Guns in Parks in Knoxville
Item 11.O on tomorrow night’s City Council Agenda is:
A Resolution to prohibit handguns in public municipal parks, natural areas, historic parks, nature trails, campgrounds, forests, greenways, waterways, or other similar public places.
You can contact the council members using info at this link.
July 27th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I sent this to the city council – PS, I live outside of the city but I DO own property in the city which means I am allowed to vote there and expect the council to represent me. Others are welcome to use my words to correspond with the council if you feel they are worthy.
“Dear Councilmen / Councilwomen –
I am writing to request that you oppose the proposed resolution that will restrict the rights of law-abiding residents having a handgun carry permit (HCP) to carry in city parks and recreation areas. This is an important right recently returned to the people by a large majority of the State Legislature. HCP holders are law abiding citizens and will not present a danger. Conversely, criminal and other never-do-wells do frequent our city parks and they have no compulsion about carrying illegal weapons and taking the advantage of the unprotected innocents.
Once again, please oppose the resolution.”
July 27th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
RedDog: You mean ‘compunction’, not ‘compulsion?’
July 28th, 2009 at 1:18 am
Nice of Curly to correct your grammar but it adds nothing to the topic.
The city does not provide any security in its parks. There is no reason to disarm the citizen permit holder since there is no evidence that permit holders have commited any crimes in the parks. The new law ONLY APPLIES to permit holders who have an outstanding record of safely and discreetly carrying their sidearms for the past decade. Of course the city fathers will disarm the citizen permit holder if he decides to attend the commission meeting on Tuesday.
Permit holder in parks are NOT the problem. Criminal predators ARE the problem. Why disarm the victim? Since there is NO evidence of permit holders disrupting ball games, shooting children at random, or otherwise being a public nuisance, there is not reason to “opt out.”
Yes, the parks director doesn’t like guns in his parks. We know that, but his reasoning actually represents an OPINION. He is entitled to that but that doesn’t change the fact that permit holders have never been a problem in city our county parks. There is no valid reason to consider the fearmongering tactics of the news media and the parks director will come true. It hasn’t in the many surrounding states that have allowed concealed carry in their parks. Yeah, I know, it’s not a CCW law, but most all permit holders do carry concealed because the general public tends to panic if they see a citizen with a gun.