Bill of Rights Sanctuary proclaimed in Nye County

In an emotional appeal, local resident Brian Shoemake went before the Nye County Commission at its most recent meeting to entreat the board to adopt a resolution asserting Nye County as a place in which the inalienable rights of its citizens will not be ignored or shunted aside, and with his request meeting with unanimous approval, Nye County has now been proclaimed as a Bill of Rights Sanctuary.

“I have in my hand here perhaps one of the most brilliant documents of freedom ever drafted by human beings,” Shoemake stated during the commission’s Tuesday, April 20 meeting. “To think that we almost didn’t get a Bill of Rights!”

Many may be familiar with the Bill of Rights but unaware of the history tied to the document. Shoemake outlined in detail the struggle that took place when the document was proposed, explaining, “Following the contentious debates of the Constitutional Convention, George Mason was adamant about adding a Bill of Rights that would protect the people from government actions, similar to what the Magna Carta did for the British. James Madison, who is known as the father of our Constitution, was very proud of the document that he had just completed. He didn’t feel like it needed any amendments to protect the people. However, Mason was insistent.”

In the end, with Thomas Jefferson’s assistance, Shoemake said Mason worked to convince not only Madison but the people of America that the Bill of Rights was in fact necessary. Eventually, Mason was triumphant, and today, the Bill of Rights is still held by many as a much treasured, bedrock, foundational document for the American people.

“Here we are, 229 years and four months after ratification (of the Bill of Rights) and we are still defending this document, we are still protecting it. We are reaffirming our founding principles as American citizens, and rightfully so, when you look at the overgrown, petulant children in Washington, D.C., in elected offices across our country, including Carson City, who are on a daily basis overreaching their authorities and revoking those rights that are so carefully listed in this document,” Shoemake stated.

“I say when tyranny rains down, it’s critical for freedom and liberty to stand up. So this is an opportunity for Nye County,” Shoemake continued, his voice fluctuating with obvious emotion. “To reaffirm the oath you took to uphold the Constitution of the United States, to show your constituents, the voters of Nye County, the residents of Nye County, those business people in Nye County, the people raising families in Nye County and people considering moving to Nye County, that their rights, as handed down by the Creator, and so eloquently documented by the founders, and paid for in blood by men and women, will be upheld and respected.”

Nye County Commissioner Frank Carbone, a U.S. veteran himself, said he was more than happy to lend his support to the resolution.

“We all appreciate what our oath is,” Carbone said. “I mean, my oath has been sworn more than one time, specifically when I went into the service to defend the United States of America and all the people sitting in this room, as well as people outside this room and all over this country. Some of us didn’t make it back, some of us were wounded, not only by physical wounds but by mental wounds, and they all swore to uphold the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It’s great, and I agree. With that, I will make a motion to adopt resolution 2021-13, a resolution to make Nye County a Bill of Rights Sanctuary.”

Nye County Commissioner Leo Blundo offered a quick second before public comment was opened, giving those in the audience the chance to chime in on the topic.

Much of the comment offered was wholeheartedly in favor of the resolution, with John Bosta, Mark Kampf, Ammie Nelson and Joe Burdzinski all verbalizing their support. Kampf and Nelson said they both believed the American way was under attack and they felt the resolution was a wonderful way to publicly assert the county’s backing of the citizens’ rights, while Burdzinski added that public education on the purpose and meaning behind the Bill of Rights was key in ensuring that it would continue to be revered as it deserves to be in the years to come.

One speaker, however, expressed reticence in adopting the resolution, with Diane Southworth explaining that she just did not think it was needed.

“As a citizen of Nye County and a believer in the Bill of Rights, that is all well and good… This is just unnecessary,” Southworth declared. “We are a country that believes in the Bill of Rights, all of them, and I don’t think its necessary to make a big deal out of it. We know what our rights are and we want to protect them all. That does not mean we need to sanctify everything we do.”

There was absolutely no hesitation among the commissioners, however, with each giving an emphatic “Aye!” when asked to lodge their vote on the motion, and Nye County is now officially a Bill of Rights Sanctuary, along with being a Second Amendment Sanctuary County, a status that was declared by commissioners more than a year ago.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com