Tennessee has a provision in its statutes that makes it a crime to
carry a firearm (or a club) anywhere at any time with the “intent to go
armed”. Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-1307(a)(1).
Doing so is a criminal act. Indeed, its a crime if you do so on your
own private property or even in your home. Its a crime if you have a
handgun permit. Its a crime if you are hunting or going to a gun range.
Indeed, each of these circumstances, which many people think are
“lawful” or their “right”, are nothing more than affirmative defenses to
the crime. Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-1308.
Although Tennessee Firearms Association has worked for years in an
effort to repeal this unconstitutional statutory scheme, the Tennessee
Legislature, the governors, the Department of Safety, the Tennessee
Bureau of Investigation, “lobbyists” for the Tennessee Sheriffs
Association and others have consistently fought (and defeated) efforts
to repeal this clearly unconstitutional statutory scheme. TFA and its
members will continue this fight but to prevail it may require that
more Tennesseans realize that their Second Amendment rights are grossly
infringed by the State and these state officials.
We have to effect this change before other government entities think
that Tennessee’s gun laws are an efficient way to infringe
constitutional rights and attempt to copy this statutory scheme.
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