The gun rights battle rages on in the Land of Lincoln. While certain municipalities – like Chicago and Deerfield – have enacted some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, there are other parts of the state that staunchly defend the Second Amendment. The Effingham County board voted 8-1 Monday to become a sanctuary county against unconstitutional gun laws.
Time to Flip the Script
After the near-unanimous vote, the board commanded its employees to ignore any new state law that would “unconstitutionally restrict the Second Amendment.” Effingham County board member David Campbell and state’s attorney Brian Kibler appeared on Fox & Friends First to explain that the move may be mostly symbolic, but that it was still important to express that many in the county cared about their Second Amendment rights. “So we thought… why don’t we just make this a sanctuary county like they would for undocumented immigrants? So we did flip the script on it,” Kibler said.
The sanctuary decision was inspired, in part, by Deerfield’s recent ban on AR-15s, as well as a number of state House and Senate bills that attack the Second Amendment.
Largely Symbolic
Both Kibler and Sheriff Dave Mahon agreed that the county board decision would not affect the way the sheriff’s office actually enforces the law. Mahon said that he would consult both the state’s attorney and the legal counsel of the Illinois Sheriff’s Association before deciding how to proceed should the state pass potentially unconstitutional laws.
The resolution specifically opposes some bills currently active at the General Assembly. Should any of them pass, we shall see whether the county will actually serve as a sanctuary for non-compliant gun owners.
The “No” Vote
Karen Luchtefeld was the single board member who voted against the resolution. After the meeting, she told the Effingham Daily News that she opposed it on several levels. She found it inappropriate to make such a decision for those who voted her into office. Rather, she said people should contact their state and federal legislators directly.
She also supports what she calls “common sense” gun control reforms. If that wording sounds alarm bells, it’s for good reason. Like most folks who claim to have common sense when pushing gun control, she erroneously believes that the Second Amendment protects muskets, but not modern rifles with 30-round magazines.
Naturally, she had no problem exercising her First Amendment right to express such beliefs to the local news agency, who posted it on the internet – yet another of those new-fangled technologies not available to the Founding Fathers. What’s worse, like most of her ilk, she seems completely unaware of the irony. To only slightly paraphrase my favorite of the many clever Second Amendment memes floating around the internet:
Anyone using their First Amendment rights on the internet to tell me the Second Amendment only covers muskets because the AR was not invented yet can get off their computers and write me letters with quill pens, then have them delivered to my house by some guy on a horse. Then we can discuss why they’re wrong.
A Step in the Right Direction
Symbolic – and unenforceable – as it may end up being, this resolution is a step in the right direction. Even if it does nothing else, this new Second Amendment sanctuary shows that even Illinois – the state boasting both Deerfield and Chicago – is home to those who will not tolerate infringement of their rights.
The attacks on the Second Amendment have been a constant barrage, unrelentingly chipping away at the right to keep and bear arms – the one thing that empowers us to defend both life and liberty. The Effingham County board wanted to send a message, and they did. While so many others acquiesce to the demands of the power-mad, fear mongering left, they will stand for true American freedom.
