Sheriffs Vow to Defend 2nd Amendment from Federal Government
By
Dr. Harold Pease
Finally,
an organization is protecting the Constitution and it is not the House of
Representatives, U. S. Senate, U.S. President, the U. S. Supreme Court, or the
States, as should be the case. It is the least likely of all those who swear by
oath, upon condition of taking office, to preserve it—the Sheriffs’ Departments
in county after county and growing.
Sheriff
Tim Mueller of Linn County, Oregon was the first with his January 14th directive to all sheriffs in his county that they would not
be enforcing any law that violated the 2nd Amendment. Two days
latter the New Mexico Sheriffs Association, with 30 of their 33 county
sheriffs, next stood with “we also will protect the
Second Amendment from the federal governments recent assault on it.”
Then, the next day, 28 of 29 counties in Utah under the signature of the Utah
Sheriffs’ Association informed the President that
they will protect the 2nd Amendment for their people even with their lives—even
from the federal government. In California 13 county sheriffs have
made similar pledges.
The
straw that broke the camels back for the county sheriffs was President Barack
Obama’s signing some 23 executive orders on January 16, further restricting the
rights of gun owners. The Utah backlash followed the next day.
Sheriffs are the only elected law enforcement body in the United
States and they understand that Congress has sole authority to make law, that
law must originate with and be approved by both the House and Senate, and that
the only power that belongs to the President is suggestion, through his state
of the union address, and his veto, which can be overridden.
The
Utah sheriffs reminded the President that, “It is
imperative this discussion be had in Congress, not silenced unilaterally by
executive orders” and advised that he remember, “that the Founders of this
great nation created the Constitution, and its accompanying Bill of Rights, in
an effort to protect citizens from all forms of tyrannical subjugation.”
Some
535 individuals make all the law on the federal level, not just a single person
as was the case with kings and is the case with dictators today. All executive orders that have the effect of making law are
unconstitutional; the President has no authority to make law. Doing
so reduces the relevancy of the Congress and is a form of tyranny. Moreover, it
is well to remember that a law cannot undo an
amendment to the Constitution—only another amendment and that requires the
support of 3/4ths of the states, so Congress is restricted also.
The
Utah Sheriffs letter said in part, “With the number of mass shootings America
has endured, it is easy to demonize firearms; it is also foolish and
prejudiced. Firearms are nothing more than instruments, valuable and
potentially dangerous, but instruments nonetheless. Malevolent souls, like the
criminals who commit mass murders, will always exploit valuable instruments in
the pursuit of evil. As professional peace officers, if we understand nothing
else, we understand this: lawful violence must sometimes be employed to deter
and stop criminal violence. Consequently, the citizenry must continue its ability
to keep and bear arms, including arms that adequately protect them from all
types of illegality.” This inference also includes the government.
The
letter ended aimed directly at the President. “We respect the Office of the
President of the United States of America. But, make no mistake, as the
duly-elected sheriffs of our respective counties, we will enforce the rights
guaranteed to our citizens by the Constitution. No federal official will be
permitted to descend upon our constituents and take from them what the Bill of
Rights—in particular Amendment II—has given them. We, like you, swore a solemn
oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and we are
prepared to trade our lives for the preservation of its traditional interpretation.”
Finally,
we have a body that understands the Constitution, honors its oath, and is
prepared to defend it—even against the federal government. Look for other
counties all over the United States to follow. Is your sheriff, who took the
same oath, willing to defend you? Why not ask him? Send him a copy of this
letter. In light of the National Defense Authorization Act signed into law by
the President December 31, 2011, which authorizes the arrest of U. S. citizens
on U.S. soil by the military and their shipment to Guantanamo Bay, where they
can be held indefinitely without trial, you might wish to have the support of
your county sheriff.
Dr.
Harold Pease is an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated
his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that
knowledge to current events. He has taught history and political science from
this perspective for over 25 years at Taft College. To read more of his weekly
articles, please visit www.LibertyUnderFire.org.
