Good for the governor
You’ll recall that TN Governor Phil Bredesen wanted to retain the power of restricting the ability to purchase guns and ammunition during times of natural disaster or declared emergency. He has since had a change of heart, reports Bob Krumm:
Gov. Phil Bredesen, who was at one time leery of giving up that power, signaled his support Monday for a plan to prevent Tennessee officials from suspending the sale or transport of guns during a Hurricane Katrina-like emergency.
March 27th, 2007 at 11:03 am
One down one to go.
Mayor Haslam, is this your wakeup call?
March 27th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Good for Govenor Bredesen. I respect repentant public officials, especially when they change and defer to our declared rights instead of their arbitrary power.
March 27th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Maybe they’ve seen this little gem, which I will not tire of spreading around:
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/242fin.htm
DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS UNDER COLOR OF LAW
Summary:
Section 242 of Title 18 makes it a crime for a person acting under color of any law to willfully deprive a person of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.
For the purpose of Section 242, acts under “color of law” include acts not only done by federal, state, or local officials within the their lawful authority, but also acts done beyond the bounds of that official’s lawful authority, if the acts are done while the official is purporting to or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties. Persons acting under color of law within the meaning of this statute include police officers, prisons guards and other law enforcement officials, as well as judges, care providers in public health facilities, and others who are acting as public officials. It is not necessary that the crime be motivated by animus toward the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin of the victim.
The offense is punishable by a range of imprisonment up to a life term, or the death penalty, depending upon the circumstances of the crime, and the resulting injury, if any.
TITLE 18, U.S.C., SECTION 242
Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnaping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
March 28th, 2007 at 9:45 am
Good post, Lyle. But they keep on violating it.
One more thought on Gov Bredesen: he is safe in taking this position because Speaker Jimmy Naifeh will make sure it gets stopped in whatever House committee or sub-committee it must pass through before the full House can vote.
Naifeh has consistently violated our Federal and State Constitutional RIGHT to keep and CARRY arms for self-defense by his anti-armed self defense appointments to the Constitutional Protections Committee.
March 28th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Ron W hit the nail on the head. Bredesen had a “change of heart” because it was politically expedient (due to the flack he was taking) and he knows that his buddy Naifeh won’t let it get through the House.