Elected officials talk 'red flag' laws at We The People of West Tennessee event in Jackson

Ahead of Gov. Bill Lee's special-called session regarding the potential of gun reform on Aug. 21, supporters of a grassroots organization in Jackson held a gathering to discuss aspects of possible gun reform bills.

During a rainy evening in May, West Tennessee's We The People grassroots conservative group held a discussion at the Ministry Building of Jackson's First Assembly of God Church, a time for members to voice their concerns over Lee's legislative push for what some are calling "red flag laws."

The meeting was an opportunity for attendees to hear from Madison County legislators and voice concern over the proposed step towards gun control.

More: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee calls special session on gun legislation for Aug. 21

"We're all about the Constitution and with what's in the news lately, we really need to know our Second Amendment rights and where they come from historically," said WTP co-founder Londa Rohfling prior to the start of the meeting.

Approximately 50 people gathered in the church's Ministry Building where Pastor Garry Martin commenced the meeting with an opening prayer. WTP co-founder Lori McManus then took to the podium to introduce the meeting's first guest speaker, Rep. Chris Todd, R-Madison County, 73rd District.

In his opening remarks, Todd stressed the importance of understanding the Constitution as the "rulebook" for society, particularly concerning the Second Amendment and how the topic of proposed "red flag" laws might weigh against it.

He noted that on the day of the WTP meeting, he received a call from the governor's office, inviting him to speak with Lee prior to the special-called session.

"I want him to know where I'm coming from, and what my basis is, and what my foundation is, and I'm not wavering on that, no matter what the public says," Todd said.

Speaking to the audience, Todd said "even if this room stood up right now and said 'we want red flag laws,' I'm sorry, I'm not your guy."

After the meeting when Todd spoke to The Jackson Sun, he explained that the public's ability to voice their thoughts and opinions in the coming months is going to be crucial.

"That's the biggest concern I want him to know about, is that I just don't think the public's going to have proper input into whatever is proposed, and I think that's wrong. We need to have something of this nature, vetted properly through the right process that folks expect, and I want them to be a part of that."

The public's input was a key component of the May 11 WTP meeting as attendees asked Todd questions and proposed ideas of their own.

Jeff Woods, an attendee of the meeting, suggested to Todd that teachers be armed with guns in the classroom in order to protect themselves and their students from the threat of a school shooter.

"I highly recommend that you train four or five teachers that volunteer in the latest ways to take out threats, have guns locked up in schools around areas where these teachers can get to them," Woods said.

Other audience members added to Woods' sentiment of arming teachers by suggesting that gun-free zones, like schools, be eliminated.

During the 113th General Assembly, legislators approved $140 million to place a School Resource Officer in every public school in Tennessee, a role that would protect students from criminal activity and potential threats to their safety.

"This group knows for a fact that gun-free zones are attractive to people that want to do harm," Todd said after the meeting. "One of the most prevalent things that came out tonight that I heard from several folks was 'let's make sure there are equal forces on the inside of the school as on the outside of the school to make sure there's a defense mechanism there that's adequate to protect our kids so that they're not sitting ducks."

Expressed a number of times in the meeting, Todd said that the governor's proposition for "red flag" laws, if passed, would directly infringe upon the rights of citizens per the liberties granted to them by the Second Amendment.

In response, one audience member shouted out that "Governor Lee should be ashamed of himself."

Another suggested that "they need to concentrate on mental illness instead of taking our guns away."

Upon the topic of mental illness, a number of subsequent remarks were made, including Todd's comment that "transgenderism is a mental illness," regarding the transgender identity of the Covenant school shooter.

What is a 'red flag' law?

In an effort to combat gun violence, the law would restrict an individual's access to a firearm if they pose a threat to themselves or others.

Following the Covenant school shooting in Nashville on March 27, mothers, students and activists alike gathered at the state capital over a period of days to demonstrate their frustration over Tennessee's lack of gun safety laws and advocated for reform.

Parents and students from Covenant and their supporters formed a three-mile human chain on April 18, starting at the Tennessee State Capitol building. Demonstrators locked arms in solidarity, calling for gun safety laws. Many mothers held signs labeled, "Covenant Moms for Gun Safety."

Voices for a Safer Tennessee, a nonpartisan 501(c)4 group,began forming in the days following The Covenant School shooting on March 27. The group defines their focus on its website as "leading conversations and identifying common ground where progress can be made on issues of gun safety."

As a result of the steady outcry after the shooting, Lee called upon the legislators to meet on Aug. 21 for a special-called meeting to discuss gun control and the possibility of implementing gun control or gun safety laws.

More: Gov. Bill Lee to keep pushing for bill allowing courts to order temporary removal of guns

More: Nashville school shooting: Parents of fallen student hope gun reform is coming

Todd questions if session scheduled too early

However, Todd, like several other Republican legislators, believe Aug. 21 is far too soon to make a decision and is advocating for pushing the meeting back until January 2024, or when the next legislative session starts, explaining that the public has not been heard as they otherwise would be in a general session.

"If it's in January, then they have a period of time where they can see bills online, they can ask their legislators for copies or even propose amendments for those and then they know from week to week that there are going to be possibly changes to that legislation and they're able to have influence on that every step of the way," Todd said.

More: The week in politics: Will a call to cancel special legislative session on guns grow?

Professor says 'red flag' law unlikely in Tenn.

Paul Rivas, an Associate Professor of History at Lane College, teaches numerous courses at the school including U.S. history, crime and policing, human rights, and social justice.

As far as the probability of "red flag" laws being implemented in a conservative state like Tennessee, Rivas believes it is highly unlikely.

"From a historical perspective, I don't think Americans realize the Founding Fathers' purpose of the second amendment was that they didn't trust government, and if the government has a standing army that makes them more powerful," he said.

Rivas, a gun owner himself who occasionally shoots at ranges, is in favor of gun control and doesn't think "Americans have a healthy outlook on guns."

"Gun restriction and gun control is not gun confiscation," said Rivas.

When asked about the impact of arming teachers with guns to prevent school shootings, Rivas, an educator, says "absolutely not."

"We have more guns per capita by far than any nation on earth, and we kill each other at a very high rate so, more guns doesn't make us safer."

Who are We The People?

WTP founders Ray Condray, a candidate for Jackson mayor, Londa Rohlfing and Lori McManus established the group on Oct. 25, 2021, basing its platform on upholding conservative, Christian values. Their mission statement reads, "We seek to connect and educate with the purpose of motivating citizens to act in order to preserve our Constitutional Guidelines," according to its website.

More: Tennessee legislators try to halt Jackson Pride drag show, raising First Amendment concerns

The group, who describes themselves as "Tennessee Christian Patriots," express a distinct concern for the trajectory of the state and country and encourage its members to "play offense with a sense of urgency."

WTP has a history of being outspoken about a number of divisive and controversial issues, including the validity of the 2020 presidential election results where they held a "Stop the Steal" rally at the Madison County Courthouse on Jan. 6, 2021.

More recently, WTP contested a drag show last year, along with Todd and local pastors, formerly scheduled to be held in a public park during last year's third annual Jackson Pride event. Through negotiations between parties, the drag show was moved to the Carl Perkins Civic Center with an age requirement. Later the Tennessee legislature passed a similar law citing an age requirement for drag shows and restricting shows in public places.

The group's next big event is scheduled for July 13 in which Brandon Lewis of The Tennessee Conservative — an online news outlet — will be in attendance at First Assembly of God church to deliver a "frank report of conservatism" as it pertains to the state.

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: "Red flag" laws spark concern by elected officials at We The People event