After opening with a roar as Republicans took control of both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly but were outmaneuvered on selection of a House speaker, the legislature ended fairly quietly earlier this month.
With some reservations about the seemingly endless list of gun bills receiving consideration, our admittedly modest requirements for a legislative session were met: a balanced state budget was passed and outside of concerns about a couple of the new gun laws the legislature doesn’t seem to have caused any harm.
Sure, some attention to sustentative issues, notably improving our state’s deplorably low rate of college graduates, would have been a boon instead of seeing so much time and attention given to the 3 percent of us with handgun carry permits.
But, otherwise little in bad legislation was passed, and the legislature and Gov. Phil Bredesen deserve considerable credit for putting together a balanced budget in these difficult economic times without draconian cuts to most major governmental services.
With absolutely no money to spend, this was probably a good session to cater to special interests, and that certainly happened.
Still, a balanced budget with minimal negative result is more than most states can claim this year and should be appreciated for the achievement it was.
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Murfreesboro officials are thankfully considering whether to ban handguns in city parks and recreational facilities.
As noted above the legislature expanded handgun carry rights, including allowing packing a weapon in parks unless a city opts not to do so.
While we don’t see a lot of risk necessarily with carrying a weapon on the Greenways, the idea of people being armed in parks where youths and adults compete raises worries.
Sports competition has a tendency to bring out bad traits in a lot of ordinarily gentle, considerate and Christian people.
Stories of competitors and particularly parents of youth competitors acting out in ways that are almost beyond imagination are all too often. Common sense and normal deportment give way to raging monsters.
Putting handguns on hips in those situations seems all too dangerous to consider.
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Please remind your friends and neighbors: Don’t leave children or pets in cars, running or not. |
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