Nullification is entering the political debate on guns from an unexpected source – local law enforcement pledging to actively block new federal gun laws. This is new. This could easily be a harbinger of more nullification movements, which assert local entities can overrule federal law.
If enough people in an area choose to ignore a law, then the feds really can’t do much – at witness marijuana being de facto legal in many states. The DEA may huff and puff but basically is powerless against this. Power to the people, baby! The government may have the power but if they don’t have political support on a given issue, then are much less likely to act.
Anti-gun liberals often mock claims of gun owners that their guns can defend them against a tyrannical government because the government has such overwhelming weaponry. However this assumes the government will act as a monolith. When it comes to guns (and marijuana), this increasingly may not be true.
Approximately 283 county Sheriffs and multiple police officers have taken a hard stand, stating that they will either not aid federal enforcement officials with gun control related activities, or, that they will not allow such activities within their county, period.
Nullification is apparently also happening in North Dakota oil fields.
States and counties could easily disable federal land development restrictions and begin using resource development as a means to generate supplemental income. North Dakota is essentially doing this right now in the Bakken Oil Fields.
As our federal government continues to hollow out (as witness the incompetent clown show in Congress on the budget) nullification movements will grow as citizens increasingly join together locally to do what they want to and ignore the federal government in the process.
While I sympathize and agree with many of the aims of nullification movements, they do highlight the continuing erosion of authority and respect once enjoyed by the US government at home.