MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Ophelia Ford, proud gun owner and star of another rant on Capitol Hill. The latest video on Twitter and YouTube has Memphis buzzing.
State Senator Ford stole the show at a committee hearing in Nashville. It's the latest in a history of over the top comments by Ford. She made her remarks during a Senate hearing Tuesday on the guns in cars bill.
Ford told the committee, "I am a hand gun carrier and I make it no secret that I have been since I was 24, I'm 25 now," she said with a laugh and flip of her hair.
Memphis resident, Marcus Jackson, says the speech is no laughing matter, "She sounded like she was intoxicated."
After seeing the video, Herbert Pritchard said, "Maybe she is on some medication. Something's not actually right with her."
The video shows the State Senator appearing to grasp for words. She eventually abstained from the vote. Jackson says, "It is a bad image for her to be a politician and a leader for the city, to see something like that, it's not becoming of a leader."
Pritchard and Jackson say Ford has passed her prime, but if you ask her supporters like Jessie Brown, "She is nice, all the Fords are nice to me."
Like many people in her neighborhood, Jessie Brown ignores the news when the Fords are involved and it doesn't affect her vote. Brown says she votes for Ford every time she's on the ballot, "and I'll vote for her again."
Ford has been in office since 2005, when she took over her brother, John Ford's seat, after he was indicted on bribery charges.
Ford's voicemail was full and could not be reached for comment.
Watch the full video (Ford begins speaking at 1:47):
