On March 15, 2021, Crawford County, Arkansas Commissioners passed a resolution in support of the Second Amendment, and declared their county a Second Amendment County. The resolution passed with a vote of 12 Ayes and 1 Absent.
Verification Citation/Source: Crawford County, AR – County Commissioners
Resolution date passed: 15 Mar 2021
Vote Count: 12 Ayes – 0 Nay – 1 Absent.
AS AMENDED
CRAWFORD COUNTY, ARKANSAS
ORDINANCE NO. 2021-10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE QUORUM COURT OF THE COUNTY OF CRAWFORD, STATE OF ARKANSAS, AN ORDINANCE TO BE ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE AFFIRMING CRAWFORD COUNTY’S COMMITMENT TO GUARD AGAINST ANY ENCROACHMENT ON INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY RIGHTS
Whereas, Crawford County residents have a long-standing belief in the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Rights in the Arkansas Constitution.
Whereas, as elected officials, we are sworn to uphold both the U.S. Constitution and the Arkansas Constitution in our Oath of Office.
Whereas, there is community perception that time-honored, individual liberty rights, enumerated in the U.S. Constitution and the Arkansas Constitution, are under attack; particularly, the right to keep and bear arms.
Whereas, the Quorum Court members of Crawford County want to be counted among those who stand for the right to keep and bear arms to preserve life and liberty — not destroying it — and do so with a firm reliance upon the origin of the right to keep and bear arms which is, first of all, the natural right and duty of preservation of self and others, and secondly, so that we may remain a government for the people and not subject to a government over the people.
Whereas, in adopting this ordinance, we do so declaring not only our rights under the Constitutions of both the United States and the State of Arkansas but also declaring our natural, God-given rights in the same manner as did our founding fathers on July 4, 1776: “…that all men are created equal, that their Creator endows them with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
Whereas, in Arkansas (per Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, Section 12): “No power of suspending or setting aside the law or laws of the State, shall ever be exercised, except by the General Assembly.”
Whereas, (per Ark. Code Ann. 14-16-504) “a local unit of government [in Arkansas] shall no enact any ordinance or regulation pertaining to, or regulate in any other manner, the ownership, transfer, transportation, carrying, or possession of firearms, except as otherwise provided by state or federal law.”
Whereas, the Quorum Court of Crawford County wants to do what it legally can do to require/encourage the State of Arkansas to use its inherent authority as a sovereign state government within the United States, a republican-democracy, to nullify — treat as void and unenforceable— any act of the U.S. Congress that abrogates Amendment 2 of the U.S. Constitution or Article 2, Section 5, of the Arkansas Constitution, all in an effort to keep the federal government within its constitutionally limited/defined boundaries and thereby protect the people of Arkansas from deprivation of their natural and constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
Whereas, it is our sworn (Arkansas Constitution, Article 19, Section 20) duty as the elected representatives of the people, under U.S. Constitution Amendment 10 and under Arkansas Constitution Article 2, Section 1, to do our part to guard against any unconstitutional denial of, disparagement of, or encroachment on any of the enumerated or unenumerated rights that the U.S. Constitution, Amendment 9, and Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, Section 29, promise are to be retained by the people, excepted from the general powers of the government, and forever remain inviolate.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE QUORUM COURT OF CRAWFORD COUNTY, ARKANSAS:
1. Crawford County is declared a “Second Amendment County”: As an expression of Crawford County’s desire to join the present nationwide effort to affirmatively state county government support for the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Second Amendment, and the statewide effort to affirmatively state county government support for the Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, Declaration of Rights, Section 5, as written and historically interpreted and applied, Crawford County, Arkansas, is hereby officially designated a “Second Amendment County.”
2. Right to keep and bear arms is protected by our Constitution: Crawford County officials and employees shall uphold each and every provision of the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Rights in the Arkansas Constitution and, specifically, Crawford County officials and employees shall uphold the right of the citizens of this county to “keep and bear arms” as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, Amendment 2, and the Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, Declaration of Rights, Section 5.
3. Unconstitutional laws are void: It is declared to be the official policy of Crawford County that the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment right and the Arkansas Constitution’s Article 2, Section 5, right of citizens to keep and bear arms will be honored by the officials and employees of Crawford County as a constitutionally protected individual liberty right and that any act of any legislature that abrogates Amendment 2 to the U.S. Constitution or Article 2, Section 5, of the Arkansas Constitution, will be treated as void and unenforceable in Crawford County.
4. Liberty rights belong to the people: Since it is clear from both the U.S. Constitution, Amendment 9, and the Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, Section 29, that individual liberty rights (including the right to keep and bear arms) belong to the people and are to be forever
retained by the people, Crawford county officials and employees shall neither interpret nor construe any legislation in any manner that would deny or disparage the Bill of Rights or the Declaration of Rights and shall guard against any encroachments on the U.S. Bill of Rights and the Arkansas Declaration of Rights (including the right to keep and bear arms).
5. Liberty rights shall forever remain inviolate: Crawford County officials and employees shall support the U.S. Constitution, Amendment 9, and the Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, Section 29, concepts that the individual liberty rights enumerated in the U.S. Bill of Rights and the Arkansas Declaration of rights (including the right to keep and bear arms) are excepted out of the general powers of government and shall forever remain inviolate.
6. Due process of law: Crawford County officials and employees shall use the county’s state political subdivision police powers, reserved to the state by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and those gathering with the consent of and in support of, as is necessary and constitutionally justified in order to maintain order, ensure security, and keep the peace in the county — all to be done in a manner that both recognizes the people’s individual liberty rights which shall forever remain inviolate and complies with the constitutional requirements of due process.
7. Redress of wrongs: In addition to asserting his or her rights of due process, any person who believes his or her right to keep and bear arms, as enumerated by the Second Amendment and/or Article 2, Section 5, has been violated may seek redress through civil process for, in Arkansas “[e]very person is entitled to certain remedy in the laws for all injuries or wrongs he may receive in his person, property or character, he ought to obtain justice freely without purchase; completely, and without denial; promptly and without delay; conformably to the laws.” Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, Section 13.
DATE:3-16-2021 APPROVED DENNIS GILSTRAP, COUNTY JUDGE
ATTEST: JO WESTER, COUNTY CLERK
SPONSOR: Justice Jayson Peppas
Ordinance 2021-10 Date of Passage: 3-15-2021
Votes for: 12
Votes against:
Abstention:
Absent: 1
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