(Editor’s note: This article was a submission from freelance writer Max Slowik)
The Nashville, Tenn. Fairgrounds will no longer be home to gun shows after more than 30 years of tradition. The Metro Board of Fair Commissioners voted to stop hosting gun shows at the city’s public property. The decision was made after the board was informed of three recent gun deals that broke the law.
The vote was 3-0, according to the Tennessean, with one abstention.
“We’re responsible for this facility and the activity that goes on here,” said board chairman Ned Horton, who voted to stop hosting future gun shows. “Based on what I’m seeing here–we’re not trial judges, but we do have information in the court system–it seems to me that our promoter, or our promoters, have not been good stewards of our property.”
The three cases that were cited include two sales to prohibited persons and one federal case involving a sale to be smuggled to Australia dating back to 2011. Nashville district attorney Jenny Charles said, “It begs the question, how many more are there? We don’t know and we can’t know because there’s no paperwork required in Tennessee when a private seller sells a gun.”
“We’ve got to ask ourselves at the end of the day: What is hosting a monthly gun show at the fairgrounds add to the community of Nashville?” said Nashville mayor Megan Barry. “Is this activity enhancing safety in Nashville? I would submit in these three instances, it did not.”
Naturally, local gun show attendees were offended by the new policy and are expected to protest the decision. “This place is going to be packed with people at the next meeting,” said regular David Goodman, who runs Bill Goodman’s Gun and Knife Show.
“If somebody goes in and steals something at Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart didn’t do nothing wrong, the person did,” Goodman said. “Everything I’ve done is legal.”
Many vendors are FFLs and are required to run background checks on their buyers at gun shows. These vendors are being shut down due to the result of the three private sales gone wrong.
The board made their decision after a meeting with 14 gun control activists who called for the end of gun shows at the fairgrounds, including Linda McFadyen-Ketchum, head of the Tennessee Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, who said that gun shows are “dangerous and reckless.”
This decision has no effect on private sales, which take place across Tennessee and the rest of the country every day with a few exceptions. It only bans gun shows at the Fairgrounds.
Board commissioner Kenny Byrd led the call for restrictions on gun show operations, and previously demanded signs posted stating that all gun sales require background checks, which is not the case in Tennessee.
Byrd also criticized political-related content hosted at the show, including bumper stickers and T-shirts reading “Keep America Free: Shoot a liberal.”
“That’s not family-friendly events,” Byrd said. “I’m a liberal. I don’t want to be shot…and I don’t want you selling stuff with that message.”
Facing resistance from gun show regulars including Goodman, Byrd instead made the push to shut down all gun show operations.
Barry’s spokesman Sean Braisted repeated an earlier statement on the issue, saying, “Our fairgrounds should be safe, secure and free from illegal activity.”
The Tennessee Firearms Association slammed the decision.
“Today, Nashville, under its new liberal Mayor, has thumbed its nose at Nashville gun enthusiasts by voiding a long-standing tradition of allowing gun shows at the centrally-located and publicly-owned Nashville Fairgrounds,” said executive director John Harris.
“Tennessee continues to suffer from the chronic infringement of its citizens’ Constitutional rights by elected officials who refuse to keep their oaths of office to ‘preserve, protect and defend’ those same rights,” continued Harris. “Their actions are a clear abuse of power.”
“On behalf of NRA members across the state of Tennessee, we oppose the removal of gun shows from the schedule of activities at The Fairgrounds Nashville and hope that this board will not pander to the misguided politics of the anti-freedom agenda,” said Harris, speaking for the NRA.
Banning gun shows is now another way anti-gun zealots will take away your rights.
Another way, is to elect people who lie
to get into office. We never hold anyone accountable.
Here is a question for the Mayor and the board. How many people have had things stolen and other criminal things happened
on the fair grounds during the last 40 years when it was not a gun show? Please answer the question. Should not the fair grounds be permanently closed because someone has been hurt or had something stolen there because when you have that many people in a small area there is a very good possibility that criminals will be there looking for the opportunity to steal or hurt someone which could even be children Oh No not that is stupid! When good people stand still evil wins. Its is time to take back our REPUBLIC and IT IS Not A democracy stupid liberals! This is the same bunch that Not Our gore come out of and I hope he never comes back to TENNESSEE!
Jenny, an educated person, as one would hope a District Attorney has been, should know:
“To beg a question means to assume the conclusion of an argument—a type of circular reasoning. This is an informal fallacy, in which an arguer includes the conclusion to be proven within a premise of the argument, often in an indirect way such that its presence within a premise is hidden or at least not easily apparent.” – from Wikipediaf
The NRA brought $millions to the Nashville economy last April and I wonder now if they will ever return. Contemplate that, Mayor Barry and Commissioners Horton and Byrd.
I didn’t know that the purpose of a FairGrounds was to “promote safety” and allay the irrational fears of Commissioners…
As for the owners of the facility those are just investors feeling pressure from the big bully Federal government who wants universal background checks (nation registry system) Gun owners and constitution believers we need to form an organization that attacks the global elite dictated biaisd main stream media networks that prays on people that are governed by passive thoughts. Who do not have the ability to rationalize, analysis, or have critical thinking skills. Half of our country is owned and dictated with just that tool alone! I know some could understand logic and reasoning to save their life but we some type of public media that share real news, real questions, and exposes our political system and media for what it is.
I’m pretty sure that if the mayor of my Texas town did something like that he’d be looking at a recall election! If so many people in Nashville don’t like his decision it might be something they want to consider. If you threaten a politician with loss of power it always gets them to consider Rectal Cranial Extraction! If you wait till their term ends they tend obfuscate their past transgressions.
The “Tennessean” article indicated an assistant Davidson [Nashville] prosecuting attorney pointed to three illegal sales but did not disclose how the sales were accomplished. The Bill Goodman shows have been held monthly for 35 years meaning 420 times and God alone knows how many individual sales, but three illegal sales is enough to shut Goodman out. The new mayor, Meghan Barry, is a typical Democratic hackivist and appoints the fair board.
You better close down all car dealers, both new & used, as there are people buying those vehicles & driving drunk, speeding, even throwing chicken bones onto the highway as they tool down the highways & byways of greater Nashville as they devour a bucket of finger lick-n goodness!
MORONS!
Try Wilson County, instead. Lebanon, TN is just 20 minutes east of Nashville on I-40. The politics are different there.
This is the result of people NOT being informed of a candidates political stance on issues and not voting. This will be the same result if pro gun voters do not turn out for the 2016 election. I’m sure bloomberg had something to do with this bytch geting elected. That is what his agenda has been for years and now the citizens of Tennessee, with their history of owning LEGAL weapons, have now opened the door for more draconian rules on gun control. For my part I wish bloomberg would keep his sorry butt in NY and leave other states alone. His influence is based on his billions in wealth and nothing more. I don’t live in Nashville but if I did I would be looking to the next election to rid my state and country of this type of insanity.
We do not need politics to divide the citizens of the United States any further.
As a Tennessee citizen and taxpayer and VOTER, I am embarrassed for our state. These board members do not represent us. They should be fired or impeached NOW.
Well, Nashville was on my list of cities to retire to. It’s not anymore. Too bad, I used to love going there on vacation.
By this measure, Nashville must ban any venue at the fairgrounds where any illegal activity occurs.
Theft of a wallet at a home improvement show? No more home improvement shows at the fairgrounds.
Sale of stolen property at an antique show? No more antique shows at the fairgrounds.
Assault or possession of pot at the state fair? No more state fairs at the fairgrounds.
Equal protection and enforcement under the law is only fair. Oh, I almost forgot… “for the children”.
WOW….3 illegal activities. Ban the shows. I am sure that there have been at least 3 illegal activities involving the Nashville politicians. How about banning the Nashville goverment.
So, if three people in Nashville go out and drive drunk, will it be illegal to sell cars in the city or to have a new car show at the fairgrounds. Wake up, people! We must stop allowing them to make up the rules as they go along. As far as Byrd, if you don’t like what the T-shirt reads, try to change the first amendment. Honor Your Oath, traitor!
Well, folks, what did you expect? I mean, these kind and responsible owners took the trouble to ask 14 gun control activists before they made their decision. And look at the line in the middle of the article about private sales being done “every day” across this state. Hmmm. I smell a rat. Maybe the rat is the reporter that wrote this article.
Really not sure what you are getting at.
When I retire in 3 years, I’m leaving one of the worst anti-gun states in the nation (MD). The wife and I are considering Nashville area as one of our choices, but with this kind of mentality I’m not so sure now.
try AZ
I think the anti gun groups should be protested at their place of work and home . They do as they please with no blow back for what they do .
So now gun shows will move to venues outside of the city limits, depriving the city of both tax and rental revenue. Hopefully, progressivism will not turn Nashville into the next Detroit.
What an idiot the Mayor of Nashville is. My wife and I were considering Nashville as a retirement prospect (we will look elsewhere now). We live in Memphis which is 75% Liberal, yet we still have gun shows. In fact, we have one tomorrow!! Oh well, I’m sure Franklin, TN will be glad to take up where Nashville left off. I’m sure this guy won’t get re-elected. This is called carrier suicide! You might get by with this in California, but not in Nashville or any other city in TN!! Seriously, this guy is too stupid to be a public servant.
The mayor is a woman; a very stupid woman. I don’t live in Nashville and glad I do not but this anti gun junk is starting to hit close to home. Thsi what happens when people do vote. When they sit at home and depend on someone else to carry out the fight for their rights. I saw where one event happened in 2011. That was almost 5 years past. That’s not much to complain about but Ill bet bloomberg is giving high fives to everyone of his lacky buddies.
Unfortunately, that is the evolution of a metro area. Starts as a small inclusive city with lots of freedoms, which makes it a very attractive place to live for everyone. As it grows, it becomes more progressive liberal because everyone wants to live there, so the liberals keep moving in, the giveaways begin, the progressive liberals want to control everyone and everything in the name of fairness and political correctness and bingo, no more gun shows. There will be more freedoms challenged going forward, wait and see.
getting the people out to vote is the answer
I left NY because of this disease and it seems as though this liberal plague has followed me here. Th iis going to continue to spread until the entire world is consumed by it. It must end. Recall election right now people! Vote these traitors to the constitution out then exile them to someplace else. Someplace in europe would be nice. They can live out their defensless populous nation of victims fantasies there.
I’d be willing to bet when your mayor was elected u had a probably a 30-40 percent of the people show up to vote at the election, THAT’S YOUR PROBLEM get the word out get people off their lazy asses and get them to vote because when you don’t you get what you have
Just another example of one of the far left liberals pushing their Anti-American agenda.