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Last Thursday (Aug 20) I went to the Shelby County (TN) TFA meeting (Tennessee Firearms Association). Every third Thursday we have it. It is a good time. We talk about gun laws and events here in West Tennessee.
Well, this meeting was a bit different. We had a speaker that we had not had before. A local law professor, lawyer and speaker. This guy is a piece of work I can tell you. His whole speech was basically telling us we should never subscribe to any gun magazines, don't visit gun related web sites, don't talk about guns and your knowledge of them and ammo. Really, he was telling us that he is a scum bag lawyer and he has represented scum bags who sue permit holders who have had to shoot in defense of self and that he grills the permit holders on their gun magazine reading, their internet activity as it pertains to guns and self defense and all sorts of other things. He even suggests that ranges and training institutions should re-name their courses to sound less scary. Don't call a class "tactical shotgun" but rather "home defense shotgun" to sound less aggressive. (I can see the logic, although small, in this)
Then he said that we here in Tennessee have to carry concealed and I couldn't take it any more. I interrupted his speech and told him he was wrong. Another man in the meeting actually spoke up as well. We explained that the permit is not a concealed carry permit but that open carry is 100% legal and I told him that I do it all the time. He rolled his eyes (I hate that
) and told me that I was foolish for doing so. He told me that he had ridden with the Memphis PD SWAT team and they loved putting what they call "Smart assed open carriers" on the ground for carrying their gun uncovered.
I told him that if that happens, it would be fine and I would surely take legal action after I was released for committing no crime. He again told me I was foolish. I kind of lost it and told him I would think that someone who is supposed to be a law professor and lawyer but does not even know that the TN permit is not a CCW permit shouldn't be calling anyone foolish.
Then the loud mouthed retired cop we have at the meetings decided to speak up and tell me that I would surely be the first one shot if I was in a store that got robbed. Mind you, he said this while wearing a "Shoot-me-first-vest" that had a light spot worn on the side where is fat arm rubs his pistol when he walks!
The end result was, it was a crappy meeting, with a lot of bad info presented by the speaker, info that I have seen refuted by the likes of nationally recognized experts like Massad Ayoob and Clint Smith in many articles and books. To top it off, I get beat up on by a few of the members for carrying openly when any self defense firearms organization such as the TFA should be focused on just getting as many people legally carrying regardless of the mode of carry, and I had a really bad time and am considering never going to another.
I used to have a link to the TFA home page in my signature, but no more. I just can't support them when they will have a speaker like this clown put me down because I choose to not be ashamed that I carry and do so openly!
Well, this meeting was a bit different. We had a speaker that we had not had before. A local law professor, lawyer and speaker. This guy is a piece of work I can tell you. His whole speech was basically telling us we should never subscribe to any gun magazines, don't visit gun related web sites, don't talk about guns and your knowledge of them and ammo. Really, he was telling us that he is a scum bag lawyer and he has represented scum bags who sue permit holders who have had to shoot in defense of self and that he grills the permit holders on their gun magazine reading, their internet activity as it pertains to guns and self defense and all sorts of other things. He even suggests that ranges and training institutions should re-name their courses to sound less scary. Don't call a class "tactical shotgun" but rather "home defense shotgun" to sound less aggressive. (I can see the logic, although small, in this)
Then he said that we here in Tennessee have to carry concealed and I couldn't take it any more. I interrupted his speech and told him he was wrong. Another man in the meeting actually spoke up as well. We explained that the permit is not a concealed carry permit but that open carry is 100% legal and I told him that I do it all the time. He rolled his eyes (I hate that
) and told me that I was foolish for doing so. He told me that he had ridden with the Memphis PD SWAT team and they loved putting what they call "Smart assed open carriers" on the ground for carrying their gun uncovered. I told him that if that happens, it would be fine and I would surely take legal action after I was released for committing no crime. He again told me I was foolish. I kind of lost it and told him I would think that someone who is supposed to be a law professor and lawyer but does not even know that the TN permit is not a CCW permit shouldn't be calling anyone foolish.
Then the loud mouthed retired cop we have at the meetings decided to speak up and tell me that I would surely be the first one shot if I was in a store that got robbed. Mind you, he said this while wearing a "Shoot-me-first-vest" that had a light spot worn on the side where is fat arm rubs his pistol when he walks!
The end result was, it was a crappy meeting, with a lot of bad info presented by the speaker, info that I have seen refuted by the likes of nationally recognized experts like Massad Ayoob and Clint Smith in many articles and books. To top it off, I get beat up on by a few of the members for carrying openly when any self defense firearms organization such as the TFA should be focused on just getting as many people legally carrying regardless of the mode of carry, and I had a really bad time and am considering never going to another.
I used to have a link to the TFA home page in my signature, but no more. I just can't support them when they will have a speaker like this clown put me down because I choose to not be ashamed that I carry and do so openly!
