Danridge considers park ban

[Tim Nunan]

Today's Morristown Citizen Tribune reports that Danridge officials will meet Tuesday, 14 July 2009, at the regular monthly meeting and will discuss "opting out" of the park carry bill, i.e., not allow HCP's to carry in Danridge city parks.

The article contains many erroneous comments from city officials like implying that the law allows anyone to carry in a park. Representative Frank Nicely, a sponsor and strong supporter of the bill said, "My intent is to allow any man or woman with a legal carry permit from the state of Tennessee to be able to carry their gun in a state park." Of course the issue at hand is being able to carry in local parks because the recently passed law now allows HCP's to carry in state parks.

Sorry, the article does not state where or what time the town meeting will be held. You'll have to dig that out on your own.

[Tim Nunan]

Hopefully Morristown can be educated as well. - Tim

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/jul/15/gun-ban-in-parks-denied-in-dandridge/

DANDRIDGE - Retired police officer Ronnie Smith of Dandridge has a gun-carry permit and is a pistol-packing believer in the right to carry firearms.

"Most of the time I'm awake I've got mine," said Smith during a Tuesday night Dandridge City Council meeting that included a resolution to prohibit hand guns in public parks in the Jefferson County town.

Smith, 68, was pleased with City Council's 4-2 vote which nixed the resolution that would have prohibited any person authorized to carry a handgun from possessing a handgun while within a public park, natural area, historic park, nature trail, campground, forest, greenway or waterway that is owned or operated by the town of Dandridge.

"Criminals don't go to the police station or Army base, they go to parks, nursing homes and schools," said Smith as he addressed the gathering of 20 people at the meeting.

Dandridge is one of many cities in Tennessee that has been mulling a new state law that comes into effect Sept. 1 that will allow citizens with handgun permits to carry guns in public parks.

The new law has a loophole that allows cities and counties to axe the provision and keep their parks free from guns - after adoption of a resolution by the legislative body.

Tuesday's decision by City Council was of particular note because Dandridge was rocked by a 2006 shooting where three adults were killed in an ongoing dispute between two families at a city ballpark complex at Grace Schrader Park called the "Field of Dreams."

The shooting took place as more than 50 spectators filed out of a youth baseball contest at the complex on U.S. Highway 25W-70. The shooting was not related to any developments during the game.

The other municipal park in Dandridge affected by Tuesday's vote is the Point Resort and Marina.

Smith, along with several members of City Council, deemed the resolution as unenforceable.

"You'd have to have 100 officers down there to pat people down," said Smith. "It's unenforceable and something we don't need. You have an incident that happened three years ago infringing on my rights."

Town Administrator James Hutchins said he doubted any law banning firearms in the park would deter criminals from carrying guns. "No law we make can make people obey the law," said Hutchins.

Like Smith, Dandridge resident Sabrina Large has a gun-carry permit and believes she should be able to carry a handgun in the city's parks. Large, 32, said the Field of Dreams shooting was part of the reason she decided to obtain a gun-carry permit.

"That, and how the world is today," said Large, who frequently attends games and events at Field of Dreams.

"People who have carry permits ought to be able to carry guns for their own safety - that's what we got them for."