RobertNashville

I believe you are missing something. Someone (person/business, etc) owns the parking lot and has the right to post their "property" against firearms being on their property. Of course, they are supposed to be subject to the rules regarding what constitutes a proper posting. You probably see inconsistent/sparse signage because these shopping center parking lot owners don't really care about firearms on their property nearly as much as they want to escape liability if someone has a firearm and something bad happens - they can just "point their sign" and say "not our fault".

I'm glad for all the malls that are posted against HCP holders...I suspect that entices the crooks to ply their trade where they are most welcome and keeps them away from the businesses I frequent! More seriously, I agree, unfortunately, that this kind of stuff can happen anywhere at any time; after all, isn't that why we went to the trouble of getting our HCP and even more trouble of actually carrying??? It's the world we live in now - the law enforcement/justice system/prison system can't protect us because there aren't enough cops or enough courts or enough prisons to capture, prosecute and then keep the scum locked up.

I think there is a good bit of truth in what you say but not completely. Whether it's scripted or not or how much it might be scripted there is no way to know without actually having been a contestant on the show. I also think that these people are not slouches when it comes to various shooting disciplines but being an IDPA hot-shot or a champion sporting clays shooter is far different than the sorts of events these shooters have to compete in on the show which is why the winner has tended to be someone who is the most well-rounded and not necessarily a champion in one particular shooting sport. Bottom line for me is that I've found both seasons to be enjoyable with some incredible marksmanship displayed.

Don't get too upset...I don't think he meant anything by it. It does seem that some put a bit too much emphasis on "when" someone joined here...I joined when I found the forum; if I had found it two or three or whatever years before I'd have joined it then!

That's a very good question! I would certainly hope that simply being armed, in view or not, would not automatically "up" a charge...if so then anyone who routinely open carries would really have a potential problem. I'm assuming/hoping that there was a bit more going one that just the fact that his weapon was "visible".

So very sorry...it had been many, many years without a dog when I found an eight week old basset hound puppy - she is now nearing 7 years and I can't imagine a day without coming home and seeing her there waiting for me. I've heard it said that God created the dog so that man would know what unconditional love is...I think that may be true. "The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads. The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death." - George Graham Vest - c. 1855

I hope you didn't take it the wrong way but when discussion legal issues, the words used are important.

Me too...all the above.

Lobbyist for major businesses are not going to back down and the only thing we can do to get a parking lot bill passed is to keep putting pressure on these wimpy Republicans and remind them why there are there and who put them there (and then be willing to follow-up in coming months with our money and our time to get better candidates running so we can get more of the RINOs out).

Unless someone is presently under indictment that simply isn't correct as I read the law - a conviction for domestic violence or stalking disqualifies you for an HCP; not simply having been charged.

I use them in all my vehicles and have for years. Whether they do increase HP or MPG is an open question and likely an unanswerable one since so many variables affect both measurements and very, very few people are ever going to go to the trouble and expense of controlled measurements on a dyno for before and after comparisons! I also doubt that anyone is going to really be able to tall a difference in a couple of HP just based on the seat of their pants. That said, they last virtually forever and I believe do a better job of doing what an air filter is supposed without unnecessarily restricting airflow - that alone is enough for me to continue using them!

Seems to me that this is an example of what is wrong with the HCP process and why, perhaps, we need what is commonly called "constitutional carry" in Tennessee in addition to (not a replacement of) the HCP proecess. It shouldn't be up to one DA to effectively suspend and HCP forever and frankly, if someone is otherwise eligible to own a handgun (and as far as I know, these charges would not prevent that) then it should be equally okay to carry a handgun. I suppose there should be some exceptions but someone who has made a mistake and has "paid his due" shouldn't have to lose a right forever just because of one person's (this ADA) opinion. Just my $0.02

I hear you but it's difficult to make your displeasure heard when they simply ignore you. For example; I posted on Ron Ramsey's facebook page yesterday my disappointment with the bill that would allow faculty/staff, etc carry on the campus of state universities...several "liked" my post and posted follow-up comments of their own...rather than even attempt to explain, he simple deleted the comments. I've had very similar responses to emails with one notable exception. I don't have time to go the state house every time a bill is up for discussion or a vote or to visit officers in person (not if I want to keep eating, anyway)...all I can do is what I've been doing and attend rallies and vote. However, it's difficult not to get discouraged and just say to hell with it (and them) all.

Humm...seems like a lot of folks here are willing to throw an HCP holder under the bus while knowing virtually none of the details of what happened.

The last thing most of these turkeys want is to have to go on the record with an actual vote - regardless of the political spectrum someone sits on, why is it that it's mostly cowards and lairs that run for office?

After meeting both and while McWherter seemed like a genuinely nice guy, there was no question in my mind when I voted nor is there now that Haslam was by far the best candidate. That said, anyone who didn't realize how "soft" he is and will continue to be on firearm issues simply wasn't paying attention. As such, his stand on the bill, while I wish it were otherwise, is not all the disappointing and certainly not surprising. Lt. Governor Ramsey, on the other hand is a severe disappointment and, for what it's worth, I've already told him so. He has both painted himself as pro-firearms and up until now, has been pretty consistent in his support...what happened now with this legislation was a shock for me. Republicans have been saying for decades that things would change if there were ever given control in Tennessee but I didn't know that the changes they were talking about was a big yellow streak down their backside.

The news story certainly painted this as if the fellow pulled his gun inappropriately but if I’m an older man and some much younger, in shape guy starts shoving me I might do the same thing…we don’t know what this irate husband might have said during this altercation and/or whether the man was legitimately in fear for his life or sever harm. Certainly no one should un-holster their weapon without justification to do so and if this guy did that then yeah, it reflects poorly on all HCP holders. On the other hand, expecting a complete story from the news is a fool’s errand.

The BB software used here only allows for reporting "a" post. That you don't see a need for your involvement is fine - however, while I certainly believe that I went too far there is no "one post" that shows that....I'm not trying to encourage you to censure me; just saying. While I understand that no one wants to read the whole thread; I see no other way for anyone to get an accurate picture of what has transpired without doing so which seems to me to make the idea of "reporting" somewhat moot except in cases where one post went completely out of control.

It's my understanding (and I don't have time to confirm at the moment) that in at least some states, you do not need any special permit to carry in a vehicle provided the weapon stays in the vehicle - this may or may not be related to how they treat a person's vehicle (i.e. as a full-fledged extension of the person's home) - I know that's not true here but perhaps it should be! I do think that it is, at best, disingenuous of employers who want to extend almost absolute control the contents of a vehicle while concurrently wanting NONE of the responsibility for those contents should the contents proves to be illegal or dangerous or embarrassing. I understand that as the law stands now, that is precisely how it is but it still seems patently unfair to me; it's always been my belief that with authority and control also comes responsibility but I guess that's asking to much of the UPS's and FedEx's of the world.

I took it too far and I know it and I apologized for doing so a few posts ago and do so again. I also "reported" both myself and stickj for what has transpired in this thread...and any outcome from that is now in David's (or whoever gets such reports) hands. While I'm trying to stay optimistic I see no hope for this bill this year and as has already been said, it has ZERO to do with "property rights" and everything to do with MONEY and INFLUENCE.

One of the ways I carry my backup weapon is in a case designed to pass as a day planner (I've found I can carry it anywhere without raising any suspicions or even noticed by others)...perhaps my default around the house should be to simply have that with me wherever I happen to be. While I'm not opposed to carrying in a holster at home, I'm not sure I want to go that route just yet! I may change my mind as time goes buy, however...now that I've gotten in the habit of carrying everywhere I can outside of home, it's become almost as much a part of my daily routine as putting my wallet in my pocket and putting on my watch.

Understood but I guess I should say that each morning, all my weapons go back into the safe for while I'm gone! My home is not large and all one floor...there is usually no weapons in my bedroom until I retire there for the night. The other rooms I most frequently occupy while inside is the kitchen, living room and my office. I generally have one firearm with me (within a couple of inches) when I'm in the kitchen or living room (the division between the two is more philosophical than physical); only the one in my office is in any way "unattended" when I'm not in the room but unless someone knows where to look within the first few seconds of a break in (which will instantly set off the alarm) I doubt they would ever see it. Maybe actually "carrying" is a preferable way to go...I suspect I'd be more likely to do that if I came home at the end of the day already carrying but as I noted above, I don't do that because I can't do that.

That to me is the primary question here...not "2nd Amendment rights" or "self defense rights" but rather, an issue of private property. Based on my reading, I believe it correct to say that some states specifically and fully extend the concept of "private property" to such things as the interior of vehicles regardless of where they are parked and that no one, including an employer, can compel a search of such "private property"; it can only be searched under the same conditions that a person's home can be searched (meaning only by law enforcement and only with justification [i.e. a legitimate belief that there is something "illegal" inside]). I agree with you, there is no law in Tennessee that answers the question and perhaps, that is the discussion that the legislature should be having - part of the problem with all the "parking lot" bills proposed to date is that they only approach it as a "firearms" issue and I don't believe it either needs to be or even should be.

Am I being paranoid or am I acting reasonably? I’ve owed at least one personal firearm for virtually my entire adult life and for that matter, my Dad went with me when I bought “my†fist shotgun when I was 12 (a single shot, Savage 12ga…up ‘till then I had been using a 410!). I bought my first 1911 45 in 1975. Obviously, this was all long before my home state or most states had any sort of carry permit process or “officially†allowed citizens to walk around with a firearm on their hip. Anyway, for all the time that I’ve had a home of my own, I’ve always had a handgun or shotgun “handyâ€. However, over the last few years, I’ve gone from having “a†handgun handy to having one or more in each room and generally within easy reaching distance from wherever I happen to be at any given moment (by the way, no children in the house and when I have guests over, I handle things differently). Since I can’t carry to/from work (due to employer parking lot restrictions), part of my daily routine is to get some of my “defensive†firearms out of the safe when I get home. Also, except for times when it simply isn’t practical at all, my alarm system is always on and my dog is pretty good at providing “early warning†whenever anyone (or any rabbits) are around! So…I’m wondering; am I being paranoid here or not paranoid enough? What do you do? Do you actually “carry†a weapon on you even at home or do you have then in strategic locations around the house? I’d be interested in hearing what some of you do…what you’ve found works, etc.

It's my understanding that a business can allow its employees to be armed but deny firearms in their business for customers...that may seem a little odd but I think I can see their reasoning even though I don't agree with it. Of course, openly carrying with a stupid "HCP BADGE" around your neck seems the most odd of all...the badge does nothing but draw attention - he might as well have a sign hanging around his neck that says "shoot me first"...couple that with the store being an otherwise "gun free zone" and the bad buy will know that all he as to worry about as threats are the employees with the HCP badges.