By: Teresa Mull
As the Biden administration and state legislatures threaten to dismantle the Second Amendment more and more with each passing day, states and municipalities are pushing back by establishing themselves as “Second Amendment Sanctuaries.”
“A growing number of Nebraska counties declare themselves sanctuaries for the second amendment saying Pres. Biden has put a target on the right to bear arms,” Nebraska.tv reported yesterday.
Similarly, The Wayne County News reports, “West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey underscored his support for and defense of the Second Amendment in response to federal gun control measures proposed last week by President Joe Biden.”
The list goes on. Every day, we see renewed vigilance in gun owners, and even people who don’t own guns, but see the value of upholding our Constitutional rights.
But how effective are Second Amendment sanctuaries in safeguarding the Second Amendment, and can they keep unconstitutional federal laws at bay?
Chris Stone, Communications Director for the National Association for Gun Rights, explained to GPM that Second Amendment Sanctuary Cities and their accompanying resolutions are not enforceable. That doesn’t mean they are worthless, however. Stone says:
“The best thing about the Second Amendment Sanctuary City movement is that it’s firing up grassroots gun owners and bringing new gun owners into the fight. Law-abiding gun owners are beginning to see how insidious gun control laws truly are – but they also realize that there’s power in citizen activism.”
Of course, large swaths of constituencies standing up and making their voices heard in favor of the Second Amendment serve as a wake-up call for lackadaisical politicians who are prone to becoming complacent when it comes to gun rights. What these sanctuary movements can effect are, as Stone notes…
“Instead, we’d love to see more state legislatures pass preemption laws – laws which state that cities, counties, and localities cannot pass their own gun control schemes. Governors and legislators should be standing up and protecting states’ rights on a large scale – enshrining in law that cities, counties, and localities cannot regulate a protected, incorporated constitutional right.
“Statewide preemption laws, and, of course, the passage of Constitutional Carry, enables law-abiding citizens real protection from federal overreach. Also, states passing anti-Red Flag Gun Confiscation laws is a good measure.”
For guidelines on how to go about creating your own Second Amendment Sanctuary, read our helpful article here.
Teresa Mull ([email protected]) is editor of Gunpowder Magazine.