Washington state’s latest set of gun restrictions—known collectively as Initiative 1639—might have gotten through the approval of voters, but that doesn’t mean it has anyone else’s approval. As a matter of fact, at least one police chief said it won’t be enforced in his jurisdiction.
Loren Culp, the police chief of Republic, Wash., says he can’t in good conscience enforce a measure that is unconstitutional. Further, he said he’ll treat Republic like it’s a sanctuary city for gun rights.
Among other things, the new collection of restrictions raises the age requirement for the purchase of certain types of firearms 21 (one aspect of the law that the NRA is challenging) and also allows for criminal charges to be filed against those who provide access of a gun to individuals who are prohibited from possessing them.
Culp’s disagreement with the set of mandates runs the gamut, as he told iFIBER ONE, “I pretty much disagree with the whole thing and all it will do is restrict law-abiding citizens. It won’t stop criminals from committing crimes.”
Regarding the age requirement, Culp says that if someone is old enough to vote and serve in the military, that individual ought to be able to buy the firearm of his choice.
Regarding the restrictions on so-called “assault weapons,” Culp says there’s no such thing as an assault weapon.
In order to give his objection more weight, he is asking the City Council to enact a city ordinance which will turn it into a “sanctuary city” when it comes to enforcing the measure.
It’s interesting that it even had to go that far, since I-1639 is an affront not only to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, but also to Washington’s state constitution. But then, we can probably bet that many of the people pushing the measure and voting for have never read either.
