Last week, the leaders of Needles, CA have declared the town a “sanctuary city” for gun owners. The City Council voted for allowing licensed gun owners from other states to carry in town, as a response to the state’s encroachment on gun owners’ 2^nd Amendment rights with strict gun laws. Even though, no immediate action will take effect after the city attorney requested the new policy from the California Legislature, the town of 5,000 has declared itself a “2^nd Amendment Sanctuary City.”

A New Gun Sanctuary

Needles’ recent effort to protect their 2^nd Amendment right is a result of the nation-wide trend in which local officials in more conservative areas contest harsher state gun laws. In Washington, for example, sheriffs in 12 counties have decided not to enforce the state’s new, overbearing restrictions on semi-automatic rifles while they wait for the courts to determine if they’re constitutional. Further east of Needles, over two dozen sheriffs of rural towns in New Mexico are sidestepping enforcement as they’re backed with “Second Amendment Sanctuaries resolutions by county commissions.” 

The new nickname of Needles, CA, “sanctuary city,” is meant to distinguish the city as a gun sanctuary where ownership isn’t as regulated as some of the surrounding communities. The Needles patron of the “2^nd Amendment Sanctuary City” effort, Councilman Tim Terral, lamented that the new policy won’t take effect anytime soon with California’s crushingly Democratic legislation.

“They want to pick and choose what they follow,” said Terral. “It’s ‘We’re going to shield this person, but we’re going to go after that person.’ And in our opinion, they have violated the Second Amendment of the Constitution in many ways.” ^[1]

Needless to say, Needles’ city officials and Terral aren’t encouraging folks to be trigger-happy like in the olden days of the Wild West. The town’s objective is to ensure out-of-state visitors carrying legally registered firearms aren’t prone to a felony arrest during a traffic stop.

“We have had that happen,” City Manager, Rick Daniels, said. “Now not a lot. Not a lot. Not often. But occasionally that occurs.” ^[1]

Cross-Country Travel with Your Airgun

If you’re making plans to road trip throughout the United States with your high power air rifle or any other airguns, make sure to do a quick Google search on state gun laws to be more informed about your rights while carrying. Over the past few years, the national climate regarding the 2^nd Amendment has been more controversial than ever, and it’s important to know where you stand while carrying an airgun or any other firearms. For further questions or concerns on state gun laws or our inventory of popular airguns, feel free to reach out to one of our airgun professionals at Palm Beach Airguns.

Sources

[1] Fox News – California desert town aims to be ‘sanctuary city’ for gun owners