Oregon sheriff to VP: I won't enforce any new gun laws
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ALBANY, Ore. - The sheriff of an Oregon county sent a letter to Vice President Joe Biden on Monday saying he and his deputies would not enforce - nor allow federal officials to enforce - any new federal firearms laws in his county, according to a copy of the letter posted on the Linn County Sheriff's Office website.
"Politicians are attempting to exploit the deaths of innocent victims by advocating for laws that would prevent honest, law abiding Americans from possessing certain firearms and ammunition magazines," Sheriff Tim Mueller wrote in the letter dated January 14, 2013. "Any federal regulation enacted by Congress or by executive order of the President offending the constitutional rights of my citizens shall not be enforced by me or by my deputies, nor will I permit the enforcement of any unconstitutional regulations or orders by federal officers within the borders of Linn County, Oregon.
"In summary, it is the position of this Sheriff that I refuse to participate, or stand idly by, while my citizens are turned into criminals due to the unconstitutional actions of misguided politicians," Mueller said.
Crook County Sheriff Jim Hensley said Tuesday he sent the same letter to Biden that was sent Monday by Linn County Sheriff Mueller.
Hensley told KTVZ officials should consider other factors that may have a role in mass shootings, such as violent video games.
Reached by phone on Monday afternoon, Mueller said he decided to write the letter after he and his deputies kept hearing questions from Linn County residents about their positions on the gun control debate.
“I told my deputies, ‘Hey look, I’m not going to turn otherwise honest citizens into criminals because of some misguided efforts from the U.S. Capitol,’” Mueller said.
He added he wants to “let people know that we’re here to stand up for them.”
“Whether it’s the Second Amendment or the First Amendment, it doesn’t make any difference to me. It’s just that I don’t think Congress should enact any of those types of restrictive laws and regulations, be it from Congress or executive order, that offends the constitutional rights of otherwise responsible and honest citizens,” Mueller said.
The sheriff compared his decision to not enforce any potential gun laws to the restrictions on local law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration laws.
He said if his deputies are told not to enforce those federal laws, it’s unreasonable to expect them to enforce any federal gun laws.
Mueller said he’s heard from a few critics already, but they were all from outside Linn County. As of 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday, the Facebook post with the letter had more than 28,000 shares and 23,000 “likes.”
“That’s the good thing about this country. We can have decent conversations that go back and forth without resorting to name-calling and that sort of stuff,” Mueller said. “People are entitled to their opinions and I have mine, both professionally and personally, and I made this one pretty well known.”
President Barack Obama is set to announce Wednesday his plan to curb gun violence in the United States. The plan is being hailed as the nation's most sweeping effort to curb gun violence in nearly two decades. Obama will urge a reluctant Congress to ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines like those used in last month's massacre of 20 elementary school children in Newtown, Conn.
The broad package Obama will announce is also expected to include more than a dozen steps the president can take on his own through executive action. Those measures will provide a pathway for skirting opposing lawmakers, but they will be limited in scope, and in some cases, focused simply on enforcing existing laws.
Obama will announce his proposals in a midday event at the White House, flanked by children who wrote to him about gun violence following the massacre of 20 students and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Law enforcement officials, mayors from across the country and supportive congressional lawmakers are also expected to attend.
Obama has pledged urgent action to prevent future mass shootings, and his plan — coming just one month after the Newtown attacks — is swift by Washington standards.
The president's framework is based on recommendations from Vice President Joe Biden, who led a wide-ranging task force on gun violence. Beyond the gun control measures, Biden also gave Obama suggestions for improving mental health care and addressing violent images in video games, movies and television.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
The Constitution is the highest law of the land, any law, statute, or executive order which violates the Constitution is null and void.
do the same
He doesn't have enough money to keep a person long enuff to wet the t brush. How can you expect him to do theIr bidding??
the system is slowly crashing in on itself!!
Yes Zanni should do the same thing!!!
He can choose the laws that he enforces....and what is a law if no one enforces it?...like many of the other "laws", you can put it on paper but can you really do anything about it....what other real criminals get bumped out of over crowded jails... because of this nonsense there is something wrong With the system...
As a sherriff he has to uphold all laws unfortunately
They talk about geting rid of curtain guns and Magazines because they hold too much ammo or shoot too fast, whats to say that someone can take a normal semi-auto pistol and have a backpack full of 8 round magazines and do the same thing that someone with a high cap mag can do. It just shows that people are quick to jump the gun (no pun intended) to do things like take away our guns. If someone walked into a place with a big knife and started cutting and killing people would they ban the sell of knives?
Way to go! Thank you sheriff
spoke to one of our deputies tonight, he said you would be hard pressed to find one that would. On larz Mueller felt the biggest increase in crime was the government punishing voters for not raising taxes by short funding protective services like state police and help for phsycotic people..
agreed, too bad can't see it all, though. lol
All sheriffs should do the same.
Every Sheriff in America should do this! They need to assert their power against the federal government!
I hope our sheriff does the same
I surely hope that the police in our county plan to protect us from the crapstorm that is heading our way. Sheriff Mueller has it exactly right, It is his duty to protect our rights. However it was not his duty to put a bulleye on his back by writing and releasing this letter to the public. We should all sand up for a man with the balls to put it in the public eye that he will stand for what is right in an effort to remind people what their duty is. I pray that ALL police and military read this and remember that it is their job to protect the people not the government.
Not only is every law enforcement officer sworn to uphold The Constitution, but all law officers want to see gun laws upheld and enforced for their own protection and that of American citizens. They feel that military combat assault weapons, armor piercing bullets or 30+bullet clips should be regulated.
All should do it
Every law enforcement leader in the country is sworn to uphold the Constitution.
Yes every sheriff should do the same
As it should be!
Yes but i doubt it will happen officer TIM mueller put his belief in the 2 amendment and the rights of the people he was sworn to serve over his career and personal comfort i dont think there are many officers that have that kind of courage i salute him and his courage i hope i am wrong about the rest
Yes!!!
Yes, everyone should do it!
Go for it, Sheriff Mueller! You have this Coos County Residents support and though not a gun owner I sincerly hope that our fine Sheriffs and Officers follow your lead. I mean do they think that if they ban guns the criminals are going to follow the law???
Right on!
Every sheriff should!!
Way to go
Me I think EVERY Sheriff should do the same
Coos COunty do the same!