Special to L. Neil Smith’s The Libertarian Enterprise

Dear County Commissioners,

I support the Second Amendment, but . . . .

But even if it were repealed tomorrow, by unanimous vote of the full U.S. House, the full U.S. Senate, and all fifty State Legislatures, the pre-existing, civil, human right to own and carry weapons for defense of self, family and community doesn't go away one bit.

To those proposing restrictions upon the private-sector civilian ownership and carrying of weapons:

Look, no one is trying to take your government away. We just want to have an honest, open, adult conversation about common-sense restrictions on government. If we can save just one child from government violence, it will worth it.

I am writing in support of Bernalillo County joining the Second Amendment Sanctuary movement that is here in New Mexico, and in other states around the nation.

As for the sheriffs and county commissions that have already signed on, they aren't the lawbreakers as they have been smeared as in the media.

Rather, the public officials who use their offices to promote and promulgate victim disarmament legislation such as SB 8^[1] are the true lawbreakers.

Article II, Section 6 of the Constitution of the State of New Mexico^[2] reads as follows:

No law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes, but nothing herein shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons. No municipality or county shall regulate, in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms.

Maybe I missed the amendment to the State Constitution that repealed Article II, Section 6? I don't remember seeing such an amendment on the ballot during the 2018 election, much less passing with any majority of votes cast. Nor do I remember seeing such a repeal on the ballot in any previous election.

Since Article II, Section 6 is still on the books as a valid part of the State Constitution, I encourage and implore the County Commission to "get right" with the law as it's currently written, as opposed to doing end runs around the Constitutional bits with which they personally disagree.

Thank you for listening to my concerns.

Sincerely,
Mike Blessing,
Resident and Taxpayer of Bernalillo County since 1994

Who owns you? Who runs your life? Who should—you or someone else?
Freedom is the answer—what's the question?

FOR FURTHER REFERENCE

1. New Mexico Legislature page: "2019 Regular Session – SB 8"
   
   
2. New Mexico Compilation Commission — Article II, Section 6 of the Constitution of the State of New Mexico

    

   Copyright © 2019 Mike Blessing. All rights reserved.