By: David Tripp
17 Feb 2020
On the 17th Day of February 2020, Granville County Board of Commissioners voted and unanimously approved the passage of their reaffirmation and oath towards the constitution and declared it would oppose within the limits of the constitutions of the United States and of the State of North Carolina, any efforts to restrict the constitutional rights of its citizens including the right to bear arms.
Verification Citation/Source: Granville County Board of Supervisors
Resolution date passed: 17 Feb 2020
DAVID SMITH Chairman District 2
SUE HINMAN Vice-Chair District 3
ZELODIS JAY Commissioner District I
TONY COZART Commissioner District 4
OWEN ROBERTS Commissioner District 5
TIMOTHY KARAN Commissioner District 6
EDGAR SMOAK Commissioner District 7
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
141 Williamsboro Street Oxford, NC 27565
WHEREAS, it is recognized that the Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the land; and WHEREAS, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution (the “Second Amendment”) states that “[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;” and
WHEREAS, Article I, Section 30 of the North Carolina State Constitution also provides that “[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;” and WHEREAS, it is acknowledged that the right of individuals to keep and bear arms is under attack in the United States of America by elected officials from multiple levels of Government;
and
WHEREAS, many Americans believe that Second Amendment rights are “God-given” rights and the Supreme Court has held that “it is clear that the Framers and ratifiers of the Fourteenth Amendment counted the right to keep and bear arms among those fundamental rights necessary to our system of ordered liberty;”(1) and
WHEREAS, the illegal misuse of firearms is not a reason to infringe upon the Constitutional rights of the law-abiding citizens of Granville County; and
WHEREAS, before entering upon the duties of office, all elected and appointed officials in the State of North Carolina are required by Article VI, Section 7 of the North Carolina State Constitution to take an oath of office pledging that they “will support and maintain the Constitution and laws of the United States, and the Constitution and laws of North Carolina not inconsistent therewith;” and WHEREAS, as elected officials representing the citizens of Granville County, the Granville County Board of Commissioners is committed to protecting all Constitutional rights of Granville County citizens and stands opposed to any law, regulation or other act that would infringe upon the Second Amendment Rights of Granville County citizens;
(1) McDonald v. City of Chicago. III. 561 U.S. 742, 778,130 S. Ct. 3020, 3042, 177 L. Ed. 2d 894 (2010).
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Granville County Board of Commissioners reaffirms the oath taken by each of its members to support and maintain the Constitution and laws of the United States and the Constitution and laws of North Carolina not inconsistent therewith and declare that it will oppose within the limits of the constitutions of the United States and the State of North Carolina any efforts to restrict the constitutional rights of its citizens including the right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment and by Article I, Section 30 of the North Carolina State Constitution and that it will use constitutional means at its disposal to protect the constitutional rights of its citizens.
FURTHERMORE, the Granville County Board of Commissioners implores the North Carolina General Assembly and the United States Congress to preserve, uphold and protect the rights of all law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms under the United States Constitution and to reject any law or regulation that may infringe, have the tendency to infringe, or place any additional burdens upon, the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms in a manner inconsistent with the constitutions of the United States and the State of North Carolina. Adopted the 17th day of February 2020 by the Granville County Board of Commissioners.
Attest:
Debra A. Weary – Clerk to the Board
David T. Smith – Chairman Granville County Board of Commissioners
