HomeMy WebLinkAboutCorrespondence - BOCCTo: The Board of County Commissioner, County of Grant
I come to you today, as a citizen of Washington State and Grant County. As you all may well know, in last fall's election,
Initiative 1639 passed a vote of the people and as such is subject to become law per the terms of the initiative. I submit
to you that 1-1639 is unconstitutional, is the product of mob rule and endangers the public.
I and many others in Grant County believe 1-1639 to be a violation of Article 1, Section 24 of the Washington State
Constitution, which states: "The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not
be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize,
maintain or employ an armed body of men."
We also believe that 1-1639 violates the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution, which states: "A well regulated Militia,
being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
1-1639 strips the rights of 18 to 20 years old adults from legally owning a semi-automatic firearm. It also includes
restrictions on anyone 21 years of age and over of purchasing a semi-automatic firearm without relinquishing an
individual's rights to medical privacy.
I, and many others in Grant County, believe that these elements of 1-1639 impair and/or infringe on an individual's Right
to Bear Arms.
It also has unenforceable elements that require a person to keep a firearm locked up at all times when not in use. It also
arbitrarily changes the definition of a semi-automatic firearm to an assault weapon.
Not only do we feel that 1-1639 is unconstitutional, we believe 1-1639 is the product of Mob Rule. The Washington State
Constitution and US Constitution exist as the foundation of law in Washington and the United States. Both of these
documents declare that both forms of government are Constitutional Republics. Nowhere in either document, are the
words democracy used. The Constitutions protect the individual from the will of the mob. In this instance the mob being
the majority of persons that do not value or apparently understand that an individual's right to self-preservation is
absolute. We, the citizens of Grant County fully expect that you, as elected officials, uphold the oaths you swore, to
uphold the Constitution and protect the rights of citizens.
From a practical standpoint, we believe that 1-1639 endangers the lives of citizens of Grant County. Grant County is a
rural community. Response times to 911 calls far exceed the times of urban areas with large law enforcement presence.
This is in no way, the fault of the Sheriff's Office or other city police departments; it's simply the nature of where we live.
We know this, we accept this and we cherish the lifestyle that accompanies rural life. We also believe that a gun in the
hand is better than dispatch on the phone. There are individuals, 18 to 20 years of age, that live on their own in Grant
County, some of them live far from established law enforcement. In the event that they need to defend themselves with
a firearm, there is no good reason that they should be restricted from using a semi-automatic rifle to do so.
The citizens of Grant County made their opinion on the matter perfectly clear in last fall's election; when we
overwhelmingly voted against 1-1639. Many other rural counties in Washington also voted against the initiative. Multiple
rural counties have recently drafted and signed resolutions that do not recognize 1-1639 and prohibit law enforcement
within their county from enforcing the law or prosecuting potential offenders. As a citizen, as a constituent, as a fellow
member of this community, as a father and a husband, I humbly and graciously ask that you consider doing the same.
With the utmost sincerity and respect,