Let's Stage a Political Campaign!

[The Rabbi]

The following is an email I sent to my state rep. This is a particularly irksome thing to me. I would encourage members here to write their reps. Maybe we can get a grass roots campaign going and get rid of at least one piece of useless gun law.

Dear Rep Odom:

I am a voter in your district.

I am also a Federally-licensed firearms dealer, operating Eastside Gun Shop in East Nashville. Among the laws, both Federal and state, I must comply with is a requirement that I obtain thumb prints from every person who buys a firearm. This is in TN Code 19-17-1316©(3). This is not a Federal requirement.

Rep Odom, this is a useless measure. Dealers are not expert in taking fingerprints. The prints we obtain are not usable in solving crime. I believe the print cards we are required to keep have never been used to solve a crime.

Yet it costs the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation money to print these and mail them to dealers. It costs dealers time and resources to comply with this provision. It is demeaning for customers to be fingerprinted for a legal, legitimate business transaction. Other states which do not have this requirement have no greater or lesser incidence of crime or better rate of solving crimes.

I therefore request that you introduce legislation to abolish this provision and save the taxpayers money as well as restore a measure of public dignity.

Sincerely,

Bill Bernstein

[Rightwinger]

Good idea, easy to accomplish, reckon I'm in!

[TripleDigitRide]

Now that there's a good idea.

[Guest nraforlife]

Makes perfect sense

[Guest Hyaloid]

Makes perfect sense

Which is the death knell for the measure.

[Guest jwp]

I like it. Start small and then we can move on to something bigger and really worthy like getting Jimmy Naifeh replaced as the TN Speaker of the House.

[TGO David]

It definitely has potential.

[saintsfanbrian]

I like it. Start small and then we can move on to something bigger and really worthy like getting Jimmy Naifeh replaced as the TN Speaker of the House.

Good idea but the bold sections are why it won't pass. Count me in.

[Guest jwp]

Good idea but the bold sections are why it won't pass. Count me in.

Come on, he's been oh so close to being replaced a couple of times.

All we need to do is get those 9 weak minded Republicans in the House who buckled last time to stand strong with their fellow Members and it is a done deal!

[SkWaShDeM]

Come on, he's been oh so close to being replaced a couple of times.

All we need to do is get those 9 weak minded Republicans in the House who buckled last time to stand strong with their fellow Members and it is a done deal!

You're not asking much.

[Guest Alpha Dog]

I found a typo that was probably correct in the letter you sent, the cite should be 39-17-1316 not 19-17-1316. It's a little thing, but it had me looking at something entirely different.

39-17-1316 © (6) is interesting because it says that the gun dealer may destroy the thumb print card after one year. So, it not only is useless to law enforcement, it doesn't get sent to the state and doesn't get saved...totally worthless.

I think the argument to use is the fiscal impact...in other words, the money it would save the state if it was removed from the law. Sure, it is probably minimal, just the cost to print them, but in a year where they are buying state workers out to save money, you would think that even a few thousand dollars saved would make a legislator who sponsored the change or voted for it look like a "good steward of the state's money."

[Guest grimel]

Come on, he's been oh so close to being replaced a couple of times.

All we need to do is get those 9 weak minded Republicans in the House who buckled last time to stand strong with their fellow Members and it is a done deal!

If the 9 wimps stand strong and get JH the boot I'll buy you a beer at the K-town establishment of your choice and consider it money well spent.

[Guest DrBoomBoom]

All right, I'll write. I write my state and fed reps at least once every month or so anyway

[Guest jackdog]

I'll join in, who knows maybe it will get some where.

[The Rabbi]

I'll join in, who knows maybe it will get some where.

With you backing it I wouldn't be surprised to see Naifeh drop and give you twenty.

[Guest TNDixieGirl]

I dont mean to sound dumb, but why do the even require the thumbprint? What is their reasoning (if any)?

[The Rabbi]

I dont mean to sound dumb, but why do the even require the thumbprint? What is their reasoning (if any)?

So they can match the print if the gun is stolen and recovered. Or something like that.

Heck, I dont know. It doesn't make any sense at all.

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

So they can match the print if the gun is stolen and recovered. Or something like that.

Heck, I dont know. It doesn't make any sense at all.

It's for the children.

[Guest Lefty]

I think it is a violation of the 2nd 4th and possibly the 5th amendments.

[Guest CrazyLincoln]

I dont mean to sound dumb, but why do the even require the thumbprint? What is their reasoning (if any)?

Because it "feels" like it helps prevent crime. Just like Gun-Free zones "feel" like they'll stop a shooting.

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

I'll join in