No need to make Shawano a sanctuary county

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To the editor:

Relax, gun owners. The Shawano County Board does not need to pass a resolution making Shawano County a Second Amendment sanctuary county. Not only is the right to bear arms protected in the Second Amendment of the Constitution but also the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2008 affirmed that individuals have a right to keep firearms in their homes.

Law-abiding citizens should be able to have as many guns as they want, but guns can do more than kill deer. They can kill humans.

Every time there is a mass shooting, there is talk among legislators about passing some type of gun legislation to protect its citizens. Red flag laws have been already been passed by state legislatures across the country. They are designed to help keep individuals safe if they have come in contact with a dangerous, unstable person who could pose a danger to themselves or those around them. The evidence is brought before a judge who could take away the weapons of the threatening individual.

Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed red flag law for Wisconsin would require a hearing within 14 days of the preliminary order, and a final order be valid for a year. It said that guns should be seized if the judge finds reasonable grounds that the respondent is substantially likely to harm themselves or others.

A resolution that develops a sanctuary allows that community to shield itself from laws that have been passed by the government. The recent attempt by some gun owners to make Shawano County a Second Amendment sanctuary county would allow law enforcement to ignore enacted gun laws by calling them unconstitutional. Wisconsin state law already requires guns be surrendered as a result of other judicial findings, such as mental health commitments and restraining orders.

So, let’s just be sensible here. We don’t need to have Shawano County be a Second Amendment sanctuary county. If this resolution is passed by the county board, does that mean that Sheriff Adam Bieber wouldn’t have to protect citizens by taking weapons away from violent individuals? We can’t give power to law enforcement to ignore laws that keep us safe.

The city of Green Bay defeated this resolution after they realized that there is a lot of fear around people having too many guns. The Shawano County Board should think about protecting vulnerable individuals by doing the same.

Mary Arnold, Shawano

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