by Anthony Morelli
This was a very dangerous move that could have major implications.
The gun control lobby has been pushing their favorite politicians to take guns away.
And one group of gun grabbers brazenly ignored the law to push gun control.
Anti-gun politicians and activists think that their cause is so important that the basic rules of politics can be cast aside.
Many of them see themselves as superheroes, saving lives and ending “gun violence” through political activism, and those who see themselves this way feel entitled to do whatever they want.
Apparently, this includes breaking clearly written state laws, like the ones in Tennessee.
The state of Tennessee has passed legislation that would prevent local municipalities from attacking the gun freedoms of their citizens.
The legislation is plainly worded with very little wiggle room, but some left-wing politicians are choosing to ignore it.
The city of Memphis is pushing through gun control anyway, in plain violation of the law that was passed.
And now there is chaos in the state of Tennessee as a major legal challenge is almost certainly brewing in the courts.
According to The Truth About Guns, “Judging by recent actions, members of the Memphis City Council apparently think their position is lofty enough that they don’t have to follow state law.
“On July 23, council members approved several anti-gun measures that will appear on the ballot on election day in an attempt to amend the city charter. Of course, all are direct violations of the state’s firearms preemption law, which was passed by lawmakers precisely to stop local officials passing strict regulations.”
The lawyers for these politicians will almost certainly try to argue that the law actually means something else, but they aren’t going to get very far.
After all, the language of the legislation was written to be crystal clear in its meaning and prevent any escape hatches.
Here is what it says: “The general assembly preempts the whole field of the regulation of firearms, ammunition, or components of firearms or ammunition, or combinations thereof including, but not limited to, the use, purchase, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, carrying, sale, acquisition, gift, devise, licensing, registration, storage, and transportation thereof, to the exclusion of all county, city, town, municipality, or metropolitan government law, ordinances, resolutions, enactments or regulation.”
“No county, city, town, municipality, or metropolitan government nor any local agency, department, or official shall occupy any part of the field regulation of firearms, ammunition or components of firearms or ammunition, or combinations thereof.”
There is no getting around that. It was intentionally written to prevent local officials who are hostile to guns from inventing some other meaning.
Perhaps Memphis won’t even try to do that. Maybe they will just enforce their new gun control laws with no regard to what the state of Tennessee says or even what the courts say.
It would be a legal disaster that would lead to complete chaos, but again – many anti-gun politicians and activists feel that is worth it for their cause.