Collierville TFA Member Derided by Rep. Sontany on HB2225

[Pat McGarrity]

I'd like to thank Scott Frick for taking time to confront one of the three democrats who would rather invite criminals to arm themselves, by breaking into cars at Tennessee's restaurants, than trust responsible taxpayers, with no history of criminal behavior. If the voters in districts 53, 67 and 92 like the fact that their "representatives" don't trust them, then that's their choice, but unfortunately, those voters have enabled these elitists to hold our Civil Rights hostage.

The most insulting, deriding, condescending comment in this e-mail is where Rep. Sontany says to Scott Frick; "why would you go somewhere dangerous where you would need a gun?" The short answer is; we wouldn't, of course. But, the Memphis area is a sea of danger, with few islands of safety. Why are "representatives", so obviously ignorant to the safety concerns of Tennesseans, appointed to this powerful subcommittee? Who is the Constitutional "Protections" Subcommittee protecting by preventing this common sense legislation from getting to the House floor for a vote? Evidently, criminals.

In Liberty,

Pat McGarrity

Director, Shelby County - Tennessee Firearms Association

Executive Secretary - Defenders OF Freedom


TENNESSEE FIREARMS ASSOCIATION, INC.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE

Here is an email I received this morning. It is similar to many that I have
received from other TFA members although perhaps with more detail. Here we
see the forces that are at work against the gun owners of Tennessee and the
Second Amendment. Use this for your encouragement and fortification. Use
it as an example when you speak with your legislators to establish the fact
that only 3 Democrats in the State House are deciding whether Second
Amendment legislation ever reaches the House Floor for a vote.


----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 11:16 PM
Subject: HB 2225


John - I hope that you will consider passing this email on to the entire TFA
member email list in hopes that it will help people understand why it is
essential they get actively involved concerning the passage of this bill.
The members need to understand that the opinions of handful of politicians
are deciding this important issue for the tens of thousand of gun owners in
Tennessee. As you are aware, I did as you requested in a recent email and
contacted my representative for the 95th District, Curry Todd to request
that he co-sponsor this bill. The 95th District encompasses most of
Germantown and Collierville, two suburbs of Memphis that that are
historically Republican. I was preaching to the choir talking to Rep. Todd
on this issue as he is very pro 2nd amendment.

I then began calling the members on the Constitutions Protections
Subcommittee. Three of the members (Sontany, Brooks and McMillian) are
Democrats and it is my understanding that these three are the reason why
bills similar to HB 2225 introduced in prior years have died in this
subcommittee. The only one of these three I was able to talk to was Rep.
Sontany from Nashville. When I asked her why she was against the bill, her
response was that alcohol and guns don't mix. I told her I agreed with her
on that point and that no one has any business consuming alcohol and
carrying a firearm. She then asked me "why would you go somewhere dangerous
where you would need a gun?" I explained to her that that there is no such
thing as a safe place anymore and that the present law is forcing honest law
abiding citizens to decide between breaking a law that is a Class A
misdemeanor (the most serious non-felony crime there is in Tennessee), or
choosing to carry a firearm that may make the difference between life or
death if confronted in the parking lot of a restaurant. I also advised Rep.
Sontany that two recent carjackings here in Memphis occurred in the parking
lots of grocery stores and both unarmed victims ended up with a bullet in
the head after their ATM cards no longer worked. The thugs then set fire to
the cars with the victims' bodies inside. Rep. Sontany was un-swayed from
her opposition to the bill, even when informed that the existing law
actually aids criminals in getting guns by forcing law-abiding permit
holders to leave their guns in their cars providing an opportunity for those
guns to be stolen while the permit carrier is dining inside the restaurant.

The only way this abhorrent situation will be resolved is if all gun owners,
whether permit holders or not, get involved and put pressure on their
representatives to co-sponsor this bill (the next bill may seek to classify
your favorite hunting rifle as an illegal sniper weapon). In particular,
TFA members who live in the districts represented by Brooks, McMillan and
Sontany (Memphis, Clarksville and Nashville) have got to make their opinions
known. If people choose not to get involved, then they have surrendered
their will as Tennesseans and Americans to three representatives who
apparently are not concerned about letting the will of the people prevail.
The Senate version of this bill has passed and the only question to be
answered now is whether the membership of the TFA is going to allow the
ill-founded opinions of three representatives who are apparently oblivious
to the concept of a representative democracy, decide this important issue
for all Tennesseans. If gun owners refuse to take the time to make a toll
free call to their representative to politely demand that their
representative co-sponsor this bill, then this bill will likely die in
committee again this year. If this occurs because we failed as a group to
get involved, then we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Thanks for your efforts on all our behalves,

Scott Frick
Collierville, TN




John Harris
Exec. Dir - TFA

http://www.tennesseefirearms.com

http://www.tfaonline.org/memberforum