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Local News

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Sheriffs urged to defend individual rights
Northridge Swim & Tennis Club - Findlay
By MICHELLE REITER

STAFF WRITER

Richard Mack, a former sheriff from Graham County, Ariz., said county sheriffs are America's last hope in protecting individual rights and defending the nation against federal tyranny.

"They are the only elected officials in law enforcement in the United States," Mack told a crowd of about 100 people, including Hancock County Sheriff Michael Heldman, in the University of Findlay's Ritz Theater. "He doesn't report to anyone, nor is he a bureaucrat."

Mack, who is on a week-long Ohio tour that includes Columbus, Cincinnati, Marietta and Akron, said he learned this lesson as a police officer in Provo, Utah, a job he had wanted for the excitement. He liked the car chases, and saw the job as merely writing tickets and obeying his sergeant.

All that changed when he saw a woman run a stop sign. He stopped her, and saw that her old, battered car was filled with unkempt children.

"I wrote the ticket and looked down at this lady's cruddy car and looked at the children," he said. "It was more than obvious that the family could not afford this ticket. I saw the lady staring through the windshield, and then I looked at me. I was so ashamed of what I saw that day."

That was the moment that launched Mack's crusade to encourage law enforcement officers to keep their oaths to protect and serve, and to keep governmental tyranny at bay. He decided not to give the woman a ticket. Instead, he revisited the oath he took when he became a police officer.

His life changed, and he has tried to change the lives of others since.

Mack filed a lawsuit in 1994 challenging the Brady bill that instituted waiting period and background checks on firearm purchases, and won a decision at the U.S. Supreme Court on the issue of states' rights. The lawsuit drew national attention.

He has written four books, including "County Sheriff: America's Last Hope," and "From My Cold Dead Fingers," which defends Americans' rights to bear arms.

He said his epiphany in Provo converted him into a follower of the U.S. Constitution, and he has been working to defend it ever since.

"I will never be on the wrong side again," he said.

Tuesday night he said both traffic tickets and federal taxes are unconstitutional, as are many federal laws.

He said the United States' greatest threat is not outside of the nation. It is the federal government.

He advocated a return of posses, or armed citizen volunteers who help law enforcement officers, and he stressed that his message had nothing to do with racism. He held up Rosa Parks, a black Montgomery, Ala., woman who refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white person, as an example for everyone.

A constitutional sheriff would have not only defended her decision, but would defend all of his citizens in similar predicaments, he said, even if all people want is to be left alone.

Two ways to protect against federal tyranny are state sovereignty and the 10th Amendment, he said, which says what powers the U.S. Constitution does not give to the federal government belong to the states.

County sheriffs and citizens, he said, must also be patriots, and defend the rights the Constitution grants them.

Reiter: 419-427-8497,

Send an e-mail to Michelle Reiter


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7 Comments

Latest comments listed first.
Jim Meagher wrote:
Good for Him!
“ More officers like him that take the oath of office as more than a mere formality, and photo opportunity will do this nation the best service as not only protectors of the public safety, but of those citizens liberties,codified by the Bill of Rights. ”
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 7:07:57 PM
Mike wrote:
Moral of the story
“ Make judgments based on the appearance of people. If it looks like you're poor, it's OK to run stop signs.

Of course, there's no way to verify his epiphany story.

There's thousands of police officers who, in the same situation, would have left the woman off with a warning and not made the story about them. Not this guy. Nope.

Of course, this is the dolt whose force put "We'll kick your ass" stickers on their patrol cars and used excessive force on a consistent basis. But I guess they were enforcing the Constitution! ”
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 12:20:07 PM
bob the builder wrote:
individual rights.
“ 4 real its people like you and bubba, that get our rights taken away from us. just stand aside and let someone else control our lives huh? good idea. not. ”
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 10:45:41 AM
4 real wrote:
sherriff
“ seriously? this guy is for real? how do you connect wanting to help and suffering woman and her poverty stricken children to carrying a gun??????????? who are these people????? ”
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 10:23:42 AM
I was there wrote:
Sheriff Mack
“ Sheriff Mack did not say he was against all traffic enforcement. Just the red light cameras and the speed trailer tickets issued by mail to the vehicle owner. These wrongly target a person not involved in a violation of law. Overall a good speech on how to stand up for the U.S. Constitution. Thanks 912 group for putting this event on. ”
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 10:15:04 AM
Bubba wrote:
local shriff a laugh
“ Is this guy for real? Anyone else notice how many books he has written? This Mack dude is just out milking money from the masses by shooting off his mouth and stirring up trouble. He says that a sheriff answers to no one. Well I guess that part may be true here because Sheriff Heldman runs out of control with our worthless County Commissioners just letting it happen. The system is broken and it needs fixed. The Sheriff should be tested and hired just like the Police Chief. Take the corrupt politics out. If Heldman was hired instead of elected, maybe he would actually have to do his job the right way, not his way. And if you want someone to protect your God given rights, take a look in the mirror. Just remember, they will pry my weapon from my cold dead hands. Protect your own, no one else will. ”
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 8:05:57 AM
Jim Bridgens wrote:
Sheriff Mack Story
“ Nicely and honestly reported without bias. How refreshing! Thank you Ms. Reiter and thank you Courier. ”
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 6:55:20 AM
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High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

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Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

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Courier business and advertising offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for the holiday.