Remember the idiotic AR-style pistol rule the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms promulgated earlier this month?

Well, a group of sheriffs in Oklahoma are not having one bit of it:

At least three Oklahoma sheriffs have posted videos and/or notices on their Facebook pages to let the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) know they have no intention of enforcing the pistol brace rule in non-criminal situations.

Now, right away we can recognize that these lawmen have some serious spines on them. It's a lot to stand up to a federal agency about anything.

But these sheriffs appear prepared to follow through:

On January 25, 2023, Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III posted a video to Facebook in which he made it clear he has instructed his deputies not to enforce the rule "in a low-level incidental contact" with someone who is in possession of a pistol with a stabilizer brace.

Sheriff Johnson said, "In other words, if a deputy encounters someone with a pistol equipped with a stabilizer brace they will take no action against that person, unless that person is using the weapon in the commission of a crime."

Sheriff Johnson was quickly followed by Logan County Sheriff Damon Devereaux:

The Logan County Sheriff's Office stands with our neighbors to the South, Sheriff Tommy Johnson III, and the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office and any other Sheriff's Office or other Law Enforcement in defense of rights. We will not be taking any action relating to ATF Rule 2021R-08F. To be clear, should any of our deputies come in contact with anyone possessing/owning any short barreled weapons with a "stabilizer brace" or other rearward attachments, we will take no action, unless the weapon is used in the commission of a crime.

And then Sheriff Joe Harper of Payne County (no relation):

A letter signed by Harper was posted to Facebook. The letter said, in part, "The Payne County Sheriff's Office will not participate in the confiscation of firearms based on this DOJ ‘rule' nor will they attempt to enforce Federal guidelines or rules that conflict with Oklahoma State statutes which they are sworn to uphold."

This is the spirit of the United States right here — standing up for rights, against arbitrary authority, in opposition to abuse of power.

Thank you, Oklahoma sheriffs, for showing us the way.