Oak Ridge Today

School staff not allowed to carry guns

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Schools will not allow teachers and other staff members to carry guns in buildings, Superintendent Bruce Borchers said Wednesday. Borchers made the announcement in a notice sent to school families.

His announcement came the day after the Tennessee House of Representatives passed legislation to allow some trained teachers and school staff to carry handguns. Republicans approved the bill in a 68-28 vote despite pleas from Democrats, students, and gun-reform advocates, The Tennessean reported.

“Yesterday, Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill that would allow teachers and other staff members to carry concealed handguns on school campuses should a school district decide to allow it,” Borchers said. “If Governor (Bill) Lee signs the legislation allowing concealed firearms in schools into law, Oak Ridge Schools will not allow teachers or school staff to carry firearms in our buildings. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and it is our core belief that our ongoing safety initiatives have a greater positive impact on our overall safety than arming staff would.”

[Read more…]

Rally for Second Amendment, Constitution on Saturday

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Anderson County residents have organized a rally to show support for the Second Amendment and the U.S. Constitution in Clinton on Saturday.

“Aware of the threat to the Bill of Rights and the Constitution of our great nation, some very concerned citizens of Anderson County, Tennessee, have banded together to demonstrate to those who attack our liberties that they will not be successful in their attempts to destroy America,” a press release said.

“While recognizing there is no immediate threat to to our liberties in East Tennessee, we feel strongly that we must stand with those in other parts of our county who are seeing immediate threats to their right to keep and bear arms, a right that is guaranteed and protected by the Constitution of our country,” the press release said.

The rally is scheduled to start at noon Saturday, April 21, on the steps of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton. It is meant to “show support and solidarity with freedom-loving citizens throughout the United States,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Arrests made in aggravated burglary involving 11 guns

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

John Edward Farmer

John Edward Farmer

Eric Keith Lane

Eric Keith Lane

Eleven rifles and shotguns were reported missing after an aggravated burglary in Roane County last month, and authorities investigating the case arrested two men on Monday, a press release said.

The alleged burglary occurred Sept. 19 on Collins Road, which is north of Oak Ridge near the intersection of Blair Road and Old Harriman Highway.

The press release said Roane County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Kate Bell and Sgt. Richie Stooksbury were searching for John Farmer in connection with the alleged burglary on Monday when Bell found the vehicle matching the description of the Collins Road incident, Sheriff Jack Stockton said in the release. [Read more…]

Police allegedly find guns, drugs during search of Nevada Circle home

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Police searching a home on Nevada Circle on Wednesday night allegedly found a half-dozen guns, about 32 grams of what appeared to be marijuana, a small amount of purported crack cocaine, and a tablet identified as Roxicodone, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department was armed with a search warrant that said all controlled substances found in the home were to be seized as evidence, according to arrest warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court. [Read more…]

Guest column: ‘For The Common Good’

Posted at
By 15 Comments

The progressive and socialist vision for the direction of this country is an ordered society where poverty is eliminated, and healthcare and pensions for life are provided by a central authority or government. The foundation for this structure is rooted in utopian theories that are based on the premise that in a free market society, people fear for basic necessities and lack the opportunities to obtain equality. Regrettably however, ordered societies have never proven viable…which we know is accurate because had they succeeded and flourish; we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

There are two significant reasons why ordered societies fail. The first is the central authority’s inability to accurately allocate and distribute scarce resources for the production of goods and services, which over time diminishes the methods of production that result in a reduced standard of living—the opposite of what was promised. Using the current administration policies regarding energy as an example, the central government declared solar and wind a priority over gas and oil production. Billions were redirected to solar and wind and nothing was produced, except a resulting consequence of increased gas and oil prices. [Read more…]

Letter: Second Amendment ‘fanatics’ unchallenged, reasonable regulations constitutional

Posted at
By 31 Comments

To the Editor:

I have worked with mentally disabled people for more than 30 years, including serious predators.

Please do not let the apologists for the National Rifle Association try to change the subject to just reinstitutionalizing the mentally ill. Yes, the mental health system is seriously broken nationwide, but this is only a symptom of the malaise of the country that has ceased to accept responsibility for caring properly for the sick and the poor. OMG! A right to health care and food! Appalling.

Unmanaged and untreated mental illness is a national tragedy and disgrace, but it is not to blame for guns in the hands of unstable people. Our acquiescence and silence and failure to challenge the Second Amendment fanatics is the root cause.

[Read more…]

Educators respond to proposals to allow armed teachers in Tennessee

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Education Association said this week that it is neutral on gun laws.

But the organization did release a statement after some legislators proposed allowing teachers to carry guns in Tennessee schools. The proposals followed the Dec. 14 school shooting at Newtown, Conn., that killed 20 students, six adults, the gunman, and his mother.

Here’s the TEA statement:

[Read more…]