What exactly is a Second Amendment Sanctuary?
According to Wikipedia it is resolution adopted by some jurisdictions in the United States to not expend resources to enforce certain gun control measures perceived as violative of the Second Amendment. The resolutions oppose emergency protection orders, enforcement of gun background checks, and red flag laws that permit police or family members to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person.
It’s important to understand that most of this is smoke and mirrors. Most municipalities have not the power to actually do these things. It’s mostly a means for the area to say they support, uphold and defend the Second Amendment. Hopefully grabbing the attention of lawmakers.
In Hood County, Texas for example they have a resolution which affirms support for any decision the sheriff makes “to not enforce unconstitutional firearms restrictions against any citizen,” and it shields county funds, employees, and buildings from being used in service of any law “that unconstitutionally infringes on the right of the people to keep and bear arms.”
Edwards County Texas commissioner William Epperson said he needs his gun to fend off dangers in his rural county, like rabid foxes. “We’re fifty miles from the border. What happens if there was another Pancho Villa?” he asked. “I have the right to defend me and my family. I work by myself in the country — you never know what’s going to happen.” Once, he said, he was walking through a pasture and looked up to see “fifteen to twenty wetbacks” staring at him. “I was surrounded. What if it’s my wife?”
In Maryville, Tennessee Sevier and Jefferson County most recently passed a resolution. Roane, Loudon, Monroe, and Blount counties also passed the sanctuary county resolutions aimed at protecting citizens’ 2nd Amendment right.
The sanctuary law says we protect the second amendment first, and therefore we don’t necessarily have to abide by that gun control law
Mark O’Gorman, a political science professor at Maryville College
Florence County in rural northeastern Wisconsin enacted a nonbinding ordinance giving the sheriff the ability to “exercise sound discretion to not enforce against any citizen an unconstitutional firearms law.” The ordinance is designed to send the message “keep your hands off our guns” to politicians.
Lake County, Florida is the first county in Florida to jump aboard this train.
“It says basically that we are not going to do anything to harm the Second Amendment, that we stand behind the Second Amendment in every way, manner, shape, and form. That’s the way that I wish every county in Florida would respond.”
Jon Gutmacher
“The Lake County Commission’s resolution is purely a political symbolic gesture that doesn’t really have any legal weight whatsoever,” said Skaggs. “It’s really important to understand the lack of significance of what they’ve done here.”
Adam Skaggs, the chief counsel & policy director for the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
Effingham County, Illinois was the first Second Amendment Sanctuary in early 2018. Now 66 of Illinois’ 102 counties have in turn declared themselves Second Amendment Sanctuaries.
Sheriffs are the only elected law enforcement agents in the U.S. because they actually raise their right hand and swear to uphold the Federal Constitution, including the Second Amendment. Many cities, counties and other municipalities are jumping on board and making this mostly symbolic gesture. I think it’s forward progress and we have to always find non-violent ways to be heard. That is the biggest reason I blog here… and I have always loved to write.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Constitution of United States of America 1789 (rev. 1992)