Dear Editor,

After recently moving back to Hawthorne, I read the Mineral County Code. When I got to Chapter 9 Section 080 Part 10 I was shocked to find that County Code has banned firearms from the town of Hawthorne since 1946. It reads, “It is unlawful for any person to make a bonfire or to burn any material out of doors within the limits of Hawthorne between sunset and sunrise; or to give away, sell, keep, expose or offer for sale or to fire off or discharge within the limits of Hawthorne, any ordnance, gun, rifle, pistol or other firearm, or any squib, rocket, roman candle, chaser, firecracker or other fireworks of any kind or nature whatsoever. (CH Ord. 3 § 2, 1946)”

Chapter 9 Section 076 Part 010 is a poorly written ordinance that can be read as banning the transport of firearms through Hawthorne. It reads:”It is unlawful for any person within the limits of Hawthorne to wear, carry or have concealed upon his person any dirk, knife, pistol, revolver, sling shot, brass knuckles, razor or other dangerous weapon without first obtaining permission from the city council. The city council may, upon application made in writing, showing the reason of the person or the purpose for which any concealed weapon is to be carried, grant permission under the seal of Hawthorne and attested by its clerk to the person making such application authorizing such person to carry the concealed weapon described in such permission. (CH Ord. 3 § 7, 1946)”

After reading these shocking ordinances, I did some research and found that they were passed in the 1940s, when Hawthorne was an incorporated City by the City Council. When Hawthorne disincorporated in the 1960s, Mineral County adopted the Hawthorne City Code–including the unconstitutional fire arms bans–no questions asked.

For 50 years, our County Commissioners have done nothing about two blatantly unconstitutional ordinances, ordinances which disregards our 2nd Amendment rights as American citizens. It is something I hope the Board of County Commissioners that takes office in January of 2019 will repeal at its first meeting. By doing that, the County will be reaffirming our 2nd amendment rights.

Sincerely,

Michael Guss

Mineral County

Source: http://www.sterlingcodifiers.com/codebook/m_index.php?book_id=625