With blood dripping from their hands and tears from their eyes over the sacrifice of lives and property, our Founders having just ended tyranny by engaging in a violent insurrection against their government (the King and Great Brittan), set about guaranteeing that any new government instituted on that soil so dearly bought, would be protected by law in the ability to keep and bear arms. They did so by codifying rules for the necessary evil of government, keeping it in awe of the People, 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, the Paris Fish Fry or a bend the knee to the World Economic Forum:

Look closely at the number of armed security guards in attendance assuring his safety (they will not be on camera, but they will be in attendance).

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 it should be noted that it is our form of government, first and foremost. As codified in the preamble to our state constitution, 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 grasping control of 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’s only job is delegated simply per Article III § 10 :

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

Nowhere in that document (or form of government) do I find anything that says the person occupying that office 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 very best description of fact related to government officials I have ever heard is from a woman who lost both her parents in the “Luby’s Massacre” (October 16, 1991) in Killen TX from a psychopath bent on terror and murder, killing 23 and wounding anther 27 with two handguns. (How well did Law Enforcement or any form of government protect those folks?)

“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!

PS. Don’t forget Governor Lee tried to install a Red Flag law, even called a Special Session of the Legislature to try and force it down our throats…