Sometimes, valid points aren’t worth the trouble of making – or worse, legislating.
That’s how I felt when state Rep. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, talked about a bill he sponsored in the Legislature that would protect the gun-possession rights of members of college sports teams.
The Knoxville lawmaker said the bill would stop the University of Tennessee from suspending “any athlete with a gun, legal or illegal.” Earlier this year, UT athletic director Mike Hamilton hinted after the arrests of some university athletes that gun possession by team players – legal or not – would be denied in the future.
The fact that Mr. Hamilton has backed away from those comments has not swayed Rep. Campfield, who is pushing for legislative change.
The proposed law states that if “a student is on their own time, on their own property, is a legal gun owner, that the university can’t penalize that student for doing something legal with their gun, hunting with it, carrying it for protection.”
The Second Amendment already covers this issue, providing citizens who meet specific criteria with the right to bear arms. Thus, trying to establish finer points that regulate athletes at the state level is a waste of time.
Students already are prohibited from bringing guns onto campus.
Mr. Hamilton’s sentiments early in the year apparently were fueled by frustration that too many UT athletes were ending up in arrest reports for questionable behavior involving guns. Understandably, he wanted to do something about it.
In hindsight, Mr. Hamilton must have realized the university can’t demand that student athletes never possess or use guns legally when off campus. The Second Amendment gets in the way of such action. Beyond that the Constitution, nothing more is required to protect athletes’ rights.
E-mail David Magee at dmagee@timesfreepress.com.