Tennessee Gun Report

It’s been a busy week for gun accidents in Tennessee. The most responsible gun owners ever have left a bloody trail over the past seven days, primarily in Middle Tennessee. They’ve left guns where children could access them, shot themselves while trying to intimidate a spouse, shot their family and friends while handling guns. They just can’t seem to control these things, can they? Some people have died, others have nearly died, and others were patched up at the hospital and sent home. Near as I can tell, no charges have been filed in any of these cases charges have been filed in just one incident.

And I’m sure we all feel safer knowing Tennessee gun loon James Yeager, who lost his carry permit after threatening on YouTube to “start killing people” if new gun control measures were passed, has his gun permit back.

A recap of the past week’s accidental shootings across Tennessee since last Monday:

• April 8, 2013:

4-year old grabs gun, accidentally kills wife of Tenn. deputy

LEBANON, TENN. — A 4-year-old who picked up a gun at a family cookout killed the wife of a Wilson County sheriff’s deputy, authorities said Monday.

Josephine G. Fanning, 48, died Saturday at her home about 7 miles south of Lebanon, according to the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.

The shooting occurred while her husband, Wilson County Deputy Daniel Fanning, 51, was with another relative looking at guns in a bedroom of their home, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The 4-year-old and Josephine Fanning walked into the bedroom where a loaded weapon was on top of the bed, TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said. The boy, a relative of the couple, picked up the gun and fired one round that struck Josephine Fanning.

• April 8, 2013:

Woman Reportedly Shot by her 2-Year-Old

CARROLL COUNTY, Tenn.- Carroll County Sheriff Deputies are investigating after a new mother was hospitalized for a gunshot wound to her stomach, Sunday.

Carroll County Sheriff Andy Dickson told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News that the mother Rekia Kid, 22, was shot in the stomach by her 2-year-old son at her Lavinia home, Sunday. Investigators said the mother was sleeping with her three-week-old baby and toddler at the time of the shooting. Dickson said they believe the toddler accidentally shot his mother after finding a Glock 9 mm stored underneath Kid’s pillow.

• April 9, 2013:

Report: Man shot self in knee amid domestic dispute

A Columbia man accidentally shot himself in the knee while drawing a gun during a domestic dispute with his wife and was jailed four days later after being treated for the injury, according to an incident report.

Randall Floyd Lovett, 60, 694 Mt. Olivet Road, was arrested Monday and charged with aggravated assault after things “went crazy” — his own words to deputies — while arguing with his wife shortly before midnight April 4.

[...]

“Mrs. Lovett says that Mr. Lovett reached across his body with his right hand and stuck it down into an armrest on his left side,” the report continued. “As he was pulling his hand out of the armrest, Mrs. Lovett saw the gun and it immediately discharged into his left knee.”

• April 11, 2013:

Woman Seriously Injured In Accidental Shooting At Home

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A woman was seriously injured after police said her future son-in-law accidentally shot her in the stomach.

Police said the 42-year-old woman was brought to Skyline Medical Center in a private vehicle around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday. She had suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen, and was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center due to the life-threatening nature of the injury.

Can’t imagine why we’d want to stop any of this! And then we have an even longer list of people just being stupid with their guns, like this father-son duo who pulled a gun on a drive-thru window cashier because she accidentally left off an order of chicken wings. Or this woman who pistol-whipped another woman with a loaded gun over a downtown Memphis parking space. Or the Knoxville man who pulled a gun on police officers arresting his son for a road rage incident. That last one lost his life.

Freedom!

Most Responsible Gun Owners EVAH-Take Our Word For It!

When I see legislators doing reactionary stuff like this, my first thought is, what are you trying to hide?

The Senate today joined the House in voting to close the state’s handgun carry permit records to the public. Lawmakers say they want to protect the privacy of our nearly 400,000 citizen gunmen. But their real goal is preventing the media from finding out when one of these Barney Fifes shoots his foot or someone else.

The AP recently looked at public records and found that 2,133 people have had their permits revoked or suspended for criminal charges or orders of protection over the last two years in Tennessee. Handgun permit owners have killed or been accused of killing 16 people in the past five years in this state. One of the shootings started as argument over how close together two SUVs were parked.

The NRA would rather the public not learn about all that murder and mayhem because it makes voters wonder what the hell our lawmakers are thinking when they keep expanding gun rights.

Yep, that sounds about right. Now when the loonz say, “CCW holders are the most responsible gun owners ever,” we can no longer respond, “Yeah? Prove it.” We’ll just have to take their word for it. And you know something is wrong when Southern Beale and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey are in agreement. Back in February Ramsey said:

“Having the handgun carry records open actually helps the cause of the Second Amendment,” he said in an interview Thursday. “Because people can go look at those and realize that they truly are law-abiding citizens.”

I guess they’re not law-abiding citizens, or else the legislature wouldn’t be trying to hide this information. So, thanks Tennessee legislators, for proving our point.

The NRA operates under an “ignorance is bliss” policy, forcing groups such as the Violence Policy Center to turn to sketchy news reports:

No comprehensive data exists on non-self defense killings by private citizens legally allowed to carry concealed handguns. Concealed Carry Killers offers examples from May 2007 to the present of such incidents, which are taken from news reports and the limited state data available. These examples are only an unknown fraction of the unreported number of similar incidents that routinely occur across the nation.

Currently, Concealed Carry Killers documents 377 incidents in 32 states resulting in 508 deaths. In nearly 80 percent of the incidents (300) the concealed carry killer has already been convicted (126), committed suicide (167), or was killed in the incident (seven). Of the 67 cases still pending, the vast majority (55) of concealed carry killers have been charged with criminal homicide, four were deemed incompetent to stand trial, and eight incidents are still under investigation. An additional 10 incidents were fatal unintentional shootings involving the gun of the concealed handgun permit holder. At least 14 of the victims were law enforcement officers. Twenty-three of the incidents were mass shootings, resulting in the deaths of 103 victims.

I would remind the loonz and NRA lapdogs that shutting the door on factual debate is a two-sided blade. You can keep telling the world that CCW holders are the safest, bestest, most wonderful gun owners ever, but you can no longer prove it. Those of us on the other side of the issue will keep saying otherwise, and you can’t prove we’re wrong.

By the way, sealing gun records is one of those ALEC-sponsored “model” bills. They’ve been cropping up all over the country lately. Virginia just passed a similar bill, so did Mississippi, and the issue has come up in Maine and elsewhere. I’m sure nobody is shocked to learn our legislature is doing the gun manufacturers’ bidding.

Riding In Cars With Tennesseans

Add “moto-wanking” to the list of bizarre (and illegal) things prominent Tennesseans have done while driving:

A former alderman and vice mayor from Mount Carmel, Tennessee, has been arrested on charges of indecent exposure after a female motorist said he “‘fondled himself’ and made obscene gestures while they drove beside each other on Interstate 26.” William Lee Blakely, 30, had previously been investigated on similar charges in 2010, but the case was dropped when the woman who initially reported that incident “declined to move forward with the prosecution to avoid embarrassment.” At a preliminary hearing in the new case, three women testified that they had witnessed Blakely exposing himself on the freeway at high speeds.

I’m not sure what it is about Tennessee but apparently we do all sorts of odd things in our cars. We had ex-Republican House member Julia Hurley’s infamous “dog-surfing” incident, and then we have Rep. Curry Todd’s DUI-with-a-gun incident. We’ve got this teenager who stole a big rig, causing a multi-car accident on I-15 in California, all because he thought zombies were chasing him. And don’t even get me started on the whole why-can’t-people-in-Williamson-County-drive thing.

Sigh.

Seriously, I’d feel sorry for William Blakely but apparently he’s a habitual moto-wanker. And driving down the interstate at 90 mph with your dick out the window is just not safe, on so many levels. Dude needs to get some help, and I hope he finds it.

The Most Responsible Gun Owners EVAH

Why the hell won’t this Nashville man be charged for negligence?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Police said a man was cleaning his gun when it discharged, and a shot was fired into a neighboring apartment.

Police were called to the apartment complex on Arbor Knoll Boulevard around 1:30 a.m. Friday. They said a man was cleaning his handgun when it went off, and a bullet flew into the apartment next door.

Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Investigators said the gun owner won’t face charges because he has a carry permit. His identity was not released.

First of all, kudos to NewsChannel5 for using the ol’ passive voice gun dodge. Notice the man was cleaning his gun when it discharged, all by its own self. A shot was fired for some mysterious, unexplained reason! Not, the man fired his gun into a neighboring apartment, by accident. Nope, the man didn’t do a damn thing, he was just sitting there with his hand on the trigger when the gun went kaboom all by itself. Amazing.

But second of all, if you’re a CCW holder and you’re such a dumbass you don’t know to make sure all the bullets are removed before cleaning your gun? Yeah, you’ve lost the right to call yourself a responsible gun owner. And you should not only have your CCW permit yanked but you should be charged with negligence. There could have been a kid on the other side of that wall.

[UPDATE: sadly, in Texas on Sunday, there was a kid on the other side of that wall.]

Dumbass.

This shit pisses me off like you would NOT believe. No, gun owners. I do not feel safer knowing you’re out there.

Those Huddled Masses Yearning For Free Stuff

Republicans like our own Rep. Diane Black might want to talk to some actual immigrants before putting their cockamamie notions about why people come to America into actual policy. Black wants to change the 14th Amendment, which has apparently been “misinterpreted for 145 years”:

“The current broad and misguided interpretation of birthright citizenship encourages chain migration and places an unfair financial strain on our social safety net,” Black said in a statement. “With record deficits and more than 11 million illegal aliens currently living in the United States, the last thing we need to be doing is incentivizing people to come to America for the sole purpose of giving birth in order to obtain automatic citizenship for their children, which qualifies them for taxpayer-funded programs.”

What fantasy world do Republicans like Diane Black live in? Under this cracked worldview, our taxpayer-funded programs are apparently so incredibly generous, so luxurious, so gilded, that they serve as a magnet for the world’s huddled masses! Can you believe that?

Are you people kidding me? Since when does Diane Black even care about the social safety net in the first place? For crying out loud, conservatives have been trying to dismantle it for the past 50 years. Remember Ronald Reagan saying Medicare would lead to totalitarianism? Puh-leeze. So, now you guys care about the social safety net all of a sudden?! Really! You don’t say! Sorry if we hadn’t noticed.

You know what, Republicans? Please stop using the same social safety net you’re constantly trying to destroy as the convenient excuse to shred every other piece of American policy you don’t like, too. Really, you’re being a tad too transparent here.

The overwhelming stench of bullshit wafting over this argument is unbelievable. Diane Black actually thinks we’re that stupid.

It’s not about the benefits, you idiots. If immigrants just wanted free stuff they’d go to Canada, where they at least get some damn healthcare, not to mention a social safety net far more generous than ours. It’s about the opportunity. It’s about being free. It’s about a chance to create a life for yourself and your family. They come here to work and be united with family members who are already here. It’s all the stuff that the flag-wavers and patriots are constantly beating their breasts about: family, freedom, apple pie, the whole shebang. It’s not about the oh-so generous free stuff Uncle Sam hands out.

Furthermore, the entire premise that immigrants are a drain on America is 100% wrong. In fact, the whole “birth tourism” fearmongering Black has glommed on to is something exaggerated by the racist folks at FAIR, Numbers USA, the Center For Immigration Studies, and John Tanton’s other anti-immigrant front groups.

And finally, let me say: It is with tremendous irony that I read that conservatives claim the 14th Amendment has been misinterpreted for 145 years, but the Second Amendment (with all that stuff about a “well regulated Militia” which conservatives routinely ignore) has not.

Yes, Republicans. Do tell me about how you believe in a strict interpretation of the Constitution. I’m all ears.

TN GOPers Root Out Creeping Sharia In Capitol Bathrooms

Tennessee State legislators Bill Ketron (R-CooCooForCocoaPuffs) and Judd Matheny (R-TinFoilHatsRUS) are still focused like a laser on crazy crap no one really gives a shit about:

Building managers and legislative staffers have sought to reassure some concerned Tennessee lawmakers that recent renovations at the state Capitol did not install special facilities to support Muslim prayer rituals.

The new sink is instead meant to make it easier for custodial staff to fill buckets and clean mops.

Senate Clerk Russell Humphrey said he had been approached by a House and Senate member to inquire about the basin, which replaced a utility sink that had been mounted higher on the wall.

Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro said he had asked about the change after being approached about it by fellow Republican Rep. Judd Matheny of Tullahoma. Ketron said the answer dispelled any potential concerns, while Matheny denied being involved.

Ha ha ha … Love that Matheny is all like, “Huh? Waddun’t me!”

SO GLAD WE GOT THAT CLEARED UP FOLKS! Now back to your regularly scheduled wackadoodle.

Fer crying out loud … Who in their right mind sees a dang sink and immediately gets all scared about ZOMG ISLAMOFASCISM!? Get some help, guys. Like, of the medicinal sort? Maybe?

I do not want to know what reality looks like to these guys.

Job Creators

Imagine my shock to learn that the country’s second-oldest fast food chain, Krystal, is leaving its Tennessee home after 81 years and moving to Atlanta.

If you live anywhere in the South you’ve no doubt paid a late-night, booze-soaked visit to what we affectionately term “Krystal’s,” famous for its bite-sized burgers. It’s like White Castle, only it’s not. Actually, to be honest, I don’t eat that crap, okay? So don’t ask me to explain it because I’ve never eaten at Krystal’s in my life. But I understand it’s a thing with you college kids. I think it’s one of these deals where you love ‘em, hate ‘em, hate to love ‘em, or love to hate ‘em.

Anyway, Krystal was founded with one restaurant in Chattanooga in 1932, grew to have a presence in nearly a dozen (mostly Southern) states and employ 6,000 people, went public in 1992, went bankrupt in 1997, was purchased by a private equity firm in 2012, and is now leaving Tennessee for Atlanta. That’s about the typical trajectory of a modern capitalistic company, methinks.

What I found interesting is the reasons given for leaving Tennessee:

The company first announced it would leave Chattanooga in fall 2012, saying that it could not affordably and reliably support its 350 restaurants in 11 states from the Chattanooga Airport. Transporting executives to the company’s far-flung locations was simply too costly and time-consuming, officials said.

“The Chattanooga Airport has direct connections with three of Krystal’s cities, while Hartsfield has direct access to all of their markets,” Derryberry said.

Nearby access to the MARTA rapid transit system will enable employees to ride to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is especially important as the company opens up 13 new restaurants in five states this year, said Pendergast. The long-term plan is to expand its footprint to 500 locations throughout the Southeast.

Wow, didja hear that, Gov. Haslam? Chattanooga’s crappy airport and lack of rapid transit — not gun laws, state tax rates, immigration laws, or the 10 Commandments on the courthouse walls — cost Tennessee an iconic, native employer. Imagine that.

Yep, we’re talking big, socialist, government-funded infrastructure projects like a larger airport and high speed rail. The kind of big-dollar projects that create tons of jobs when you’re doing them and keep employers in the state when you’re done. The kind of projects that build communities.

Apparently government doesn’t create jobs, but government inaction sure loses them.

But hey, they’re leaving behind a museum:

“Krystal has been gathering memorabilia over the past few months and making plans to showcase the company’s rich past,” she said. “Going through over 7,000 photographs and looking through 80 years of history has been time-consuming but extremely important.”

Bob Doak, president and chief executive officer of the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau, cheered the prospect of a new downtown museum.

“I believe something like this will pique the curiosity of visitors,” Doak said. “If Krystal wants to give back, to have a presence in this community, it would certainly be welcomed.”

That, my friends, is the quintessential silver linings CVB quote. A museum? Pfft. That’s the equivalent of a historic marker in front of the parking garage telling you about the fabulous building that used to stand on this spot. Nashville is full of them. And this is what happens when you wear blinders and are only looking two feet in front of you, instead thinking of the long term. This is the Tennessee disease: we’re incredibly short-sighted here, always have been. It’s only a miracle that things like Nashville’s now-awesome historic downtown were ever saved in the first place. But I digress.

We’ve been talking about the need for high-speed rail in Tennessee for years now. From the memory hole:

Tennessee could benefit from such a line, especially one linking Knoxville in the east with Memphis in the West. That 400-mile line could tie in to rail lines in other states.

This isn’t likely to happen, however, since there appears to be little interest among state officials or the state’s lawmakers.

The exception, fortunately, is Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, a longtime supporter and former consultant for the project that would link his city with Atlanta. Drive Interstate 75 between Atlanta and Chattanooga, and it won’t be difficult to understand the need for a high-speed train.

Tennessee was not among the two dozen states last month seeking a share of the $1.2 billion that became available after Florida and Wisconsin turned down federal funds for high-speed rail projects that previously were approved.

With Krystal’s exit, I think we know why ex-Mayor Littlefield saw the need for rail transit. It’s too bad we have so few people in state government with any vision. The problem is that we are living in a rapidly changing world and that requires people who want to spend the bulk of their time planning for the future.

Instead what we’re stuck with is a group of people firmly entrenched in the past, who spend the bulk of their time trying to figure out how we can all be forced to live in it.

TN Stubbornly Clings To The Past

The nation has moved forward on the issue of same-sex marriage, with poll after poll showing marriage equality is now accepted by an overwhelming majority of Americans:

Republicans, of course, are the last holdouts. Always behind the curve, it appears Republicans are America’s perpetual ball and chain. Oh, they’ll get there eventually — they always do, they’re just a little slower than the rest of us. The poor dears.

Tennessee is where the Republican Party has gone to die, so it’s no surprise that every backwards, outmoded, regressive idea is embraced here. We’re the nation’s political short bus. In keeping with that idea, yesterday this bill sailed out of our Senate Judiciary Committee, with all nine members voting aye:

Naming and Designating – “IDo4Life, Traditional Marriage Day, ” August, 31, 2013

Mark your calendars, kiddos! August 31 is “traditional marriage day,” or for you kewl kidz, “IDO4Life,” because you’re 12 and let’s dot that “i” with a heart and maybe add an exclamation point and a smiley face at the end, too.

Really, I think that’s just perfect. August 31 is typically swelteringly, oppressively hot; it’s the dog days of August, the kind of day that saps the energy and makes even the brightest among us feel sluggish and stupid. This is the perfect day for a celebration of traditional marriage, I think. I can see it now: husbands across the state passed out on the sofa shouting to their wives, “Baby, grab me another beer!” and the wife sullenly ignoring him as she takes a drag off that eighth or tenth cigarette.

Really, this is fine. Y’all can have one day. Take the hottest, muggiest, worst day of the year. Go have fun on your day, we’ll let you have it. We’ll take the other 364 to celebrate all of the diverse people in loving, committed relationships, and we’ll work to have their unions legally recognized even here in Tennessee.

They Won’t Ever Be Satisfied

“Dozens” of Tea Party crazies “rallied” at the Tennessee State Capitol, not to protest Obamacare’s expansion of Medicaid as was the stated purpose of the event, but really just to protest Obama. Because the Teanuts will never, ever be happy as long as the Kenyan Usurper Nobummer Blackety Black Man is in “their” house:

DesJarlais spoke at the rally, which was sparsely attended. And in the crowd of around 100, most of the discontent was less with expanding Medicaid, and more with President Obama. Linda Tomasik traveled from Memphis.

“The only reason I’m here is not to protest Obamacare. I’ll put it that way. It’s just because I don’t think he should be president.”

Is this not hilarious? The last gasps of the disgraced Tea Party show up to hear disgraced Rep. Scott DesJarlaid talk about being “principled” in a protest of a president who just got overwhelmingly re-elected.

DesJarlais, of course, is the pro-life serial philanderer who begged his mistress to get an abortion. Yes, do tell me about how Tennessee needs to lead the nation in being “principled.” I’m all ears.

Also: There’s nothing like a pro-life doctor protesting providing healthcare to the poor. That, my friends, is the definition of fail.

I’ve said from day one that the Tea Party stands for nothing more than an inchoate rage at their cultural irrelevance, with a dash of fear of change. Doesn’t seem like the message has “evolved” in any way.

Curry Todd Just As Sleazy As We Thought

Remember Tennessee’s drunk-driving gun loon state legislator Curry Todd? The guy who gave us guns-in-bars, then was clocked shitfaced drunk going 60 mph in a residential neighborhood with a gun loose in his car? Good times, good times.

Let us dig into the memory hole from that incident, shall we?

Todd refused to comment on his political future or on nagging allegations that he is living with a lobbyist in Green Hills.

Well, it only took over a year but those “nagging allegations” have finally been confirmed:

Rep. Curry Todd lived rent-free in lobbyist’s home

State Rep. Curry Todd lived rent-free for an undisclosed amount of time in the expensive Nashville home of a prominent lobbyist in 2011.

State ethics law forbids lobbyists from providing gifts, including housing, to lawmakers. The lobbyist, Chuck Welch, regularly worked on legislative issues that passed through the House State and Local Government Committee, which Todd, R-Collierville, chaired until he was removed in late 2011.

[...]

Welch, who did not respond to a request for comment, is the managing director for the Nashville office of the influential lobbying firm Farris, Mathews and Bobango. Until his arrest, Todd wielded significant power at the capitol in his role as chairman of the House committee.

Thanks to a generous carve-out in the state ethics law, the free housing may not constitute a violation because Todd and Welch are long-time friends.

Both Welch and the firm regularly lobbied on bills considered by Todd’s committee, including the ongoing issue of how utility poles are regulated across the state. The lobbying firm’s clients include the Tennessee Cable Telecommunications Association. Welch’s other lobbying clients include tw telecom, the American Legal Finance Association and the Tennessee Development District Association.

Oh, well, if they’re friends ….! Nothing to see here, move along!

By the way, if you want to get a look at the home Todd lived in rent-free while accepting nearly $30,000 in per diem and mileage reimbursements which are supposed to cover travel and living expenses, here’s a video of the home from YouTube. It sold last August for $460,000:

As if Curry Todd couldn’t get any sleazier, I remind you all that he is the Tennessee state chair of ALEC, as well as an ALEC board member. Last year he killed the Democrats’ Influence Disclosure Act, which would have required legislators to disclose the private groups behind boilerplate legislation of the type ALEC promotes. Why would he be against something so clearly in the public interest? Because, he said,

“I know what it’s getting back at. It’s getting back at ALEC.”

Yes, so when he says his “friendship” with a lobbyist never interfered with his independent judgment? Don’t believe a word of it.