RobertNashville

How can one infer consent to enter a business if the business has said if you are doing/carrying "X" you are not welcome here? If the sign says you can't there is nothing to infer. I see nothing unconstitutional about the signage nor do I see any reason to eliminate all penalties for someone who walks past a "No Firearms" sign. What does need to change is the seriousness of the charge...there is nothing fair or equal when the criminal charge against an HCP holder who walks past a sign is more harsh/different than a non-HCP holder who does the exact same thing. As long as the HCP holder isn't brandishing his weapon, threatening people, etc. then simple trespassing is as serious as the change needs to be. I'm sorry that you don't like your local hospitals' policies or their security provisions...I sympathize...but your "right" to carry a firearm does not and should not trump the hospital's right to set the rules that they want to set. In some states, you can use deadly force to protect property but that's not the issue - "property rights" is not about the "property" nor does the property have rights...it's the entity (person/business, etc.) that has the rights to enjoy their property and set the rules for their property as they see fit.

The "definition" depends on just who you are asking as well as the place, time of day and phase of the moon.

Great! Now; if we can just keep you out of WallyWorld....

I didn't read the entire link but it might be that this takes place in what is considered a city park and Knoxville may or may not have opted out of carry in its parks. In any case, I wouldn't go to something like that where I couldn't carry.

Where did I say or imply that you "couldn't sue"??? Please feel free to sue as much as you want. I just don't agree with your assessment that the signage is unconstitutional nor do I think that suing based on alleged unconstitutionality is the way to go about making changes but feel free to pursue that course if that's what you want. I don't agree. When did it become a requirement that something must be "in the code" to be allowed? Where in the code does it say that with regards to a "business open to the public, used for commercial activity", consent is "given" until taken away? Is that just your belief or is there something in the TN code that says that? I think that the "difference" you cite is a difference in your viewpoint but not necessarily a difference in law. That said, I agree with you to a point...I think the state, as a matter of good public policy, can and should reach reasonable accommodations between "property rights" and "2ND Amendment rights" but one "right", in my opinion, should never be allowed to run roughshod over the other. So what is your answer? Is the state supposed to force hospitals to allow firearms inside their buildings? Most of the time, when I have a choice in the matter, I will go somewhere else as I don't like having to disarm in some places. However, sometimes it's necessary I do so and that's just the way it goes sometimes...we can't all get what we want; at lest not all the time.

There are places, I have to go sometimes where I cannot carry as a matter of law and I don't break firearms laws; at least I never have knowingly done so...most of them are not places I consider especially "scarey" or dangerous. Everyplace else, I carry...period. I've often heard the phrase "I wouldn't go there without a gun"...I always wonder; if you wouldn't go there without a gun why would you go there with a gun??? I carry a gun because I may need it to save my life or the life of someone else someday but I also am smart enough to stay the hell away from areas I know are "scarey". Maybe I'm just odd that way???

The signage is simply a way for a business/property owner to make his policy known to the public and a business/property could post such signs whether there was any specific language in the code regarding a "firearm's sign" or not. I agree that the "special" criminal charge for HCP holders currently associated with such as sign may be "unconstitutional" but even if it is, I don't think we'll ever get very far with changing the law simply by crying that it's "unconstitutional". A couple of weeks ago, the question of controlling trespassing/soliciting came up in our Neighborhood Watch meeting - I don't know if it's true throughout the state but both the sheriff's deputy and the police lieutenant who came to our meeting stated that if we, as individual home owners, post our property with "no trespassing" or "no soliciting" signs then anyone who does trespass or solicits has already, technically, committed a crime. However, no such crime has been committed on a property that isn't so posted until/unless the homeowner tells the person to lave and they don't. I see a "no firearms" sign in the same light - when you see a no firearms sign at the doorway to a business you are, in my mind, already guilty of criminal trespass because you already know you aren't supposed to be there and you intentionally entered the business anyway and such would be true whether there was any special verbage in the code about "firearms" or not. Now, as a practical matter, whether it's a solicitor or a HCP holder carrying past a sign, I think it unlikely in the extreme that law enforcement is going to arrest anyone for criminal trespass unless the person makes a fuss/refuses to leave. However, I still think such a person has already broken the law because, except for circumstances where the government has said otherwise, a business owner/property owner has the very basic right to control what happens on/in his property. Moreover, whether or not a person thinks their right to carry is "more important" than the rights of a property owner why would you walk into a business and give your custom to a business that obviously doesn't support your 2ND Amendment rights? I live by the motto that if my gun is welcome then my money isn't welcome either.

Frankly, I doubt I violate very many traffic laws that I'm not aware of...most of the traffic laws I violate I do so with intent. I see no compelling reason why any city, county or any other jurisdiction needs to have laws which are different than state laws governing the same activity/action...if a 4 inch blade on a knife is legal as far as the State of Tennessee is concerned then it ought to be good enough for all of Tennessee, Clarksville included - if it isn't...if Clarksvills doesn't like the state law then the place it needs to be changed is at the state level.

What's unconstitutional about signage per the TN Constitution? Are you saying that no business/corporation/private property owner has a right to restrict firearms in/on their property by displaying their policy in the form of a sign? I hope not. When it comes to "2d Amendment rights vs Private Property I'm all for reasonable accommodation and have argued the same, both here and with a few select TN legislators...however, accommodation doesn't mean forcing businesses/property owners to allow carry (open or concealed) on their property. I would like to see are some changes made... 1. It should not be a greater crime for a TN HCP holder to carry past a sign than for someone who doesn't have a HCP to do so 2. Type/size/verbage of the signage should be uniform and the rules about where it must be posted/how visible, etc. more specific and less up to interpretation. 3. Same rules apply to ever entity, including government buildings, city parks, etc - no different "signage" laws for one entity compared to another, etc.

It's a shame when anyone is killed that turned out not to be a threat but sometimes, unfortunate things happen...I don't see anyone being "at fault" here.

I occasionally open carry but not very often. In general, I see far more potential downside to OC than to CC. I am happy that we can OC in Tennessee and I don't want to lose that option but I don't think openly carrying a firearm wins us very many friends...although it should not be, carrying a firearm is an emotionally charged issue and few good things happen when emotions get involved in an issue.

Ah...you watch Law & Order too!

Yeah...well...people have been saying that about me for years but I've proven them wrong so far!!!

Oh...well...thank God I'm not there yet! LOL

They have to catch him first and even if they do, I suspect that more than one member of a jury will identify with the passenger in the car more so that withe the thug kid who could easily have killed someone. At the very least, if the crossbow guys goes to jail the kids who were throwing the rocks ought to be in there with him.

To me this is just one of thousands of examples of worthless, meaningless government intrusion where is has no business intruding. I fully support the concept that a person needs to know the laws where he lives; such is clearly the resident's responsibility. However, it is ridiculous for society to expect a non-resident...a traveler to know every single law of every little podunk jurisdiction he might pass through getting from point A to point B. Before this post, I had no idea that the pocket knife I carry every day means I was committing a crime every time I've been in Clarksville! I can only wonder how many other laws I violate every single time I travel! It's too bad that city council's can't concentrate on punishing those who misuse tools (like a knife, firearm, baseball bat, billy club, etc.) rather than the tool (i.e. how long the blade of the knife happens to be)!

With extremely few exceptions I always negotiate. A "price" is just someone's idea of what they want to get for the item or what they think the item is worth in the marketplace...it may be a price set by a large department of cost analysts/marketers who make that decision in a large company or it may be set by an individual. Obviously not everyone will be willing to negotiate but I've found that most "prices" are negotiable. I've found that the "key" is to be dealing with someone that has a real, vested interest in selling what is being offered...a clerk making $8/hr isn't going to care; a department manager, store manager, store owner, private party does care. Of course, if you have a set price you aren't willing to go over then you have to be willing to walk away. I've lived in several different states (on both coasts, the Midwest and the south) and I've seen little difference in whether people are willing to engage in negotiation or not...as a country, we seem to have an aversion to haggling. I can tell you from experience that it's NOT that way in any other country I've ever visited (and I've been in quite a few between the Navy and my civilian travel).

I'd be up for the 10/11th although I'd very much prefer the 11th if at all possible as I have another meting scheduled for the 10th

How many Glocks must one own before they are truly a convert to the dark side???

There was a time in my life when I thought that the "price" was the "price"...the only exception seemed to be motor vehicles where "haggling" seemed to be expected. That's just how our culture operates. However, as I've gotten older, I've come to learn that (to borrow a phrase), you can negotiate on everything some of the time and on some things all the time but you can't negotiate on everything all the time. I've been pretty successful negotiating prices on things I want if I'm dealing with someone who has a vested interest in making the sale (i.e., an owner, manager, private party, etc) and as was said earlier, if you don't ask you don't get...if you try to negotiate and don't get anywhere then you either accept the offered price or you move on; sometimes I accept and sometimes I move on!

Quite a few years ago, I was the night auditor at a hotel...we had our standard rack rate but the owner also had a rate he would not go below and which he communicated to me...part of my job was getting as much for a room as possible (I never charged more than the standard rack rate). So, depending on how full or not full we were, the time of night, etc. etc. I most certainly would negotiate the rate with a customer - after a while, I got a pretty good feel for what a customer would be willing to pay and not willing to pay. With that experience, I almost always negotiate the rate for my room when traveling (and I travel fairly often)...I don't always get a better deal than standard/online pice but I get a better deal than rack more often than not. Perhaps your experience at your hotel is typical for you my experience had certainly been different - I'd suggest that in the overall hospitality industry, prices are very, very often negotiable.

Quite a few years ago, when I lived in Columbus, Ohio...a kid was throwing rocks off of a downtown overpass...if I recall correctly; several people lost their lives from the ensuing accident (starting with a motorcyclists I think). I suppose all kids have done stupid things but I think some may be unforgivable. I hope when this idiot kid recovers form his non life threatening injuries that they take him and his stupid friend directly to jail.

The only value I find at Walmart is inexpensive entertainment - watching some of the folks who shop there is truly entertaining. I do my shopping elsewhere.

I'll look at online dealers to get an idea of what a new gun is selling for but I doubt I'll ever buy one from an online dealer - if I'm going to buy new I'd prefer to support a local dealer. That said, I don't buy new very often (only two in that past two years). Generally speaking, I prefer to buy used (like new or lightly used). One reason I do is because like avoiding the federal paperwork and supporting big brother's ability to know what I own. Another reason is that I feel that I can get a better deal all around that way (and if I don't believe it's a good deal then I don't buy). I can't say I've seen any real migration from the use firearms market...I suspect that the rabid buying/selling of a couple of years ago (which seemed to coincide with Obummer's assertion to power) has probably died down some but my gut feeling is that both the new and used firearm's market is pretty healthy.

I would go to a city council meeting and ask them to explain why they believe that knife with a 3" blade is "safer" or more "Okay" than one with a 3 1/2" or 4" blade? I'd also ask how someone traveling through Clarksville is supposed to know that Clarksville has a more restrictive law than the State of Tennessee? I wonder if there is signage warning people of this law? Dose the city council expect every person traveling through Clarksville to review the city codes before they cross into the city limits? I'm not sure but doesn't Clarksville city limits take in any part of the interstate and if so, is it possible that Clarksville PD could stop a motorists (say for speeding) who is just passing through, with no intentions of even stopping in Clarksville, and be carrying an "illegal" knife and be charged with same? Is such a charge a minor misdemeanor or a felony?