A growing number of counties in North Carolina are adopting pro-Second Amendment resolutions, inspired by the movement in Virginia and determined to take a preemptive stand in opposition to any new gun control proposals. Despite the fact that Republicans control both chambers of the legislature, residents and local officials say they don’t want to wait until it’s too late. From the Greensboro News & Record:

Written by County Commissioner Zak Crotts, the resolution is expected to be introduced and put to a vote at Tuesday’s meeting of the Davidson County Board of Commissioners, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the governmental center, 913 Greensboro St.

Crotts told the Winston-Salem Journal he is taking action because of what is happening in Virginia and the possibility of the federal government passing gun-control legislation…

“I want to make sure we don’t turn like Virginia did,” Crotts said. “I want to make sure that’s very loud and clear.”

Elected in 2016, Crotts, 37, is the youngest person to ever serve on the Davidson County Board of Commissioners. He is also the treasurer for the N.C. Republican Party.

A lifelong Republican and a veteran of the National Guard, Crotts is a fervent Second Amendment supporter. Weapons are protection to him, he said.

“One of the reasons why I’m so adamant about our protections is, years ago, my children and I were at a restaurant while it got robbed,” he said. “I realized what was going on at the cash register and I had to get my daughter on my side of the table and kind of turn sideways nonchalantly to protect my children.”

A couple of weeks later, he said, he was in a class getting his concealed-carry permit.

The Greensboro paper notes that if Davidson County approves its “Second Amendment Protection Resolution,” it will join six other counties in the state that have already adopted similar resolutions in recent weeks.

In Davidson County, Sheriff Richie Simmons has thrown his weight behind the resolution, saying people want to hear what their elected officials plan to do if any laws violating their constitutional rights take effect at the state or federal level. Sheriff Simmons says he has a plan.

Sitting in his office, Simmons said he doesn’t really think people are at risk of losing their guns, but if someone does come for them, he has got a plan.

“I know what the sheriff will do is protect our people if someone comes to take their rights away,” he said. “I don’t want people to be afraid. I deal in solutions.”

He is vague on the details of his plan but said it involves deputizing a lot of “good” people. In the past week alone, Simmons’ office approved 69 concealed-carry handgun permits — a slow week, he said. For every concealed-carry permit he approves, he calls the recipient individually, letting them know.

“I thank them for being part of my team,” he said.

Be sure you read the entire article at the Greensboro paper, which does a very good job of laying out the state of the growing movement, albeit with the expected dose of liberal snark. Still, kudos to the paper for quoting a constitutional scholar who says while the resolutions are symbolic, local law enforcement can use discretion in enforcing any law they like, including gun laws.

I pay close attention to Second Amendment news (it’s my job, after all), but I was today years old when I realized just how fast the pro-Second Amendment resolutions are taking root in North Carolina. One of the interesting things is that at least some of the resolutions don’t use the “Second Amendment Sanctuary” language, but have adopted the phrase Second Amendment Protection County, which is a new one for me. It’s another hallmark of the hyper-local nature of the movement that various counties can’t even all agree on what to call these resolutions.

What they can agree on is that it’s time to be heard, to send a message that any legal means can and will be used to protect the right of the people to keep and bear arms. With pro-Second Amendment legislators in charge at the state capitol, you can’t help but wonder if we’ll soon see a bill declaring North Carolina a Second Amendment Protection State as well.