Sheriff Opposes New Gun Laws

Charleston County Sheriff All Cannon says politicians are seizing on public grief surrounding the massacre at Newtown, Conn., in a bid to push an anti-gun "agenda."

And if the Sheriff faced with new laws that he feels may restrict the Second Amendment, he won't enforce them.

"An officer has a duty not to follow an unlawful order," Cannon said at a Thursday press conference in North Charleston. "I intend to do that with any piece of legislation, whether it comes from Washington or the state, that deals with the Second Amendment and has the effect of restricting what I think is a vital, vital right."

Cannon tossed out of rounds ammunition, pistol magazines and a revolver in a demonstration of how quick it is to re-load a weapon with perfectly legal devices that would not be banned under new gun rules proposed by President Obama on Wednesday.

"I believe in all my heart that there are those who have an agenda (who) are aimed at eliminating firearms," Cannon said. "They are taking advantage of the broken hearts that each of us has over this tragedy in Connecticut."

The sheriff, a seven-term Republican re-elected in November, said mass shootings stem from societal evils, such as the erosion of the family unit and the prevalence of violence in the media. Attacking guns is misguided, he said.

"We've had a lot discussion about obesity (in this country), and the practical equivalent is that we blame the fork for obesity, and we're having a discussion about whether the fork should have two tines or four tines," Cannon said. "As if somehow that will cut down on obesity."