Second Amendment Sanctuary Counties

            The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The Founders were not concerned about citizens having guns for hunting and target practice. They wanted the citizens to be prepared to fight back against a tyrannical government. The Second Amendment states that “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.” Yet, there are state and local governments that continued to chip away at this right. It seems that politicians in big cities are attempting to solve local problems by restricting gun rights on a state-wide basis, and the county officials are fighting back.

            County leaders are creating Second Amendment sanctuary counties to protect the rights of gun owners. Apparently, the sanctuary county idea started in Effington County, Illinois. Effingham County Board member David Campbell went to Effingham County State’s Attorney Bryan Kibler with an idea. He had a resolution produced by Iroquois County about gun rights, and “he wanted to do something similar.”  His idea was to adopt the idea of sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants and make sanctuary counties for gun owners.

            The Second Amendment sanctuary county movement is now in 64 of the 102 counties in Illinois as well as counties in three other states. There are nine additional states where “counties are eyeing similar nonbinding measures.” As state politicians are thinking of ways to restrict gun ownership, county leaders are considering ways to oppose them. Freedom-loving Americans must be vigil about protecting their Second Amendment rights, and sanctuary counties may be the answer to gun-control ideas.