Accomack Passes Resolution Supporting Second Amendment Rights

The Accomack County Board of Supervisors followed the Northampton Board and passed a resolution that stopped short of declaring Accomack County to be a Second Amendment Sanctuary county but took a strong stand supporting the second amendment.  Approximately 300 people attended with many either sitting in the hallway outside the Board chambers or camping out at the entrance to the county office building. Chairman Donald Hart opened up the public comment period stating that what the Board proposed to do tonight was only a first step.  He urged those in attendance to go to Richmond  and let the legislators there know their objections to the proposed gun control legislation set to be considered by the General Assembly.   Hart said that the issue wouldn’t be decided in Accomack but would be decided in Richmond

Several speakers addressed the Board.  Republican Congressional candidate Ben Loyola who was born in Cuba told of how Fidel Castro confiscated all firearms after the revolution and then murdered tens of thousands of Cubans who had no way to defend themselves.

Most of those who spoke supported the county being a second amendment sanctuary county.  Fears that ordinary citizens would become felons and fear that our rural way of life that includes hunting would go away.   Some said that due to the geography of the county should someone try to invade a house, help was often twenty minutes or more in arriving and that by then it would be too late. A petition containing over 3000 names was presented to the Board.

Former Sheriff and Supervisor Robert Crockett stated why he was opposed to sanctuary status for the county.

Several other supervisors spoke and agreed that while they strongly supported the right to bear arms they also thought their objections to pending legislation could be made by passing a resolution that affirmed their support of the Second Amendment and sent a clear message to legislators in Richmond that all of  Accomack  County elected officials respect our citizens’ rights under the Second Amendment.

Letters were presented by Sheriff Todd Godwin and Commonwealth’s Attorney Spencer Morgan who also supported the rights citizens have under the Second Amendment but also stated that neither had the authority to ignore laws that were legally passed and certified as constitutional by the courts.

The text of the resolution is available on the Accomack County web site.

Crockett made a motion to pass the resolution which was approved unanimously