Thousands of Virginia Patriots have been mobilizing all across the Commonwealth of Virginia the last few weeks. Patriots that believe in the declarations of the Founding Father's and believe in the very essence of less government intervention into individuals lives the better.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
— Margaret Mead
The Second Amendment Sanctuary Movement or #2AStrong as many have come to recognize it on twitter and facebook is growing. Recent remarks by the power apparatus of Richmond, the capital seat of Virginia, have left thousands of Virginians uniting in the movement to send a message to the Virginia General Assembly; DO NOT TREAD ON ME.
That timber rattlesnake depicted in the familiar yellow Gadsden flag adopted in 1778 is coiled and ready to strike.
State Senator Dick Saslaw representing the 35th District in the Virginia Senate has characterized the 2A movement as "delusional". Of course to the Virginians who live in Saslaw's district gun ownership is not exactly a high priority or even a way of life for his constituent base which in truth is more and more less "Virginian" every election cycle. Lets be honest, there isnt much hunting or target shooting going on in City of Alexandria and yet Saslaw sought to cast the aspersion of "delusional" upon a Virginia populace that is overwhelming pro gun.
Progressives in the General Assembly appear poised to enact some of the most radical and regressive gun control restrictions in the country. While Saslaw continues to make his degrading comments directed at gun supporting Virginians in the Senate, the House of Delegates has managed to select virtually all of its leadership from one region of Virginia; Northern Virginia.
Delegate Mark Levine (P- Arlington County) and no friend of the second amendment and often very angry is a supporter of banning assault rifles, bump stocks and high capacity magazines recently stated the following regarding the new Progressive Leadership in Richmond:
"all 55 members of the new House Democratic Majority gathered in Richmond to elect the next Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.
I am thrilled that we elected my friend Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41st-Fairfax County) as Speaker. She is the first woman, and first Jewish Delegate, to hold the position.
We also elected two other members of the Leadership team. My friend, Alexandria's own Charniele Herring, was elected House Majority Leader. She is the first African-American and first woman to hold the position in the state legislature's 400-year history. My Arlington delegation compatriot Rip Sullivan was elected Caucus Chair.
I know all three of these Delegates well. I work well with them and trust them. And I am excited to have them leading the Democratic Caucus as we move Virginia forward. This is the most diverse caucus that there has ever been in the General Assembly's 400-year history. No General Assembly majority has ever looked more like the people of Virginia than the current House Democratic majority"
And NO DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY HAS EVER BEEN SO ANTI-GUN AND SECOND AMENDMENT THEN THIS ONE IN THE HISTORY OF THE COMMONWEALTH
The Senate has already pre-filed numerous gun control bills for the next session of the General Assembly and in response thousands of Virginians have mobilized in their counties to attempt to send a message to the legislature that should they enact such unconstitutional measures in Richmond in 2020 the localities will not use their own resources to pay for the "policing" of such laws.
Virginia is a Dillon Rule Commonwealth which means there is little a locality can authorize without it being conferred by the State. Thus, localities cannot pass their own pro-gun alws or ordinances at local level anti to the State authority. In short, if the State bans guns the localities cannot pass ordinances that unban guns.
That being said, what localities can do is refuse to enforce the laws conferred by the State. The State grants each individual locality its on "policing powers". Thus, the county can chose not to have the State law enforced. This means local deputies or police would not confiscate guns banned by the State. State Police however certainly could still enforce the state laws enacted and would have a obligation to do so.
Thus far the movement is approaching 50 localities that have drafted or voted in support of the 2A Gun Sanctuary policy that rejects the Assembly's intent to pass radical gun legislation.
This week marks an historic event in Virginia politics as over a third of the State localities have hearings or votes regarding #2AStrong resolutions. On Monday night, thousands of Patriots attended meetings in places like Bedford County, Shenandoah County, Poquoson, Mecklenburg County, King & Queen County, Bristol, Radford and Rockbridge County.
Tuesday night localities like Hopewell, James City, Caroline, Warren, Surry, Northampton, Prince George, Colonial Heights, Cumberland and Spotsylvania will hear from #2AStrong Patriots.
On Wednesday night one of the largest localities outside Northern Virginia in Chesterfield County will have an agenda meeting schedule that will include a public comment period and over three thousand citizens are expected to be there.
At the Rockbridge County resolution meeting on Monday night many citizens were afforded the opportunity to speak before the Board regarding the implementation of a gun sanctuary policy. Ryan Bland of Carters Creek and an Army veteran articulating that after relocating across the country he returned to Rockbridge County because "the crying liberals ran me out of those places" (Seattle and Boulder). Bland contends that the objective of the gun bans is to run out those that do not believe as the Progressives do from Virginia in hopes that they will leave thus providing them even greater control in future elections.
Morgan McGowan another veteran (USMC) directed her time before the board to address the assault upon the quality of life of those that live within the rural localities of Virginia and the over reach by a the state legislature to control individualism which is a fundamental premise our country was founded on.
Jessie Graham reminded citizens of the historical context of why it is we as Americans have a second amendment in the first place and the result of the British troops attempting to confiscate guns from colonials and Robert Lucas stated that the Progressives have not only "stirred it up" but they have "poked" the People with their attempts to ban firearms.
Monte Jessee spoke to the reality involving criminals that will never abide by any laws passed in Richmond and to remove the ability for citizens to defend themselves in the fifteen to twenty minutes at times it may take for an officer to arrive at home.
Anne Olson however disagreed with much of the one thousand in attendance. Olsen opposes the gun sanctuary measure and stated their was a "myth of 2A support" in the county and that the evening was merely a "partisan" event. She characterized herself as part of the "nobody's" but ones that will come out and vote.
Kaley Zolman stepped up and provided the crowd and the Board with some data regarding Rockbridge. Zolman of Buffalo Creek stated that only .78 of the crime committed in Virginia was committed in Rockbridge. That the county was in fact a safe place to live and that the State is proposing making it illegal for children to continue to hunt with their families or carry firearms and that target shooting would now become a "paramilitary" activity under Senate Bill 64.
Begs the question, if Progressives are so concerned with "gun safety" than why would they prevent parents in the country who own firearms from teaching their children to respect firearms through teaching them to shoot at targets and how to handle firearms?
If we are talking about safety, why are we not funding new programs with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to teach or instruct regarding safety? Instead the answer is to confiscate guns out of fear of what a citizen "may do" with a firearm in the future.
Todd Pauge of Fairfield spoke to the kind of legacy such laws will leave far down the road for the Commonwealth. Pauge referenced the protests in Hong Kong and the inability for citizens to defend themselves against government with no guns to resist. Future generations will have had their rights ceded to the government.
K. Peterson urged the Rockbridge Board and the citizens to "stand against the tyrannical powers" of Richmond in the fight to preserve liberty and freedom for all.
Rockbridge County would vote in support of the #2ASTRONG with only one Supervisor (Lyons) voted against the measure.
Whereas leaders like Dick Saslaw and Mark Levine think that Virginians who support the 2A are "delusional" it appears given the response and turnout throughout Virginia regarding these resolutions that Northern Virginia truly does not understand the meaning of what is is to be a "Virginian" and the historical meaning that goes along with the honor of being a Virginian. That could very well be because their districts look less and less like the rest of the Commonwealth with every election cycle.
Progressive socialism may in truth be the real "delusion".
Join the #2AStrong movement here : https://www.facebook.com/groups/578238489390036/
No comments:
Post a Comment