Our Foundation

Current events as they have been covered by the mainstream media across the nation are enough to scare any normal, law-abiding citizen. These events, coupled with the actions-or inaction by the current Administration in Washington, D.C., only stands to exacerbate the concerns of citizens across Kendall County.

It is true that the U.S. Constitution affords all of us certain rights.  The First Amendment lays out our five basic freedoms-the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to peaceably assembly, and the freedom to petition the government to address grievances.  The Second Amendment supports our right to own firearms.  Although it has been hotly contested over the years what the framers meant by the Second Amendment, in 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that US citizens have a constitutional right to keep a firearm at home for self-defense. 

In 1787, and for more than two centuries that followed, it seemed clear what the framers of the Constitution meant when they penned these two amendments. Recently, there are some that not only want to reinterpret these Amendments, but they also want to rewrite our history-people are worried. They are worried enough that they are calling or visiting with me about these topics, so I want to take this opportunity to clarify the position of the Kendall County Sheriff's Office. 

First and foremost, we will protect the rights afforded to each citizen of Kendall County by our U.S. Constitution.  Second, we will enforce the laws and offer for prosecution of anyone who violates those laws.  We will not stand by while laws are broken or the rights of another are violated.

Further, I staunchly support Kendall County as a Second Amendment Sanctuary County, and under no circumstances will I confiscate guns that are lawfully possessed by any individual. 

I have dedicated my entire adult life to law enforcement.  I believe we are a nation of laws, and that without laws there would only be chaos. We saw this firsthand last summer in places like Portland, Oregon, New York City, and many other large metropolitan areas in this country. That is not us!  My job as your Sheriff is to protect the God-given rights of all our citizens so that they may live their lives without fear and enjoy the greatness that is American, the great state of Texas, and Kendall County-that is us!           

We love our county and the people who live here.  We greatly appreciate the continued level of support we receive from each of you. It is truly our honor to serve and protect you and Kendall County!

This is the first in a series of articles I will be writing for this newspaper. If there is a specific topic you would like me to address in this column, feel free to contact me at kcsoemail@co.kendall.tx.us.