The Marshall County Commissioners have decided to not take any action on the request to designate the county as a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary or a Constitutional Rights Sanctuary County.
During Monday’s Commissioner meeting, citizen Don Nunemaker spoke and said he had been before the commissioners a few weeks early asking them to designate the county as a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary, much like Fulton County has done. On Monday he asked them to designate the county as a Constitutional Rights Sanctuary, much like Kosciusko County has done.
During his comments Nunemaker said, “As I watch the world and the national and political stage, I can not help but see absolute chaos is unfolding. How long will it be before that chaos reaches Marshall County? I ask this question. Who will go before us and who will stand for us against this common chaos? If you will, this commission.” He continued, “A Constitutional Sanctuary ordinance would give us a legal bulwark against those who might have other ideas. There are those type of people who do not share our love for our country nor for our constitution.”
Mr. Nunamaker said, “In regards to the Second Amendment situation, once you give up the right of self-defense, you open yourself up to any king of tyranny of an oppressive federal government and criminal elements…..this proposed ordinance would give us a legal position and just might stand the test of time just as the original constitution has stood for over 245 years and is now under assault.”
Also speaking on the Second Amendment Sanctuary was Marcos Drummond from Plymouth. This young man was also supportive of having the commissioners designate Marshall County as a Second Amendment Sanctuary. He spoke of the ability to bearer arms as a treasure. He noted that his ancestors in Mexico can not have a gun.
Under Commissioner Items on the agenda was the discussion on the Second Amendment Sanctuary. Commissioner President Kevin Overmyer said, “I’ve gotten a lot of emails with concerns about doing this from different people especially in the southern part of the county.” He later said in the meeting, “I understand the pro and those against this and I think this is out of our realm. When we became a Stellar region a couple years ago, and we talk about the quality of life, I don’t think this fits in to what we have become or are or going to be. It is in the constitution and I don’t think it can be changed without a big ordeal.”
Commissioner Stan Klotz stated his opinion saying, “I totally support law abiding citizens right as stated in the second amendment and I don’t have an issue with doing the second amendment resolution.”
Commissioner Mike Burroughs also gave his opinion saying, “If we do a Second Amendment Sanctuary County for this, what’s the next hot topic that will come up? Abortion, voting rights? So, we open up a can of worms and is that really under the county commissioners, what you have voted us to do? We are in charge of buildings, personnel, and roads. No where does it say that we should make laws. We listen to our constituents, and I’ve listened to both. I’ve done research and the only thing I could find that related to taxation, which is what I believe started all this is that we were going to face an annual tax and an ammunition tax was House Bill 5717 Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act which has a 30% tax on the sale of guns and a 50% tax on the sale of ammunition.” He continued, “That is proposed and hasn’t been passed. No where have I heard or seen that they are taking guns away or threatening to take guns away. I support the second amendment. I support people who should not have guns should not have guns. People who want to have a gun are going to find a way to get a gun. And there is nothing either the second amendment, the federal laws or the state laws or us as local commissioners can do or say that is going to prevent that. I wish it could.”
Commissioner Burroughs closed his comments saying, “I’m against violence but I’m also for protecting families. So somewhere there is a balance. I don’t know that that gets done at the local County Commissioners level. I think that it a state and federal level and I support the state and federal constitution and laws that have been passed. That is what I took an oath to preserve and protect. So I do not support Marshall County being a Second Amendment County.”
With two of the three commissioners saying they are not in favor of the passing a resolution declaring Marshall County to be a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary County.
