Those of you who have seen the latest issue of GunNews have seen the story about Effingham County.
Effingham, IL (The X Radio) – The Effingham County Board Monday passed a resolution opposing certain bills introduced in the Illinois General Assembly that the Board views as violating the US Constitution. The resolution also resolves that if the State of Illinois infringes in the Board’s view on 2nd Amendment rights, the county would become a “sanctuary county” for all firearms unconstitutionally prohibited by state government in that the county would prohibit its employees from enforcing those unconstitutional actions by the State.
A good-sized crowd was on hand Monday for the vote, with citizens present on each side of the issue. Some felt the resolution was spot on, while others felt the measure gave the county a black eye in the minds of some.
…John Cohorst contended, “allowing these guns to come in here, I’d feel guilty the rest of my life for letting them come in here.”
On the other side of the issue, John Haslett said of the murders committed in the nation, a small number of those were with long guns. He said he’s used A-R 15s without incident and encouraged those present to check the statistics on weapons before deciding on whether they should be banned.
Others in the audience were also supportive of the initiative but did not join in the public comment.
When Board member Dave Campbell, who proposed the legislation, moved to call the matter for a vote, Board member Karen Luchtefeld was the only member to oppose the proposal, saying “guns have changed (since the 2nd Amendment was adopted), but our gun laws have not kept pace.” She noted the number of people that could be killed in a minute by a flintlock rifle as opposed to modern firearms.
Some of those criticizing the action said it reflects badly on Effingham County, but the Jasper County Board discussed a similar measure at this month’s meeting, and there were two members of the Fayette County Board present Monday who indicated they are looking at a similar proposal in their county.
Editor: Taking a page from California’s playbook, Effingham’s new resolution contains this:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that if the Government of the State of Illinois shall infringe upon the inalienable rights granted by the Second Amendment, Effingham County shall become a “sanctuary county” for all firearms unconstituionally prohibited by the government of the State of Illinois, in fact, Effingham County will prohibit its employees from enforcing the unconstitutional actions of the state government.
Of course, the Chicago Tribune and other mainstream media outlets picked up the story:
Leaders in Illinois' Effingham County have adopted a resolution declaring it a sanctuary for gun owners.
The County Board on Monday passed the resolution on an 8-1 vote and directed employees not to enforce new Illinois laws that would “unconstitutionally restrict the Second Amendment.”
Effingham County State's Attorney Bryan Kibler tells the Effingham Daily News that the action is largely symbolic. He says the resolution won't control decision-making at the sheriff's office.
Sheriff Dave Mahon said if the state were to pass such a law he would consult with the state's attorney and the Illinois Sheriff's Association before deciding what to do.
More registration for gun shops? Hello, Tribune. Clues, like deodorant, aren't that expensive. But they keep you (and your reporting) from stinking!
Way to go, guys and gals. Given the choice between Freedom and Safety we must take Freedom.
I would be more than willing to go to Effingham and spend money in their gas stations and cafes, etc if I had some kind of card that said Thank You for supporting the 2nd Amendment to leave at businesses owned by supporters.
I would be happy to also dip into my supply of No Guns = No Money cards to stop at the businesses of those who opposed this resolution.
Seems like a good idea to me.
The Dissentlng Board Member:
Luchtefeld, 56, is an Effingham High School graduate who has a degree in dental hygiene from Lake Land College. She and husband Charles have two grown children and one grandchild.
Now retired from dental hygiene, Luchtefeld works seasonally as assistant pool manager for the Effingham Park District. She also teaches swimming as a certified water safety instructor. She also trains other instructors and lifeguards.
Memberships include Centenary United Methodist Church, where she serves on the church council; Effingham County FISH Human Services board, Helen Matthes Library board and United Way board.
Other memberships include Effingham Noon Rotary, Beta Sigma Phi, P.E.O. and STAR (Strategic Training and Restoration), a group that helps with the county’s Drug Court program.
She sounds like a wonderful human being – one of US. Except for, you know, that Communist bent.
This is great news !!! It's sad that people fortunate enough to live in place that wants to protect THEIR Constitutional rights actually choose infringment mainly from big city liberal politicians. I hope many more counties join this.
We, a select group of gun owners, did this years ago in response to Morton Grove by having a number of villages and towns pass ordinances requiring adults in the community to own guns and making it a criminal offense not to own guns.
That got us a real movement toward preemption and discouraged Chicago area communities from duplicating Morton Grove. We should be doing it again.