macville

Except that tenure is NOT a right. So the logic is not the same. Matthew

Actually, we should be able to sue the State of TN that the majority of state gun laws do not reduce crime and therefore are unconstitutional. Never thought of it that way before. Now if we just had endless money to fight the government to follow the law also (which is ironically stupid since we OWN the gov!) Matthew

Incorrect. It's actually legal to carry an unloaded gun on you if there is no ammo within the "vicinity" of the gun (I am guessing on you if you are walking out in public) and the gun is carried openly. "(a) It is a defense to the application of § 39-17-1307 if the possession or carrying was: (1) Of an unloaded rifle, shotgun or handgun not concealed on or about the person and the ammunition for the weapon was not in the immediate vicinity of the person or weapon;" I take that to mean that you can carry an unloaded gun in public if it's open in a holster or some other holder that's not concealing it. But here's another monkey wrench in the mix... Since it says not concealed on or ABOUT the person. Does that mean you shouldn't have it in a bag next to you in your car/truck when going to the range? I would consider next to you on a seat in a gun bag or something else like it "concealed about the person." Just goes to show you that the legal minds that came up with our laws shouldn't have graduated high school. Matthew

But it's a VERY good start since the right to "bear" arms is connected by the word "and" to "keep"--which is what they said you have the right to. I wonder if a case about bearing arms would include knocking down restrictions on certain firearms because removing restrictions on carry should remove other restrictions also. Matthew

What does it really matter if we get to select judges or they do? Have people really been shown smart enough to elected good people in this country? Let alone you get judges in the race that people have no clue about, could care less, and most likely most voters just randomly press a button for a judge. Do we get to vote for justices for the SCOTUS? Not the last time I checked. Is it unconstitutional? Yes. Are most of the gun laws TN have unconstitutional (both within the TN and US constitution)? Yes. What's new? Matthew

I emailed Ramsey that I would love to produce TV ads for him since I own a video production company and am a huge supporter, but haven't heard anything back. Let me put it this way about Haslam. I talked to his treasurer because I know the guy through church and grew up with his kids. Instead of getting a production company from here in TN, Haslam got the company that did McCain's ads. So not only did he NOT support a TN company (which there were PLENTY of us who could have produced a high quality ad), but if you've seen the ad, you know that while it looks good, it doesn't really look all that great for what he probably spent on it (which was the exact same thought I had about McCain's ads...) Matthew

But nothing will happen about that unless someone sues and then the court will have to choose to hear the case. Effectively, they can keep the unconstitutional ban in place simply by choosing to not hear the case (which I find highly offensive to our founding fathers ideas because they wanted a country where every man had a chance to be heard, and the court doesn't really follow that idea.) Here's the thing...they have said that that there should still be restrictions on the 2d as far as how guns are sold/registered (which I guess is similar to the 1st amendment and the 7 words you can't say on TV), but why keep the new machine gun ban WHEN the current system of a tax stamp seems to work fairly well. Are the afraid that if it goes away that too many machine guns will get into homes and then get stolen and out on the street (which could be a concern..but how many machine guns are currently in private hands?) Personally, I rather see a a criminal with a machine gun than a semi-auto or revolver. Why? Simply put, they are much harder to control (aka: less likely to hit a target because they will stray off it very quickly) and tend to run out of ammo quickly. Maybe I am crazy about that. The interesting thing is that supposedly it's easy to get full auto guns on the black market....but when was the last time you heard of a crime going down with machine guns here in the US? The last one I can think of, which I'm not even sure about, was that bank robbery and shoot out in LA in the late 90's-but it seems like they may have not had machine guns, just body armor and armor piercing ammo. Matthew

the SCOTUS needs to examine what the right to "bear" means because that would remove far more restrictions than anything else. I don't understand where they get this "reasonable restrictions" for the states from. Nothing in the 2d says anything about restrictions...you know that whole, shall not be "infringed"? Matthew

Nothing like seeing hopefully our next governor shooting a machine gun:) Matthew

But does it? In my business I tend to hire people who are not only good at what they do, but that I get along with. My job can be VERY long hours and if I am working around people who are good at their job, but irritate me, they've made my life harder and I tend to not do a good of a job then. But it does depend on the person. I've worked with black people who I would gladly work again with ANY day. There are some that while they did an acceptable job, their attitude (let's say, "urban", which is totally not me) made me never want to work with them again. The same has happened for me with gay people, white people, hippies, and people just generally more annoying than Pee-wee Herman. While I do think you SHOULD have a good reason, that reason can be VERY subjective, and I want to live in a place where I can have the freedom to run MY business the way I see fit. If I want to fire someone for no reason, I should have the freedom to do that. Would I fire someone for no reason? No, but that's not the point. The whole issue comes down to trying to make life "fair." The idea we can make life fair for everyone is a fallacy that politicians push on the stupid. You can't make life fair and no matter how many laws you pass, it ain't going to change. The second people realize that, the better this world will be. People will stop wallowing in their self pity and actually make life fairer for themselves BECAUSE they will make their own way instead of waiting on crooks in Washington to screw them on another promise that they absolutely have no way to fulfill. Matthew

See, I would not hire someone like you. It's my business and it's supposed to be a free country. The whole can't discriminate against people thing is a bunch of crap. I should be able to chose who I want to associate with and you have no right to the job I am offering. If someone won't hire someone because they are black, or gay, or whatever, then it's their issue. Do you really want to work under someone who have been forced to hire someone? No, let them just hire who they want and find a job that you are going to have a better boss. There's this crap about everyone being able to fit in with each other. That's crap. I am NEVER going to fit in with the liberal mindset. I will a little in my job because we tend to not talk politics while on the job and off, but me living among the crazies in the north east or west ain't gonna happen. Matthew

So what do you define as a "valid" reason? Many companies would say a firearm in your car would be valid while most of us would say it's not. Listen, while I may not like people getting fired for having a firearm on company property, I am glad that I live in a free state and country that does allow it. Yeah, in some ways it sucks that stupid people can be, well, stupid. However, I love the fact that we have the freedom there. Remember, a job is not a right. The only thing an employer owes you for is the time you work for them. A good employer will understand their employees needs and desires and try to meet them if they feel the employees are worth that. Personally, that is why I started my own company, because I don't want to work for someone else in that way. Matthew

Ummm, I believe that sign is still required by state law, so yeah, it's silly, and REALLY silly that there is a different penalty for illegally carrying a firearm around booze. Illegal is illegal! Matthew

That's because the law doesn't spell out what the penalty is. It simply refers the penalty to another part of the law. Therefore, they can change the penalty all they want, but keep the pre 1986 law because how everything is written. But I do question the fact that the penalty has been changed. It seems last time I looked up the city code it said had been updated in late 2009 and it didn't have the changes that Haslam said were in fact the law. I guess I would have to go downtown to see what's actually on the books to see if he's telling the truth (if he wasn't, I sure as heck would go public with that info since I don't want another liar in office.) Matthew

Which is stupid and unfair. All three of the other Republican candidates can currently take donations, but he can't. Not to mention that all it does is punish the honest people. Ramsey won't currently take donations because the law won't allow him, but would that stop crooked people who might be running? Matthew

Nope, but I have yet to find Ramsey's position on anything differing from mine...what a refreshing change! Here's something I've noticed. The majority of people who I have met who believe that the 2d means Vermont style carry I've noticed tend to understand the Constitution, what made this country great, and how to get it back on the right track. I guess it's something respecting the 2d tends to show how they respect what this country is supposed to be. Matthew

I emailed Haslam about that since he kept saying that it's only a $50 fine. It turns out that the code has been changed (that's what he told me), but that the code hasn't been updated to reflect that. Matthew

It's a criminal offense if it's posted in accordance with 39-17-1359 or if they ask you to leave and you don't. Very very few places post properly, but because of the language a cop might take you in for walking past a sign that wasn't proper (it's never been tested before in court what "substantially similar" means.) Matthew

So I have a question...how can an employer legally search an employee's car? Matthew

What our state NEEDS to do is make it illegal to publish the information like this. You could get names, but you would have to submit a request to get them. It would stop databases like this AND if criminals were targeting HCP's for robbery, you might notice it because of the large amount of requests they would put in. I don't see our driver's licenses up on a searchable database like this, so why should HCP's be there? Matthew

Isn't in the state of TN a justifiable shooting only a defense to the law? Our HCP's are basically the same thing, just a defense to the law. So a crime WAS committed if you had to shoot someone in SD, but you have a defense...or am I remembering the law incorrectly. Matthew

That is correct. They do buy the gas ahead. However, it's still charged at the pump what it costs to replace the gas (which is the only industry that works that way.) I have also heard only about $.10 markup (which I guess is somewhat like the movie theater business...not much is made on the tickets, it's mainly on the popcorn and soda:)) I may be wrong about that, but I've heard that from multiple sources. Matthew

You know, Pilot got nailed for that, but I think Neal Bortz is right about removing "gouging gas laws." Here's two things that don't make sense when you consider them. First, it was proven that there WAS a gas shortage. I went to many stations to find gas and they didn't have any. In fact, I tried to get diesel for my tractor and it took me a week before I could even find any. So it's a basic idea of capitalism of supply and demand. Lots of demand and little supply = higher prices. Not to mention that the higher prices hopefully keep people who didn't need to be buying gas, but were because the supply was gone (and it was as my uncle who lives over near Asheville couldn't get gas either.) Gas also is charged at what it will cost to replace it, rather than what they actually paid for it. That's why prices will jump so quickly when something happens because the price for them to buy the next gallon will have gone up. I know it's an odd system, but it's how the system is. Last thing...did Pilot force ANYONE to buy their gas when it was $5? There are very few people who couldn't have just ridden a bike or even taken the bus here to work. For some reason, people think it's a right to buy gas cheaply. Not to say I don't like cheap gas, but this is capitalism and if you don't like it then move somewhere else. You nailed it. Wamp will say whatever it takes to get elected. I want someone with principles that will say from the very beginning what they believe in and stick to it. Matthew

Which is what it SHOULD be. It's simple. If if you drive a car at .07 BAC, you should be able to carry a gun. It's absurd to think that a person can safely handle a car up to .08 and not a gun. In fact, considering the people I've seen shoot a gun for the first time hit a target pretty good, I'd say it's easier to handle/shoot a gun accurately than it is to drive a car. If it's about "well, alcohol clouds the mind", then what's the difference between trying to drive between the lines-not hitting anyone, and trying to decide if a person is trying to kill you? If we don't want to allow people to have some alcohol in their system and carry a gun, fine. But the same standard should be applied to people who drive because we seems to have way too many DD deaths in this country. Matthew

The only time I have had a "negative" comment was when I was at business meeting at Wild Wings Cafe here in West Knox (they had improper signs posted, but I wasn't carrying because I knew I was going to have a drink) and the server told me she couldn't accept an HCP as ID. I didn't want to argue with her that state law says any valid government picture ID is allowed. The owner must be pretty anti-gun to post and refuse to accept HCP's as ID. Matthew