Maricopa County’s 2nd Amendment nickname is target for jokes

Did the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors just save the Second Amendment, the gun rights and the guns for citizens in the fourth-largest county in the United States?  

Or did the Republican majority on the board just do what politicians do – and pander?

Either way, Maricopa County, compliments of its Board of Supervisors, has now been officially designated as a “Second Amendment Preservation County”!

Wow, I feel important.

The resolution, passed on Wednesday, is supposed to affirm Maricopa County’s support of the constitutional right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

Some people who spoke in favor of the resolution said it will reward good gun owners and help assure that gun ownership would be protected in the county known as Maricopa.

As you can imagine, not everyone is enthused by our new Second Amendment-preservin’ label because they say it feeds into the baseless fears that gun-grabbers are comin’ for our guns.

But if it didn’t happen with President Obama in office (who we were told was gunning for our guns), it’s not happening anytime soon.

One lady (who I’m sure is no Second Amendment lover) told the Board of Supervisors that our new gun-lovin’ designation is a “black eye on the citizens of Maricopa County” and suggested that when people from around the country hear that we’re a super scary Second Amendment Preservation County (aaaahhhhh!!!) our robust economy will be hurt because they’ll book their vacations and conventions elsewhere.

That’s ridiculous.

Also ridiculous: this toothless, laughable “Second Amendment Preservation County” designation. 

It has no real, practical effect (except, supervisors hope, on gun-owning voters): The Supreme Court of the United States has already affirmed the individual right to “keep and bear” firearms.

Even if SCOTUS somehow reverses that, it still doesn’t change a thing. It’s not like Sonia Sotomayer or Stephen Breyer is going to say, “The gun confiscation will begin tomorrow!! — oh, wait — hang on guys — darn it!! Sorry! Maricopa County says we can’t grab guns!” 

Maybe the Board of Supervisors were sick of boring things like trying to get the old county assessor fired and replaced, and making sure elections in the county are secure, and thought to themselves, “Hey! Some gun stuff will spice things up!”

All they did was prove that the biggest job for most elected officials is — to get elected again.

I support the Second Amendment. I own guns. And I support your right to “keep and bear arms.” But this pandering declaration that Maricopa County is a Second Amendment Preservation County isn’t worth paper it’s written on – unless you turn it into a target at the range. 

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