Anti-gun lawmakers at the state and federal levels are bound and determined to make it so your Second Amendment rights don’t really amount to much of anything. It’s not enough that they want to have the power to screw with your rights at the local level–thus their opposition to preemption–but they also want to destroy them at every other governmental level possible.

Yet a growing number of communities, mostly counties, are embracing the idea of “sanctuary counties,” a variation on immigration “sanctuary cities.” The only difference is these are counties that have agreed to stand for our civil liberties by not enforcing unconstitutional gun control laws.

This week, Hood County, Texas joined their number.

The Hood County commissioners voted to protect gun rights and is now a so-called ‘Second Amendment sanctuary county.’

The commissioners passed a resolution that says the sheriff will not enforce any restriction on the Second Amendment. They say Democrat presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke has a lot to do with their decision.

Hood County commissioners showed strong support for the right to bear arms on Tuesday and declared it a Second Amendment sanctuary county.

Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds says he proposed the idea to county commissioners last month after O’Rourke said during a debate he would confiscate assault-style rifles if elected. The former Texas congressman’s campaign refocused on gun laws after the deadly mass shooting at a Walmart in his home town of El Paso.

“That generated more people coming to me and were really truly concerned that ‘is that gonna happen in Hood County?’” the sheriff said.

Deeds says he was inspired by a trio of other counties in the Lone Star State who also passed such measures.

So, I guess the first thing to say on this is, “Thanks, Beto!”

Beto O’Rourke made his feelings on guns loud and clear. So did the rest of his Democratic colleagues running for a shot at the White House. Those who didn’t embrace his lunacy have instead argued that it’s just a bad time for that kind of thing. In other words, no one running for the Democratic nomination disagrees with the principle, just the timing.

So no matter who wins, President Trump’s challenger will definitely be open to the idea of confiscating our guns, even if such measures are hidden behind the euphemism of “mandatory buybacks.”

It sounds like it’s a fine time for counties to embrace such a status and make it clear that they’ll stand against such unconstitutional measures. Hood County has done so and I sincerely hope that still more counties will do so was well. In fact, I hope it gets to the point where I’m simply not able to cover them all because it’s just so common.

That would be a huge win.

That might also be a pipe dream, but it’s hardly the only one I entertain on a regular basis. I’ll admit it.

Still, I applaud the good people of Hood County and encourage them to press onward. Just remember this if and when it comes time to do more than pass some resolutions. Talking the talk is all fine and well until it’s time to walk the walk.