WILMINGTON — The county commissioners have officially declared Clinton County to be a “Second Amendment Territory County”.
The declaration this week came after a request from local people to the commissioners to approve a resolution relating to Second Amendment preservation.
The resolution commissioners passed states, in part, that the commissioners “fully affirm their support of the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms and stand firm against any law or ordinance on any level of government to remove that right from any law-abiding citizen without due process.”
The commissioners’ action means Clinton County joins a number of other counties in southern Ohio that have passed similar Second Amendment resolutions.
Local resident and gun-rights advocate Tim Inwood was among those who assembled at the commissioners office Wednesday in support of a Clinton County resolution. He said he is proud Clinton County is one of the first 10 counties in Ohio to approve a Second Amendment gun-rights statement.
Clinton County commissioners were presented letters of support written by the local VFW and American Legion, as well as the county sheriff.
During the Wednesday appointment, Clinton County Commissioners President Kerry R. Steed said sending a clear message to Columbus lawmakers is important to him. Commissioner Mike McCarty said he doesn’t think it is a partisan issue.
Clinton County Commissioner Brenda K. Woods said she did a lot of online research and saw that counties did not have identically worded resolutions. Accordingly, she compiled a draft resolution which, after tweaking during the commissioners session, was voted on and approved.
Some places are using the terms “Second Amendment Sanctuary”, rather than “Second Amendment Territory” as in Clinton County.
The movement began in 2018 in Illinois, according to an Associated Press article. At the time of the Dec. 21, 2019 article, 70 of the 102 counties in Illinois had approved resolutions.
For the record, the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution reads: “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 Article 1, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution states: “The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security; but standing armies, in time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, and shall not be kept up; and the military shall be in strict subordination to the civil power.”
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
