A group of Missouri sheriffs have launched a new organization they say is aimed at protecting the constitutional right to keep and bear arms, while also promoting responsible gun ownership and education.
The Missouri Sheriffs Constitutional Firearms Association made its official debut on Monday with a news conference at the state capitol, where the group announced its intentions.. including its advocacy for pro-2A legislation next session.
The MSCFA says it plans to be a resource for firearm safety and storage and to work with local sheriff's offices and community groups to host safety training events. The group also plans to push against policies that infringe on the Second Amendment while also supporting gun safety legislation.
"Our goal is to ensure laws respect responsible gun owners while targeting those who misuse firearms," the MSCFA website says.
I hate that this is the case, but any time I hear an individual or entity say they support "gun safety" legislation I get a little concerned. I'm not opposed to gun safety, but ever since anti-gun groups have co-opted that phrase it can mean anything from teaching kids how to be safe and responsible around firearms to banning commonly-owned guns and magazines.
Jenessa Keller, a gun owner and volunteer with the Missouri chapter of Moms Demand Action, praised the group's commitment to gun safety.
"It’s clear that promoting responsible gun ownership and community safety go hand in hand to ensure our communities are safe from gun violence," Keller said in a statement. “We welcome any opportunity to work with law enforcement leaders to protect Missouri families from gun violence.”
Based on some of the comments from the founding sheriffs, I don't think Keller's going to be pleased with the group for long. In a press release, Douglas County Sheriff Chris DeGase declared "our duty as sheriffs is first and foremost to the Constitution," adding that "Missourians deserve to know their sheriffs are standing firm in defense of their God‑given rights, and this Alliance lets us do that—together."
The group's website also states that the "alliance works tirelessly to advocate for gun rights and legislative measures that ensure safety and justice,"while partnering "with law enforcement and pro-Constitution groups to defend the rights of responsible gun owners."
As for gun safety, the MSCFA says its programs are "designed to educate the public on firearm safety and promote responsible ownership", aiming to reduce accidents and "ensure that individuals handle firearms with caution and knowledge."
That sounds like actual gun safety to me, not the anti-gun activism wrapped in a facade of "gun safety" that Keller and Moms Demand Action promote.
I'm curious to see what these sheriffs will have to say about things like the Second Amendment Preservation Act, which broadly prohibits state and local law enforcement from enforcing federal gun laws as well as barring agencies from knowingly employing "an individual who infringes a citizen's Second Amendment rights". The original version of the SAPA statute has been ruled unconstitutional by federal courts, and the case could be taken up by the Supreme Court this fall. In the meantime, lawmakers have offered up a revised SAPA bill that won House approval earlier this year, but failed to make it to the Senate floor before the legislative session concluded.
That means that a SAPA bill will almost certainly be brought back again next year, and it will be interesting to see where the MSCFA lands on the issue. Both versions have been opposed by multiple law enforcement agencies, who argue the language makes it harder for them to go after violent criminals as well as hire new officers, but there's nothing on the MSCFA's website indicating the group has taken a position on the legislation.
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