Not too bright
Tennessee’s Attorney General has opined that the second amendment does not impose restrictions on the State’s power to infringe on the right to arms.
Also, the sixth circuit court of appeals (Tennessee is a part of the sixth) holds there is no individual right to arms.
January 5th, 2004 at 2:51 pm
Good Lord. I expect such nonsense from California’s Attorney General, who is a left-liberal Dem with the political equivalent of Tourette’s Syndrome. I’m a bit surprised, though, to hear an AG in Tennessee make the same tortured “people aren’t ‘people'” argument.
January 5th, 2004 at 7:41 pm
I wonder what his opinion is of Article 1 Sec 26 of the State Constitution?
January 6th, 2004 at 10:47 am
Link to the TN Constitution. He’s probably reading the emphasis a lot differently. I can’t see his quotes (websense filters out “weapons”), but he’s likely emphasizing the second clause (right of the state to regulate) over the first clause (citizens’ right to keep arms), and he’s probably emphasizing “common defense” as opposed to personal defense.
Not saying he’s right here; in fact, I can’t say that, since I haven’t seen his quote in or out of context. But Article I Section 26 of the TN constitution clearly allows the state some regulatory authority. Just how much authority would be the only point of debate here.