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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User Comments
Senator Finney, I applaud your stance on the 2nd Amendment. But would like to clarify that the 2nd Amendment does not provide the right of the people to keep and bear arms, it protects a pre-existing right, from governmental infringement. Many citizens fall into the error of saying that the Bill of Rights give something to the citizens, but, in fact, what it does is spell out some of the inherent or pre-existing rights of citizens and forbids the government from touching them.
Dear Santee: You are correct. The right to defend person, family, and home is inherently present as part of our basic freedoms. We share this freedom with freedom of speech, freedom to worship, and other important freedoms. There are some persons who must have this freedom abridged because of unacceptable behavior or capacity, but most law-abiding citizens should not be hindered from "bearing" (possessing, owning, and using) firerms in a lawful manner. For anyone who is not aware, read the history of the Second Amendment. I was asked to give a talk to a Knoxville Firearms Association meeting at Bob's Mountaineer Restaurant in 2005 or 2006. I did some research on the history of the Second Amendment, and found it thoroughly fascinating. Starting in medievial England, persons were given permission to be armed for self-defense purposes. For centuries, people have maintained that right, and it was written into our Constitution as the Second Amendment. Only recently, have liberal antagonists and judges tried to take that right from us. In so doing, they disregard the truth-- (1) when appropriate screening is applied, gun carry permit holders do not commit criminal acts with their weapons, and (2) an armed populace-- or just the belief that some members are armed-- reduces crime. The government's role should be in keeping firearms out of a certain segment of society, but permitting the rest of us to own and use firearms in a lawful manner (collection, target practice, and hunting). I believe Tennessee does a pretty good job in issuing gun carry permits.
NOTE TO JOE: You should consider printing an article about the history of the Second Amendment. If you cannot find someone to write such an article, I wiould be willing to dust off my talk (after the August 7 Primary), and let you see if you would like to print it.
Senator Finney will win this thing in a landslide. I don't even know why those other clowns are running. You've done a fine job Sir.
Yes I support Dr. Finney, ALL of my family and freinds will be there for him on election day. Thank you Dr. Finney for supporting our rights.
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