Tennessee passed constitutional carry, also known as permitless carry, earlier this year. It was a big win for gun rights in the Volunteer State, to be sure.

However, much as in any other state, there are those who disagree with the idea.

Of course, they have a right to disagree. Disagreement is a key part of how our system works. Not only do you have a right to disagree, but you also have an obligation to step up and say you disagree with something.

What you really don’t get, though, is to warp facts due to your own personal hysteria.

Tennessee lawmakers recently passed legislation that allows adults to carry handguns without a permit or required training, making the Volunteer State less safe and endangering the lives of citizens, families and communities in cities and towns across the state.

Tennessee already ranks 12th in highest gun death rate and 10th in highest gun homicide rate in the nation, and the addition of permitless carry means these rates will only continue to climb and more families will deal with loss of a friend or a loved one.

This is the unfortunate reality and it will have devastating long term consequences for this state.

Despite the evidence and data stacked up against him, Governor Lee will tell you that they did what he “thought” would be most effective in keeping the people of Tennessee safe.

Gov. Lee has a responsibility to serve every Tennessean

The question now is whether Lee takes the steps necessary to protect those of us who don’t want to irresponsibly carry a gun? Will he listen to us when we ask for solutions that have been proven to bring down the gun violence rate and gun homicide rates in our communities?

OK, first, gun control isn’t proven to do anything except create more difficulty for law-abiding gun owners.

Second, I’d be fascinated to learn what this author thinks of as “irresponsibly” carrying a gun. Since we’re talking about constitutional carry, I’m assuming she means carrying a gun without asking for the crown’s permission beforehand. However, if she’s not, then that leads me to wonder what she does mean. After all, no one advocates for people carrying a firearm irresponsibly. Where we diverge is in what’s considered irresponsible.

However, what about the overall question. What steps did the governor take to protect those who don’t want to carry?

Well, it’s called constitutional carry.

See, carrying a gun isn’t just about protecting those with the firearm. Law-abiding citizens carrying guns often carry so they can intervene when other people’s lives are at risk. While calling the police is fine, someone could likely be dead before the cops arrive. Sometimes, a more proactive approach is needed to protect human life.

It should also be noted that when criminals are unaware of who is carrying a gun, it makes them more skittish to try to victimize anyone. The lawful carrying of firearms is like herd immunity for crime.

Governor Lee understands this, as do the majority of lawmakers in the state. Even if the author doesn’t want to be protected by a citizen with a firearm, that’s precisely what is going to happen. She should learn to get used to the idea and drop the hysterics.

There’s absolutely no threat from law-abiding citizens with guns.

Unless, of course, you’re a violent criminal. Then there’s plenty of threat to you; enough so that you may want to seek a new career.