This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at The Conversation.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1460744
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1460744
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“And he, desiring to justified himself, said, ‘Who is my neighbor?’”
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Interesting that the Constitution doesn’t actually contain the word “county.” It is also silent on “sheriffs”
So “Constitutional Sheriff” is doubly stupid.
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Nor will the county provide aid or resources to any state or federal agency that county officials judge to be infringing on or restricting those rights.
Normalizing lawlessness. It’s what Republicans do now.
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“Conservatives” (read: radicals) are setting up “constitutional” (read: unconstitutional) counties
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So a “constitutional county” is a way to grift and act all puffed up while riling up the craziest people in a community to commit some violent act.
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Here in “The West” there have been “Constitutional Sheriffs” since the beginning of the Sagebrush Rebellion. They refuse to enforce red flag laws and other gun regulations, and might also refuse to investigate certain kinds of crimes. Because county sheriffs are elected, these folks are more common than I care to think and some reasonable-appearing people will hold those core beliefs.
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I believe it ultimately subverts the authority of the Constitution itself.
Good call. It totally does.
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I love it (as in “not at all”) that these mopes, after examining the Constitution and finding exactly zero mention of sheriffs or their supposed Constitutional power, declare that they, in fact, are the highest authority in their county, superseding everyone/everything else.
It would be laughable if it were not so dangerous.
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I especially worry about these crazies now the the Gang of Six has given the green light for ignoring previous court decisions and clear statutory language. So if a “constitutional county” decides that Loving, e.g., was wrong decided…
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Details, details… … who needs one a them Constitutiooshuns anyhow? Like trump sez " laws is fer loosers!"/sn
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This is bad. But let’s then let them live by their version of the constitution and since it doesn’t say that neighboring foreign powers that they are a substate of have to fund them, say goodbye to our tax dollars and take care of your own roads, police forces, weather services, disaster relief, and let’s cut off their water if they live downstream.
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Counties that pass such laws should immediately be placed into a localized violation of federal policy - this making all funds that would be attributed to the state based on that county in escrow
It’s time to call their bluff - and experience what it means to be “sovereign” and on their own
Similar mechanism to how the federal funds were used as the carrot and stick to require changes to drinking age and highway funding
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I think I may have found a flaw in your supposition…
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Why stop there? 13th/14th/15th Amendments—And more.
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Morans.
I suggest the federal government stop all federal payments to anyone residing inside the county. Social Security, Medicare / Medicaid, etc. Living as a community and nation is a two-way street.
“Nor will the county provide aid or resources to any state or federal agency that county officials judge to be infringing on or restricting those rights.”
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Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let’s not get carried away here: Only the stuff WE want to be unConstitutional will be unConstitutional.
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The very idea of “Constitutional counties” illustrates the poverty of the English language. You could call this idea “bonkers” or something like that, but nothing in English even approaches a description of just how crazy it is.
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Bonkers indeed.
Here in PA, could have 67 distinct forms of “county” government with their own “laws.”
It would be chaos. Maybe that’s the point.
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I hear slavery is a thing again . . .
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