(Original on the letterhead of the Utah Sheriffs' Association)
17
January, 2013
The
Honorable Barack Obama
President
of the United States of America
The
White House
1600
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington,
DC 20500
Dear
President Obama:
We,
the elected sheriffs of Utah, like so many of our fellow Americans,
are literally heartbroken for the loved ones of the murdered victims
in Connecticut. As Utahans, we are not strangers to this kind of
carnage—one of the latest being the 2007 Trolley Square murders
wherein nine innocents were gunned down—five losing their
lives.
We also recognize the scores of other recent
domestic massacres, which have decimated countless honorable lives.
As Americans, we value the sanctity of life. Furthermore, similar to
our inspired Founders, we acknowledge our subservience to a higher
power.
With the number of mass shootings America has
endured, it is easy to demonize firearms; it is also foolish and
prejudiced. Firearms are nothing more than instruments, valuable and
potentially dangerous, but instruments nonetheless. Malevolent souls,
like the criminals who commit mass murders, will always exploit
valuable instruments in the pursuit of evil. As professional peace
officers, if we understand nothing else, we understand this: lawful
violence must sometimes be employed to deter and stop criminal
violence. Consequently, the citizenry must continue its ability to
keep and bear arms, including arms that adequately protect them from
all types of illegality.
As your administration and Congress
continue to grapple with the complex issue of firearm regulations, we
pray that the Almighty will guide the People’s Representatives
collectively. For that reason, it is imperative this discussion be
had in Congress, not silenced unilaterally by executive orders. As
you deliberate, please remember the Founders of this great nation
created the Constitution, and its accompanying Bill of Rights, in an
effort to protect citizens from all forms of tyrannical
subjugation.
We respect the Office of the President of
the United States of America. But, make no mistake, as the
duly-elected sheriffs of our respective counties, we will enforce the
rights guaranteed to our citizens by the Constitution. No federal
official will be permitted to descend upon our constituents and take
from them what the Bill of Rights—in particular Amendment II—has
given them. We, like you, swore a solemn oath to protect and defend
the Constitution of the United States, and we are prepared to trade
our lives for the preservation of its traditional
interpretation.
The Utah Sheriffs’ Association