This was posted on Caldwell dem fb page...
A movement, supported by our current County Board of Commissioners, is speeding the passage of a resolution to declare Caldwell County a sanctuary for the Second Amendment. I categorically reject the resolution, as there is no need for it and it endangers our community. The resolution is pursued to preempt and block any effort to enact common-sense gun legislation that would acknowledge and respond to gun-related tragedies that have plagued our nation since the issue first gained prominence at Columbine High School. Despite there being no attempt to take guns away from responsible, law-abiding citizens, it has not stopped the paranoid belief that it is only a matter of time before that happens.
The few Commissioners who have responded to my emails have said this resolution will have no effect on current laws. I ask, why then spend time on this resolution? Judging from the resolution support groups on Facebook, they disagree with our Commissioners on the effects of this resolution. They point to the Red Flag Laws proposed by the newly elected Democratic Majority in Virginia as what they aim to stop from happening here. This resolution is designed to prevent any effort to enact any common-sense gun regulation or restriction from being realized here.
They warn of mass confiscation of guns by our government. There is no evidence of that. What there is unfortunately abundant evidence of, is an epidemic of gun violence in our nation that takes the lives of 36,000 Americans every year from mass shootings, suicides, and random acts of violence, which it appears we have become numb to.
My main concern is for the safety of my family and the rest of my community. Supporting the Second Amendment should not be incompatible with keeping weapons away from dangerous people, yet the language of this resolution would make you think so. It aims to block funding, allocation of resources or employees, or buildings from “the enforcement of restriction of Caldwell County citizens’ rights under the Second Amendment.
I asked the commissioners if guns should remain with the owners in the following situations: Nikolas Cruz had talked about becoming a school shooter for years, yet nothing was done to prevent him from doing so. On 2/14/18, he killed 17 in the Parkland school shooting.
Closer to home, a man from Gamewell sadly died after an 8- hour standoff with the Ashe County police, during which he threatened to kill as many police officers as possible and flatten his neighborhood with explosives.
Don’t we think it would be better to remove weapons from the hands of those dealing with clear mental issues such as these? I did not receive a response to that particular question, so I will ask others. How many police resources are consumed in situations like this? How much does this cost our community? How much danger does it put all of us in, especially our police force?
I also worry if this resolution is passed, and misconceived as a roll-back of current norms or restrictions, that with more weapons appearing in public, there will also be an increase of instances where arguments, confrontations, and disagreements escalate into shootings, much like the instances that ended with the deaths of Trayvon Martin or Markeis McGlockton (who was killed in Clearwater Florida over a parking spot).
Instead of supporting this resolution, I urge our local officials to do what they can to promote changes to and support for mental health programs in our area and aid our local police departments in enforcing our laws in order to keep Caldwell County safe.
If you agree with me, it is not too late, here is what you can do.
1. Contact the commissioners this week and voice your opposition to this resolution.
Here are their e-mail addresses
Randy Church
[email protected]
Donny Potter
[email protected]
Jeff Branch
[email protected]
Robbie Wilkie
[email protected]
2. Come to the Commissioners’ meeting on Monday, Feb 3. It is held in the lower level of the County Office Building at 905 West Ave. NW. The meeting begins at 6:00, but you need to be there early because there will probably be a lot of people. Some people from NAACP and a few others plan to speak and it would be great if there were a large group there to support them.
3. Speak at the Commissioners’ meeting. We would love to have as many people as possible to speak at the commissioners’ meeting. Speakers are given 3 minutes (less if there are a lot of people wishing to speak) You must sign up to speak before the meeting begins. There is a table on the left as you enter the board room where you can sign up to speak. If you wish to speak, it essential that you arrive early.
4. Consider writing a letter to the editor at the News Topic this week to voice your feeling and concerns about this resolution.
https://newstopicnews.com/live-content/form-letter-to-the-editor/
5. Speak Out: Share your thoughts with your family, friends, co-workers and on social media and in person.
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