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Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider and Columbia County Sheriff Joe Helm were among the 37 sheriffs statewide who recently penned and signed a letter affirming a commitment to the Second Amendment.

Washington state has 39 sheriffs.

The message was written because of increasing public concern to safeguard constitutional rights, according to the letter from the Washington State Sheriffs Association.

Crider, who is the secretary and treasurer for the association, signed the letter and posted it on his departments Facebook page with an endorsement.

I am proud to a part of such a great moment when our constitutional rights are being challenged, Crider wrote.

Helm also took to his departments Facebook page to acknowledge his signing and approval of the document.

As sheriff of Columbia County, I am sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the state of Washington, Helm wrote.

The only two counties without signatures were Kitsap and King counties.

Interim Kitsap County Sheriff John Gese told the Kitsap Sun he would have some motivation to go ahead and sign it if he were to be appointed sheriff.

King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht didnt sign the letter and did not respond to multiple requests for comment, according to the Spokesman Review.

The letter does not specifically state any particular law or ordinance related to gun rights or gun ownership.

Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones, who is president of the association, said there was no specific legislation that prompted the letter, according to iFiber One News.

Jones told the Spokesman Review the letter was inspired by a similar letter signed by Utah sheriffs and was primarily prompted by numerous people asking the sheriffs about their Second Amendment rights being protected.

The letter made the rounds on social media and immediately sparked a firestorm of comments, both for and against it.

At issue for some commenters was the vocabulary used in the message, including calling the Constitution divinely inspired.

We understand the destructive influences currently existing in our country will only relent when women and men everywhere genuinely care for each other, the sheriffs wrote. We must rely on Providence and care deeply about preserving the Constitution and its freedoms in order to be a strong and prosperous people.

Others online raised questions about how the sheriffs would address a law passed in 2018 that bans the sale of certain guns to people under 21 and puts added responsibilities on gun owners.

Crider declined to make specific comments about the contents of the letter, but said the document was drafted to assure citizens that the elected sheriffs of Washington will stand by their oath to uphold the constitutions of the U.S. and the state of Washington.

We just want to reiterate that we want to be guided by our oath of office, Crider said. And thats what were gonna use to drive our decisions.

Read more:
Walla Walla, Columbia County sheriffs sign letter affirming 'commitment to the Second Amendment' - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin