Richland County Sheriff Steve Sheldon posted his views regarding the Second Amendment (the right to keep and bear arms) on Facebook this week, and received a high number of responses. Sheriff Sheldon alluded to the news from Virginia, where gun rights advocates held a rally in January in response to gun-related restrictions and control measures proposed by the Virginia legislature, as the reason for his Facebook message.
Sheriff Sheldon stated:
“There has been much discussion concerning the 2nd amendment and the Rights of Citizens to keep and bear arms in regard to what is occurring in the state of Virginia. As the Sheriff of Richland County, I took an oath to support the Constitution of the U.S. which I do support and defend. For those who know me, know that I am very much a supporter of the 2nd Amendment and am personally a “gun” guy. I target shoot as much as possible and support the rights of our citizens to keep and bear arms. The State of Ohio has entrusted the Sheriff’s Office to handle Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) licensing by requiring the Sheriff’s Office be open to the public, for that purpose, sixteen (16) hours per week. We (the Richland County Sheriff’s Office), as a courtesy to our citizens, perform this function forty (40) hours per week, Monday through Friday, 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. This Sheriff’s Office has issued thousands of permits since the start of the program. I wish to reaffirm that I support the 2nd Amendment and the right of our citizens to keep and bear arms with a reminder to carry their firearms legally, safely and to secure them away from children when not in their possession.”
The posted received more than 130 responses, most of them to thank the sheriff. Some of the replies called for clarification or additional discussion on the topic and its importance to residents of Richland County.
To see the post and responses in full, visit the Richland County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
