Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin sounds just like the other sheriffs we see on television and elsewhere, swaggering and full of hubris.
After the Sandy Hook shooting, Hanlin wrote a letter to Vice President Biden stating his unequivocal refusal to enforce any so-called "unconstitutional gun laws."
He wrote, "I fully agree with the statement made by Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller in a recent letter he sent you. He stated, "In the wake of recent criminal events, 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. We are Americans. We must not allow, nor shall we tolerate, the actions of criminals, no matter how heinous the crimes, to prompt politicians to enact laws that will infringe on the liberties of responsible citizens who have broken no laws.'"
Hanlin continued, "I will NOT violate my Constitutional Oath. Therefore, the second purpose of this letter is to make notification that 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..."
The letter Hanlin refers to by Sheriff Mueller was part of an action urged by Richard Mack and undertaken by sheriffs all over the country. It was an NRA/Gun Owners of America effort to push back on any legislation -- any at all -- in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings.
Now Sheriff Hanlin has a bloody mess on his hands, since one citizen decided to take up arms against his fellow citizens.
As he sadly informs the public that "it's been a terrible day," I can only respond with: It's on you, Sheriff. It's all on you.
