Haslam at the TFA: The Real World vs. The Constitutional World

Haslam at the TFA:

The Real World vs. The Constitutional World

Knoxville mayor and Republican candidate for governor of Tennessee Bill Haslam appeared at the Nashville chapter meeting of the Tennessee Firearms Association Monday night, before a decidedly supportive crowd. Well, mostly supportive.

The message I got was: constitutional rights are for theorists. In other words, “I live in the real world, so don’t bother me with the Constitution.”

Listen to this audio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpHvd5b3sMc

When asked to distinguish between the rights described in, say, the First Amendment, and the right described in the Second Amendment, Haslam responded that that was just the way it is. When asked under what authority the legislature acts to require state issued permits for handgun carry, he responds that’s what the legislature passed. Constitutional rights are fine in theory, he maintains, “but I live in the Real World”.

Voters looking for a principled leader are going to have to look elsewhere. Haslam, compared to McWherter, may be the lesser of two evils, but a vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil.

Hobson’s Choice.

McWherter At The Bridge

McWherter At The Bridge

If Tennessee voters are seeking a champion for the their Right To Keep And Bear Arms, and for that matter, any other part of the Constitution, they need to look for someone other than Democrat candidate for governor Mike McWherter.

After persuading the Nashville Chapter of the Tennessee Firearms Association to change their monthly meeting date to accommodate his schedule, McWherter spent all of about 35 minutes before the group speaking and answering, or rather not answering, questions, 34 minutes more than he wanted to no doubt. Thanks to Richard Archie of the TFA, we have video of his appearance.

McWherter is affable enough and began by shaking everyone’s hand and then launched into his stump speech, emphasizing job creation as his main platform, and slamming Republican opponent Bill Haslam for his joining the NRA only recently. McWherter tried to portray himself as a businessman first and foremost, although he let it slip he is a lawyer by training and Constitutional Law was not his strong suit. From there it went downhill.

McWherter managed to display an alarming ignorance of not only the plight of the small farmer in Tennessee, but the immigration issue as well as the Second Amendment. I am sure he would have shown an even wider range of issues about which he has not bothered to form coherent positions, but he was only there for a little over thirty minutes.

Watch the videos, here, and here.

McWherter is against restaurant carry for ordinary citizens, and seems ignorant of the fact that it is already unlawful for a citizen carrying a firearm to consume alcohol. A policemen, however, may carry his weapon anywhere anytime even in a bar, to “protect” himself. You and I have no such right to protect ourselves in similar circumstances. Police are apparently special. He did say he thought it would probably be a good idea if the officer didn’t drink while packing. I can’t recall if the laughs came after this or when he said the police are “special”. I think the latter.

In spite of the fact he was before a gun rights group, and had been asked the very same question by the very same person at a previous TFA meeting, in response to the question, McWherter said he did not know what the Tennessee Firearms Freedom Act was. This after proclaiming he was a big supporter of State’s Rights and the Tenth Amendment. He said all firearms should be under regulation. He was pointedly asked by some fellow in a red shirt (me) what he thought the Second Amendment really meant. He stumbled around. The best he could say was that it “number two in the Bill of Rights.” He maintained that it was a right. He thinks the freedom of speech is a right too, but could not or would not answer why one right should be regulated and the other not. I pointed out that when you have to ask permission to exercise a right it is no longer a right but a privilege.

He left rather hurriedly after this.

I was just getting started. I really wanted to ask him if he thought Tennessee was a sovereign state, and if so, what he would do to interpose the state between the Federal government and the citizens of Tennessee to protect the latter from unConstitutional laws, and what he thought was the relationship of the Second Amendment to all this. No time to do it.

All in all it was an unsatisfying experience. Bill Haslam is scheduled to appear before the same group on October 18. The meeting is open to the public.

I hope Haslam sticks around to answer questions.

“War On Guns” Blog Picks Up My Case

As seen here:

http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2009/01/hamblen-v-us.html

“Of Arms & The Law” Blog Discusses My Case

Here:

http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2007/11/unpublished_opi.php

The Volokh Conspiracy Picks Up My Case

You can read it here:

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_12_07-2008_12_13.shtml#1228842374

Pro Gun Lobby Was No Help In My Case

As you can see here:

http://americancommondefencereview.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/the-tenth-amendment-war-over-the-scope-of-the-second-amendment-and-the-common-defence-clause/

“DumpDC” Blog Discusses My Case

It can be found here:

http://dumpdc.wordpress.com/2010/04/03/richard-hamblen-and-gun-rights/

Discussion On TN Gun Owners Forum

It gets interesting:

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/2nd-amendment-issues/21240-hamblen-vs-united-states-3-08-1034-a.html

Christian Science Monitor Does A WriteUp

It can be found here:

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2009/1230/No-right-to-bear-unlicensed-machine-guns-federal-court-says

The New American Magazine Does a WriteUp

It can be found here:

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/constitution/2807-rich-hamblen-challenges-the-supreme-court-to-uphold-the-second-amendment
A lot of factual errors here, making me wonder about everything else written about in the New American, the main ones being that I was in the National Guard (I was in the State Guard) as well as  I was “converting” semi autos–I didn’t convert anything. I made machine guns from demilitarized parts kits. The reporter didn’t do his homework and must not have taken notes during the 35 minute telephone interview.

New Orleans Interview

April of 2010

Liberty On The Rocks Quick Interview on 10th Amendment and Nullification

At a local Liberty On The Rocks meetup I was asked my opinion in February of 2010:

Interview by Motorhome Diaries

About a year ago (Aug 2009) I was interviewed by the Motorhome Diaries. It’s the best summation of my case on video:

First post

Greetings,

Welcome to my blog.

I will be commenting on the Right To Keep And Bear Arms and other Constitutional issues. As someone who has lost a court fight over the RTKBA with the Federal government, I offer my personal perspective on this issue as well as the process involved.

For those unfamiliar with my case you may read about it by clicking this link.