Also On The Tennessee Ballot: The Right To Hunt And Fish

It's a sad commentary upon how completely out-of-control the federal government, the 'environmental movement' and legal profession has become, that it became necessary for the legislature of Tennessee to resort to an amendment to the state constitution.

It sets forth clearly that the citizens have a right to hunt and fish. Here is the language on the ballot:

The citizens of this state shall have the personal right to hunt and fish,  subject to reasonable regulations and restrictions prescribed by law. The recognition of this right does not abrogate any private or public property rights, nor does it limit the state's power to regulate commercial activity. Traditional manners and means may be used to take non-threatened species.

Why, you ask, would it be necessary? Think about the animal rights types, and their allies in Washington, the press, academia, the courts, etc. etc.

The roads here are littered with deer this time of year. Mr. and Mrs. OS were nearly killed by a trophy buck last year. Twenty years ago, that boy would have been hanging above someone's fireplace, and the hunter's family would have been eating venison every week for the winter. There aren't enough hunters to harvest the herd. Slowly, slowly, regulations have been crushing both hunting and fishing in many states.

In Tennessee, hunting and fishing are a major recreation, but for more families than one would suspect, they are a way families get fed. OS buys his ammo at a small store, and more than once he has seen old boys in overalls coming in to buy one box of deer rounds, so they can make sure there is protein in the freezer.

So, if you're voting in Tennessee today, take a moment, and strike one more blow for freedom and sanity.

It's an unfortunate necessity, and it must be done, lest we lose our freedoms to those who would legislate, regulate and litigate them out of existence.