Members of the Giles County Democrats plan to take issue with a resolution passed by the county commission to declare Giles A sanctuary county as far as Second Amendment rights,
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution deals with gun ownership.
“The Giles County Board of Commissioners opposes any federal or state law that infringes on a citizen’s second amendment right to beer arms and encourage our representatives at both the state and federal level to refrain from supporting any such legislation,” according to the resolution.
The resolution passed with commissioners Mike Cesarini and Joseph Sutton, also a Giles County NAACP member, voting against it. There are 21 county commissioners.
Because there was no tie to break, County Executive Melissa Greene did not vote, but she questioned the resolution, Cesarini said.
Passage of the resolution would make Giles County more attractive to some white supremacist and extremist groups, he said by putting out a sign that Giles County is open for business.
Several spectators also attended the commission meeting in support of the resolution.
The second amendment, adopted in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights to the united States Constitution, said ‘A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
“I think we as a party need to look at this,” said Hardin Franklin, a member of the Giles County branch of the NAACP.
Using a billboard to show displeasure with the county commission action was suggested, and local Democrats voted to prepare a message of disagreement.
Candidate Recruitment Subcommittee
County Democrats should focus on electing county commissioners among other county office holders, a comment made by county democratic party chairman Tom Gattis at the April 20 meeting at the Pulaski Recreation and Community Center.
Previously named to a subcommittee to encourage candidates were attorney and former state Rep. Joe Fowlkes, attorney and former Giles County General Sessions Judge John Damron, Gattis, David Daniels, Cesarini, county party secretary Sharon Rush, Vivian Simms, Max Trotter and Roddy Fernandez.
“We need to get together to find and get people to run for office,” Cesarini said,
Candidates need to be mentored and encouraged, others said.
The Giles County Retired Teachers Association also will be asked to suggest potential candidates, and other efforts will be made to attract high school and college age youth, it was announced.
In other business:
• The local Democratic Party is seeking members and persons to serve as webmasters for the county’s site, Gattis said.
The county web site is GilescountyTNdemocrats.com
• The county Democratic Party Reorganization Convention will be held in August, and Sims has volunteered her home as the convention site.
Gattis said he would like to see a large turnout to the convention, which would be a good way to publicize Democrats.
Getting a speaker was suggested, and it was noted that county conventions would be held throughout the state at the same time, which would make getting a speaker difficult.
Also, funds would be needed to pay a speaker’s expenses, others said.
• Local Democrats have agreed to publicize meetings of the Giles County Branch of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Meetings of the county NAACP are at 6 p.m., the last Tuesday of the month, by conference call.