South Carolina Carry sent a questionnaire to all the candidates in the January 2020 election for Greenville County Sheriff. Responses are posted by us without commentary or edits. As always, we suggest you do your due diligence on candidates.
South Carolina Carry does not endorse candidates. All candidate answers are posted as we receive them.
To see all the questionnaires that have been returned to us, visit this link: https://www.southcarolinacarry.org/tag/2020greenvillesheriffcandidates/
Candidate: Robert Whatley
https://www.facebook.com/whatleyforsheriff/
https://www.whatleyforsheriff.com/
Do you support Constitutional Carry?
I believe in the Constitution as it is written, therefore, I support Constitutional Carry. The 2nd Amendment states, "…the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." In my opinion, the only way to change this language is to amend the Constitution. I do support the right of law abiding citizens to carry a firearm in the manner of their choosing.
Do you support open carry with a permit?
No. As stated above, I believe in the Constitution as written. The 2nd Amendment IS the permit to carry openly or concealed.
Do you support open carry without a permit?
Yes.
Are you in favor of gun registration?
No. I am quite certain that the criminal element will NOT be lining up to register their weapons gotten through illegal means. Therefore, the only people who will be affected by gun registration are law abiding citizens.
Are you in favor of the expansion background checks to purchase a firearm?
No. Again, the criminal element generally does not obtain their firearms through legitimate avenues. In my humble opinion, there are enough laws currently on the books to deal with criminals obtaining, possessing, and using firearms in an unlawful manner. It is my job as Sheriff to remove that criminal element from the streets of Greenville. It is up to the Solicitor to aggressively prosecute these criminals and put them in jail where they belong.
Are you opposed to Campus Carry?
No. In my opinion, any "gun-free zone" is an invitation for a potential mass casualty site. And while I am certain our universities and colleges have competent police personnel, they may not always be in close proximity if such a situation were to occur. I believe Campus Carry would give our students another layer of protection against such atrocities.
Are you a member of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association?
Yes.
Are you a member of the NRA?
Yes. I have been an Annual member for many years. I became a Life Member in July 2018.
Are you a member of any other gun rights/2nd Amendment organizations? If so, which ones?
No.
Have you ever contributed to any gun control organization?
No, nor has my wife, adult child, parents, or sibling.
Have you ever received contributions from a gun control organization?
No, nor has my wife, adult child, parents, or sibling.
Would you support the confiscation firearms under Red Flag Laws or any similar order given under the color of law?
No. I do not believe Red Flag laws are Constitutional or even necessary. I will never take guns from law abiding citizens without proper due process. Under Red Flag, guns are taken with an Ex Parte Order (Party of One), with no due process for the gun owner until after the guns are taken. Under Red Flag laws, drug dealers have more rights than gun owners. As a former Narcotics Investigator, I would have been laughed out of the courtroom if I had attempted to get a Search Warrant based on one-party testimony with no other evidence to back it up.
Bottom line, the real problem is not the gun, but rather, the person behind the gun. Let's focus our attention on keeping guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them. Let's aggressively enforce laws prohibiting convicted criminals from possessing firearms. Let's go after gang bangers and drug dealers who use firearms to help advance their trade. Let's identify people who are suffering from mental illness and help them get the care they need. I have dedicated over half of my life to serving the citizens of Greenville County. But let's face it, a Deputy can't be on every street corner. The 2nd Amendment was written to protect us against a tyrannical government. It was also written to give citizens a means to protect themselves from other threats such as the criminal element as well.
