Second Amendment Sanctuary Movement Spreads To Florida

It seems almost every day brings news of a new Second Amendment Sanctuary somewhere in the United States, and today it’s Lake County, Florida joining the ranks of the hundreds of communities that have already declared that they won’t spend a dime or lift a finger enforcing unconstitutional gun control laws.

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With the blessing of Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell, the commission voted 4-0 and passed the resolution. Commission Chairwoman Leslie Campione was not at the meeting.

“This draws a line in the sand; it doesn’t mince words,” Commissioner Josh Blake, who proposed the resolution, said at the meeting. “And I hope it sends a message to what can best be described as the authoritarian control freaks who… see it as their job to forcibly disarm their fellow citizens. And with all due respect, that simply won’t be happening in Lake County.”

Blake says former presidential candidate Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke was the impetus for the resolution. Funny to think that his most lasting impact may very well end up being resolutions in support of the Second Amendment, not any actual gun control policy.

“Many Americans have been absolutely shocked to hear recent pronouncements by prominent national candidates who are vying for the presidency of the United States threatening and even outright calling for national gun bans on some of the most popular and commonly owned rifles in this country,” Blake said.

According to the council member, the fact that the county’s sheriff signed off on the resolution gives it a little more weight than it might have otherwise.

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Blake added that Lake’s resolution “has teeth” thanks to Grinnell’s blessing.

“He’s the enforcement mechanism, and if he stands up for the Constitution of the United States, that’s good news for the county,” Blake said.

Grinnell wrote in a letter of support: “Thank you for your continued efforts to protect our rights afforded by the Florida Constitution and the Constitution of the United States of America.”

I’m glad to see the Lake County Sheriff back this resolution, because I do think it gives it a little more “teeth”, as Blake put it. However, I’d like to see a little more specificity in the language of the resolution. Is the only violation of the Second Amendment going to be the forcible confiscation of firearms, or might there be other unconstitutional proposals that wouldn’t be enforced or supported by the sheriff and county officials?

Lake County is the first in Florida to approve any Second Amendment Sanctuary language, and it appears this is more symbolic than substantive, at least for now. The movement itself, however, is clearly taking root across many parts of the country. Mojave County, Arizona approved a resolution earlier this week, and now residents of one city in the county are hoping local officials will do the same.

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A resident has asked the Bullhead City Council to consider declaring the city a Second Amendment Sanctuary location.

In the city and Mohave County anyone “can walk around at night feeling safe,” said Jamie Starr.

While one reason it’s safe is because the Bullhead City Police Department does “great police work,” she said, the other is that “no one knows who’s carrying a gun.”

Some of the council members are serving their final terms so this is “your chance to leave a lasting, true legacy,” Starr pointed out.

Some in the audience responded with applause.

It’s clear that this movement has some real momentum behind it, but for now it still remains to be seen how substantial these “sanctuaries” really are.

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