By Sheriff Chad Day
One American Sheriff on His Duty & the 2nd Amendment
Colorado – -(Ammoland.com)- This past spring spent all day at the state capital yesterday (March 7 2016), testifying on behalf of County Sheriffs of Colorado in favor of five pro-gun/pro Public Safety/pro liberty bills.
All five bills, heard in the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs committee, were killed, as expected, on a 5 to 4 straight party-line vote. I was aware before I even left home to go testify, that the outcome was likely, however, it is important for there to be an official record of Sheriffs support for such legislation for future consideration.
What struck me though, was that during public testimony, the basic philosophical difference between pro-gun and anti-gun camps was so evident.
The anti-gun camp was very clear in their message of concern for any existence or carry method of firearms posing a great and unacceptable risk to public safety. As expected, the pro-gun testimony was likewise very clear that the availability of weapons for personal defense is what would minimize the inevitable situations where awful acts are carried out.
It should be no surprise that in general, I agree with the pro-gun sentiment.
Where I tend to diverge, is that I believe the issue, the real core issue of almost every gun related bill or legislation is a proper understanding of the original and still current purpose of the Second Amendment to our United States Constitution.
It has been codified in case law that reasonable restrictions can be placed on American’s Second Amendment rights, however, that does not change the original and prevailing purpose of that right, so clearly and plainly listed in our bill of most basic rights as citizens of this free country.
The purpose of the Second Amendment was, and still is, for Americans to be able to protect ourselves from inappropriate and extreme over-each by our own government, in a word, tyranny.
As a representative of the government, I do not make that statement lightly. During my testimony in favor of one of the 5 bills presented for debate and public comment that day, I made the statement that the purpose of the Second Amendment was for Americans to protect themselves from our own government. That statement was received with gasps by some in the gallery which was followed by the statement, “you are the government!”
That is a correct statement. As a public servant, it is the job of the County Sheriff, elected by the people, to protect the people’s right to arm themselves for the expressed purpose of protecting themselves from government tyranny, even if that tyranny, God forbid, were to come from me. This is the most simple and basic check and balance that exists in our free, liberty loving form of government.
This right is what gives teeth to free American’s exercise of all their other rights provided in our Constitution.
To be sure, it is the responsibility of law enforcement to seek out those that would violate law and pose a risk of safety to their fellow man, and deal with those acts swiftly and appropriately. It is, in my opinion, and the opinion of many wise and learned constitutional scholars, an even greater responsibility of sworn law enforcement, to actively protect the God-given rights and liberties that this great country of ours provides to its free people.
Sometimes, the exercise of those rights creates the possibility of danger. The mere possibility of danger is not sufficient to infringe upon those rights. The standard is, and must be higher to tolerate the infringement of rights enumerated in our controlling document.
That statement and belief is the crux of the difference between the pro-gun and anti-gun crowd.
Anti-gunners are willing to infringe upon the rights of anyone, even sometimes the law enforcement personnel who swore and oath to protect them and their rights, in order to attempt to mitigate any possibility of danger. Conversely, and in general, pro-gun Americans are willing to except the possible danger that is part and parcel to living in a free society in order to maintain the ability to forcibly hold our government properly in check.
I see it as my proper and sworn duty to not only stand by my testimony, but to reiterate and expound upon it, and to encourage all law enforcement officials, elected and appointed, who have sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States to do so as well, and boldly.
Sheriff Chad Day
Yuma County Colorado, USA
www.yumacountysheriff.net
Sir, please have have many baby sheriff’s and I will beg one move to Sacramento.
Politicians don’t realize that we are not going to give up our Guns! They only want to take them because they Know that they should be shot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Without the 2nd Amendment, all the others will have no defender. PERMIT? All State mandated CONCEALED CARRY WEAPON laws are UNCONSTITUTIONAL in their entire embodiment. We already have a permit. It’s called the 2nd Amendment. The 2nd Amendment or any of the other Amendments in the Bill of Rights are not PERMISSION SLIPS! They are commandments to the Federal, State, County, City, or Town to what government CANNOT do to US. “SHALL NOT” is not a suggestion. Nor is it an advisory. IT IS A COMMANDMENT. All State gun laws, whether open carry or concealed, are doing exactly what the… Read more »
You want to know why most politicians don’t take there oath seriously. Plain and simply because of greed…. Tell me how the hell do they make so much money, how is it that they can vote to give them selves a raise ??? Its all a bunch of BS, we then people do not count any more and everything is pretty much rigged. We should be the ones to decide if they should get a raise. We pay them with our taxes so why the hell should they be able to get a raise and then want to increase taxes… Read more »
Seems like more politicians that need to be recalled from their posts and fired by the People.
Is it possible to recall these people?
I live in Ma. and would like to know if its possible to recall a number of our “leaders and law makers”.
Half of Ma. lawmakers are corrupt and should be fired. They totally dishonor the Oath of Office they took to protect and defend the US Constitution.
Amen. Couldn’t have said it any better. Unfortunately the mainstream media will not publicize comments & opinions like this. If they do, they edit statements to use them out of context to fit their own anti-gun agenda. We need more people like this sheriff & we need to do what we can to lift his voice & spread it to as many people as possible. Anyone who can listen to his statements & still have a conflicting view is irrational & illogical, & will never see the truth. It’s hard to understand that, but we live in an unfair world,… Read more »
I live in Colorado and can tell you that most of our sheriffs are like this–damn fine ELECTED people who understand what the hell our Constitution is about. coming from the fastest growing left wing drug addled state in the Union, this is a breath of fresh Constitutional air. Watch the DemocRATs try to take him down.
And remember what the words shall, not and infringed mean. The word shall implies that the government must not interfere. AND let us start calling the anti gun people Anti constitutionalists. Because that’s what they are. And history ignorant. Don’t know jack about the founders and what they intended. I believe it was September 9, 1789 they remved the words “for the common defense” from what became the 2nd amendment.
The DEMOCRAPS are trying to turn this country into a dictatorship. There is not ONE DEMOCRAP worth voting for regardless of what anyone says plus most of the republicans are in the same category. Politicians have turned “serving the nation” into “how much money can I make for myself”. A study released this week revealed the CLINTON were worth 1 million when in government service and is now worth 111 million. IN THE WORDS OF PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN “YOU CAN NOT GET RICH IN POLITICS UNLESS YOUR ARE A CROOK”. Check the money status of your representative and senator… Read more »
Sheriff’s are elected by the people. Police chiefs are appointed by the mayor. This major difference is why people would have been arrested at that Trump rally in San Jose if the Sheriff’s were in charge of security there. Instead, the San Jose police were, and they just stood around and watched citizens being assaulted.