The Virginia Gun Rights Conflict: Best And Worst Case Scenarios

Brandon Smith
January 16th, 2020
Alt-Market

In my article ‘Trump Impeachment And The Civil War Scenario’, I warned that conservatives and leftists are being pushed to the brink of a shooting war using various methods of social manipulation and 4th Gen warfare and that this conflict, if dictated by gatekeepers of the false Left/Right paradigm, would only benefit establishment elites in the long run. Internal division among the public is designed to keep us at each other’s throats while losing focus on the real enemies.

Hardline Democrats and the social justice cult are merely a symptom of the disease, they are not the source of the disease. However, I also acknowledge that the rift between conservatives and the political left has become so extreme that reconciliation is almost impossible. War might be unavoidable, and the globalists love it. If they can pretend like they had nothing to do with creating tensions, and if conservatives are so blinded by anger against Democrats that they refuse to admit that some of their own political leaders (including Trump) have been co-opted, the elites win.

The danger in any civil war is that BOTH sides end up being manipulated and controlled and that the situation is maneuvered towards an outcome that only serves the interests of a select few.

Virginia may be a testbed, a trial run for a nationwide conflagration, and if it does hit a point where state officials compel a violent response from the citizenry, then it is important that liberty advocates remain vigilant and steer clear of incompetent or controlled leaders.

It is also important that they remember there is a much larger agenda at play here; the Democrats may be useful idiots fueling that agenda, but most of them are oblivious to their role. Our fight is not with the Democrats, our fight is with the globalists that influence them; the same globalists that are trying to influence us.

First and foremost we have to address the propaganda because all wars begin first in the public consciousness. The current situation in Virginia remains a battle of political rhetoric and “fluid” interpretations of the law. Here are the arguments I’ve seen from the political left so far on the issue of 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries:

Leftists argue that sanctuary county resolutions are “purely symbolic” and have no force of law behind them.

This is a rather naive (perhaps deliberately naive) position, as it ignores the fundamentals. The force of law is either compelled by conscience, or it is compelled by violence. The law itself is meaningless without these two factors. If groups of citizens choose not to follow a law because they find it morally reprehensible, there is nothing the state can do except try to frighten them into compliance with the threat of violence. The concept of law by itself has no energy and claiming that something is “right” because it is now “law” is not a valid argument.

In the case of anti-gun laws in Virginia, the VAST majority of counties in the state and the people in those counties have made it clear that they will not comply. The leftists have completely ignored this fact by simply saying “They have to comply because the law says so…” This is the type of attitude that leads to war.

Leftists argue that state laws supersede county authority and there is no legal standing for sanctuary resolutions.

The problem with this argument is that it ignores the fact that constitutional protections provided by the Bill of Rights supersede ALL other laws. It does not matter if attempts are being made by state governments or the federal government to degrade constitutional rights, the people are empowered to refuse and fight against ANY laws which violate constitutional rights.

For example, Democrats often bring up the history of Jim Crow Laws as a rationale for Federal intervention in the legal affairs of states. Jim Crow laws were segregation laws passed by state governments, and in many cases, there was resistance on a public level to these laws. Democrats like to cite Jim Crow laws whenever conservatives argue for states’ rights and 10th Amendment nullification of unconstitutional federal laws. They have conveniently memory-holed the issue whenever state laws are working in favor of their agenda.

The bottom line is this: The constitution and Bill of Rights take precedence over all other laws in the US, and if Democrats are going to use legal technicality as their foundation for draconian gun control measures, then they really have no leg to stand on. If their argument is that citizens and counties have no legal right to nullify state laws no matter how immoral or unconstitutional, then what would they say if a state government brought back Jim Crow or legalized slavery? Virginia’s gun control efforts are no different.

Leftists assert that new laws in Virginia are “standard” because similar laws have been passed in other states.

This is the totalitarian tip-toe at work. Once an unconstitutional law is passed in California, New York or Illinois, this, therefore, means that the laws have become “standard” and are thus acceptable.

An unconstitutional law is an unconstitutional law. It does not matter how many states pass such a law and proclaim it normal or standard. The people of Virginia have announced en masse that they have no intention of following new gun control laws. The people have spoken, over 90% of counties in Virginia have passed 2nd Amendment resolutions with the support of the citizenry. Democrats gaining seats in an election does not give them the power to deny constitutional rights to Virginians.

Beyond this, the Virginia laws are nowhere near standard. Clearly, Virginia is being used as a testing ground for Red Flag laws in particular, which are the most concerning. Red Flag laws allow gun confiscation without due process based on ambiguous accusations backed often by zero evidence; it is prosecution and punishment without representation or defense. Red Flag gun laws are a means by which the state can violate your rights while circumventing due process.

(I will make a note here that leftists aren’t the only people that are pushing for Red Flag laws. Donald Trump is a vocal supporter of them as well)

The numerous laws Virginia’s government hopes to implement set the stage for the incremental removal of all gun rights. Currently, at least four of these laws have been advanced by the Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee and many more are expected to be implemented by the end of this month.

They are pushing the envelope to see how far they can move the boundary of what is “standard” when it comes to anti-gun laws. The people of Virginia know this is the agenda. It has ALWAYS been the leftist agenda (not to mention a globalist agenda) to seek out total disarmament of the population while claiming they only want “reasonable safeguards”. This is unacceptable, and will not be tolerated.

Leftists argue that law enforcement authorities that refuse to enforce new gun laws risk losing their “official immunity”.

I’m not sure that “official immunity” has anything to do with the enforcement of gun laws; it is meant to protect LEOs from civil litigation while conducting normal ministerial duties. This sounds more like a thinly veiled threat against county officials and law enforcement who refuse to comply. It is also an empty threat.

County officials cannot be compelled by the state to actively enforce unconstitutional gun control laws, nor can the state force a county to set aside funds for such an effort. In the case of county sheriffs, these are officials elected by the people of the county, and they answer to those people first, and state government second. County officials can be punished for breaking the law, but they cannot be punished for not enforcing the law to an arbitrary degree that the state sees as acceptable.

Leftists are pursuing other more aggressive avenues to enforce new gun laws.

Representatives of the state government have threatened the possible use of the national guard to force counties to comply. They have made a budget proposal for $6.5 million to form a new “sex offense and firearms investigation unit”, which they deny will be used as a goon squad to enter into sanctuary counties and enforce new gun laws by circumventing local law enforcement, much like the federal government uses the FBI or ATF to circumvent state authorities when it pleases them.

Finally, the Virginia government is also seeking at least $250,000 to be allocated to prisons, and this is directly tied to the new gun laws and the people that will be imprisoned by them.

The governor of Virginia claims that he supports grandfathering in existing guns as long as they are registered in the new state database. Of course, gun owners know from history that the first step towards total confiscation is forced registration. The mainstream media has suggested that anyone who thinks these budget changes are in preparation for arresting gun owners is a “conspiracy theorist”.

They had better be right because the government of Virginia should know that if they did compel such actions it would be a detrimental mistake.

The national guard of Virginia is made up of the citizens of Virginia, and many of these people may not comply either. If they do, or if the state establishes an enforcement arm to target individual citizens to make examples out of them, the most likely outcome is that people will defend themselves and their constitutional rights. People on both sides might be hurt in the process.

The question then arises: Are these laws worth dying for? I can say with some authority as a long-time activist in the liberty movement that the majority of conservatives are willing to risk death to protect their rights. Are state authorities willing to risk death to enforce unconstitutional laws? Because that is where this situation is headed…

Leftists claim that 2nd Amendment sanctuaries are not comparable to illegal immigrant sanctuaries.

Leftists are correct, the two situations are NOT the same. Illegal immigration is not a constitutionally protected right, and gun ownership is.

I find it fascinating that not long ago leftists and statist Republicans were arguing fervently against the idea that states and municipalities could nullify federal law. During the 10th Amendment and nullification uprisings that led to such confrontations as Bundy Ranch, these people viciously attacked anyone that supported sovereignty activism. They used to claim that the federal government was the alpha and the omega; the final word. Now, suddenly, leftists have pulled a u-turn and are attempting to assert sovereignty rights for illegals in sanctuary states and cities. Again, illegals are not afforded constitutional protections, gun owners are.

One could try to make a moral argument in favor of protecting illegal immigrants from deportation, but there is no legal argument. And, I could easily present a far superior moral argument against illegal immigration than they ever could in favor of it. I would have to write a whole other article to cover this issue in-depth, but it is important to point out the double standards and hypocrisy inherent in the leftist position.

Leftists argue that this is only about Virginia.

Conservatives don’t see it that way. A conflict in Virginia will likely attract thousands of people from outside the state, because the view will be that the line is being drawn there. It may also spread beyond Virginia into other states with unconstitutional gun control measures.

Now, it’s important for conservatives, especially those that actually live in Virginia, to understand that there will be con men and shysters who will show up out of nowhere and try to exploit the situation to elevate their own careers or public image. They will try to make as much money as they can while shamelessly self-promoting. They will pretend to help while offering substandard advice and substandard training. And if the manure hits the fan, these guys will suddenly disappear as quickly as they arrived.

There will also be people who will try to steer the conflict towards a left vs right paradigm, as I noted earlier. Sanctuary counties should maintain local leadership and local representation in these matters to avoid being manipulated. If people outside the state want to help, then they should be fine with doing this under the supervision and management of the locals.

The best possible scenario would be that the state government of Virginia realizes that it’s not worth it to try to enforce unconstitutional gun laws and that the risks are far too high to manage. They would abandon such endeavors and recognize that counties will not comply even if they try to apply leverage to them.

My suspicion is that the state will try to enforce laws quietly and incrementally at first, arresting a handful of violators and activists over the course of several months to make examples out of them while test running Red Flag laws for backdoor confiscation. They will wait for the activists to quiet down and go home.

The worst-case scenario is that this is an establishment beta test for the rest of the country and that they may WANT to start a conflict in the hopes that this will spread into a national civil war. This kind of scheme would require accelerated and violent enforcement of gun laws by Democrats in Virginia to elicit an immediate response. If this is the case, and a wider conflict is triggered, conservatives MUST NOT lose sight of the bigger picture. The globalists should be the focus of our ire; the democrats are being used. A conflict-based only on the political division will mean defeat for us all, and a win for the elites.

Virginia Gun Confiscation is going to start.

"Military to Jam GPS Signals Across East Coast Through Jan. 24th
...The FBI is now claiming “eminent domain” to essentially seize high-end night vision tubes (that power night vision goggles) from distributors in the United States. This indicates the FBI has an emergency effort under way to acquire large numbers of night vision devices in anticipation of some urgent event which will take place at night (possibly another FBI false flag operation like Oklahoma City or the 1993 attempted World Trade Center bombing which was entirely masterminded by the FBI)...
We reviewed a letter written to RMR by their distributor, confirming that the government preempted the order to RMR and claimed they had ownership over the gear because they were the government..."
Read about it here: https://www.infowars.com/breaking-military-to-jam-gps-signals-across-east-coast-through-jan-24th

"...Following a temporary emergency declaration by Governor Ralph Northam, large elements of the Virginia State Police have been photographed arriving in the capital city of Richmond, bringing with them a ROOK armored SWAT carrier...In addition to the arrival of militarized police, recent photos show the construction of fencing around the Capitol building – fencing that appears to act a pen, meant to contain Lobby Day attendees in a confined space..."
See: https://www.newswars.com/scenes-from-virginias-capital-militarized-police-arrive-in-richmond

I keep hearing that Antifa is planning to show up at the rally. With firearms, i think this would be a peaceful rally. Without them, this has the potential of turning into a real cluster. Since the governor is trying to turn this into a gun-free rally, I'm expecting trouble.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Militiamen should only carry a rifle with a full battle load ready to fight gun confiscation not to a demonstration.
Remember how police with rifles shot 9 bikers dead and wounded 18 in Waco for drawing pistols.
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Waco_shootout
"Witness William English, a former U.S. Marine and Iraq war veteran, reported the firing of small caliber rounds, followed by "a rapid succession of shots from what sounded to me like an assault rifle”; Steve Cochran, a Navy veteran and Sons of the South club member stated that he heard one pistol shot, rest of the shots coming from "assault rifles... the shootout began with a small number of pistol shots, and was then dominated by semiautomatic weapons fire. Only one semiautomatic rifle was confiscated from a biker, which was in a locked car. The police had semiautomatic weapons."

At every major demonstration the feds are set up at strategic concealed locations with video cameras identifying participants.

"We are being set up." Sadly, I'm getting the feeling that conservative state Sen. Amanda Chase may be right.



Onward and upward,
airforce

The piece of shit governor plans for this to be another Charlottesville so he can scream "See, I told you!" in front of the presstitute media.

Matt Bracken war gamed several very possible scenarios and none of them play out well for the 2nd amend. protestors.

Richmond: The Mother of All Buffalo Jumps

While I support the rally; anyone who plans to attend better understand that the enemy isn't playing around. And, you better plan accordingly. Plan A may fail. so have Plan B ready to go.

Virginia Gun Sales Soar As Dems Consider Draconian “Assault Weapons” Ban
The gun control debate has already ratcheted up tensions across the state

By Zero Hedge Sunday, January 19, 2020

Ever since Virginia’s Democrats retook the state assembly and Senate in November, Democratic Gov. Ralph “blackface” Northam and the legislature have been gearing up to pass a draconian gun control bill.

Unsurprisingly, many Virginians feel strongly about preserving their second amendment rights, and the state has traditionally enforced a more permissive stance toward firearm ownership.

But now, lawmakers are tossing around ideas like an “assault weapons ban” – language that has been criticized as vague and even nonsensical. Several moderate Democrats have even expressed reservations about supporting a sweeping gun-control bill if it includes the ban.

“A lot of people don’t really understand assault weapons and how complicated the issue really is,” said Democratic Sen. John Edwards. “It’s going to be very difficult to figure out a way to do it. But we’re studying it, that’s all I can say.”

And yet, lawmakers are pressing ahead, prompting a vicious backlash that has even prompted Gov. Northam to declare a state of Emergency because armed militia groups planned to storm the capitol.

As the gun-control debate rages, thousands of Virginians have been rushing to gun stores across the state to buy up firearms before it’s too late.


Per Fox 5 Washington DC:

“Business has been absolutely crazy,” explained Jerry Rapp, owner of SpecDive Tactical in Alexandria. Rapp said business has increased by 200 to 300 percent since the last election, although that doesn’t mean the news is all good for the gun shop owner and his customers. “People are really on edge. They’re worried about their Second Amendment rights. They’re worried about the future of what you can and cannot have as a firearm.”

As one gun buyer put it, since Democrats have expressed open hostility to the 2nd Amendment, it makes more sense to just be prepared.

“If they’re willing to make laws that will strip your second amendment right, I mean who’s to say what could happen, so yeah, I’m gonna get it while I can,” Roberson said.

According to FBI data, the number of firearm background checks ballooned in Virginia last month to nearly 77,000, up from 53,000 a year before. That’s an increase of roughly 45%. That’s in keeping with a national trend that we highlighted earlier this month.

President Trump has even chimed in, warning that your “2nd Amendment is under very serious attack”.

Meanwhile, communities across Virginia are already looking into ways to sidestep any new state laws. The map below shows the counties that have enacted, or are considering, “Second Amendment Sanctuary” legislation.

https://www.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/2020.01.18sanctuary.jpg?itok=Hd-kxb5L

The gun control debate has already ratcheted up tensions across the state. And things are only just getting started.

Virginia Senate Passes Red Flag Gun Seizure Bill Two Days After Second Amendment Rally

Rural Virginians who are being run over by these cultural imperialists should seriously take a look at seceding and joining West Virginia

By Chris Menahan | Information Liberation Friday, January 24, 2020

The leftist cultural imperialists who took control of Virginia last election thanks to immigration and demographic shifts are going full steam ahead with their plan to fundamentally transform the state into a mirror image of San Francisco.

From CNN:

The Virginia state Senate voted Wednesday to advance a “red flag law” bill, one of many gun safety measures Democrats are looking to move through the state Legislature after taking control of both chambers.

The bill — SB 240, also known as an extreme risk protective order — creates a procedure for authorities, including law enforcement officers and attorneys, to apply for an emergency substantial risk order to prohibit “a person who poses a substantial risk of injury to himself or others from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm.” Under the proposal, if such an order is issued, a judge or magistrate can issue a search warrant to remove firearms from that person.

Kaitlin Bennett joins The Alex Jones Show to bring a warning to all those who would infringe on the second amendment rights of Americans; “The entire country is going to stand against you.”

The state Senate passed the measure in a party-line vote of 21-19. It now moves to the state House of Delegates for consideration.

Jake Rubenstein, a spokesman for Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, said later Wednesday that the chamber “will deliver” on demands for “common sense gun violence protections.”

Rural Virginians who are being run over by these cultural imperialists should seriously take a look at seceding and joining West Virginia.

West Virginia lawmakers introduced a resolution on Tuesday inviting Virginia’s Second Amendment sanctuary counties to legally secede and “be admitted to the body politic of the State of West Virginia.” https://t.co/E1TVHecmU0

— Chris Menahan 🇺🇸 (@infolibnews) January 15, 2020

Legislators in West Virginia just last week put forward a bill to prohibit all “past, present and future” federal gun control in their state.

As the Tenth Amendment Center reports:

A bill introduced in the West Virginia House would set the foundation to create a gun sanctuary state by prohibiting enforcement of past, present and future federal gun control. Passage into law would represent a major step toward ending federal acts that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms within the state in practice and effect.

Del. Joe Jeffries (R-Putnam), along with 10 Republican cosponsors, introduced House Bill 4168 (HB4168) on Jan. 14. The legislation would ban any person, including any public officer or employee of the state and its political subdivisions, from enforcing any past, present or future federal “acts, laws, executive orders, administrative orders, court orders, rules, or regulations” that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms.

Nothing could be funnier than all these sanctuary counties seceding and leaving behind a husk of a state!

Virginia Congress Continues Gun Control Frenzy With 9 More Bills, Ignores Massive Protest

By Daisy Luther | The Organic Prepper blog Thursday, January 30, 2020

Despite a massive and peaceful turnout on the Lobby Day rally on January 20th, the Virginia State Congress remained totally unphased by what the people wanted and proceeded to advance numerous unconstitutional gun laws over the following week.

While everyone has been focused on the Wuhan coronavirus, state lawmakers have been quietly eroding gun rights.

“Red Flag” gun law passed

Proving they don’t care at all about the opinions of the people of Virginia, the state’s Senate passed a “red flag” gun law only two days later. Here’s the summary of SB240.

Creates a procedure by which any attorney for the Commonwealth or any law-enforcement officer may apply to a general district court, circuit court, or juvenile and domestic relations district court judge or magistrate for an emergency substantial risk order to prohibit a person who poses a substantial risk of injury to himself or others from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm. If an emergency substantial risk order is issued, a judge or magistrate may issue a search warrant to remove firearms from such person.

An emergency substantial risk order shall expire on the fourteenth day following issuance of the order. The bill requires a court hearing in the circuit court for the jurisdiction where the order was issued within 14 days from issuance of an emergency substantial risk order to determine whether a substantial risk order should be issued.

Seized firearms shall be retained by a law-enforcement agency for the duration of an emergency substantial risk order or a substantial risk order or, for a substantial risk order and with court approval, may be transferred to a third party 21 years of age or older chosen by the person from whom they were seized. The bill allows the complainant of the original warrant to file a motion for a hearing to extend the substantial risk order prior to its expiration. The court may extend the substantial risk order for a period not longer than 180 days.

The bill provides that persons who are subject to a substantial risk order, until such order has been dissolved by a court, are guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor for purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm; are disqualified from having a concealed handgun permit; and may not be employed by a licensed firearms dealer. The bill also provides that a person who transfers a firearm to a person he knows has been served with a warrant or who is the subject of a substantial risk order is guilty of a Class 4 felony. The bill creates a computerized substantial risk order registry for the entry of orders issued pursuant to provisions in the bill. (source)

If at first you don’t seceded…West Virginia’s Gov makes the legal & economic case for Virginia jurisdictions to secede and join W VA, joined by Liberty University’s Jerry Falwell, Jr.

Of course, we all know the dangers of red flag gun laws. Anyone can swear out a complaint against a gun owner – including an abuser who doesn’t want his victim to be able to protect herself or himself. Add to that, numerous law-abiding citizens have been killed when police burst in to serve the warrant and seize the gun owner’s firearms.

But that’s not all that Virginia has in store for gun owners.

Also two days after the rally of gun owners, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a proposed new law that would make it more difficult for Virginians to get a concealed carry permit in the form of SB263.

Concealed handgun permits; demonstration of competence. Removes the option for concealed handgun permit applicants to demonstrate competence with a handgun by completing an electronic, video, or online course conducted by a state-certified or National Rifle Association-certified firearms instructor. The bill does not affect any in-person means of satisfying the requirement to demonstrate competence with a handgun under current law. (source)

Obviously, this makes it more difficult for rural residents to take the required training and it makes it more expensive for poverty-stricken gun owners.

On Friday the House advanced the following bills to the Senate for further approval.

HB2 would criminalize the private transfer of firearms in the Commonwealth. Unlike SB70, which was passed by the Senate, HB2 would criminalize almost all firearm transfers – not just sales. Under this extreme legislation, even lending a brother your rifle for a deer hunt or letting your daughter borrow a handgun for self-defense could land otherwise law-abiding Virginians with a felony conviction and up to 5 years in jail. Additionally, the recipient could face up to a full year of incarceration.

HB674 would create a “red flag” gun confiscation procedure that is similar to that created by SB240. Just like the senate bill, HB674 would empower the government to strip an individual’s constitutional right to keep and bear arms and seize their firearms pursuant to an ex parte order. However, whereas SB240 would require a commonwealth’s attorney or two law enforcement officer to petition the court, HB674 provides even less safeguards – allowing a single law enforcement officer to petition for a confiscation order.

HB812 would ration the right to keep and bear arms by limiting Virginians to one handgun purchase per 30-day period. Unlike SB35, which has passed the full Senate, HB812 does not provide an exemption to this restriction for CHP holders.

From 1993 to 2012, Virginia had a “one-handgun-a-month” law that rationed the number of handguns law-abiding gun owners could purchase to one a month. In 1993, Gov. L. Douglas Wilder and other gun control advocates sold the handgun rationing measure as a way to curb gun trafficking from Virginia to more restrictive Northeast states, particularly New York. HB812 comes along after New York City billionaire and gun control financier Michael Bloomberg spent an exorbitant sum in the 2019 election cycle. According to ATF Trace data, there were fewer firearms traced to Virginia in the three years after the law was repealed than in the three years prior to repeal.

HB9 would re-victimize burglary and robbery victims by penalizing a crime victim who fails to report the theft of a firearm to law enforcement within 24 hours of discovering the theft. These victims would be fined up to $250.

In the aftermath of a burglary, victims are occupied with a host of concerns. The first and foremost concern is the physical safety and well-being of themselves and their loved ones. To place an additional burden on crime victims in their moment of despair is the ruthless act of a callous state that exhibits no regard for the hardship victims face as they put their lives back together.

HB412 would eliminate Virginia’s state firearms preemption law. Current law ensures that those living and traveling throughout Virginia are subject to the same predictable state statutes wherever they are in the Commonwealth. With this regimen, law-abiding gun owners can move about the state without fear of being ensnared by a confusing patchwork of disparate local ordinances. Unable to predict or comprehend the contours of the various ordinances in Virginia’s 95 counties and 38 independent cities, CHP holders would be forced to forego their Right-to-Carry for fear of running afoul of an obscure or complicated local law.

HB1004 would prohibit those subject to a §19.2-152.10 protective order from possessing firearms. Those subject to a §19.2-152.10 protective order are already prohibited from purchasing or transporting firearms while the order is in effect. Unlike other protective orders that trigger a firearm possession prohibition, a petitioner for a §19.2-152.10 protective order does not need to bear any relation to the respondent.

The absence of a relationship requirement opens the §19.2-152.10 protective order procedure up to abuse. Verbal altercations between co-workers, neighbors, or less formal acquaintances where one party perceived, or claimed to perceive, the other as making a “threat” could result in the extinguishment of a person’s Second Amendment rights and the forfeiture of their firearms.

HB1083 severely restricts parental decisions about firearms in the home by making it a Class 6 felony to leave an unlocked and loaded gun in the home with a child or teenager under the age of 18. Current law only applies this restriction to children under the age of 14 and provides that the punishment for such conduct is a Class 3 misdemeanor. This law is unnecessary as Virginia already has a child abuse and neglect statute that provides felony penalties for parents who engage in dangerous conduct. (source)

Is it any wonder that parts of Virginia are considering secession from the state?

The protest meant nothing in the eyes of Virginia lawmakers.

The advancement of these gun laws is a slap in the face to every gun owner who has protested in person, written or emailed his or her members of Congress, and attended local meetings.

It shows that the people currently in office don’t care what Virginians have to say about the laws they pass. It underlines their blithe dismissal of the Sanctuary municipalities and of the massive peaceful protest that even saw protesters cleaning up the area before they left.

The protest may have meant nothing to lawmakers, but to gun owners, it meant everything. It means that people in Virginia will stand up for their rights. It means they will not back down. It means they’re willing to put themselves on the line to protect the 2nd Amendment in a state that still has a flag that says “Sic Semper Tyrannis.”

But as for the state government? You know, the one purchased by presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg?

This is not a government that represents the people of Virginia.

Virginia gun store owners are having a field day - they can't keep guns on the shelves. Ralph "Blackface" Northam may be getting some consequences out of this that he didn't intend to get.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Virginia Lawmakers Pass 7 Gun-Control Bills With More Coming

by Sandy Malone


The state legislature approved seven new gun-control measures 10 days after gun rights supporters rallied in Richmond.

Richmond, VA – Ten days after over 20,000 peaceful Second Amendment supporters marched in front of the state house in opposition to newly-elected Democrats’ proposed gun-control legislation, Virginia lawmakers approved seven new gun control bills.

Virginia state representatives voted to approve numerous gun-control measures that had been enthusiastically supported by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, ABC News reported.

Similar bills had already passed the state senate and all the gun-control measures pending are expected to quickly receive the Democratic governor’s signature.

One new law will require background checks for all gun sales, including private gun transfers and those bought at gun shows, WTVR reported.

Another bill would prohibit anyone who is the subject of a permanent protective order from owning a firearm.

A majority of cities and counties across the historically-conservative state declared themselves to be “Second Amendment sanctuaries” ahead of the new laws being passed, and a number of law enforcement officials vowed not to enforce the unconstitutional laws.

More than 20,000 supporters of gun rights gathered on Martin Luther King Day in front of the Capitol building in Richmond to protest lawmakers’ planned gun crackdown.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared a temporary emergency ahead of the event, banning all weapons from the Capitol Square in front of the State House.

"Law enforcement intelligence analysts have identified credible threats of violence surrounding the event, along with white nationalist rhetoric and plans by out-of-state militia groups to attend," Northam told reporters on Jan. 15.

Two state officials who had been briefed on the plan told the Associated Press that Northam was trying to head off a repeat of the violence that occurred at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2018, when James Fields deliberately ran down Heather Heyer, killing her.

However, that event was explicitly a white nationalist event, whereas the gun rights rally was explicitly about gun rights.

And thousands of legally armed citizens attended the event despite the ban but remained outside the gun-free zone designated by the emergency order.

After the demonstration was over, videos of marchers picking up their trash on the way out were posted to social media and showed a sharp contrast to the messes that were left behind in the nation’s capital after Presidential Inauguration protests and the Women’s March.

Democrats tried to blame the gun ban at the State House on the Capitol police.

“I just have to say that this is something that’s been recommended by our Capitol Police,” House Majority Leader Charniele Herring said before the vote. “And I think there are times when we sort of have to trust what our law enforcement officers are telling us.”

But the Capitol police chief wasn’t about to take the blame for the least popular policy change so far this year, the Loudoun Times reported.

Capitol Police Colonel Anthony Pike said that he never advised legislators to ban guns in the State House.

Col. Pike said he just answered the politicians’ questions about how to implement their ban after they voted on it, according to the Loudoun Times.

Republicans were furious when they learned the truth about the role of the Capitol police in making the new policy.

“That was a deliberate misrepresentation,” said Republican Virginia State Delegate Kirk Cox said. “There's just no way around that.”

Many viewed the move as more anti-gun shenanigans by the state’s newly-installed Democratic majority who have vowed to institute gun control in the famously pro-gun state that is home to the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has vowed to aggressively enforce any new gun-control laws passed by the legislature.

Virginia House Passes Ban on Semi-Auto Firearms and Suppressors in Hyperpartisan Vote
It's time to wake up, people


By National File Wednesday, February 12, 2020

The Virginia House of Delegates has voted to pass House Bill 961 – a statewide ban on the sale of widely owned semi-automatic firearms, as well as the possession of suppressors and of magazines capable of holding 12 or more rounds of ammunition.

The bill, introduced by Northern Virginia Democrat Mark Levine, has faced widespread opposition from legislators and citizens alike and was listed as a top concern of Lobby Day attendees last month.

Passing the House by a hyperpartisan vote of 51-48, the bill is seen as such a legislative overreach that even a few Democrats joined in voting against it. It will now head to the Senate, where a previous push to pass a similar bill has already failed.

In a press release made shortly after the vote was held, the NRA credited Michael Bloomberg’s “bought and paid for lawmakers” with the bill’s passage and warned Virginians of Bloomberg and the Democrats’ end game.

“House Bill 961, as amended, is a comprehensive ban on many commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms, suppressors, and standard capacity magazines. Though the committee amended the bill to allow citizens to keep currently owned firearms and suppressors, confiscation is undoubtedly still the end goal. There is no option for citizens to keep their lawfully acquired magazines with capacities greater than twelve rounds, forcing millions of Virginians to dispose of their property, become a criminal, or surrender them to the government.”

Delegate Dave LaRock, a Republican who serves the 33rd District, posted to Twitter after the vote, drawing attention to a side effect of the bill that is not often discussed.

If HB 961 passes the Senate, it will most certainly be challenged in court and seen as blatant government overreach in violation of the constitutions of both Virginia and the United States.

When that happens, Mark Herring and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office will be using lots of taxpayer dollars to fight for the law to remain intact.

I'd be surprised if this passes the VA Senate. And even more surprised if it survives the inevitable court challenge.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Gun rights victory in Virginia. House Bill 961 was tabled for a full year. Burt don't get cocky, the war ain't over.
t over.


Onward and upward,
airforce