ngoeser59

It was a really great council meeting and our side made sooooooo much more sense. The officers up there defending no guns in parks ended up looking kind of dumb after some of their comments. They kept saying that our parks are safe and there is no reason for anyone with a permit to carry a gun in the park. Well, the facts on paper say otherwise and it was proven right infront of them. One of the Councilmen basically asked one of the officers....well, if the parks are so safe then why do you carry a gun in them? ha. So why can't we all have the same right as an officer? Most of us have had our training from Officers and ex military professionals. Are Cops lives more important than ours? We are all people. We all want to live in peace & harmony. We all want to survive should something horrible happen. There was one council woman (an African American lady and I can't remember her name at this very moment) but she said...oh but what about the kids! If there is a ballgame going on or children around, we don't need guns around them because someone could get shot. Well, it was pointed out very quickly that HCP Holders carry around children all the time and nothing horrible has happened where a permit holder has shot a child. Take for instance McDonalds or Chucky Cheese or Put Put Golf. Hello!!!! Permit holders are in these places and there are children there & it is fine! Wake up Council Woman! We had MANY people speaking on behalf of us. It was awesome.

I will be there to show my support to John Harris & Buford Tune who will be speaking at the meeting. I think it's important to go and be a silent supporter. If you can go, please go and show your support. Grass Roots Movements need visible support also. Emails, Letters, Phone calls are all wonderful....but so is showing up and being seen and letting people know that we may be a minority but we won't roll over.

I still believe Restaurants do have a duty to protect their patrons. If a murder occurs there and they did not have any form of security (bouncer(trained)/armed security(trained) that could have handled the situation or minimized it....they are negligent. If someone gets shot & killed and they had nobody on the property to regulate and that victim had no chance at survival....they are negligent. Especially if the establishment is in a bad area of town.

As a previous Advanced Carry student of CIS, I highly recommend this training course. They go into great detail about real life scenarios, laws, what to do & not to do, safety, various defensive techniques (example: How to react & what to do if you are about to be car jacked). Keep in mind you will be shooting ALOT of rounds. It's pretty intense. You CAN NEVER GET TOO MUCH TRAINING. Having a Carry Permit is great and all but I would ALWAYS seek out as much training as you possibly can and these guys know what they are doing. These are law enforcement professionals and they deal with escalated situations on a daily basis. Take this course for sure!

Wow this discussion is getting pretty deep & detailed huh. Can you imagine what this is going to be like when this thing goes to court in less than 90 days? A Big Ol' Mess.

I think that you can't say....restaurants should NEVER be held liable. Because there are certain situations where they should be. Bars/Restaurants that are in "bad areas" of town where there have been multiple shootings up and down the block....if they do not provide proper security for their patrons then yes, I believe they are liable if someone gets killed in their establishment. They have to foresee that something bad could happen when they are in that type of location. So to completely remove liablity from the establishment would NOT be fair to the victim/victim's family that were simply there trying to enjoy a meal and the owner/owners of the place did not do what they should to protect their patrons to a certain extent. Location, location,location. Of course crime can occur anywhere but the probablity is higher in these locations. I will say this....establishments that are 21 & up should for damn sure be checking id's to make sure people entering are actually 21 and they should have bouncers (that have been trained on how to remove a troublemaker successfully without risk to other patrons). They should probably also have an armed guard. They should especially have an armed guard if they are in a bad area.

A gun that is not loaded is about as good as having a rock in your pocket.

I didn't show my butt....but I did show him my gun hidden under my suit jacket on my hip as I was leaving He did not even know. It shocked the cashier. I had to calm her down a little by telling her I was a HCP Holder and Walt explained it to her also. Then she said....oh okay, I know who you are now....I saw you on the news. Oh...and Shoney's has some pretty good coffee.

AMEN. And that is the bottom line-literally. I will NOT support these businesses PERIOD. For me, it is a very personal choice because I actually lost the most important person in my life due to being denied my 2nd Amendment Rights. It is a very serious issue and we have to stand up and be heard. If Rosa Parks had just gotten up out of that seat for that white man...where would blacks be today? What if women had said....oh okay all you Men out there...it's okay, we don't mind not voting. ???? Change takes EFFORT. LOTS OF EFFORT.

I think that is very fair. However, should the restaurant be held liable for what a criminal does "if" they do not allow HCP Holders to be in their establishment (to give people a fighting chance at survival). In other words.....if they create a situation where everyone is basically a "sitting duck" then can they be held liable for "failure to protect a patron?" Or is it a situation where everyone who entered those doors, did so at their own risk? Just a thought, that's all..... Comments please.

I do think that the Law will have to be looked at again and some adjustments made. However, all the restaurants have to do right now if they are that afraid of being held liable is "Post". However, I do think that they could possibly be held laible if they deny people the right to defend themselves and a criminal comes in and shoots a bunch of patrons. Of course, what they will say is....well, you chose to come in here and eat and you knew we had a posting up so you waived your right to protect yourself when you entered here. That is why it is very important that NONE of us give these type of establishments our business. Everyone has the right to defend themselves & their families. PERIOD. It sucks that we can't go to these places because some of them have wonderful food & service but....my life and my loved ones lives are more important than some great food.

I met with Walt Baker (CEO of Tennessee Hospitality Association) for about 1.5 hours. Mr. Baker has been on the local news speaking as someone who is NOT a supporter of the Restaurant Carry Law as it is written. He was a very nice man and I appreciate him giving me the time to speak with him regrading the new Restaurant Carry Law. Mr. Baker is Not a HCP Holder nor does he own a gun of any sort (that is a personal decision on his part). Mr. Baker is very well known in the Nashville Community and beyond. He has done marketing for Convention Centers, Hotels, multiple restaurants such as Shoney's etc etc....I told Mr. Baker my entire story regarding my husband's murder at Jonny's Sports Bar and explained to him why I support the Restaurant Carry Law and why posting is a bad idea. Of course I believe Restaurant Owners do have the right to post, however....I don't believe it is "smart". It invites criminals to come in and do whatever to whoever, knowing there is nobody in that establishment that can defend themselves. Here is the basic break down of what Mr. Baker and the Coalition of Restaurants including Randy Rayburn want by this lawsuit they have filed. One of the 3 choices 1. Make Restaurants "Opt In" instead of opting out. (I don't agree) 2. Retract the law all together for Vagueness. (The law could possibly use some revamping-maybe IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION). I do not believe the Law is "Vague" to the point that a HCP Holder would bring their Gun into a place they should not. The Bill clearly says what qualifies as a place you can carry. I however am someone who believes you should be able to carry just about everywhere. Crime occurs everywhere. But sometimes you have to take babysteps to ease these people. There probably needs to be a clear line drawn as to what is a restaurant and what is a bar. We have no "bars" in Tennessee right now. Maybe it is time to change that? There are many places that just pay the fine because they are not selling enough in food to carry alcohol. They should NOT be allowed to do this. So it really comes down to are they operating the way they should or just getting by under the radar? What a mess. (Not HCP Holders fault). 3. Make it so the Restaurant has zero liability if a HCP Holder is served a drink unknowing to the bartender that they are carrying. (I think this is fair). If a HCP Holder chooses to drink the bar should NOT be liable and they simply want it stated in the law itself to protect them. Bottom line.......it is ALL ABOUT $$$$$$. It is NOT about personal safety of the patron. It is about MONEY. Money makes the world go round. Round & round & round.

Mrs. Sea, That must have been a scary moment but you did what you needed to do. I bet that guy thinks again before he decides to approach a woman's car like that again. Who knows, by you doing that, it may have saved some other woman from something worse that day. Good job!

Okay...so the Police Officer that stayed with me the night my husband was killed has kind of become a friend and I asked him what kind of automatic gun I should get if I am seriously thinking about buying one. He recommended the 1911. Can anybody educate me on this weapon and tell me if it is easy to conceal? I need something that is good for small hands (mine) and not too terribly bad on recoil. I am used to shooting a .38 and a .357 magnum revolver so....help me out. Does anybody have a 1911 that I could possibly try shooting at a range before I go plunk down big bucks for one? To me it is a long term investment in my safety and I want to make the right choice. Any advice? It would be pretty nice to get a 1911 that makes people go.....oh....uuuu...ahhhh....look what Nikki has! hehehe. But it needs to be something I can use to save my butt and not just puuurty.

Hilarious! When I was eating at Pie in the Sky on the effective date of the Restaurant Carry Law I kept thinking to myself.....there are about 25+ people in here that are TGO Members eating with me, and most likely they are ALL carrying.....Holy Cat Crap Batman, this is the safest place in Nashville right now! Awesome! For the 1st time since Ben's murder, I could be in public and I really felt good about it. These people that call us Vigilantes have no clue. They have never been through a tragedy, they have never had one of their loved ones shot right infront of them and they were probably raised to fear guns and just don't understand. I hope nothing ever happens to them like what happened to me & Ben. If it ever does....then and only then will they finally "get it".

Applebee's on Harding here in Nashville IS NOT POSTING. Spoke with the Manager face to face yesterday and told him I appreciate them NOT posting. He said several handgun carry permit holders came in the other day and they were very nice and good paying customers and they did NOT drink alcohol. He said the people they need to worry about are NOT us but the Criminals. Hats off to Applebee's on Harding!

I just want to say how "moved" I was last night. I almost started to tear up at several points. It was very rewarding for me to see so many great people all together in one room that are good, law abiding citizens who are permitted and CARRYING, in a restaurant that serves alcohol. It has been a long hard fight for so many people that support the right to protect themselves & their families. I just happened to come in at the tail end of this thing and give it a "push". I only hope that mine & Ben's tragedy can be used as a tool to educate others and keep the 2nd Amendment fight strong. I honestly believe that the more good citizens who are armed and properly trained...the less criminals will be able to create more victims. We all have a right to live our lives in peace without threat of "evil people" killing those we love. I lost the love of my life and it will forever affect me. But, Ben would want me to press on and live a life of happiness and stand up for what I believe in. He would be fighting this same fight had I been the one killed on April 2, 2009. For whatever reason, I was the one left to live. I enjoyed meeting all of you and I appreciate TGO for giving me a healthy place to vent and talk about what is important to me. It's been better than a journal. I will continue to be an active member. We should all get together again within the next month or so for another dinner. Hugs. Nikki Goeser

Thanks so much for coming last night Brian! It's always great to meet others that think like we do.

HOOTERS POSTED Hooters in Hermitage POSTED. Guys...we need to get some "polite but to the point" calls out there to let them know how we feel. Be nice but let them know they are NOT getting our business! And to think I was actually thinking about being a Hooters Girl!........Joke. 4119 Lebanon Pike Hermitage, TN 37076 Phone (615) 883-0257

I ate at Ruby Tuesday today "strapped". I sat in the bar area of the Restaurant. I had a sweet tea, salad & soup. I was concealed and just enjoying my meal knowing I had the ability to protect myself if need be. No shooting or anyone trying to be Dirty Harry. For all I know there could have been 10 other armed/permitted people in there with me. I must say....they have a really great salad bar. Sweet Tea is pretty good too.

BAR-B-CUTIE Donelson Pike 501 Donelson Pike, Nashville, TN Catering Specialist Contact: Lynn - 834-6556 They took down their Posting! Make sure you contact them and thank them and go spend $$$ there!

GREAT NEWS!!!!!! BAR-B-CUTIE ON DONELSON PIKE (NASHVILLE TN) JUST TOOK DOWN THE "NO GUNS ALLOWED" SIGN!!!! I walked in and talked with one of the servers and she said that the Manager decided to take it down because of all the info she was getting from people like us through calls, emails & letters! I am so HAPPY! I freak'in LOVE Bar-B-Cutie's food and I was heartbroken when they posted so......all of you guys need to please contact this manager and let her know how much you appreciate her taking the sign down. We need to get out there and give her our business to show our support of her supporting us!

People who were there that are PRO-Restaurant Carry (In the main courtroom) John Harris (Director of The TFA) Bob Pope (From Bob Pope Radio Show & Gun Shows) Nikki Goeser (ME!) TGO David TGO Fallguy TGO Daniel Barbara Oonk (Second Amendment Sisters Coordinator) Anywhere from 5-8 TFA Members A few 2nd Amendment Sisters There were TGO Shirts and TFA Shirts right where the camera could see. Many supporters of The Restaurant Carry Law. I did not see ANY protests at all from any anti people. I did speak for a short time with Restaurant Owner (plaintiff) Randy Rayburn and he was NOT very nice. He was very loud, outspoken and heated when he spoke with me. I however was very kind and soft spoken but to the point. I told him that by posting, he is simply giving a direct invitation to criminals to come in and kill at will himself, his wife and his patrons because it tells the criminal that there is nobody there that can protect themselves. He did not like hearing that at all. He said, well.....you are just lucky YOU did not get killed trying to fumble in your purse to grab your gun. I just ended the conversation after that. I figured it was not worth my time to inform him that the gun would have been on my hip in a holster. Uhhggg. He was just NOT a nice person to speak with AT ALL.

One word....... SUCCESS!

Yup.....I never thought about owners doing that but I guess there are some that probably will intentionally put up a non-valid sign just to cover all the bases. Let's make all the shiny happy people holding hands "feel better" and also keep the realists in here that know what can happen "armed".