Tennessee Firearms Assoc. Inc.

Cleveland Takes Aim At Guns In Parks Law
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July 27, 2009 8:57 PM
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Another municipality pulls the trigger and decides to allow guns in parks. On Monday night, Cleveland City Council members voted on a resolution to ban weapons from parks.

State legislators have mandated that on September 1st the guns in parks law will go into affect. But the law allows municipalities, like Cleveland, to opt out. So on Monday night, Cleveland City Council members took a shot at the loaded issue.

"We have fine police coverage in our parks, why change now?" Councilman Bill Estes asks.

On Monday, Estes added a resolution to the council's agenda for Cleveland to prohibit guns in parks. The addition comes on the heels of Tennessee Legislators passing a law to allow people with handgun carrying permits to take their weapons into parks.

"Well the state has set aside regulations for us to follow, who am I to go against our Senators and our Representatives and our Governor that wants this this way?" Councilman George Poe asks.

You may remember Councilman Poe. In May, Poe says he fired shots at a man and woman who stole his son's lawn mower and then tried to run him over.

"I'm too old to run and too old to stand and fight and I have to have some way to protect my life and my families lives," Poe says.

With that in mind, Poe voted against the resolution to prohibit guns in Cleveland parks.

The Council voted on the issue Monday night and tied three to three which means they will not opt out of allowing guns in parks. But Councilman Robertson was not present for the vote and Estes says he will talk to him and possibly bring this issue up again at a later date.

Estes does believe there should be discussion between council members and points out that he's a member of the NRA.

"I am now... I don't know if they'll want me after this. If they're a big tent group then I think they'll still want me - there's negotiations within the second amendment," Estes says.

Last week, Red Bank and East Ridge decided to allow guns in their parks. Although East Ridge's Mayor says he was disappointed and wants to bring the issue up again.

C. Richard Archie is right. "shall not be infringed" is a clear message. Self defense is a RIGHT and no one should take that away. Everyone has the right to defend their lives. Many officials claim to be NRA members but then deny self defense in their policies. This hypocrisy should be taken care of at the voting booth in the next election.

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes...Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." -Thomas Jefferson, quoting Cesare Beccaria

Some of you may be interested in reading what the local Sheriff had to say about self defense. It's at: http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cf ... 3564649730 Don't worry, it's good speech. Sheriff Gobble voices support for the 2nd Amendment and mentions that it's a right that is guaranteed. So there still are a few voices speaking up in Cleveland for permit holders.