Why Jerome County Idaho Reversed a Courthouse Gun Ban

I wasn’t surprised.  Last week, I got the impression that Jerome County’s three commissioners were looking for an exit ramp.  They sought further legal advice after being initially informed that they could ban weapons from the old courthouse.  This may not have been an issue if some court cases were still being heard in the old building, but the judiciary has relocated to a separate suite.  When Commissioner Charles Howell told me that he and his colleagues had received an updated legal opinion, I knew there would be a reversal.  He explained the commission will instead look at other safety measures.

Why is There a Need for Security?

Does the old courthouse need special attention?  Let me offer another question in response.  Do you think the commissioners received threats and were harassed over their first decision?   The Internet Age has made venting in anger much easier, and all you need is your own Facebook account to know what I’m talking about.

They Took a Lot of Abuse

I’m not much of a gambler, but you could safely lay down money on some people becoming raging hyenas.  Writing the three members of the board and telling them you believe they made a mistake, and asking for a review, is one thing.  And some probably addressed their concerns politely.  But you know, and I know, that there are people who don’t live anywhere near Idaho, and will never set foot here (much less at the old courthouse in Jerome), who couldn’t help themselves.  A few of them are local, and that’s why the building needs a good security plan.

I can tell you right now that most people I know in government are willing to take the abuse, and sometimes propose things that are unpopular, and eventually run afoul of the Constitution and statutes.  Not because all of them are evil, but because they never want to walk over the corpses of friends in blood-splattered hallways.