Rabun County becomes a Second Amendment Sanctuary
Featured Stories, News, Politics, Uncategorized January 28, 2020
RABUN COUNTY, Ga – Following the lead of several other North Georgia counties, Rabun County Board of Commissioners passed a Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution during the Jan. 28, 2020 meeting.
Several citizens spoke in favor of the resolution including elected officials and former members of the armed forces during public commentary.
Sheriff Chad Nichols spoke on behalf of the resolution, “I’m gonna get on my soap box for just a minute. There’s been a lot of debate and a lot of things passed in our country and the most controversial are the red flag laws. I don’t agree with those. The way they’re being passed in other areas of course is a Second Amendment violation and also a Fourth Amendment and Fifth Amendment, due process and search and seizure. I feel the state should be putting more money toward mental health than gun control. I think that is one of the biggest issues in the country, and that’s kinda my two cents on that… [I’m] here to support the Second Amendment and defend it for citizens here in our county.”
Lynn Cash from Tiger, Ga commended the commissioners, “I appreciate the opportunity that this gives me to be sure that I can pass the legacy of hunting and shooting and spending time with my family in a field to my grandchildren.”
Ed Henderson, the secretary of the Rabun County Republican Party also voiced support and talked about Rainy Mountain Scout Camp, where teenagers and kids learn marksmanship and gun safety. Henderson asked for the county to remain “strong and resolute” because the Second Amendment is more than a “reference to Boston minutemen and musket rifles. It is a living part of our constitution.”
Heath Wittle wanted to know if the resolution offered any consequences if someone tried to force-ably take guns out of the home. He felt that if the resolution had “no teeth,” then it isn’t worth the paper, it’s written on.
One resident spoke up to warn the public about the potential fear factor with resolutions like these. “Don’t let the fear take over and work with your legislatures on what the Sheriff is talking about. Also, there is not enough information. They don’t know how it affects mental health because the NRA is extremely powerful…You have to be careful with the fear and not allow this to drive you to do things that aren’t in your best interest…Figure out how to keep people safe in Rabun County and still protect your Second Amendment Rights.”
Wade Williams, a retired Army Colonel, also served as a detractor for the sanctuary resolution and quoted Supreme Court Justice Antony Scalia. “I think this document here, well intended, does not do one thing to make any resident of this county safer. If you want to make somebody safer, you close the gun show loop holes, you expand background checks,” said Williams.
A retired Air Force Colonel asked, “What does it mean to be a Second Amendment Sanctuary County? People think they know, but I’m not exactly sure.”
“You can find this online, the CDC, FBI, US Department of Justice, they still believe: I’m trying to rob this man, he has a gun, he has effectively stopped that crime. So you want to be safe, unfortunately, you need to protect yourself, you need to train yourself, stated Matt Brewer.
Fetch Your News is reaching out to the commissioners in Rabun County to learn more about the content in the resolution and the reasoning behind it.
Mass Shootings: Guns, Games, or God?
Opinion August 7, 2019
Why is it that every time there is a shooting in this country, my feeds get flooded by blame. All I see is article after article on who or what I should be blaming for the latest shooting. “It’s because of video game violence!” “No, it’s the gun control laws!” “It’s about religion.” “Blame the parents.” “Blame the government.” “Blame anybody who doesn’t agree with me.”
Ultimately, I understand that people want to find a cause. That way they can turn off the valve, right? Cut off the source, stop the flow, end the violence. I need to run to the hospital for the whiplash as I get dragged in one direction after another. Is there a real answer, no. Maybe that’s why we’re all so confused.
In a society so focused on the individual, so inundated by the idea of one above all, there is no room left for love. Hate crimes, hate groups, home-grown terrorism, it all points to one thing for me. Stop being so selfish. We have so many people hating so much about this country, its people, its leaders, and its laws that I find no surprise anymore in these shootings.
How is a man supposed to respond to the world that he has found. And yes, I say ‘man.’ In 2019 alone, it seems like every time I look at a shooting of more than five people, its a guy. No, it’s not 100 percent, but it is overwhelming. When I look around, I see people screaming at each other about beliefs. Take a moment and search it yourself, I can promise you right now, I can find at least 20 videos of people filming with their phones a confrontation with people protesting. At least 18 of those videos are going to end up in screaming match with one or, more likely, both sides not even listening to each other.
It’s all about me today. I am god. I am the truth. How dare you not agree with me?
And if you are reading this thinking, “Oh, you tell those leftist idiots! They never listen.” Then you are part of the problem.
Again, if you are reading this thinking, “It’s about time someone stood up to those Right Wing nutjobs.” Then you, too, are part of the problem.
People talk about how racism is flooding our nation hating on Hispanics, degrading Blacks, ignoring Whites, and despising anyone else. Heck, I’m probably racist for not listing every single oppressed group like LGBTQ. But this is exactly the problem. We all hate everything that isn’t all about ‘me.’
Let me tell you about something I read on Social Media recently. It was a story about a teacher educating students on the Salem Witch Trials. I read that this teacher decided to play a game with the students. The teacher said they were going to go to each student in the class and whisper to them if they were a witch or a normal citizen.
The teacher proceeded until every student had a designation and then told them that they were to collect into groups. The largest group of students that didn’t have a witch in the group would receive an ‘A’ for the day. The rest of the students not in that group would fail. Likewise, if there was a witch in every group, then the witches would receive the ‘A’ and the other students would fail.
Soon, several groups had formed but quickly began distrusting anyone not already in their group. The hate spread quickly as they shunned each other for the slightest hints of being a ‘witch.’
As the time limit neared its end and the groups were solidifying into solid “cliques” of ‘us vs them.’ The teacher called for the students attention. The time of judgment had come. The teacher then asked every student who they had designated a witch to raise their hand…
The problem was that nobody raised a hand.
The students then turned on the teacher saying that the teacher had done something wrong and the game wasn’t fair. The teacher then explained, “Do you think there was actual witches anywhere in Salem? All I did was release you to act on what you were told, the same they did in Salem.”
Just like the students in this story, I find it quite telling how quickly people in this country abandon humanity. They lose cooperation in favor of segregation. You’re a republican so everything you say is biased drivel that promotes racism and gun violence. You’re a Liberal, so you must only be out to subvert society and erode life.
I feel like the more young people I talk to tend to identify as a middle ground or third party political standing. Maybe it has something to do with our society being more interested in classifying, separating, and statistically quantifying people so much that they are willing to listen to anything with numbers instead of sitting down and taking the time to understand the intricacies of each other.
We are selfish. Instead of generalizing those “Millenials” as lazy, greedy kids who want everything for free, listen to the underlying concerns of wanting to make things like healthcare and education more accessible so that the entire country can be healthier and more educated. Instead of calling those Second Amendment advocates violent sociopaths, try to understand the point that guns mean protection from intruders and shooters, but also from a government that may subdue the population and abuse their right to govern.
Don’t get caught up in the screaming, but also don’t passively agree just to avoid an argument. I know people who will continue arguing a debate just to argue and anger the other person. Even if these people know they are wrong, they don’t care, they don’t want to lose. They are selfish people who don’t build to an answer, they build tension.
One should go into a debate absolutely convinced of their belief with examples to support them, but they should also be open to listening and understanding the other side of the debate. A debate is not a fight, it’s a learning experience. I argue and debate with people to test my thoughts and beliefs. I may still come out believing what I believe or I may come out with a changed mind, but I always learn something and add to my knowledge.
And on that note, don’t degrade and put down people who change their minds. Maybe if we talk to people, try to understand them, they wouldn’t feel so alone with us and violent against us. Maybe we could reduce the mass shootings or find an actual answer instead of just blaming video games or gun laws.
Stop fighting against other groups and start intermingling because, I promise you people, there are no “witches” in this game.