Something other than health care

My home state, Tennessee recently passed a law allowing persons with handgun carry permits to carry weapons in public parks. Municipalities are allowed to opt-out of carrying guns in parks by passing local measures. Many cities and towns have exercised this right and prohibited guns in local parks.

I may be revealing too much about my own personality in this post but I feel the need to comment here. The local rules only serve to cause a patchwork of confusion in the state. Handgun carriers travelling around the state can unknowlingly run afoul of local rules - especially if they have been allowed to carry in their home area parks. People who oppose carrying in parks are reacting emotionally and are not thinking clearly about the issue. It can be statistacally demonstrated (I'll get a link to support this statement later)that the people who have qualified for handgun carry permits are one of the population segments least likely to be violent or to permit any crimes. The very nature of the person who meets the requirements establishes that person's stability and history as a lawabiding citizen. All it takes is one incident of violence in a person's background to deny ther permit. Even one charge of domestic violence is enough to deny a permit. The handgun permit holder walking next to you in the park is an anonymous security resource. The criminal in the park carrying a knife (or a gun or club) has no respect for your rights and security. The handgunner has a moral (and possibly legal) responsibility to come to your aid if you are attacked by a criminal type. Do not deny this person the means to come to your aid immediately. A ploiceman is not usually close at hand. You might be surprised how many authorized handgun carriers are close at hand in the places you frequent.

DRP