BOC backs down on firearms ordinance

“This ordinance, which specifically restricts my rights, I find very objectionable,” said Andrew Cline. “I find this a direct infringement of my constitutional rights.”

Sonny Cheatham, a resident of Holly Springs Road, Pendergrass, said, “Don’t bring it (gun control) up again, please. This ordinance, if it had been adopted, would have been one more intrusion on the rights of man to bear arms. I bear my arms wherever I go. It’s my Second Amendment rights. If you don’t exercise a right, you lose it. …Firearms fired on your own property should not be restricted.”

The crowd applauded loudly as Cheatham added, “It’s ridiculous to even consider something like you’ve considered tonight. …I only have one bumper sticker on my vehicle and it says, ‘I’m the NRA and I vote.’”

Rachel Vest, a resident of Hog Mountain Road, Jefferson, said she keeps lambs on her property and “would be appalled” if she could not protect her lambs from dogs or coyotes.

“I would be appalled if you told me I would have to let a dog or coyote come up and kill one of my defenseless lambs because I could not shoot it,” she said. “…Or if I could not protect myself of someone trying to do us harm.”

Dr. Susan Hawn, said, “This was evidently to address something a neighborhood or a few neighborhoods were concerned about. To take an ordinance like this and apply it to a county as large as Jackson County and as diverse a neighborhood situation as Jackson County has would not have been fair or reasonable. …This is a time when Americans are increasingly unhappy with the obtrusion of government. I think voters would have been very unhappy with this ordinance going forward in any way.”

Doug Waters, a long-time resident of Jefferson, said, “I oppose any kind of firearm restrictions whatsoever.”

According to Waters, in three years the 911 center received just eight calls related to firearms injuries, all of them self-inflicted and six involving alcohol.

David Murphy, a resident of Mt. Creek Church Road, Pendergrass, said, “This is not only an issue of our rights. It is also an issue of our property rights. I think it is time this government get back to common sense.”

Chris Collins, president of the local Tea Party, said, “The Tea Party is here in Jackson County. We’re about rights. We’re about our constitutional rights. I can’t understand why this came up—except for a few people bringing it up and everyone suffering. Mr. Bicknell will find out election day, the Tea Party is here and we mean business.”