By Bobbie Daniel | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
Yesterday, the Mesa County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt a resolution opposing Colorado Senate Bill 3. We took this action out of a deep commitment to the foundational principles that have shaped not just Mesa County, not just Colorado, but the very idea of America itself.
The Colorado legislature passed Senate Bill 3 with a troubling disregard for the constitutional framework that defines our Republic. It imposes sweeping restrictions on the lawful ownership, sale, and transfer of commonly owned firearms by burdening individual citizens with costly, bureaucratic hurdles and treating law-abiding people as if they are criminals.
In our system of government, individual rights are not permissions granted by the state. They are inherent — God-given — government’s role is to protect them, not ration them out when convenient. The rights protected by the Second Amendment are no exception.
When the government begins to strip away rights from the good and law-abiding under the guise of protecting the collective good, it erodes the very foundation that allows freedom to flourish.
History warns us of the dangers of this thinking. The abolition of slavery in America was rooted in the principle that every individual possesses rights that no government, no majority, can take away.
To diminish the rights of the individual is to betray that legacy.
It is to slide toward the very systems we have fought against — governments around the world where a small group in power determines what rights the people are “allowed” to keep.
Governor Polis has often spoken about Colorado’s proud libertarian streak and our identity as a “free state.” That enthusiasm would lead him to veto Senate Bill 3.
This is not even the same bill that was introduced at the beginning of the session. It has morphed into something far more extreme, far more intrusive — and far more out of step with who Coloradans are.
From classical liberals, independents to libertarians and conservatives, the vast majority of Coloradans understand that an empowered citizen is a safe citizen.
Security comes not from stripping away rights but from trusting individuals. The right to bear arms—like the right to speak freely, to worship, and to assemble—is a cornerstone of a free society.
We also recognize that these ideas don’t exist in a vacuum. Around the world today, in places where freedom has been challenged, and the future feels uncertain, brave men and women are standing up for the simple but powerful idea that they should govern themselves.
They remind us that the cause of liberty is timeless and that the desire for self-determination is not unique to any one nation — it is the birthright of all people.
Their courage shines as a powerful contrast to the idea that safety comes from surrendering rights.
History shows us the opposite: true security, true peace, comes when free people are trusted to remain strong, self-reliant, and free. Their fight reminds us of our own founding principles — and why we must never casually trade away the freedoms that generations before us fought so hard to preserve.
Colorado has long been a state where salt of the earth individualism and community strength go hand in hand. We believe deeply in personal responsibility, in self-reliance, and in the idea that government must serve the people — not the other way around.
Governor Polis now has a historic opportunity.
He can stand not just with Mesa County but with the majority of Coloradans—classical Democrats, independents, libertarians, and conservatives—who know that protecting individual rights is not a relic of the past but the path to a freer, safer future.
Freedom does not happen by accident. It must be protected and passed on.
Mesa County is proud to raise its voice in defense of that freedom, and we respectfully urge Governor Polis to do the same.
Veto Senate Bill 3. Stand for Colorado. Stand for liberty — not just here, but what it means to the world watching us.
Bobbie Daniel is the Mesa County Commissioner for District 2 in Western Colorado. Raised in Palisade and born to a hairdresser and coal miner, she brings a working-class perspective shaped by small business ownership, public service through AmeriCorps and decades of community involvement. Daniel has served on numerous local boards and advocates for local solutions, individual liberties and policies that strengthen families and small businesses. She lives in Grand Junction with her husband and their four children.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.