The news of the renegade FBI raid at the Hueper household in Homer on April 28 is into the nationally oriented conservative and even the mainstream media outlets. There are some things to watch.

First, the MSM will soft-soap this as much as possible with narratives such as, “The FBI confirmed that they conducted a court-ordered search” and “They were searching for Pelosi’s laptop after the January 6 attack, insurrection and riot.” They will never call it what it was: A Deep State plot to bait Trump supporters into a more accurately described “surge,” to distract for as long as possible the stolen election of 2020.

Secondly, there is this May 1 gem from Sen. Dan Sullivan’s Facebook page, urging people to not jump to conclusions and to remember that law enforcement agents have a tough job.

Rumors that Gov. Dunleavy politely asked the FBI to apologize is laughable.

And amazingly, he shifted the topic to the late Ted Stevens’ persecution by the Bush Justice Department, discussing “over-zealous prosecutors” being a problem. It is quite instructive how he is more concerned about politicians than he is about us peons in our own homes.

Yes, Senator, the FBI has a tough job, starting with a strict observance of the Bill of Rights. Like the hideous way Alaskan moose hunters were treated in the Yukon-Charley incident, or so many of us at the TSA pat-down line, we suffer not from racist-oriented police persecution, but from an out-of-control federal government, one that is not only weeding out conservatives from the military but likely doing so within law enforcement.

Thirdly, where are our local elected officials? Their silence is deafening. Rumors that Gov. Dunleavy politely asked the FBI to apologize is laughable. To be fair, there is little else he could do short of ordering state troopers to arrest them. And judging by the testimony given at the 2013 Firearms Freedom Act hearings, trooper leadership would likely defy the governor and side with the feds.

Are we a sovereign state or merely a local administrative and provincial unit of a hypocritical empire?

It demonstrates once again the helplessness of states’ rights, particularly in Alaska, where the non-existent “equal footing” with our sister states has been a bone of contention since statehood. We lack the sovereign authority of sheriffs because we do not have counties. As stated in an earlier column, by common law sheriffs are the sovereign authority within their own jurisdiction. Federal agents must clear any action with a sheriff before a raid and, if he does not approve, they quickly get out of town.

There are reasonable objections for transforming our boroughs into counties: another layer of government, higher taxes, no guarantee that a sheriff will act justly, more revenue-gaining speeding tickets. But these things can be avoided by local legislation. Let us imagine a hypothetical bill and scenario.

“Those boroughs which wish to transform themselves into common-law counties may do so by referendum.” This would permit the rural areas, liberal Southeast, and any others to continue as they already have. But imagine sheriffs in the Kenai Peninsula, Mat-Su Valley, Fairbanks, Glennallen, Delta and Tok. And maybe even Anchorage.

With even a namby-pamby sheriff, he will swallow hard before permitting and cooperating with a constitutionally questionable federal raid. Even if he approves, he will make sure due process and courtesies are followed, unless there is a suspicion of heavily armed organized crime or a lone desperado. And unlike the federal goon squad, he was elected here, lives here, people recognize him, and afterwards media coverage will go through things with a fine-tooth comb.

But a good sheriff would do something else. As in, “I know these people and there is absolutely no need to conduct a no-knock, gun-point raid. I will accompany you and serve the warrant.”

And he might also say, “I have looked at the photograph of this so-called person-of-interest and I suggest your forensic team does its homework a little better. Kindly be advised that I do not approve of this action and contact me later if you come up with better evidence.”

But will our legislators listen to their constituents or the federal Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Treasury? Are we a sovereign state or merely a local administrative and provincial unit of a hypocritical empire?

The views expressed here are those of the author.

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