Mask and vaccine mandates, illegal immigration and gun control are the top issues threatening the authority of county sheriffs across the nation, says former Sheriff Richard Mack, founder of the Arizona-based Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association.
Mack’s organization teaches sheriffs how to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution in doing their job, and the effort has stepped into high gear.
He said his association has trained 300 sheriffs in the past two years on how to enforce the Constitution, out of a total of 800 sheriffs trained since Mack started the organization in 2011. The nonprofit also supports other law enforcement officers and presents classes and materials for the public.
Mack’s schedule indicates he’s in high demand to speak around the nation. He'll hold a local live video appearance Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Church For All Nations in Colorado Springs, 6540 Templeton Gap Road.
The public event also will be livestreamed on YouTube. To find the link, visit https://cultureimpact.us/2022/zoom-sheriff-mack.
To what does Mack attribute the growing popularity of his message?
“It’s simply because of all the abuse, the mandates, the dictatorial presence of federal and some state and local governments that feel like they own us and can turn us into subjects,” Mack said in a phone interview. “People are desperately looking for solutions, and ours is a peaceful and effective solution.”
Adhering to state sovereignty and local autonomy is the primary solution, he said.
“In the county, the sheriff protects the citizens and their rights,” Mack said. "We have an obligation to protect our citizens from subversive encroachment of authority.”
Six candidates have filed paperwork to run for El Paso County Sheriff in the Nov. 8 election, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. Five candidates are listed as Republican — Karl Dent, Greg Maxwell, Steven Noblitt, Joseph Roybal and Todd Watkins —and one, John Foley, is Democrat.
In his Colorado Springs appearance, Mack will speak about what voters should look for when selecting a sheriff and the line between county sheriffs and federal and state governments.
Mack believes sheriffs should adhere to keeping their oath of office and know, study and understand the Constitution, and work to preserve it and protect liberties of Americans.
“We decided to ask Sheriff Mack to join us as he is one of the most respected speakers on the subject of Constitutional sheriffs and what their authority and responsibilities are,” said Linda Taylor, administrator of the Culture Impact Team at Church For All Nations.
Mack was sheriff of Graham County, Ariz., when he became the first sheriff in the country to file a lawsuit against the Clinton administration to stop background checks under the Brady Bill. The case resulted in a 1997 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that certain interim provisions of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act violated the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The Culture Impact Team at Church For All Nations is known for hosting candidate forums for various public offices and regularly brings in speakers, who address an audience of 300 attendees or more, Taylor said.
“The church is not called to be separated from the culture; we are not only to be a part of the culture but also be influencers of the culture,” said Ken Davis, the team’s leader.
“We recognize that if we don’t work to shape the culture, then it will become something that will eventually prove itself to be quite against us, based on shaping those that don’t hold our beliefs and values.”
A growing trend to forgo the Constitution has led to "brainwashing ourselves that we can do whatever we want, the Constitution be damned," Mack said.
Mack said his organization's call for sheriffs to obey and defend the Constitution transcends political parties.
“People don’t study the Constitution; it’s the only thing that matters in government,” he said. “When you destroy the foundation, the rest of the building will fall.”
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