As a candidate for Davidson County Commissioner, I endorse the idea of counties declaring themselves to be Second Amendment sanctuaries.
In the State of North Carolina, as well as other states, numerous counties and their citizens have undertaken to pass resolutions to create what is known as a 2A or Second Amendment Sanctuary (sometimes called by another name). The resolution serves several purposes. It verifies support for the Second Amendment right, “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.” These resolutions also stipulate in most cases that the Sheriff of the County will not enforce an Unconstitutional law ordering that he or she assist with depriving citizens of their rights under the 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Those in opposition to or attempting to water down the 2nd Amendment sometimes claim that the term Militia refers to the Military and indeed it is the root word. However, one has to look at its meaning in the time frame of the founders of this nation. The colonies did not have a standing army and had to rely on citizens that were called to defend it in a moments notice. This was the Militia. It equated to farmers, businessmen, legislators and statesmen, not a standing army. In addition the term well regulated referred to, among other things, that the members of the Militia had to be able to load their firearms three times in one minute and fire. The basic defense was rooted in its citizens which explains the “comma” between free state and the right of the people. The Amendment does not identify a specific type of weapon nor the type of ammunition.

It has also been stated that the protections of the Amendment were insuring a person could hunt game. While that is certainly one reason it isn’t “the” reason. We had just completed a war for our independence eight years prior. As such the founders recognized they did not want to recreate a situation they had just cast off. No person as head of government should be able to subdue a people again by regulating, limiting or banning the means to oppose tyranny. We as Libertarians do not harbor, glorify or boast of violence and is indeed the righteous position to have. A Libertarian loves and desires peace and despises war but is prepared if the need to oppose the will of an oppressor arises.