 The motto is, 'To seek justice, protect civil liberties, and uphold the Constitution.' The mission is: To equip sheriffs, peace officers and public officials with the necessary information and public support to carry out their duties in accordance with their Oaths of Office. And, according to former Graham County, Ariz. Sheriff Richard Mack, the founder of CSPOA - the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association - the goal of his organization is to work on solutions that will preserve the American republic, before it is too late. The genesis of his organization extends to the early 1990s, with the passage of the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act , more commonly known as the 'Brady Bill.' The legislation, signed by Bill Clinton in 1993, was the first to require background checks on gun buyers and established the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) maintained by the FBI. Fighting the Feds and winning - yes, it can be done When it was first implemented, Mack says state, county and local law enforcement agencies were given their 'orders' on how to implement the law's provisions by federal authorities, guidance to which he took mighty offense: Three federal agents showed up at our AZ Sheriffs Association meeting and handed us each a document from the Dept. of the Treasury, which detailed what our 'orders' were to comply with the Brady bill. All the sheriffs were shocked and against it. However, each sheriff said there was nothing we could do about it, 'you can't fight city hall' was the frequent comment. I disagreed and decided to sue my own government. Everybody said I was crazy and that I could not win. Six other sheriffs from various parts of the USA joined the lawsuit. The case went all the way to the U S Supreme Court and miracle of miracles we won. Constitutional usurpation continues to exist today, Mack says, and, in many respects, the usurpation has gotten worse. 'Now, today, our country is dying and all the experts say we're on the right track or if we are not, that there's nothing we can do about it. I disagree; there is something we can do! Our 'leaders' continually urge us to stay on the Titanic and they count on our ignorance and apathy to keep us on board,' he says. Despite Washington's continued attempts to overstep its bounds, there is a solution, Mack says: Education. 'We are forming the Constitutional Peace Officers Association which will unite all public servants and sheriffs, to keep their word to uphold, defend, protect, preserve, and obey the Constitutions of the United States of America. We already have hundreds of police , sheriffs, and other officials who have expressed a desire to be a part of this Holy Cause of Liberty,' he says. 'Last line of defense' 'We are going to train and vet them all, state by state, to understand and enforce the constitutionally protected Rights of the people they serve, with an emphasis on State Sovereignty and local autonomy,' he said. 'Then these local governments will issue our new Declaration to the Federal Government regarding the abuses that we will no longer tolerate or accept. Said declaration will be enforced by our Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers. In short, the CSPOA will be the army to set our nation free.' Quoting the drafter of the Declaration of Independence and the country's third president, Thomas Jefferson, Mack said his organization 'will unite the sheriffs, police, and local officials who are willing and courageous enough to join us in the 'tempestuous sea of liberty.'' Mack's organization has also produced a six-DVD volume called 'Last Line of Defense,' in which he and other experts explain nearly all elements of the U.S. Constitution , as well as the 'fundamental issues that plague our three branches of government.' While it's not clear at this point whether Mack's organization will ultimately be successful, it's patently obvious that individuals on their own lack the resources, if not the will, to stand up to federal overreach and abuse of power. Any organization that seeks to become a rallying point for that purpose deserves our support. Source: http://cspoa.org/ 