New Mexico is an interesting place to watch right about now. Despite warnings from a large number of their county sheriffs, the legislature passed a red flag law just the same. These sheriffs have already vowed not to enforce these blatantly unconstitutional laws and for good reason. They swore to support and defend the Constitution, but they’re also answerable to the people of their counties.

They’re not about to back something like this.

However, in an op-ed, we have blatant hypocrisy on display as the writer argues these sheriffs should resign if they can’t enforce unconstitutional laws.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the “Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act” also known as a “red flag” law. She said that any elected county sheriff who refuses to enforce the law should resign.

They should.

…

Given New Mexico’s high suicide rates, domestic violence killings and the threat of mass shootings, it is shameful elected county sheriffs are more concerned about “Second Amendment rights” believing anyone, including those who pose a harm to themselves and others, should have the right to a firearm of their choosing. Elected sheriffs hide behind the Second, Fourth and 14th amendments so as not to protect or enforce the rights of others who have the rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” guaranteed as much under the Constitution as the right to bear arms.

In the violent world of domestic violence, mass shootings, mental illness and suicide, elected sheriffs who oppose meaningful gun-control legislation the red flag law represents are negligent in performing their duties and responsibilities to serve and protect the general public. They choose to promote their own fanatical pro-gun political philosophy and their own personal interpretation of the law and constitutional rights.

So, the writer–former prosecutor and city commissioner (among other things) Pete Dinelli–seems to get that it’s a violation of the Second Amendment, he just doesn’t care.

What Dinelli doesn’t get is that red flag laws don’t protect “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” because they target individuals and deny them their due process rights, take their guns on ridiculously flimsy evidence, and then allows politicians to pretend they’ve actually accomplished something.

Further, where was Dinelli’s outrage when New Mexico became a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants? There’s no constitutional clause or amendment saying that anyone who crosses the border has to be greeted with open arms, yet the entire state stood up and hoisted a middle finger to the federal government and refused to enforce laws that aren’t even unconstitutional.

It seems awfully hypocritical for Dinelli to be so upset by these sheriffs and their refusal to enforce laws that deprive people of their life, liberty, or their pursuit of happiness when his own state turns a blind eye to criminals entering our great nation illegally.

Then again, this is par for the course with the anti-Sanctuary crowd. It was fine when immigration laws were being ignored. Now that it’s something they want to cram down people’s throats, though, it’s different.

Dinelli will have to learn to deal with disappointment, though, because none of these sheriffs have to listen to the governor or him on this.