On May 31, 2019 Virginia experienced its worst shooting incident since the Virginia Tech shooting in April of 2007 in Blacksburg,Virginia that rocked the Commonwealth of Virginia and resulted in the deadliest school shooting in Unites States history where thirty three individuals were killed.
The causes of mass shootings have been clearly identified in recent years through study after study that point to these factors; family dysfunction, mental illness and lack of proper supervision resulting in such things as neglect, bullying or alienation from family and society itself. In many instances its the effects of depression, anxiety and a state of feeling as if one is alone. These are the realities that cause individuals to resort to picking up a firearm and either harming themselves or harming others.
What have we been doing in Virginia since the 2007 shooting at Virginia tech to address such concerns in our communities? How much progress have we made regarding addressing the causes that have been clearly identified by studies following such shootings at Virginia Tech? Have we adequately funded the areas that could address these issues not only in our schools but in our homes?
Are we addressing the levels of anger and depression that exist? Have we consider the impact of divisive and alienating political discourse as a contributing factor that lead to individuals to resort to the ultimate hate and taking the lives of others as a result of one's own circumstance? What about the accountability of those who seek to divide us and pit groups against one another that often result in violence and death? Religious targeting is also a direct result of individuals being divided by forces that we as society want to ignore while leaders inflame those divisions and then run away from any responsibility.
Now we have a majority in Richmond that appears poised to deny any investigation into the Virginia Beach shooting. Why? How can a State Government refuse to investigate a mass shooting resulting in the loss of twelve lives and four wounded at a government complex that is managed and controlled by the local government. These were government employees not like those that work throughout the Commonwealth in every county, city or even State Government in Richmond that go top work everyday as civil servants. Are the families of these victims not deserving of an investigation?
Do we as a Commonwealth not have an obligation to our citizens to investigate the shooting irrelevant of political considerations? Is it all about politics to Governor Northam and the Virginia Democrat majority? What is the Governor and the Democrats afraid of?
The truth is there should be a March on Richmond regarding this issue as much as a rally for 2A rights. They two are linked. The government wants to bury the causes and impacts of the Virginia Beach shooting because NONE of the legislation being pushed by Democrats would address a single cause of the shooting or in truth any future one. There solution for keeping guns out of mass shooters hands is to eliminate access to guns all together for all Virginians instead of focusing on what many wish and that is the ability to simply e able to defend themselves.
Unfortunately, the employees in Virginia Beach could not defend themselves. They were working in a "gun free" zone and this fact is something Virginia Democrats want to avoid having to address publicly. Democrats just rushed through legislation to permit local governments to ban firearms at buildings and such they deem to and yet offer up NO responsibility should there decision result in the loss of life to any citizen on site as a direct result of an active shooter.
Virginia Democrats have taken the ability for citizens to defend themselves yet offer no level of security for those working in those buildings declared "gun free". Similar to schools throughout the Commonwealth, is not the government responsible for the safety of every child within a public school that is declared a "gun free" zone? How many more children and government employees must die before Virginia Democrats recognize the fault in their approach to gun regulations?
Not only is there an outright hypocrisy with regard to the true causes but also in implementation. While the government employees in Virginia Beach were left defenseless, the very legislators on Monday January 20th in Richmond had hundreds of armed police officers to protect them IN a gun free zone. The Governor is protected by armed police at the expense of Virginia tax payers everyday and yet other government employees and children throughout Virginia deserve no equal protection or ability to defend themselves.
If elected officials sit under the protection of armed officers how can they implement laws that leave Virginians defenseless or reject proposals to arm teachers or co-workers with conceal carry for the protection of all individuals in a public space?
It appears as though Virginia Democrats want to pass legislation but not provide citizens with any recourse should the laws they pass directly result in injury or death to Virginians. Why is the politics of passing gun control legislation more important to Democrats than public safety?
The call for investigation must be met by all Virginians. Virginia has undergone scandal after scandal with no effort on the part of the establishment to investigate those that have been associated like wearing "blackface" by Governor Northam or sexual assault by Lt. Governor Fairfax. Democrats do not seem capable of policing their own yet feel as though they have the solutions to address public safety for all Virginians without any real study undertaken to diagnose events and draw out the causes that resulted in the shooting in the first place.
Democrats speak of "cover ups" in Washington every day it seems but frankly to not investigate Virginia Beach shooting is to cover up the fact that the solutions Democrats are offering have nothing to do with the reality of shootings and they know it. Otherwise, they would undertake a full investigation into the Virginia Beach shooting.
Some in the Virginia legislature recognize the hypocrisy of the Virginia Democrats.
State Senator Amanda Freeman Chase (R-11) has introduced various bills stemming from the legislation passed by Democrats. Will Democrats that have striped self defense from millions of Virginians support these proposals?
Don't we not owe it to the twelve Virginians lost on May 31, 2019 and their families to demand an investigation into the events that day and the tragedy experienced in the Virginia Beach community?
If not, than Virginians will see the truth and recognize that nothing Virginia Democrats are passing with regard to gun control is about "public safety: but rather simply power and control.
SB319:
Security of public property. Provides that any property owned by the Commonwealth or any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, or used by a public body, where firearms have been prohibited by law shall have law-enforcement officers or armed security officers on the premises to provide security services
SB 1009:
Firearm-free zones designated by the Commonwealth or a locality; regulation of weapons; waiver of sovereign immunity. Provides that (i) if the Commonwealth designates any property owned by it as a firearm-free zone or (ii) if any locality designates such locality or any part of such locality as a firearm-free zone, the Commonwealth or such locality waives its sovereign immunity as it relates to any injuries sustained by persons lawfully present in such firearm-free zone. The bill further provides that, if the Commonwealth or a locality adopts any ordinance, rule, policy, or regulation regulating weapons, the Commonwealth or locality assumes an affirmative duty to protect invitees lawfully on the premises of the Commonwealth or locality and establishes a waiver of sovereign immunity for any governmental entity or official responsible for such regulation
SB950:
Appropriation of funds for Governor's personal security staff. Provides that no funds shall be appropriated for the employment of any member of the Governor's personal security staff if the Governor takes any action to deny law-abiding citizens of the Commonwealth their right to carry, possess, or transport a firearm
No comments:
Post a Comment