At a special forum last night, Metro Council members heard from opposing voices as the debate over guns in parks got underway.
Most of the voices in the crowd of about two dozen were in favor of letting a new state law stand untouched, thus allowing permit holders to bring guns in parks.
Their principal argument - they want the guns for self-defense. The implication being that the city's 115 parks are a hotbed of criminal violence.  As the Tennessean reports, statistics show that in those 115 city parks, in 2008 there were 76 violent crimes, two of which were homicides.
Above Newschannel 5's coverage of the debate, which next goes to Metro Council's Public Safety Committee.