Firearm advocate presents information to Anderson County Council

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On Second Amendment Sanctuary
By Stan Welch
The right to bear arms, as assured by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, was a topic of discussion at the Anderson County Council meeting Tuesday night.
Recent legislative efforts to restrict that right by the Governor and general assembly of Virginia have focused the attention of both anti-gun activists and gun rights opponents. Several weeks ago, more than twenty thousand citizens, many of them openly carrying weapons, assembled in the state’s capitol and peacefully demonstrated in support of their Second Amendment rights.
Tuesday night, thirty to forty citizens appeared at the county council meeting in a preemptive effort to make Anderson County the fourth county in the state to declare itself a Second Amendment sanctuary county. That designation essentially ensures that any unconstitutional gun control measures adopted by the General Assembly would not be enforced by local law enforcement. The group’s statement of purpose says that they will “endeavor to protect, and where necessary, restore “ the right to bear arms under contrary state laws.
During citizens’ comments, a man named James Allen spoke in support of concealed carry laws, saying that his church currently has several trained concealed carry permit owners who carry weapons during the church services. An incident in a Texas church several months ago saw armed worshippers address and neutralize an active shooter who opened fire on the congregation.
Randy Jones, the Anderson County leader for Zone 3 of South Carolina Carry, Inc. a non-profit firearm education and advocacy organization in South Carolina, appeared before Council and presented his group’s case. He made it clear that he and his members see the current atmosphere as an attack on 2A rights. The organization has divided the state into seven zones. He cited the media’s unbalanced coverage of the issue, and the issue’s prominence in the presidential campaigns of Democrats such as Michael Bloomberg as evidence of the disdain with which the right to bear arms is held. “He is spending billions of dollars attacking the Second Amendment.”
He stated that the organization has prepared a draft ordinance to present to the county for consideration. He also promised aggressive participation by the group in upcoming elections. “We are not pleased with some of the votes and positions taken by what is a Republican majority in the General Assembly. We would like to see statewide action taken, with South Carolina joining forty five other states that have already declared their sanctuary status as it relates to the second Amendment.”
His presentation was for information only, and Council took no action on the proposal. Approximately thirty five citizens attended to support Jones and South Carolina Carry. To learn more about the organization, go to info@SCcarry.org