‘Constitutional Sheriffs’ would upend the Constitution

Some citizens recently talked to the Buchanan County Supervisors about “Constitutional Sheriffs.” I thought this was odd since the Constitution never mentions sheriffs so I looked into it. It turns out that the Constitutional Sheriff movement is an offshoot of the racist Sovereign Citizens movement. They deny the legitimacy of all federal government actions since 1917 and claim that we don’t need to follow any laws. I am not saying that the adherents to the Constitutional Sheriff movement are also racists, but I am saying that if you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas.

Constitutional Sheriff adherents claim that the county sheriff is the highest authority in the land, not the state or national governments. Of course this is in direct contradiction to Article VI, Clause 2 of the Constitution. We once fought a terrible war to confirm the supremacy of federal authority. The implications of their ideas are horrible and explain why the racist Sovereign Citizens promote this bogus cause. Can you imagine how much a bigoted sheriff could persecute people he doesn’t like without fear of repercussion if this was true?

I once swore to protect and defend the Constitution. I take that oath seriously. People who actively work to destroy the Constitution anger me. I encourage everyone to take this issue seriously. Educate yourself, and work to end this scourge

Dan Callahan

Independence