In making this announcement, NRA state liaison Heidi Keesling remarked that part of Senator Finney’s endorsement was based on his “strong and vocal support of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.”
Senator Finney said: “I am grateful that the NRA recognizes that I am a strong defender of the Second Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed, in its recent District of Columbia vs Heller decision, that the Second Amendment provides the right to bear arms to Americans individually, not only collectively in a ‘militia’ setting. We must now guard this right at the level of all state governments.”
The NRA, founded in 1871, is the nation’s largest organization devoted to promotion of firearm safety and defense of Second Amendment rights. Nearly three-million persons are NRA members.
Senator Finney remarked on the outstanding safety record of Tennesseans who hold gun carry permits, saying: “From October of 1996 through December of 2007, more than 388,000 gun carry permits have been issued by the state. Presently, more than 193,000 Tennesseans hold active permits. I cannot find one instance of a gun carry permit holder who has committed a criminal act with his or her gun. This outstanding record is in keeping with my personal observation that gun carry permit holders in my district are among our most safety-minded and responsible citizens.”
Finney added: “It is well-established that possession of firearms by gun carry permit holders decreases crimes, including violent crimes. Crime reduction is one reason that I strongly support Second Amendment rights for Tennesseans, under our present permit system administered by the Tennessee Department of Safety.”
Senator Finney (R-Maryville) serves the Eighth Senatorial District of Tennessee, which includes Blount and Sevier Countie
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