If you really are or want to be somebody in the Second Amendment advocacy world, you were there.

The Gun Owners of America Leadership and Advocacy Summit just concluded this past weekend. Held in Knoxville, Tennessee for the second year in a row, it brought together those interested in advocating for a return to the promise of the Second Amendment, codified and enumerated in our Bill of Rights.

Home to the event, Tennessee was well represented in attendees from the great unwashed, but there was a paucity of government officials of any ilk, elected or want-to-bees. You know, “candidates”, with their hands out for dollars and votes to ascend to elected positions. Two state Representatives gave of their weekend to attend, Monty Fritts and Michelle Reneau out of the ninety-nine, and not a single Senator, close or far.

Of the nine federal Congress district representatives, Tim Burchett was the only one who respected the Second Amendment enough to show up, but we would expect that, as he is a Champion in that field. I have always felt it best if I wanted to fish, to go to where there was water. Seems if one wants to make a statement about being a Second Amendment advocate, a collection of Gun Owners might be fertile ground? Yet, not a single announced candidate for governor (and that race is already cooking) thought enough of the pool of thousands of voters assembled worthy of their time and effort to glad hand. Toss in the federal house races for the 4th and 7th Congressional Districts (you would need a bus to get all the hopefuls to the site) but not one considered that group of potential voters worthy of a ride to Knoxville.

Of note, the date, time and place of this event was announced last year at the conclusion of the previous event, anyone paying attention was aware, I was…

I suppose the reasoning would follow that gun owners don’t cry enough or with sufficient volume to get noticed. Maybe they believe the lie that Tennessee has great gun laws, instead of the truth that we are governed by a Jim Crow era infringement that makes it a crime for the average taxpayer to carry any firearm for any reason (TCA 39-17-1307 Unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon. (a) (1) A person commits an offense who carries, with the intent to go armed, a firearm or a club.)

You can believe that fluid hitting your shoes is rainwater, but it is yellow and smells bad if you really pay attention. It is a crime to bear a “firearm” in Tennessee, and the legislature has defined that so broadly that it includes hand grenades, just so they can keep you unarmed outside of a permission slip that allows handguns only, that you pay a tax to exercise as a right, or are provided an exception, exemption or defense by the grace of the servants you hire and pay to protect your rights…under their oath to propose or ascent to nothing that would infringe your natural right to arms.

If you believe that, I have some beachfront property for sale in Weakley County…

C. Richard Archie
West TN Director, Board Member
Tennessee Firearms Assoc.