Bedford County commissioners have tabled a resolution that would have expressed support for the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution — the right to keep and bear arms.
The man who put the resolution forward, Commissioner Brent Smith (pictured above), initially wanted to make Bedford a Second Amendment Sanctuary county.
But Smith said circumstances later forced him to amend the resolution.
“I had actually taken out the word ‘sanctuary’ to please the majority of the commission but learned my lesson on capitulating to the left,” Smith told The Tennessee Star in an email.
“The county attorney had basically convinced the commission that we would lose any grant funding by using the word ‘sanctuary’ or even using the word ‘support’ concerning the Second Amendment. I found it to be totally ridiculous.”
On his Facebook page, Smith went on to say Commissioner Linda Yockey tabled the sanctuary city resolution.
According to The Shelbyville Times Gazette, “some commissioners, at committee meetings, had expressed reservations about the county getting involved at all in what is primarily a state and federal issue, saying it might open the door to debates on other national issues.”
The paper quoted Yockey as saying the county has already taken an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution, including the Second Amendment.
“County Mayor Chad Graham called for a voice vote on Yockey’s motion to table. The ayes appeared to outnumber the nays, but just to be sure, Graham asked those who opposed the measure for a show of hands. Smith, Bill Anderson, Anita Epperson and P.T. ‘Biff’ Farrar raised their hands,” The Times Gazette reported.
Smith reportedly said at the meeting that eight other Tennessee counties have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuary cities, the paper went on to report.
According to the Bedford County Republican Party’s website, Smith has worked in biotechnology for more than 20 years and has degrees from Lincoln Memorial University and Vanderbilt.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Bedford County Courthouse” by Ichabod CC3.0.
Their Lawyer should have his credential revoked. Designation as a Second Amendment, our Second Amendment Sanctuary would in no wise affect funding!
This is so transparent that anyone can see through it! We have the Californians and Liberals escaping the mess and high taxes from whence they came and bringing their politics with them.Same as Nashville. Their Daddy Bloomberg’s groups will be along shortly, no doubt offering money if they will adopt his version of Jim Crow Laws
Police respond to victims. Enough said.
Criminals carry guns EVERYWHERE they go. Law abiding citizens should be allowed to do the same.
This is insane people carrying guns everywhere? why? the police do a great job. Use your cell phone and call them if you just ‘have’ to have a gun. Come on, Tennessee Grow up!!
And just how long is the average police response time to a crime scene? They may do a great job at solving your murder hours, days, weeks, years later but it is not going to do you much good. I will take my chances with legally armed citizens.
People carrying guns everywhere has greatly reduced crime, not increased it, nor has it endangered anyone. Your fears are not substantiated by facts.
When seconds count our thin blue line is only minutes away. Don’t be foolish.
London police were supposed to be guarding London Bridge recently. 8 stabbed, 2 killed before the knife-man was shot and killed.