Letter from the Sheriff

[Utah Bob #35998]

When I took my oath of office, the most critical part of that oath was to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, not be part of destroying it. I would like citizens of Montezuma County to be aware of my position. I hold no ill will towards those that disagree or have a difference of opinion and I hope they will provide the same to me. I
believe that's what our Constitution is all about. Simply put, I cannot and will not compromise my rights afforded me under the Constitution of the United States, particularly the Second Amendment. The position that I expressed that law
abiding citizens to "keep and bear arms" is absolute. Nothing further should be discussed. No compromise should be considered.

 

Truly, sheriffs are the last line of defense between the people and the criminals, both from the streets and from the
government. They don’t answer to the state or federal government.
They answer to YOU…because you elect them. As elected officials, they are under oath to protect the Constitution above all else. Thus, if they think a state or federal law contradicts the Constitution, they are under no obligation to enforce it.

 

Sheriffs across our nation are standing up against tyranny and are winning their battles without violence and protests. I do not stand alone as most Sheriffs in Colorado and the Country have publicly stated they will not enforce anymore
unconstitutional, unenforceable, feel good gun laws.

 

President Ronald Reagan stressed the importance of the modern sheriff in his address to the National Sheriffs'
Association on June 21, 1984. He said, "Thank you for standing up for this nation's dream of personal freedom under the rule of law. Thank you for standing against those who would transform that dream into a nightmare of
wrongdoing and lawlessness. And thank you for your service to your communities, to your country, and to the cause of law and justice.”

 

For the tyrant to win the only thing that has to happen is for the nation’s police and sheriffs to be convinced that all laws must be enforced. Freedom is thereby destroyed and America dies when our sheriffs go along with tyranny.

 

As your Sheriff I promise to bring firm, fair law enforcement. Furthermore I encourage the full and complete
enforcement of existing gun regulations and oppose any executive order or rule that further restricts the rights of law abiding people to own, possess, keep and use firearms.

 

 

 

Sheriff Dennis Spruell

Montezuma County Sheriff's Office

 

730 East Driscoll Street

Cortez, CO 81321

(970) 565-0583

 

[T. H. O' Sullivan]

Sounds like Montezuma County, Colorado has a good Sheriff. Any word on the stance from the Sheriffs of Dolores and La Plata Counties?

[Utah Bob #35998]

Jerry Martin, the Dolores Sheriff is of a like mind. Haven't got any info about Durango.

[T. H. O' Sullivan]

Jerry Martin, the Dolores Sheriff is of a like mind. Haven't got any info about Durango.

La Plata County (Durango) has a long time deputy/employee who is now Sheriff, Duke Schirard. From what I have been told, he is a Republican, but as you know that can mean nothing these days. His County is also a mixed bag politically.

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

As a one time Deputy Sheriff, and having framed my certificate, I also swore to uphold the Constitution. Curious are other Police Departments the same? Cities? MT

[Squint Westwood SASS#2165]

I am truly appalled at the president's claim that 90% of Americans support the proposed gun control laws. His speech writer should be fired. He claims these bills would have prevented another Sandy
Hook or Aurora shooting, yet he has no evidence to support that claim. Factually speaking, the proposed laws in Colorado would not have prevented one incident, nor would the Federal proposed bills. Don't forget one of the sponsors, Congresswoman DeGette, actually thought magazines were the same as bullets. That's the kind of familiarity those who sponsor these bills have with the
subject.

Mr. President, just because the polls tell you what buzz phrases to use to seek your agenda, it does not mean the American people are so naive to follow your continuous record of lies. Remember there are many of us that remember the day you promised to reduce the National deficit by 50%, and you did far more damage and tripled it with nothing to show but more people reliant on your handouts. The people are onto you and we will remember this at election time as you asked in your latest Hollywood type speech. Here in Colorado, and at the federal level, your puppets will be removed from office and your legacy will be remembered in history as the ultimate failure based on lie after lie. Yes, your so-called promise of change is more lies, debt, and higher taxes on the middle class to pay for your failed promises. Please tout more successes of Chicago, such as their tax rates, the upside down pension fund, number of homicides, clearance rates or lack of clearances.

Our president even claimed Chicago as justification, for these gun control measures knowing full well that Chicago is the poster child of failure from gun control laws. Violence has increased since Chicago's gun control measures have been in place and they are more restrictive than any other city in this country. In simple terms, it got worse and his creation of so-called "sheep" to fend off the "wolf" have failed. The American people are not the sheep he wants to create. We will be heard and we will not follow his lies that lack scientific validation and truth. My heart goes out to all victims of any violence. Statistically speaking, more people are killed by items other than guns far more often, but our president doesn't want you to know that. Check the Bureau of Justice Statistics for yourself and do it before his administration manipulates them.

The president claims to be speaking for the victims, yet he chooses which victims, because I, as many of you, have witnessed victims from Aurora, Sandy Hook, and even Columbine plea with law makers to not pass measures that criminalize and punish the law abiding citizens for the acts of
killers. They demonstrated common sense and showed true courage to stand against the lies and denounce the measures as ineffective. The promises of preventing these horrific acts in the future are misleading and even our own governor has admitted, here in Colorado, the similar guns bills would not have prevented tragedies such as Aurora and Sandy Hook. Our president is an embarrassment to our free society and so are his puppets. The next election will show just that.
The president's posturing and agenda were truly seen for what they are, more lies and false promises, most importantly an agenda based on undeliverable promises. How embarrassing he uses the greatest failure in our nations' history for more gun control and people control- that failure being the murder capital of the United States, Chicago. Watch his statement on CNN and ask yourself how he can mention his home town as an example of justification. This is the city that arrested a 56 year old female researcher at the University of Illinois, Chicago, during the week of February 15th for bringing an unloaded weapon to work, in a secured box, to prevent it from being stolen by contractors working on her home. She was trying to prevent a crime and not be a victim. She was arrested and had to post a $25,000.00 bond to get out of jail and is now on suspension from work, pending criminal charges and awaiting trial.

This is what happens when emotionally charged laws are recklessly passed. Law abiding citizens are criminalized. Thankfully a majority of US Congress saw through these proposed lies and did what's right. Now we, the people of Colorado, need to send a message to the governor and the Capitol that we will not be criminalized, nor will we stand by and allow our rights to be infringed and
stripped based on lies and unenforceable, agenda driven bad laws. That is why I will not back off this issue and will proudly support my rights, to access to courts, with 37 other sheriffs in a legal action against these ridiculous, unconstitutional laws.

I have been asked by many, what can I do to help? I will ask that you do not lay down, do not go silent; that is what they hope for and expect. Do not let them convert you to sheep. Evil prospers when good people do nothing. Do not let evil prosper. I will not quit and please don't you give up and quit.

Terry Maketa, Sheriff, El Paso County, Colorado

April 18, 2013

FYI. El Paso County is the most populous county in Colorado and where the City of Colorado Springs is located.