is obvious that McWherter, in a typical leftist stance, opposes individual gun rights, and wants to keep as many impediments as possible limiting the right to keep and bear arms.

Vote Haslam!

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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.

Wisconsin knife decision affirms Second Amendment

Last week, Circuit Court Judge Jon M. Counsell ruled that the Wisconsin statute that bans concealed carry of a weapon, sec. 941.23 -

...is unconstitutional on its face as overly broad in violation of the Second and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

This ruling was made in the case of a person arrested for having a knife under his shirt. The judge did not limit his decision to knives, but included firearms, as well. You can read the original PDF of the ruling HERE.

This is the second such thing to have come out of Wisconsin recently, the first being a decision by Wisconsin DA Gerald R Fox that he will not prosecute certain gun cases. You can read my previous column on that decision HERE.

Counsell states that people in Wisconsin

...are faced with a Hobson’s choice—go unarmed (thus not able to act in self defense), violate the law (and risk jail/fines) or (as some would argue) carry openly.

Of note to those of us in Tennessee, if you don't have a (costly) Handgun Carry Permit issued by or recognized by the State of Tennessee, you have one less choice than the Cheeseheads - go unarmed or violate the law. A Hobson's choice indeed!

Worthy of note is the fact that Open Carry (OC) is legal in Wisconsin, but citizens find themselves being prosecuted for disorderly conduct for doing so, as reported HERE.

Remember, the Second Amendment is not about duck hunting; and it is not just about guns.

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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.