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Second Amendment sanctuary resolution opinion correct

Marquette County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Wiese has restated his position on the proposed Second Amendment Sanctuary County resolution, which came during the Feb. 4 meeting of the Marquette County Board of Commissioners.

Previously, the board denied a public proposal to name the county a Second Amendment Sanctuary County after members of the Marquette County Second Amendment Sanctuary Group asked Wiese and Greg Zyburt, county sheriff, to declare they wouldn’t enforce unconstitutional firearms laws.

The response originally given by Wiese and Zyburt stated the proposed resolution wasn’t legally enforceable.

Wiese again stated his position to the board in which he said he supports the Second Amendment and will follow the law as interpreted by the courts.

“It would be up to me to enforce that law until the courts make a decision that (that) law is unconstitutional or not,” Wiese was quoted as saying in a Tuesday Mining Journal article. “Likewise, I’m part of the executive branch of government and as such, I don’t make law and I don’t interpret law. My duty is to enforce the laws that are put out there in the public.”

Wiese made a good point. As part of the executive branch of government, he neither makes nor interprets laws.

Not everybody feels this way.

The Delta County Board of Commissioners recently voted to adopt a resolution declaring the county a Second Amendment Sanctuary County. In doing so, the board will support the county prosecuting attorney and sheriff in the exercising their discretion to not enforce unconstitutional firearms laws.

Opinions on the matter differed. One Wells Township resident believes the Second Amendment continually is under assault from people and politicians, and the future of the entire Constitution depends on the Second Amendment.

A Ford River resident and local teacher mentioned her experience about performing safety drills with her students following the Columbine High School massacre, noting teaching then was challenging.

The Second Amendment to the Constitution protects people’s right to keep and bear arms, and we’re not challenging that amendment. However, law enforcement personnel enforce laws, not make them.

We believe a county board should follow along those lines.

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