Memphis murders

 Memphis, with a long history of violence, has received national media attention for a shooting spree in which four people were recently killed and three wounded. 

Just a few days earlier, Memphis jogger Eliza Fletcher had been brutally kidnapped and murdered. The suspect in this crime has additionally been charged in another woman's armed abduction and rape. It remains to be seen if there are other, currently unknown, victims.

Both suspects have been beneficiaries of Tennessee's sport fishing criminal justice system. By creating a system in which judges and parole boards repeatedly turn these societal predators loose on the public, legislators must take some responsibility for their actions.

But, Tennessee's legislature (and most other states') has also made it more feasible to carry a defensive weapon in public, either through shall issue permitting/licensing schemes, or permitless carry.

So, I encourage responsible adults to become your own first-responders. Start to carry a weapon of some sort. 

• Practically all knives* are legal in Tennessee (except where prohibited) . 
• Handguns** may generally be legally carried on the person or in a vehicle (except where prohibited).
• Consider pepper spray, too.

Any defensive weapon choice is a compromise. It seems that smaller and lighter handguns are becoming more popular; and they would be better than a snowball.

Arm up

Train up

Carry on

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*Keep up to date on knife laws with Knife Rights app.

** See Handgunlaw.us or the Legal Heat app.

Are pro-life and pro-gun positions compatible?

 Absolutely!

Here's why -

Let's start with the Declaration of Independence, which is available to read HERE. 

The second sentence of the Declaration reads,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

 It mentions three unalienable rights:

1. Life

2. Liberty

3. the pursuit of Happiness

I will only discuss the first one here. It is relatively easy to define, and the other two can have  potentially unlimited definitions.

Life (noun): the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally.1

Life in this discussion then applies to all human beings (men, mankind, humankind), wherever situated, at whatever age, from conception until natural death. The pro-life and pro-gun positions generally adhere to the following definitions:

Pro-life (adj): the belief that all human life is created equal regardless of size, level of development, education, and degree of dependency.2 

Pro-gun (adj): favoring the right to own guns and opposing legislation restricting this right.3

Why are the pro-life and pro-gun positions compatible?