Chattanooga Council to Vote on Weapons Ban Tomorrow Night

Tomorrow night the Chattanooga City Council will vote on an ordinance prohibiting concealed-carry handgun permit holders from taking weapons into parks. Councilwoman Pam Ladd expects a large crowd when the council votes.

“I know gun owners intend to pack the house,” she told members of the JFK Club.

And they should. The Supreme Court recently ruled that carrying handguns on federal land, including parks, is a protected civil right. So why should the city of Chattanooga be able to take that right away? If the State of Tennessee allows concealed-carry handgun permits local entities shouldn’t make laws that restrict this.

Reasonable, law-abiding adults have a right to protect themselves from criminals. City parks, which often have areas that are out of view from the surrounding neighborhood, are a magnet for criminal activity. As citizens, we shouldn’t have to lose our right of self-protection just because we want to enjoy a public park.

If you live in Chattanooga, help pack the city council tomorrow night. There are bound to be some anti-gun people there, and they will argue that carrying handguns in the park will put children at risk.

“What about the children,” is an emotional argument that people make when they can’t make a logical argument. Throw it right back in their face.

“Yes, what about the children, do you think criminals are going to honor the ordinance? Parks will be much safer for everyone if the bad elements in town have to wonder who is carrying and who isn’t. Criminals tend to seek out targets that are weak and easily overcome. Passing this ordinance will be like chumming the waters for sharks. Show weakness and they will come.”