It was 1975 and a new partnership between our ranch and a neighbor added a third grazing permit to our operation. This Lodge Grass allotment was on the western border of Wyoming’s Big Horn Mountains and vehicle access was either via a bumpy, two-hour trek across the Crow Reservation of Montana, or a four-hour circuitous drive through Dayton Wyoming. To secure trespass permission for the more direct route, my brother, Dana, journeyed to Crow Agency to consult Crow Tribal Chairman Patrick Stands Over Bull.

Dana wasn’t quite twenty when he apprehensively walked to the receptionist’s desk in the hallway outside the tribal chairman’s office. He explained his intentions to the receptionist and she instructed him to take a seat. He sat. Dana studied the occupants of the other chairs scattered around the hallway, quietly wondering what business brought them to the tribal chairman. The door opened and the room exploded in chaos with each visitor stampeding to the chairman’s newly opened door. Once the door was wrestled shut, each unsuccessful visitor returned to their chairs and stared intently towards the office. A few minutes later the door opened again, followed by a second stampede. Confused, Dana quietly asked the receptionist “Is there any particular order to visit the chairman?”

“Nope,” she replied.

Now Dana understood the rules of the game so he balanced himself on the edge of the chair closest to the door. Since he was short and only about 150 pounds, basketball taught Dana how to box-out for a rebound, so on the third attempt he successfully burst through the door, slammed it behind him and this brings me to my point: Had Dana not learned the rules he might still be sitting in the hallway outside the chairman’s office. You will never win until you understand the rules of the game, especially with respect to politics. Here is a recent real-life example.

The Second Amendment to the US Constitution explicitly states “…the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Chicago politicians read the Constitution differently, and 28 years ago they instituted strict gun control regulations. On June 29, 2010, by a 5-4 decision in McDonald v. Chicago, the Supreme Court ruled Chicago’s ban was unconstitutional and the “fundamental right to bear arms cannot be violated by state and local governments.” Case closed, right? Not quite…

On July 2nd, just three days later, Chicago Aldermen passed a unanimous vote (45-0) to limit gun purchases to one per month and require registration, permits and expensive training prior to possession. “How can they do that?” You might ask. Let me explain the rules of the game.

The opinion of the Supreme Court is just that, an opinion. They have no capacity to make or enforce law, which are the primary responsibilities of the legislative and executive branches (respectively). So, between now (August) and Christmas, how does a Chicago grandpa purchase six Henry .22 caliber rifles, one for each of his six grandkids? Grandpa must contact the supreme law enforcement officer in his county; the Cook County Sheriff. If the sheriff took his oath “to protect and defend the Constitution” seriously, then he, or she, are the lone individual with the authority to force the Chicago Aldermen to lift their unconstitutional gun ban. Hopefully, Cook County voters elected a constitutional rather than a progressive sheriff, or there will be no Henry rifles this Christmas.

We members of Montana’s citizen legislature are preparing to “nullify” unconstitutional federal regulations like ObamaCare. When we are successful, and we will be, we need each of our 56 county sheriffs honor their constitutional oath of office. To aid them, Senator Greg Hinkle (R-Thompson Falls) will introduce the “Sheriffs First” bill into Montana’s 2011 legislative session. This law strengthens the authority of the county sheriff by making it a crime for any federal agent to make an arrest, search, or seizure without first getting the advanced, written permission from the sheriff; the duly elected guarantor of your constitutional rights. And those are the rules of the game.