Local minutemen, sheriffs discuss gun control

Here's the kind of community input our Southern elected officials need to hear! From WTVD-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina:

Hundreds of people met Wednesday evening to talk passionately about the Second Amendment and their rights to bear arms.

Three local sheriffs, including Wake County's Donnie Harrison, took part in the minutemen's discussions in Zebulon. The meeting came just hours after President Obama unveiled his gun control plans.

A boiling point in the meeting came about midway through. When dozens inside and dozens more outside of the Fargo Cattle Company Steakhouse bristled about a possibility that the federal government could violate their Second Amendment rights.

"What we didn't hear is that it doesn't matter what they say, we're not going to come and get your guns," said Wayne County resident Adam Drissel.

There's bad and good news here. While the sheriffs did not vow to ignore illegal orders to confiscate the guns of private citizens, they did promise to uphold the Constitution. Now, technically, that's a promise to respect the people's right to self-defense - but I, for one, would've felt better about a more specific promise.

Sometimes we have to settle for what we get.

The other good news is that public officials are getting their eyes opened to the breadth and depth of passion on this issue. And while Obama hasn't threatened to confiscate weapons, the actions he has taken portend further problems.

As always, eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Looks like more people are switching off American Idol and their basketball games and becoming more vigilant.