In 1791, our forefathers ratified the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, an amendment authored by James Madison, which reads: “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.”
Over the years, the meaning of these words — their original intention and what they mean today — have taken on drastically different interpretations by different people and this issue, now more than ever before, is at the very core of what it means to be an American.
In news reports in recent weeks, you may have heard the term “Second Amendment Sanctuary” or “2A Sanctuary” counties an cities. What these terms refer to are a county or city government that adopts a resolution or ordinance supporting the rights and protections set out for us in the Constitution to protect the right to bear arms, even if state or federal laws try to infringe upon this precious right.
While the U.S. Supreme Court, in its landmark Heller ruling, has clearly confirmed that individuals have the right to bear arms, many politicians have ignored this ruling. Liberals across the United States have been declaring “sanctuary cities” and refusing to enforce federal immigration laws they don’t like for several years now. But they are far less enthusiastic when conservatives do the same on behalf of the Bill of Rights, particularly when it involves the Second Amendment.
As an elected county commissioner in Boone County, I have decided that I, too, need to make this same promise and pledge to the Second Amendment. That’s why I am in favor of passing a resolution that creates a Second Amendment Sanctuary right here in Boone County.
By making this pledge, I am taking action to ensure that good, law-abiding citizens can maintain a safe and free community free of harm and evil doing. I believe Jeff Cooper, author of the “Art of the Rifle,” said it best when he said, “The rifle itself has no moral stature since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles.” I have yet to find a statement that holds more truth and meaning yet is so simple and to the point when it comes not only to the right to bear arms but the right to live a free and safe life.
My hope and prayer are that everyone can have a life that is free of tyranny, violence, and victimization. We all must be afforded the rights enumerated in the Second Amendment to ensure that we are able to do just that.
