Texas sheriff joins growing list of those who will not tolerate unconstitutional gun grabs from feds

Thursday, January 24, 2013 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: gun control, Texas, sheriff

(NaturalNews) In response to calls from President Obama and his allies in Congress for expanded gun control measures, a movement is spreading among local sheriffs: More of them are standing up and saying publicly they won't enforce any new laws they consider unconstitutional, specifically any new statutes calling for outright gun bans.

The latest local law enforcement official to lay down a pro-gun gauntlet is Collin County, Texas, Sheriff Terry Box, who declared that neither he nor his deputies would enforce unconstitutional gun laws passed or decreed by those he calls misguided politicians.

'I won't participate in the enforcement of laws that violate our constitutional rights'

Box issued a statement recently laying out his position:

In light of recent events I feel I need to make a public statement of my views on this subject. As the Sheriff of Collin County, Texas, I have for the past 28 years served to protect and keep safe all citizens of our county, recognizing the trust placed in me with this profoundly important responsibility.

Unfortunately, the recent surge in the numbers of innocent victims who have died at the hands of unstable criminals has prompted politicians in Washington to seek to pass laws that would seriously erode the constitutional rights of innocent and law abiding citizens.

Neither I, nor any of my deputies, will participate in the enforcement of laws that violate our precious constitutional rights, including our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

As long as I remain Sheriff of Collin County, I will not participate in the actions of misguided politicians who seek to impede our citizen's right to all of the privileges afforded by our Constitution.

Box, who is not new to his office and seeking a reputation, posted the statement on his personal Facebook page after he said he'd been contacted by hundreds of folks asking him to take the pro-gun stand.

No more 'knee-jerk' reactions

His statement was also posted within days of an announcement by Obama that he had signed 23 new "executive actions" instructing some federal agencies to tighten up existing gun laws and rules.

"I think anytime we have a national tragedy that lawmakers in Washington and sometimes in Austin try to, what I call, a knee-jerk reaction on trying to make the public feel safe and try to create new laws," Box explained in an interview with the local NBC affiliate. "There is plenty of laws on the books that are being enforced, I hope we can prevent these tragedies."

Box went on to to say that more than 200 people have since commented on his Facebook page since he posted his statement; only a few said they disagreed with his stance.

The Texas sheriff is just the latest in a series of local law enforcement officials who have said they will oppose any new federal gun bans or gun grabs, as well as other laws they view as a violation of Americans' right to keep and bear arms, without unreasonable restrictions for law-abiding gun owners.

Also, according to former Arizona sheriff Richard Mack, county sheriffs are the preeminent legal authority in the country and have the power, by constitutional design, to prevent or refuse enforcement of federal statutes which violate the U.S. Constitution or their oaths of office.

"Gun control is illegal, and it's against the Constitution," Mack said in a recent interview with WorldNetDaily. "What people don't realize is that the Second Amendment was designed to protect us from the power of the federal government."

He added: "I hope and pray America's sheriffs won't allow anymore gun control. The sheriffs need to be united in letting the federal government know that we're not going to allow it."

How does your county sheriff feel about this issue? Now would be the time to contact your local sheriff's office and find out because, as Arapahoe County, Colo., Sheriff Grayson Robinson has demonstrated, not all of them agree with Mack on the issue. You, as a constituent, have a right to know where your sheriff stands.

Sources:

http://www.nbcdfw.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.denverpost.com/technology/ci_22427943