Oregon sheriffs refuse to enforce Obama's new gun laws

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Not only will President Barack Obama's gun control policies face challenges from interest groups like the NRA, some local leaders are refusing to enforce them.

Two Oregon sheriffs have sent letters to Vice President Joe Biden challenging the Obama administration's brand new executive orders and future congressional action they believe would infringe upon the rights of the people they are sworn to protect.

Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller sent Biden a letter he also posted to his office's Facebook page Tuesday, one day before Obama signed 23 executive orders intended to prevent gun violence. The sheriff's letter has since received more than 38,000 likes and 46,000 shares on the social media site.

Mueller wrote:

Mueller also has a brand new Twitter feed -- with only two tweets so far -- thanking social media users supportive of his letter and acknowledging fellow Oregon Sheriff Jim Hensley's similar declaration.

Sheriff Tim Mueller is humbled and amazed by the support of people near and far in response to his letter to VP Biden. Thank you!

— Linn County Sheriff (@LinnCountySO) January 16, 2013

Sheriffs in Kentucky and Minnesota have made like-minded promises.

Mueller told KOIN-TV Tuesday that stricter gun control laws won't prevent people from committing "heinous acts."

"You cannot allow the actions of a very few -- no matter how heinous that crime is -- to dictate regulations in the law that could potentially offend the constitutional rights of honest Americans. That's not what we're about," he said.

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According to a December Gallup poll, conducted after the Newtown massacre, 58 percent of Americans support stricter gun control laws.