Local second amendment rights activists are requesting Logan County Commissioners adopt a resolution making Logan County a second amendment sanctuary county.
Activist Dennis McBrien said the request comes from a want for commissioners to “support and defend the constitution of the United States.”
“The constitution takes precedence over anything else in this country,” he said. “Unfortunately the constitution has been taking a beating — more so anything the second amendment.”
McBrien said there are politicians out there trying to “circumvent the constitution” and by adopting the resolution, commissioners would simply let people know they support the constitution.
“We’re not asking you to do anything above and beyond other than to let us and the citizens of Logan County know you’re going to stand by the oath you took to defend constitution of United States,” he said. “(It is) no more, no less.”
The resolution, McBrien explained, states commissioners will not put any resources to violate the constitution of the United States.
“There’s already 13 counties in the state that have went to this,” he said. “There’s also 32 others in organization and process.”
McBrien said he feels the need to “do whatever we need to do to support and defend the constitution.”
Fellow activist Randy Knox said they’re simply looking for reassurance from commissioners that they support these rights.
Both Knox and McBrien are former Bellefontaine law enforcement officers.
Commissioner John Bayliss agreed that he did take an oath to uphold the constitution of the United States as well as the state of Ohio.
“And I own weapons and I think I should be able to have those,” he said. “I know there’s concern in Columbus from the governor that perhaps there needs to be additional oversight and regulation on people’s right to have those arms, but I have faith in general assembly.”
Bayliss encouraged the activists to talk to their elected representatives.
“No one knows how to tackle the issue,” he said. “So, for a lack of a better word, they’re grabbing at everything and anything and the second amendment is the easiest. There are already laws in place we could use (and) should be used, but we need to further do something with the mental health issue. Some can be addressed through specialty courts, but nobody right now seems to have a handle on or (an) idea as to how to tackle it.”
Activists gather on a Facebook page called 2-A Logan County, which has more than 2,000 members.