The group Patriot Prayer is considered controversial in some corners, mostly because it’s a right-wing group with right-wing ideals. That alone makes it persona non grata in a lot of places.

But the group also has a sizeable base of support.

Now, the group wants to use that support to urge local governments to resist draconian gun laws in its home state.

A controversial gun-rights group will be holding an open meeting Saturday at Greenbank Farm.

Patriot Prayer, based out of Vancouver, Wash., will host an event called “Enforce the 2nd Amendment: Island County” from 3 to 5 p.m. at the barn on the farm.

The group’s founder, Joey Gibson, said it’s one of many he has been holding across Washington state in response to the gun control initiative that passed last November.

During the meeting, Gibson and other speakers will be urging Whidbey residents to push elected officials to sign an ordinance that prohibits public figures and public funds from going toward “enforcing unconstitutional laws.”

“It’s going to be focusing on the Second Amendment,” Gibson said.

South Whidbey High School senior Aryeh Rohde will also speak on behalf of another gun-rights group Washington 3 Percenters and Washington Libertarian Party.

Rohde said this will be the third event he’s done with Gibson.

The groups are not designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center. However, the controversy derives from past events held by the group that white nationalist or alt-right groups such as the Proud Boys have attended and incited violence, according to the civil rights center.

Of course, what the paper leaves out is that Patriot Prayer’s also met by violent counter-protestors who are outright hostile against anyone who doesn’t hold an extreme leftist view of the world.

Anyway, the effort by Gibson is laudable. I’ve argued for a while that if the anti-gunners are going to support sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants, then why can’t we have sanctuary cities for gun laws? Especially when you consider that the constitution grants authority on immigration (well, naturalization, but that also implies immigration authority) to the federal government while also saying “the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

I’d argue there are better grounds for gun sanctuary communities than immigration sanctuaries.

By urging communities to do so, it undermines the very foundation of I-1639, making it useless outside of places like Seattle, which is fine. If Seattle wants to keep it, it can. The rest of the state can live free if it wants and ignore the absolute nonsense.

At least until such time that the law is overturned by the courts, which is something that most definitely should happen.

Furthermore, these measures may well prevent further infringement on people’s rights. After all, what’s the purpose of passing a law that you know no one will follow? I mean, people might still do it–no one has accused them of being intelligent overall–but the idea of it being ignored will require consideration.

And then these communities will already be prepared to hoist the middle finger.