In early 2020, Nye County Commissioners officially adopted a resolution naming the county as a Second Amendment Sanctuary and just a few short weeks ago, they extended sanctuary status in the county to the Bill of Rights as well, moves that were both greeted with an outpouring of support from the conservative majority that makes up the community.
These actions have now spurred two local residents, Bruce Schoenberger and Richard Bushart, to host a event in honor of the county’s staunch, publicly proclaimed support for the U.S. Constitution and the rights of the American people, and the duo is encouraging all like-minded residents to head out on Saturday to take part in the celebration.
Entitled, “Stand in Solidarity”, the event is to take place at the busiest intersection in town, Highway 160 and Highway 372. Lady Liberty, Uncle Sam and the 1776 Minuteman are expected to make an appearance and participants will be out on all four corners of the intersection, waving flags and hoisting posters and signs into the air, all in a visual display of their support for the Second Amendment, the Bill of Rights and the county that has formally enshrined its backing of these two imperative parts of the American way of life.
“Bring posters, signs or flags, and dress patriotic,” a flyer for the event urged those who plan to attend. “There will be extra flags and signs, however, homemade signs express our own individuality and can be more effective! Use your own creativity.”
Providing a few ideas to inspire participants, the flyer gives examples such as “Stand Up for the 2A”, “In God We Trust” and “Honk for the 2A”, as well as “Nye is a 2A Sanctuary”, “Protect Your Family” and “2A Shall Not Be Infringed”.
For Schoenberger and Bushart, the event is an opportunity for those who believe that the government, at both the federal level and the state level, has been attempting to chip away at the foundational rights guaranteed to the people of the United States, to stand together and show that they will not take such infringements lying down.
“Richard and I both feel it is important for good people to stand up for our God given rights,” Schoenberger told the Pahrump Valley Times, explaining that they are both hardened supporters of the Bill of Rights and particularly, the Second Amendment. As Schoenberger detailed, the two specifically selected the Second Amendment to champion because the language presented in that amendment is in no way obscure or open to interpretation, ringing with absolutely clarity in the phrasing, “shall not be infringed.”
“The reason for this is obvious,” Schoenberger asserted. “It is a deterrent and the last line of defense for liberty. Our forefathers risked their lives, their treasure and their sacred honor to ensure this right. They must have envisioned the situation, for example, during WWII, when Japan considered invading the West Coast. It is my understanding that the reason they did not was because Americans were able to bear arms and they were the largest combined standing army in the world. I’m sure that other adversaries to our freedom and liberty, such as the Nazis, had the same impression.”
Schoenberger said he still believes this to be true today but he is worried that there are movements afoot to strip the American people of their ability to protect the very ground they call home, comparing those seeking to increase gun control in the United States to those of the communist party.
“There is a small contingent of people who have a lot of power who are trying to take away our God given rights in the Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment, and that’s why it’s so important to stand for the right to bear arms, which shall not be infringed!” Schoenberger declared. “And as a side note, when good people have guns in our society, in general, it is truly a deterrent to criminal behavior, mass shootings and other craziness.”
The Stand in Solidarity celebration in honor of Nye County’s status as a Second Amendment Sanctuary and Bill of Right Sanctuary is set for tomorrow, Saturday, May 22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the corner of Highway 160 and Highway 372.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com