{"id":4438,"date":"2020-01-30T18:35:47","date_gmt":"2020-01-30T18:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/?p=4438"},"modified":"2020-01-31T20:50:36","modified_gmt":"2020-01-31T20:50:36","slug":"second-amendment-sanctuaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/second-amendment-sanctuaries\/","title":{"rendered":"Second Amendment Sanctuaries &#8211; Gamechanger?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/author\/guy\/\">Guy J. Sagi<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Second Amendment sanctuary movement has served notice to legislators and gained the kind of momentum that demands mainstream media attention. Enrollment is expanding across the nation and the signal it\u2019s sending is clear. Law-abiding citizens are no longer willing to silently surrender their constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms\u2014even if officials serving in their state legislature are.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are no signs of slowing, either. A January report by <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Hill<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> indicated at least 131 counties nationwide declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries in December alone. January\u2019s total was up to 83 when the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/state-watch\/479864-virginia-gun-control-fight-sparks-rush-to-join-2nd-amendment-sanctuaries\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">story<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> appeared. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/gun-bloggers-vanishing-breed\/\">Gun bloggers<\/a> and pro-2A supporters began sharing the story links, organizing for the cause online and on social media. A comprehensive<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Second_Amendment_sanctuary\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wikipedia list<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of enrollees is staggering.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s textbook democracy at its finest. Grassroots constituents work with elected county and city officials to introduce resolutions that declare their region a Second Amendment sanctuary. Legal experts claim the effort is mostly symbolic, but the energy created and reaction by opponents has been tectonic.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Is A Second Amendment Sanctuary?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Second Amendment sanctuary is a county, city or state that has adopted a resolution or enacted a law that impedes its officials and staff from assisting in the enforcement of laws that violate the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. The language is strong and the message clear. Is it effective? Because of state and local regulation hierarchy, the net effect isn\u2019t as dangerously defiant as it sounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"b-wrss-table-wrap\"><table border=\"1\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Second Amendment Sanctuaries<\/th>\n<th>Quick Answer Box<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>What is it?<\/td>\n<td>States, counties, or localities in the USA that pass laws or resolutions against gun control measures.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>What does it do?<\/td>\n<td>Legislative protection against infringements of citizen&#8217;s Second Amendment rights.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Is it effective?<\/td>\n<td>Unknown. It has yet to be challenged in a court of law.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Who implemented it first?<\/td>\n<td>Carroll County, Maryland on May 21st, 2013.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Which movement came first?<\/td>\n<td>The sanctuary city movement came before the Second Amendment sanctuary movement.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NBC-affiliate 10 News<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsls.com\/news\/local\/2019\/11\/21\/constitutional-law-professor-explains-effectiveness-of-second-amendment-sanctuaries\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">asked Rich Schragger<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a professor who specializes in constitutional law at the University of Virginia, about the legal ramifications. \u201cThere is some room for local police departments and local officers to use their discretion with the laws, and that was the same thing with sanctuary cities in terms of immigration policy,\u201d he said. \u201cMostly, declaring yourself a Second Amendment sanctuary is more of a symbolic statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">North Carolina\u2019s High Point University Political Science Professor Dr. Brandon Lenoir agreed in<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfmynews2.com\/article\/news\/local\/davidson-county-second-amendment-sanctuary-guns\/83-7300b1e3-256c-436f-9fe4-40f3bf9e0ac4\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">his interview<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with CBS News affiliate WFMY. \u201cReally it\u2019s more symbolic than anything,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not enforceable and if the federal government and the state government actually wanted to enforce the laws they would be able to do that in these quote-unquote sanctuary counties.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regardless, it\u2019s a strong message. It\u2019s also struck a nerve in some politicians ready to surrender the Second Amendment for political gain.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Virginia Study<\/b><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_4457\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4457\" class=\"wp-image-4457 size-full\" title=\"second amendment sanctuaries in the state of virginia\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/VCDL_GreenBlack_web.jpg\" alt=\"a chart showing second amendment sanctuaries in the state of virginia\" width=\"1024\" height=\"616\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/VCDL_GreenBlack_web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/VCDL_GreenBlack_web-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/VCDL_GreenBlack_web-768x462.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/VCDL_GreenBlack_web-790x475.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4457\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">As of January 2020, there are over 91 counties in Virginia that have declared themselves to be Second Amendment sanctuaries. (Credit: VCDL.org)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Virginia is a glaring example. Everytown for Gun Safety invested $2.5 million toward the campaign funds of candidates there last year. After results were in,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2019\/11\/06\/mike-bloombergs-gun-control-outspends-nra-helps-democrats-win-virginia.html\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CNBC summarized<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A gun-control lobbying group funded largely by billionaire Michael Bloomberg just helped Democrats take over the state government in Virginia\u2014right in the National Rifle Association\u2019s backyard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It wasn\u2019t long before the new legislators were pre-filing measures that included outright firearm bans, magazine size limits, registration and more. Gun owners responded by starting Second Amendment sanctuaries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of Jan. 16, according to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsls.com\/news\/local\/2019\/11\/27\/list-of-second-amendment-sanctuaries-in-virginia-and-where-its-being-discussed\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 News<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 105 cities and counties in Virginia were enrolled. Campbell County was the state\u2019s first, on Nov. 7. Another 104 followed, which works out to more than one legislative body declaring its support for the Second Amendment every day.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Tyranny Embodied?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trend didn\u2019t sit well with Gov. Ralph Northam, who was eager to exploit the fresh crop of legislators who also embrace gun-control legislation. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf we have constitutional laws on the books and law enforcement officers are not enforcing those laws on the books then there are going to be some consequences but I\u2019ll cross that bridge if and when we get to it,\u201d Northam said at a Virginia Beach speech on Dec. 11, according to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/wset.com\/news\/at-the-capitol\/governor-northam-responds-to-cities-counties-becoming-second-amendment-sanctuaries\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ABC TV News affiliate WSET<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. Representative Donald McEachin (D-VA) took it a step further, according to the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/the-law-is-the-law-virginia-democrats-float-prosecution-national-guard-deployment-if-police-dont-enforce-gun-control\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cAnd ultimately, I am not the governor, but the governor may have to nationalize the National Guard to enforce the law,\u201d he\u2019s quoted as saying. \u201cThat\u2019s his call, because I don\u2019t know how serious these counties are and how severe the violations of law will be. But that\u2019s obviously an option he has.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, Culpeper County (VA) Sheriff Jenkins told<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/virginia-sheriff-deputize-democrats-gun-control\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fox &amp; Friends<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> he\u2019s willing to deputize constituents to protect their Second Amendment rights. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey will be properly vetted through a normal process,\u201d he explained on the nationally televised program. \u201cEverything from normal background checks that we do for other deputy sheriffs as well as psych [evaluations]. It\u2019s not just a blanket policy of swearing-in anyone who is interested.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Lobby Day: Peaceful &amp; Respectful<\/b><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_4466\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4466\" class=\"wp-image-4466 size-full\" title=\"crowd at virginia lobby day 2020\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Edit-5-Web.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of the crowd at virginia lobby day 2020\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Edit-5-Web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Edit-5-Web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Edit-5-Web-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Edit-5-Web-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4466\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pro-Second Amendment supporters peacefully packed out the front lawn at the annual Lobby Day in Virginia.\u00a0 (Credit Brian Brown)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The verbal and political sparring came to a head on Jan 20, 2020 when the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vcdl.org\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Virginia Citizens Defense League<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> held its annual Lobby Day Rally in Richmond, VA. Attendance was record-setting. The Second Amendment sanctuary movement fueled heavy media coverage and Gov. Northam\u2019s declaration of a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/01\/15\/796666321\/virginia-governor-declares-state-of-emergency-ahead-of-pro-gun-rally\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">state of emergency<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which made it illegal to carry a firearm on state grounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Virginia Division of Capitol Police estimated the crowd numbered somewhere around 22,000. Six thousand passed through metal detectors unarmed to enter the state capitol grounds. There were no incidents. The rest\u2014some 16,000\u2014staged a separate protest outside the fences, with most openly carrying a firearm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the number of guns in attendance, there were no negligent discharges or unlawful brandishing. CNN<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/01\/20\/politics\/virginia-gun-rights-rally-richmond\/index.html\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reports<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> police did arrest a 21-year-old girl after she ignored multiple requests that she remove a bandana from her face.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Sanctuary History<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The movement modestly began in 2010, when Wyoming and Alaska declared firearm freedom acts. Kansas enacted a Second Amendment Protection Act in 2013 and the Idaho Federal Firearm, Magazine and Register Ban Enforcement Act followed in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All garnered media attention, but nothing like what followed four years later. In 2018 the Illinois legislature was eyeing five pieces of legislation that would further erode the Second Amendment rights of residents.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It started when Effingham County (IL) Board Member David Campbell approached <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bryan Kibler,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">County State\u2019s Attorney. Iroquois County, also in Illinois, had passed a pro-gun resolution, but the legislator wanted something with more impact. The pair decided to borrow an immigration-movement term. The<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/news\/breaking\/ct-met-second-amendment-sanctuary-county-movement-illinois-20190416-story.html\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chicago Tribune<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reports<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Kibler\u2019s side of the exchange as, \u201cI said, well, they\u2019re creating sanctuary counties for illegals up in Chicago, why don\u2019t we just steal their word and make Effingham County a sanctuary county for firearms?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They get credit for being the first Second Amendment sanctuary in the nation, although there\u2019s no official record keeper. Today the movement is catching on in a variety of other states. Many not yet even facing political forces intent on surrendering gun rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>America&#8217;s Second Amendment Sanctuaries<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The list includes Alcorn, DeSoto and Lawrence counties in Mississippi, a state well known for not compromising the right to keep and bear arms. Illinois has 67 of its 102 counties enrolled, sending a clear signal to traditionally anti-gun legislators in Springfield. The desert oasis city of Needles is, unfortunately, liberal California\u2019s first and only member.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are 27 states in all with localities that have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries. They include Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, a number of local law enforcement officials in Washington state have vowed not to enforce portions of a 2018 gun-control measure passed there until it survives a pending court challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Support Of Your Local Sheriff<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Virginia\u2019s overwhelming enrollment of sanctuaries, positive media coverage and overreaction by gun-control enthusiasts makes it obvious the message is effective. Law-abiding gun owners are not willing to surrender their right to keep and bear arms. But there\u2019s another facet to the Second Amendment sanctuaries story that hinges on a little-known fact about county Sheriffs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The National Liberty Alliance<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationallibertyalliance.org\/files\/sheriffmemo\/Power%20and%20Authority%20of%20The%20County%20Sheriff.pdf\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">explains it best<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> [PDF] on its website. \u201cThe County Sheriff is a Constitutional Officer; elected by the People; and, bound by oath as guardian of the Peoples\u2019 unalienable rights secured by the Constitution. The Constitution for the United States of America and its capstone Bill of Rights is the \u2018Law of the Land,\u2019 and, all statutes and state constitutions repugnant to the Constitution for the United States of America are null and void.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The organization also details that, \u201cThe Duties, Responsibilities and Authorities of the Sheriff Cannot be Diminished by those in the legislature and courts; nor can it be diminished by any state constitution. When it comes to enforcing the Law, which is to say enforcing the Constitution for the United States of America, the Sheriff, being the \u2018Chief Law Enforcement Officer,\u2019 answers to We the People; no one else, not even the Governor\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Coming To A Neighborhood Near You<\/b><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_4459\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4459\" class=\"wp-image-4459 size-full\" title=\"unconstitutional red flag gun laws \" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Red-FLag-Laws-Web.jpg\" alt=\"an image depicting unconstitutional red flag gun laws \" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Red-FLag-Laws-Web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Red-FLag-Laws-Web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Red-FLag-Laws-Web-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Red-FLag-Laws-Web-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4459\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Red flag laws may sound well-meaning but are ultimately unconstitutional violations of the 4th amendment.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are reasons areas relatively immune to Second Amendment infringement are becoming sanctuaries. Second Amendment sanctuaries are primarily a peaceful declaration of support for gun rights and a strong show of political might.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s also the chance a legislator serving in a distant state capital will introduce a measure out of political convenience. So-called red flag laws sound well-meaning enough to pass muster with some representatives, for example, but they carry far-reaching consequences. An estranged spouse, for example, angry neighbor or anti-gun co-worker can call law enforcement and claim you\u2019re a threat. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once they expose that the person in question owns firearms, mandatory confiscation of them (and ammo) follows\u2014without so much as a hearing or any due process. The feel-good and misguided measures are fertile ground for anyone holding a grudge. If you thought the tragedies occurring around the phenomenon of &#8220;swatting&#8221; were bad, wait until you see lives that are ruined by vengeful &#8220;red-flagging.&#8221; Often, these unlawful property seizures don\u2019t include language to address the recovery of seized property, allowing for further government overreach and corruption. One of these measures is currently being<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nraila.org\/articles\/20200127\/new-mexico-senate-committee-to-consider-extreme-red-flag-legislation\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">debated by lawmakers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in New Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>It&#8217;s A Numbers Game<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Washington state is considering<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nraila.org\/articles\/20200123\/washington-mag-ban-other-bills-heading-to-senate-floor\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">making it illegal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to own magazines with a capacity greater than 10 rounds. So is<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nraila.org\/articles\/20200119\/hawaii-gun-control-measures-introduced-with-more-on-the-way\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hawaii<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The anti-gun legislation is too long to list, but invasions on other fronts are also routine. New Hampshire, for example, could repeal its shooting range protection law. The move would open facilities to frivolous noise-related lawsuits by homeowners and other litigation, resulting in increased cost and, likely, shutdowns due to financial exposure. It\u2019s hard to enlist the next generation of enthusiasts when the nearest place to shoot is hours, perhaps days, away.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>New Assault Weapons Ban?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The so-called assault weapons ban began in 1994 and expired in 2004. Since then, statistics have clearly shown there\u2019s been no increase in criminal use. The feel-good measure had no effect at all. Despite that fact, state legislatures resurrect the issue annually for consideration. In fact, Fox News<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/opinion\/spiker-nra-virginia-gun-control-capitol-rally\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reports<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Virginia Gov. Northam\u2019s Democratic majority is working toward registration or confiscation of all AR-15s in the state. They&#8217;re doing it with or without grandfather clause, depending on bill author and star alignment as it\u2019s being written.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Universal Background Check Fallacy<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Universal background checks are another of those subjects liberal legislators and well-meaning voters support. The thought of going through the expense and effort to gift a family heirloom to a child or grandchild is repulsive to most firearm owners. Inconvenience is one factor, but here\u2019s a more sinister problem at hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Review<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2019\/08\/against-universal-background-checks\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">explained<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the unforeseen Catch 22 well in August 2019. \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equally problematic is that universal background checks require the creation of a national gun registry that can be used to check compliance,\u201d the editors wrote. \u201cIndeed, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">without<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such a registry, the system is rendered useless because there is no way for the government to prove whether a transaction has been made in compliance with the law or outside of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if proponents tiptoe around that political minefield, there\u2019s an identity-theft concern underscored late last year. \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Law-abiding gun owners who complied with New Zealand&#8217;s mandatory gun buyback program and surrendered their assault weapons to the government discovered Monday that their privacy had been compromised by poor website security,\u201d according to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2019\/12\/04\/new-zealands-mandatory-buyback-program-leaked-gun-owners-personal-info\/\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reason Magazine<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is that kind of exposure wise just to pass on a grandfather\u2019s old, bolt-action Enfield? Social Security numbers and dates of birth are one thing, but the addresses also provide criminals with a convenient shopping list.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Justified Defiance<\/b><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_4467\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4467\" class=\"wp-image-4467 size-full\" title=\"crowd on the front lawn in virginia on annual lobby day\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-VA-EDIT-Web.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of the crowd on the front lawn in virginia on annual lobby day\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-VA-EDIT-Web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-VA-EDIT-Web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-VA-EDIT-Web-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-VA-EDIT-Web-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4467\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Citizens in Virginia rallied using their First Amendment rights to protect their Second Amendment freedoms. (Credit Brian Brown)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the very least the Second Amendment sanctuary movement makes a strong political statement. The experts dismiss it as little more than symbolic, but the 2018 fates of three California immigration sanctuary \u201claws\u201d hint at something different. The Golden State measures made it so difficult to deport criminals without citizenship that the U.S. Justice Department took the Governor and State Attorney General to court. A federal judge ultimately struck down a key provision in one of the laws, but the other two stood untouched.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The decision poses a confusing double standard. Pundits claim cities and counties cannot shield their citizens\u2019 Second Amendment rights from state-sanctioned infringement, yet the same jurisdictions have legal authority to shelter criminals from federal arrest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Do Second Amendment Sanctuaries Work?<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sooner or later an anti-gun group may challenge one or more of the Second Amendment sanctuaries in court. Loftier legal minds will sort out the apparent hypocrisy on the legal stage. In the meantime, Sheriffs have the unenviable task of protecting and serving this great republic\u2019s law-abiding citizens, and still manage to guard their Constitutional Rights.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In early December NRA-ILA released a statement on the subject explaining, \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the Nation\u2019s oldest civil rights organization, we recognize civic engagement as a virtue not a vice<\/span><b>. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liberty is reliant upon the participation of free people, and this includes the vast number of citizens and communities who are lawfully exercising their rights under the First Amendment to defend their freedoms under the Second. It is the tyrannical nature of politicians that triggers sanctuary, not the other way around.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The NRA has steadfastly defended freedom for nearly 150 years, and we have no intention of suppressing virtuous voices against governmental oppression\u2014censoring is what our opponents do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Guy J. Sagi The Second Amendment sanctuary movement has served notice to legislators and gained the kind of momentum that demands mainstream media attention. Enrollment is expanding across the nation and the signal it\u2019s sending is clear. Law-abiding citizens are no longer willing to silently surrender their constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4456,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[541,544,545,548,542,433,546,543,540,547,539],"class_list":["post-4438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","tag-2a","tag-constitution","tag-constitutional-officer","tag-constitutional-rights","tag-goa","tag-nra","tag-pro-gun","tag-red-flag-law","tag-second-amendment","tag-second-amendment-protection-act","tag-second-amendment-sanctuaries"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Second Amendment Sanctuaries - Gamechanger?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are second amendment sanctuaries a game changer for supporters of the second amendmant, or are they simply empty political posturing?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/second-amendment-sanctuaries\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Second Amendment Sanctuaries - Gamechanger?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are second amendment sanctuaries a game changer for supporters of the second amendmant, or are they simply empty political posturing?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/second-amendment-sanctuaries\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Wideners Shooting, Hunting &amp; 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Sagi\u2019s byline and photography have appeared in many major outdoor publications, from periodicals specializing in firearms, to hunting, off-roading, fishing and more. For a decade he served as editor-in-chief of Safari Club International\u2019s monthly Safari Times. He later joined NRA Publications, where he started as executive editor for three of the organization\u2019s publications before assuming the editor-in-chief role at Shooting Illustrated\u2014then the NRA\u2019s only newsstand publication. Sagi resigned the position after more than 10 years, due to family reasons, but his work continues to appear on a variety of outlets, both on the web and in print. 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