Oh my goodness, here we go again! Local government, bowing to the big-money gun manufacturing lobby, is wasting time again recognizing the second amendment to the United States Constitution, when in reality, they are shirking their duty to abide by the Constitution and serve the people in a time of crisis.

Floyd County Commissioner Tim Kamer is the latest locally elected politician to act as a puppet on a string to gun corporation-induced hysteria. In the latest resolution handed to the commissioners, the gun lobby wants them to kneel before the thrown of corporate profits and squeal uncle, stating their inability to supersede existing laws and hierarchy. Meanwhile, there is a pandemic that continues to spiral out of control, an economic collapse that must be addressed, and protests in the streets with root causes aggravated by loose gun laws.

I am always puzzled how these futile, thinly veiled loyalty tests of the NRA are presented as support for the constitution. Question: On the first day of service for an elected official, what does every person have to do? Answer: They have to swear to uphold the Constitution. I would suggest that if they were in their job for a while, and suddenly realized that the Second Amendment is part of the Constitution and thought everyone else would be surprised of that fact as well, that maybe they should have read the Constitution before taking official actions.

Here is another surprise for some of those officials. Amendment X of the United States Constitution states that The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the People. This means that you, our dear elected leaders, have a right and a duty to pass ordinances to protect us, We the People.

So here is my suggestion for the alternative, sane universe. One of our major crises at the moment is in policing. Police departments have been militarized to deal with a flood of cheap guns in North America promulgated and encouraged by big gun corporations. When police officers and those who interact with them are all fearing for their lives with each transaction, the outcome can be predicted. Part of the solution to police reform must include sensible gun control legislation. A Quinnipiac poll in May of this year shows that 61 percent of Americans support more restrictions on guns like assault weapon bans, closing gun show loopholes, red flag laws, and common sense laws that prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands. When asked only about background checks, 94 percent of the people support them. Thats We the People who support responsible action.

Consequently, I am dumbfounded that our local officials are being duped into tying their own hands.

Therefore We the People are forming our own group called 10A. We are going to write an ordinance that the commissioners can pass citing their support for a higher authority, the People of Floyd County, Indiana. In addition it will require them to read the United States Constitution in its entirety. They only have to get through the Bill of Rights to realize that they have a duty, that they swore to uphold on day one of their occupation of office, to serve the People above profits and their own political benefit.

Most sincerely,

Randall T. Randy Stumler, Floyds Knobs

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LETTER: Show loyalty to people, not NRA | Opinion - Evening News and Tribune