by Jon Styf
Families from Nashville’s Covenant School have begun a pair of nonprofits and are pushing Tennessee for gun prevention laws such as expanded background checks, secure storage and red flag laws heading into August’s expected special session of the Tennessee Legislature.
A shooter killed three students and three employees at Covenant School earlier this year. Family members from the school started Covenant Families for a Brighter Tomorrow and the legislative advocacy nonprofit Covenant Families Action Fund.
“Gun owners even support background checks, safe storage, temporarily limiting access to firearms for folks who are a threat to themselves and others until they can get help,” said David Teague, a co-founder of the groups. “These are not controversial items. It’s the fact that they’re not on the books already is what’s controversial, while another Tennessee family loses a loved one every five and a half hours to gun violence.”
Gov. Bill Lee plans to call a special session on public safety beginning on Aug. 21 and has heard opposition to his proposal for a red flag law, which he called a temporary mental health order of protection.
The Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, which recently met with Lee, spoke with Lee about the group’s opposition to the proposal. Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, and Tennessee House Republicans have spoken out against red flag laws as well.
The Covenant families said they have had dozens of meetings with Tennessee legislators and will continue to take the meetings to advocate for new laws.
“We are advocating for gun violence prevention solutions such as expanded background checks, secure storage and order of protection laws – a life-saving measure that could have prevented the tragedy at the Covenant School,” said Covenant parent Melissa Alexander. “As a native Tennessean and gun owner I think it’s important to emphasize responsible gun ownership, however, I also think it’s important to intervene when there are clear signs that something is wrong.”
Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, held a press conference on gun laws in the Cordell Hull Office Building near the Tennessee Capitol on Friday morning, joined by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Metro Nashville Deputy Mayor Brenda Haywood.
“My colleagues chose to end the legislative session early but we will not allow justice to be denied any longer,” Jones said in a statement. “Rather than excuses we must act in the face of special interest-funded opposition, and on August 21st we urge the legislature to enact a policy that Tennesseans are demanding: Protect Kids Not Guns.”
– – –
Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter of The Center Square who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies.
Photo “Covenant School” by Metro Nashville PD.
Let me start by saying any of my children that live in my home I have a right to know what’s in their rooms. To think this person had all these guns and no one in that household knew about it to me is insane. I have a problem with that. The Democrats have shown their true colors. They don’t want us to protect ourselves but yet they can have security protecting them. Does that make since. No it doesn’t. So I have a right to bare arms of any kind. I think a lot of these people are being paid to carry out these acts for the so purpose to try to take our guns. Ain’t happening. Bill Lee you need to stand up for the constitution. You took an oath to do so. So please do the job you were voted in for and do it correctly. Don’t be a Rhino like so many. Please. Thank you.
This stinks more than a broken septic tank or a New England Harbor at low tide.
A big coverup to hide the fact that the trans murderer had the firearms through illegal straw purchases or stolen firearms.
The serial #’s of all the firearms used by the criminal should have been sent to the ATF Tracing Division. They are excellent at tracing the who & what of a firearm. i.e., from where purchased and to who.
The Covenant School has set up two non-profits to lobby for Red Flag Laws.
There is a very big coverup by the school and others.
Also, there are now 25,000 to 30,000 sensible firearms regulations on the books.
There are more than enough laws. What is needed is crime and criminal legislation. Starting with pro-crime politicians and judges being place in general population for at least 5 years.
Bill Lee could have had the Manifesto made public if he wished to do so.
I’ll post my opinion again – and again if needed – in the hope that the decision makers will se it:
Article I, Section 26, of the Tennessee State Constitution:
That the citizens of this state have a right to keep and to bear arms for their common defense; but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms with a view to prevent crime.
During this special session, if it is actually called, the legislators will likely review codes:
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-13xx
If any changes are made, they should make it EASIER for law abiding citizens to carry. Altering some of the subsection chapters can make this happen.
especially change -1309 (c)(1) to allow the carry of weapons, by non-students, on school grounds in an effort to dissuade the criminal element from thinking that a school is a gun free zone where there would be no resistance to violent malintent.
This could, perhaps, be joined with a program funding voluntary active shooter training for any school teacher and/or administrator who desires such training. This rarely needed skill set will buttress the defense against criminal intent of criminal gun use violence.
When coupled with the state offer to fund SROs (assuming it is utilized) this would most effectively stop any potential violent perpetrator from considering to attack vulnerable children.
perhaps – 1311,1359 and other subsections should be reviewed, as well.
If they will define trans as a mental illness. Which it is. Maybe I would listen.
Don’t let these people kid you and don’t kid yourself. They want to negate the 2nd amendment and confiscate ALL your guns. And slowly, gradually cutting away your rights and freedoms is how they plan to acomplish it. They’ll couch their schemes and reasonable terms like “common sense” gun laws and “protecting” children while plotting how to enslave you in their socialist utopia. Never, ever in the history of mankind have plans to disarm private citizens been to protect society or keep people safe, It’s always been about increasing governmental power and control. Whenever government works to restrict your right to own a gun is when you need it most.
This article is so infuriating. The two non profit organizations referred to have no website. Where can we taxpayers get more information on their mission & members? Are they funding the Planned Parenhoid training of the Anarchists who are being recruited & trained to come to Nashvile to create chaos during the very expensive “Special Session ” & the massive Security that will be necessary, thanks to Governor Lee & his virtue signaling that could cause massive damage & even bodily harm from the Out – of – State Rioters. Couldn’t our TBI OR FBI investigate the ladies at Planned Parenthood in Nashville who are training these Anarchists? They seem to be very proud of their tactics & planning. Now you know someone is funding their travel expenses, as well as a salary. This conflict is no longer about the Families of the Covenant School. This is about the majority of the Citizens who pay the taxes & salaries of those we elected to protect our Constitutional Rights, not to violate them. And after all this the whole damn thing will be legally challened ( profiting the lives of the ACLU & SPLC, two communists organizations.
Who is going to pay for an unnecessary & very expensive “SPECIAL SESSION”? The covenant Family Advocacy groups? Or taxpayers? Perhaps the Covenant Family advocacy groups should pay for the “Special Session.” Does Justin Jones know that when legal firearms are purchased in Tennessee, the buyer does undergo a background check? Does Justin Jones know that he should be investigated for his property crimes during the Covid -Era SUMMER OF LOVE? Has Justin Jones paid fir thexproperty damage he caused in Nashville? He is a professional Activist. We aren’t stupid. This tragedy is being misused, a camel’s nose under the tent, to go after responsible legal gun owners. The shooter was not a responsible gun owner. How did she pass a background check? She was apparently extremely mentally disturbed. People & Authorities are already mandated by law to call the Police, & have a mentally disturbed person picked up & admitted to a mental facility for a 72 hour evaluation. I believe she was under someone’s professional care as she was transitioning to what she thought would make her feel well & whole again. But it didn’t help her at all. She was suicidal & homicidal & her caregiver knew that. But did not act according to what was best for innocents in the community.
IS THIS WHY THE MANIFESTO, JOURNALS & COMPUTERS ARE ILLEGALLY BEING WITHELD?
Funny how not one person running for Mayor has mentioned any of this crap. First time in my life, I won’t be voting for anyone to be mayor. They are all Cowards.
These brainwashed people have no clue. The only people that abide by gun laws are law abiding citizens. Criminal do not abide by laws and if they want to go into a school and shoot kids they will get a gun no matter how many laws you have in place. Do some research. The cities with the most gun laws also have the highest crime with guns than other cities/states. Why? Because when the good guy is restricted the bad guy is emboldened. ANY TN legislator that votes for Lee’s gun laws will find him/herself out of office in 2024.
“Families from Nashville’s Covenant School” is a political Trojan Horse that’s trying to do gun confiscation on the installment plan. Here’s the dead giveaway:
Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, held a press conference on gun laws in the Cordell Hull Office Building near the Tennessee Capitol on Friday morning, joined by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., [one of the most virulent communist radicals in the U.S. House of Representatives] and Metro Nashville Deputy Mayor Brenda Haywood.
Clue #1, if you have grown @zz kids living at home with no real connection to anyone or anything outside of the internet, PAY some FREAKIN’ ATTENTION.
Pretty much every one of the these type shooters send out clues and/or live with people who should be taking notes. Gang bangers included. The parents KNOW but pretend not to know or don’t want to know. So far it seems like the parents are more interested on covering their backsides than anything else…so is the school. The gov’t (especially Metro PD) is a bunch of wuzzies and will follow the scatological PC dictums they are given.
This crap don’t happen in a vacuum. They know…they just don’t want anyone else to know.
It is very interesting that some legislators are not curious at all about the information to be ascertained from perp killer’s writings and want it protected, concealed and SECRET. But they want new laws to get more information about us law abiding citizens in VIOLATION of the 4th Amendment of the Bill of Rights and Article I, Section 7 of the Tennessee Constitution Declaration of Rights by “enhanced” or “universal” background checks.
“Protect kids, not guns”? Politicians and other elites are protected with guns. With what are kids to be protected? If not with guns, then apply that to EVERYONE, you know, according to “the equal protection of the laws” (14th Amendment) one of two which supposedly ended slavery.
“Tyranny may be defined by that which is legal for the government, but illegal to the citizenry.” —Thomas Jefferson
BTW, doesn’t the TBI have a copy of the perp killer’s manifesto? IF Gov Lee wants a special legislative session in response to the killer’s criminal actions, then he should order the TBI to release of the pertinent information in that manifesto or CANCEL the session!
Enough gun laws are on the books to prevent those shootings that can be anticipated. Maybe these poor folks should concentrate on improving access to mental health issues like woman thinking that they are men.
Release the manifesto ……..
I’ve addressed the stated goals of one of these groups in a previous comment, so I’m going to point out an obvious problem facing society, you can’t fix stupid. You can pass all the laws you want, in fact that is what democrats do best, but the sad fact is that people will ignore then.
Expanded background checks were once referred to as universal background checks (UBC). The glaring problem with UBCs is that they cannot be enforced unless the government knows who owns which firearms. So guess what that leads to….mandatory firearms registration, which leads to firearms confiscation.
The biggest missing piece of this puzzle is the reason the deranged, mentally ill woman committed this crime in the first place. Why did she need 7 cell phones and 5 laptop computers. That, combined with the fact that her writings are being with held from the public, is setting off alarm bells in my mind. There is way more going on here than we are being allowed to see.
While I truly feel sadness for the grieving families, that does not mean that I am willing to give an inch to relinquish my right to self defense. We currently live in one of the most corrupt and violent nations on the face of the earth (not by our own doing I might add) and we cannot afford to loose any of our rights as granted to us in the Constitution.