Talk is cheap
DEAR EDITOR:
OPINION
I have recently been criticized for not being vocal enough for the Floyd County 2A sanctuary city movement — to that I declare TALK IS CHEAP.
I have been a career lawman for 35 years, including as a firearms instructor and certified Glock armorer, and have taught hundreds of men, women, and children about guns, gun safety, and hunting skills.
I am an avid hunter and outdoorsman. I handle firearms daily for both my profession and for recreation. The very best times in my life have occurred on hunting trips with my dad, my family and my closest friends, who all value and respect the right to possess a firearm.
I have taken the oath to support and defend the constitution as a jail officer, deputy sheriff, and sheriff. I have administered that same oath to others many hundreds of times — and in both instances I take that action gravely serious and approach them with complete reverence.
I am but one of 159 sheriffs in the great state of Georgia, but I can tell you that absolutely NO sitting sheriff is going to “come for your guns” nor obey any illegal order to do so. Sheriffs are CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS and are therefore defenders of the Constitution. We don’t get excited and spun up because of what the latest thing is trending on social media.
We have been here all along and we are the tip of the spear and we don’t just hop on the bandwagon because of what is popular.
The sheriff is the guardian of the sanctuary city and has been for hundreds of years and we will continue to do so. We, as sheriffs, are elected by the voters because they trusted that we would do our job when called upon. When I consider the debacle in Virginia, I am at ease knowing that Gov. Brian Kemp is an avid outdoorsman and a strong defender of the Constitution and will stand firm on his convictions.
To “ghostwriter rebel with a cause,” hidden behind the computer screen, who chose to strike out against me while being uninformed about my beliefs and who likely never toed the line or raised their right hands and swore that oath — I find your self-serving tactics which make you feel that your existence has purpose sadly comical. All you do with your divisive slander is call into question your own credibility and those that you support.
In lieu of cheap talk behind a keyboard, I challenge you to step up and swear that oath to our military or — I have 18 open positions ... assuming that you can pass the background, physical, and mental requirements. Then you can assist me and the other Georgia sheriffs in defending 2A as well as the other rights afforded by the Bill of Rights. Until then, either do your research or sit down and let the brave handle this as we have our whole lives.
Respectfully,
Sheriff Tim Burkhalter Floyd County