SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF By Devvy Kidd
December 12, 2002
NewsWithViews.comYes, I said that. Support your local sheriff, but only if they support the U.S. Constitution and your rights. As the federal machine in Washington, DC continues to steam roll over our individual rights and strip this Republic of it's sovereignty, Americans need to remember the power of their duly elected sheriff.
The sheriff of your county is the highest elected official and has more power than most people realize. Your local sheriff has the power to tell dragoons from various federal alphabet soup agencies that they will not come into his/her county and attempt to enforce unconstitutional "laws." Your local sheriff is there to protect your rights, not the actions of an out of control government whether it be state or federal.
In May, 1999, a local sheriff north of Sacramento wrote to California Governor Gray Davis, twice, informing the governor that he was in complete opposition to two anti-Second Amendment junk gun bills sitting in the legislature: one dealing with "Saturday night specials" and the other dealing with the so-called "assault weapons." In his letter to Davis on official letterhead, Sheriff Scott A. Mackenize said:
"I am writing this letter in opposition to SB 23...This bill is an absolute infringement on our Second Amendment Rights and ultimately will make criminals out of law abiding citizens. SB 23 penalizes the good citizens of Butte County and of this State and will do nothing toward crime prevention..
"A famous quote of an individual that disarmed society is as follows: This year will go down in history. For the first time a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our frees will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future.' Adolph Hitler, 1935." [Full letters can be viewed by clicking here]
Pretty strong words from a county sheriff to a sitting governor. Sheriff Mackenzie isn't alone. Back on February 27, 1994, Lt. Harry Thomas, a member of the Cincinnati Police Division made the following comments during a public speaking appearance:
"...And that is why I become furiously angry when I see our Constitution, the most remarkable document ever written in the course of human existence, being used as toilet paper at every level of government.
"The Brady Bill is now a reality. For the first time in the history of our country, American citizens must request the government's permission to exercise a constitutional right. And if the government sees its way clear to grant permission, we must wait 5 days to exercise that right.
"But even this is not enough to please our keepers in Sodom-by-the-Potomac. Gun laws are not being passed quickly enough to suit our federal law enforcement agencies, so they have formulated their own plan to discourage gun ownership.
"The time has come for us to openly discuss something that up to this time we have mainly whispered about. The purpose of the 2nd Amendment is to threaten the government. The framers of our Constitution knew that government is a necessary evil, which, as in the case of the British government, could easily become more evil than necessary. The Founding Fathers wanted to ensure that should that situation again come to pass, the American people would have the capability to reclaim their country by force of arms.
"Pass your gun laws. I will not beg the government for a license to continue to be a handgun owner. I will not submit to being fingerprinted or photographed or interrogated like a criminal for claiming my birthright as a free American. I will not register a single gun that I own. I will not surrender a single gun that I own. I will not apply for an "arsenal" license because I own more than 20 guns or more than a thousand rounds of ammunition. I will not attend mandatory safety training, nor will I submit to a test to prove that I'm fit to be a gun owner. And Miss Reno, I have this to say to you: If you send your jack-booted, baby-burning bushwhackers to confiscate my guns, pack them a lunch; it will be a damned long day. The Branch Davidians were amateurs; I'm a professional."
Out in Wyoming, Sheriff Dave Mattis set new policy regarding federal law enforcement operations in Big Horn County. This move was effective April 15, 1997. Some of the bullet points of this new policy are:
-Federal law enforcement personnel need to notify Big Horn County Sheriff's Office in advance of any federal law enforcement operation in Big Horn County, Wyoming.
-Sheriff's Office requests the following information before the Sheriff determines whether the Sheriff's Office will be involved.
-Identification of the individuals or residences to be searched or arrested if known.
-An identification of the agencies and personnel to be involved in the overall operation contemplated by the federal law enforcement agency.
-The Sheriff's Office will inquire of federal law enforcement personnel in charge to confirm that the federal law enforcement agency in good faith has probable cause for any potential searches and arrests prior to any such search or arrest of which the Sheriff's Office gains knowledge.
What caused this policy to be implemented by Sheriff Mattis? A case titled Castaneda v USA, which resulted from a June 2, 1993, Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) raid by federal agents on the home of Ramon and Elvia Castaneda. The sheriff was made to "see the light" because two courageous Americans stood up for their rights.
Your local sheriff and mandatory' small pox vaccinations
Right now people are in a dither about threats of mandatory smallpox vaccinations. One of our Founding Fathers had something to say about this:
"Under the law of nature, all men are born free, every one comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will. This is what is called personal liberty, and is given him by the Author of nature, because necessary for his own sustenance."
--Thomas Jefferson: Legal Argument, 1770. FE 1:376
We are born free. Our bodies belong to us, not to the government. Mr. Bush and his henchman, John Ashcroft, would like all of us to believe that Bush can simply issue an Executive Order because he's President and we should all fall on the needle. This is where your local sheriff is going to be very important.
If this criminal syndicate out in Washington, DC issues any "mandatory" vaccination program, I will refuse, even if it means jail. Let me repeat myself: I will just say no. I would direct your attention to the opinion of Stephen K. Huber, Professor of Law at the University of Houston:
"The highest law of the land is the Constitution of the United States." The general misconception is that any statute passed by legislators bearing the appearance of law constitutes the law of the land. The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and any statute must be in agreement with it to be valid. It is impossible for both the Constitution and a law violating it to be valid; one must prevail over another."
Is it constitutional to force Americans to be vaccinated against their will under any circumstances? I say no and I'm willing to say no to any level of government that thinks they can shoot me up with one of their "life saving" cocktails just because some politician wants it. The question is: Will the sheriffs of this country back up the people they're sworn to protect and stand with a free people?
Back in 1993, a county sheriff in Waco allowed the FBI and ATF to wrestle away his authority in his own county using lies and deception. In 1995, I watched then Waco Sheriff Jack Harwell testify to a House committee on the massacre at Waco. It saddened me to see Sheriff Harwell sit there knowing that he should have stood up to the feds and didn't. However, in his closing remarks, he did finally lambaste members of Congress for their actions. Too little, too late. 84 Americans, which included 17 children, had already been gassed and burned by the Clinton Administration.
Educating your local sheriff
Today, too many sheriffs in the big "inner cities" are nothing more than political machines. However, it's now up to the citizenry of this country, county by county, to begin the process of meeting with your elected sheriff and have a little heart to heart chat about things like "Homeland Security" and jurisdiction.
There are more than 28,000 citizens groups in this country all fighting one issue or another. The next time your group or organization meets, elect a committee to make an appointment with your sheriff and begin the dialogue of finding out where your sheriff stands on his authority and will he/she stand up for your God-given rights or cave when the feds come a-knockin'?
I submit to you than unless the citizens in counties throughout this country begin this process of making their concerns known to their sheriff's, we will continue to see even more tragedy. We will continue to see more and more dragoons from federal alphabet soup agencies come into our counties, crushing our rights and murdering innocent people with no-knock warrants on the wrong house or some obscure provision of the mis-named 'Patriot' Act.
Be polite, but firm, and let your sheriff know that if he/she will not stand up for your rights and stave off unconstitutional actions by any law enforcement coming into the county, they're not going to get reelected. Citizen action works and now is the time to support your local sheriff after you determine they will support you.
* * *
Lt. Harry Thomas' speech is quite long. The full text is on Devvy's Archives CD in the Second Amendment Section. You can order this CD by going to: