With blood dripping from their hands and tears from their eyes over the sacrifice of lives and property in the Revolutionary War, our Founders, having just thrown off tyranny by engaging in a violent insurrection against their government, set about guaranteeing that any new government instituted on that soil so dearly bought would protect what they considered to be God-given rights. They did so by codifying chains for the necessary evil of government, and wrote it down as our state constitution.

When you see Governor Bill Lee do a photo op as a result of any tragic event, (or at the Paris Fish Fry) look closely at the number of armed security guards in attendance assuring his safety. We the People pay for their time, we outfit them with their training, weapons and accoutrements such as body armor, communication devices etc., we are just not allowed that prerogative to provide that safety and security with the best tools available for ourselves. (Do we as citizens not deserve the same benefit of the use of deadly force for defense against aggression?)

That office is by design of our constitution one of a servant, not a ruler.

Speaking of the state constitution, looking at the preamble, it should be noted that it is our form of government, first and foremost. That we did:

“ordain and establish a Constitution, or form of government, and mutually agreed with each other to form themselves into a free and independent State by the name of the State of Tennessee” on the sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six (Feb. 6, 1796)

In that document, inscribed and held to be inviolate (that’s a hoot, state government has been about the business of destroying the People’s rights from the jump) the only delegated power to make law is vested in the Legislature, (see Article II §s 1 and 2) the Governor is delegated simply, per Article III §10, this job:

“He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”

Nowhere in that controlling document do I find anything that says the person occupying that office (Governor) shall impose their personal “feelings” over the law. (by the way, that goes for every member of the General Assembly as well)

We are warned by Article 1§2 of our state declaration of rights:

“That government being instituted for the common benefit, the doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power and oppression is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.”

The best description of the overreach of power by government is captured in this statement:

“How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual... as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of.” - Suzanna Gratia-Hupp

Demand better from your elected employees!