Bristol: Monkey see, monkey do...

[GKar]

I see City Council has posted their agenda for tomorrow night's (July 7) meeting. Resolution 09-69 - banning firearms from local parks.

A little research indicates that, as of May '09, there were approx 1000 HCP holders in Bristol. No one on council appears to hold an HCP ( surprise, surprise!). Guess I'll make an appearance, trying to at least speak a little common sense into the meeting minutes.

[Raoul]

Guess I'll make an appearance, trying to at least speak a little common sense into the meeting minutes.

Good luck. There's not one of them with a brain cavity large enough to hold any common sense. I've spoken to them all privately and it's not done any good that I can tell.

[GKar]

Yes, I have little hope of changing the outcome. Previous experience suggests that, when a resolution makes it to this agenda, it has already been decided upon.

[GKar]

Spoke with one this afternoon who indicated he will argue against it. Spoke with another one who ended our conversation with "So I'll note you as opposed". Two (Feireabend and Shumaker) have made their pro-ban position abundantly clear in today's newspaper article, invoking "the safety of the children". I will nonetheless try to talk with them tonight. The fifth one (Testa) has no telephone contact that I can find, so I sent an email to the addy listed on the Council website.

[Guest TnDeerHunter]

Would be a good time to post contact numbers maybe we could get a little help

[GKar]

Joel Staton - 423/764-7501 (seems he may argue against the resolution) jstaton@bristoltn.org

Margaret Feirabend ("fire-robin") - 423/764-3336 mfeierabend@bristoltn.org

David Shumaker - 423/968-2501 [no email given]

Dr. James Messimer - 423/968-5173 jmessimer@bristoltn.org

Fred Testa - no phone available ftesta@bristoltn.org

Phone numbers from the Feb 2009 Bristol TN phone book

Email addys from the Council's web page: Bristol, Tennessee

[GKar]

My approach has been thus: resolutions such as this only serve to penalize a subset of the citizenry that has already established a proven track record of law-abiding behavior, and has an essentially pristine record of concientious, responsible discharge of the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon any who legally carry a firearm. Why should the facts and data from 10+ years of history by 220,000 Tennesseans who hold an HCP (1,000 in Bristol, 5,000 in Sullivan county) be blindly discounted when there is no data to support the fears and misinformed caricatures espoused by those in the media and elsewhere?

Staton listened keenly, and indicated that he agreed with much of what I had to say. Messimer seemed less receptive, once noting that Bristol already had a law prohibiting firearms in parks (then ackowledging that Council did need this resilution to keep it alive). Feirabend graciously listened, but did not attempt to engage me in any conversation concerning the resolution: just "you've raised some points that I'll check out and that bear consideration". Shumaker has not returned my call, and I had to email Testa - given that is a "work" email addy for him (bristoltn.org), he likely won't see it till tomorrow.

[GKar]

Shoemaker called me back this morning. Upon hearing my topic, he asked "OK, tell me why you need to carry a gun in Steele Creek Park?" He then broached the expected far-left topics - we don't need to carry guns in todays society, the 2nd amendment is outdated just like women's suffrage and slavery, et al. He acknowledged that I was not going to change his mind, and that it was unlikely that he was going to change mine.

[Guest rockytop]

If it's "monkey see, monkey do" as you say. Go to tonights meeting and tell them Jackson city council voted the resolution DOWN by a vote of 7 to 2 with 1 abstaining, I believe.

Good luck

[Guest tadams]

Anxiously awaiting word from Bristol...

[GKar]

As expected, Council voted 3-2 to ban handgun carry in local parks. Feirabend, Testa and Shoemaker voted yes to the resolution aning carry, Staton and Messimer no - although Messimer later admitted he intended to vote yes, but Shoemaker's outlandish remarks critical of anyone who would want to carry a gun infuriated him (but, he already knew that there were 3 yes votes, so...) Staton actually got it - he said that this vote was not really about whether or not carry in local parks was right or not, but that it was really about Council taking away rights from citizens without cause. No on else present wanted to hear that. Testa and Feirabend remined silent through debate. Testa told me before the meeting that he intended to vote yes...he had received my email, but was not moved to change his mind. Feirabend had earlier stated in the paper her intent to vote yes, as had Shoemaker.

Shoemaker went a bit ballistic in his opposition to my remarks (I was the only person present to address the resolution)...said that the only reason anyone would ever carry a gun was because they were either afraid of all their fellow Bristolians, or because they needed their machismo fix. He's also the clown that told me earlier today that the 2nd Amendment was just as outdated as slavery and women's voting rights...

[NuTcAsE]

Can't have guns in parks, you might hurt somebody. But twice a year they'll give a bunch of drunk drivers a police escort in and out of town.