Tennessee Adopts “Crooks With Guns”, Massachusetts Should Follow Suit

[ronbok]

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=58369

According to the legislation, on Jan. 1 anyone employing a firearm during the commission of a felony will face a charge punishable by “the service of 10 years in the penitentiary at 100 percent,” meaning the defendant shall be required to serve the entire sentence and the sentence shall not be reduced for any reason.

“‘Crooks with Guns’ we believe is the first step toward holding those people who refuse rehabilitation efforts and who choose to make you their victim as their life’s choice, to keep them in prison longer.”

Like Tennessee, Massachusetts citizens are tired of recidivist criminals and our revolving door “justice system”. It’s time to stop punishing law-abiding firearm owners (Chapter 180, “One Gun A Month”) and start really punishing those who commit crimes using firearms by making them serve their full terms and adopting a similar statute.

 

[hminsky]

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=58369

According to the legislation, on Jan. 1 anyone employing a firearm during the commission of a felony will face a charge punishable by “the service of 10 years in the penitentiary at 100 percent,” meaning the defendant shall be required to serve the entire sentence and the sentence shall not be reduced for any reason.

“‘Crooks with Guns’ we believe is the first step toward holding those people who refuse rehabilitation efforts and who choose to make you their victim as their life’s choice, to keep them in prison longer.”

Like Tennessee, Massachusetts citizens are tired of recidivist criminals and our revolving door “justice system”. It’s time to stop punishing law-abiding firearm owners (Chapter 180, “One Gun A Month”) and start really punishing those who commit crimes using firearms by making them serve their full terms and adopting a similar statute.

No, you completely are wrong about this. According to Barack Obama: ""There is a reason they shoot each other, because they don't love themselves, and the reason they don't love themselves is we are not loving them, we're not paying attention to them, we're not guiding them, we're not disciplining them. We've got work to do."

You sir clearly do not love them enough.

 

[depicts]

er.... Mr. Mugger, please put down your gun and let me give you a big hug!

 

[Joe G]

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=58369

Like Tennessee, Massachusetts citizens are tired of recidivist criminals and our revolving door “justice system”. It’s time to stop punishing law-abiding firearm owners (Chapter 180, “One Gun A Month”) and start really punishing those who commit crimes using firearms by making them serve their full terms and adopting a similar statute.

Be careful what you wish for. With all our crappy gun laws it's easy for an unwitting gun owner to be in violation. Would you want to be sent up the river for having your guns stored in a way that was deemed not 'secure'? Or how about a situation where you had to draw in self defense but got convicted for brandishing by a rabid DA? I don't remember the particulars, but that happened about 10 years ago to a woman driving on Rt 2. The trucker that was tailgating her called the cops on her and she was the one that was cited. IIRC, she lost her job, lost her house, and ended up committing suicide. I don't remember if she was convicted, but in her case a jail sentence would have just been piling on.

 

[kevin9]

I'm not going to wish for any new laws like this until the current ones are being enforced.

 

[strangenh]

I'm not going to wish for any new laws like this until the current ones are being enforced.

Agreed!

However, this new TN law pretty much is a booster rocket offense for a small set of existing laws. I think the goal is to keep repeat offenders off the street.

It also applies only to a limited number of "dangerous felonies" listed in the act and can't be used where the use/possession of a weapon is an element of the underlying crime. I.e., it does NOT increase the penalty for felon-in-possession, for assault with a deadly weapon, etc. Still, it DOES in effect boost the possible sentence for burglary of a residence and many other violent/violence-threatened felonies.

The full text is on TN's official online law repository (via Lexis, free).

With all our crappy gun laws it's easy for an unwitting gun owner to be in violation

The law applies to a limited number of already-defined felony acts. I was also concerned it could be bent into an anti-gun law, but it seems to have been reasonably and thoughtfully constructed.

 

[drgrant]

How about, instead of demonizing guns, punish any criminal that
commits a crime with a weapon the same way? Why should
a criminal, for example, who rapes some lady with a knife get a
virtual free pass in comparison to the one who commits the same
terrible crime with a firearm?

-Mike

 

[WayneWong]

No, you completely are wrong about this. According to Barack Obama: ""There is a reason they shoot each other, because they don't love themselves, and the reason they don't love themselves is we are not loving them, we're not paying attention to them, we're not guiding them, we're not disciplining them. We've got work to do."

You sir clearly do not love them enough.

I could vote for Obama just for the entertainment factor.

 

[USMC109]

er.... Mr. Mugger, please put down your gun and let me give you a big hug!