Gun Rights Group Executive Calls For End To Common Core Due To Anti-Second Amendment Concerns

Nashville, TN–

The Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc. has called for Tennessee legislators to stop or at a minimum delay implementation of the Common Core standards in Tennessee due to concerns about the teaching materials and testing concerning the Constitution, specifically as regards the Second Amendment.

“We are already seeing textbooks and teaching assignments that are a part of Common Core intentionally or recklessly misrepresenting the Second Amendment in schools across the country,” noted John Harris, Executive Director of the TFA, “and we want to insure that the liberal anti-gun agenda is not allowed to invade Tennessee schools.”

Harris cites examples of Common Core textbooks and teaching assignments that have misrepresented the Second Amendment right to bear arms as limited to a “member of a militia of citizen soldiers.” “That is NOT what the Second Amendment says, nor is it what our Founders intended,” Harris pointed out in releasing a letter to legislators calling for them to support stopping or at a minimum delaying implementation of Common Core in Tennessee schools. Other Common Core lessons have instructed sixth graders to eliminate provisions of the Bill of Rights and have taught that police have the right to confiscate guns in violation of the Constitution.

It is now beyond dispute that Common Core supporters are advancing propaganda as historical fact and doing so in instances where the United States and Tennessee Supreme Courts have made clear that the facts and law are simply not what Common Core claims. For example, one AP History book written in furtherance of Common Core makes false representations concerning the 2nd Amendment that are directly in conflict with both US and Tennessee Supreme Court decisions.  Those misrepresentations falsely claim that the 2nd Amendment is a collective right, if at all, and not a pre-existing individual right that those constitutions recognize and protect.  It omits the Constitutionally enumerated right to “keep” arms and it disregards the state constitutional provision guaranteeing the right of citizens to “wear” arms (See, Art I, Sec. 26, Tenn. Const.)

“We are certain to see more examples of attacks on fundamental constitutional principles as the liberal agenda that is at the core of Common Core is revealed in more assignments and testing materials,” Harris stated. “If it makes sense for Republicans to oppose the immediate implementation of ObamaCare in Washington with promises of repealing it, it makes sense for conservatives in Tennessee to stop or delay implementation of ObamaCore in our schools until we are sure it is right for us.”

Tennessee adopted the common core standards in 2010, which are expected to become fully implemented during the 2014-2015 school year.

Well funded forces oppose Harris and others who are against common core. In fact, those forces are lobbying the Tennessee legislature just as hard, but with an added cash bonus. A couple months ago we reported on how the founders of the Ayers Foundation are lobbying legislators in Tennessee to push through common core. The foundation has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Obama administration to advance common core in Tennessee. The founders have also donated tens of thousands of dollars to Tennessee GOP legislators for their re-election campaigns.

You can read that story HERE.