Opinion by Erich Pratt
Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- You’re probably hearing a lot of news coming out of Virginia.
And with good reason. The new legislature is being sworn in, and major gun control — including confiscation of rifles and handguns — is on the agenda.
Michael Bloomberg spent millions of dollars in Virginia to mobilize less than 5,000 voters in strategic districts, and that was enough to change both houses of the Virginia legislature to Democrat control.
Democrats say they implemented a strategic “pilot program” in Virginia during the last election. And now, because of their recent electoral success, they plan on expanding the program to a dozen swing states this November.
That means your state could be next — and that’s one reason we need to crush their advances in Virginia, to stem their momentum going into other states.
In Virginia, the grassroots pressure from GOA and VCDL has been intense, and there’s even one article suggesting that some legislators are reconsidering their support for gun control.
Obviously, it’s still too early to tell, as no votes have been cast. Regardless, gun owners can’t let up the pressure. They need to keep up the heat.
Is the VA Governor seeking to enforce gun control via Executive Order?
Gun Owners of America broke the story that exposed Governor “Blackface” Northam’s anti-gun budget.
The Governor is requesting $4 million and 18 new law enforcement officers to enforce a so-called “assault weapons” ban that is not currently law in Virginia; and requesting another $3.5 million to enforce a myriad of other infringements — again, all policies which are not law in Virginia.
This finding caused an uproar in the gun-owning community in Virginia, resulting in lots of media attention and four very packed legislative budget hearings across the state where gun owners loudly protested the power grab.
In a GOA statement issued prior to my testimony at the legislative budget hearing, we challenged officials to answer the questions that gun owners want to know:
Is this money [in the Governor’s budget] going to be used for the gun confiscation that, in November, the Governor said he was considering?
[Or] could the Governor be planning to use that money to enforce his gun control agenda through executive order? And given that possible scenario, would legislators support a budget amendment preventing him from doing that?
You can see the testimony here.
GOA has also been working alongside the state group, Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL):
- Together we have answered the anti-gun Attorney General of Virginia who, despite supporting sanctuaries for illegal aliens, issued a terse letter opposing Second Amendment sanctuaries.
- Both groups have mobilized gun owners into packed legislative hearings to protest the gun control in the Governor’s budget.
- And GOA has assisted VCDL, which has done the bulk of the work in getting people into Board of Supervisor meetings, resulting in over 90 percent of Virginia counties declaring themselves to be 2A sanctuaries.
As we have reported in earlier alerts, GOA is working in other states to get localities to declare themselves as sanctuary counties.
Currently, more than 400 localities have declared themselves to be 2A sanctuaries across the country — and over 100 of them are in Virginia.
You can view GOA’s Fact Sheet on this matter — and find a draft sanctuary resolution to give your local officials — by going to GOA’s Action Page for Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinances.
In Liberty,
Erich Pratt
Senior Vice President
Follow me on Twitter: @erichmpratt
P.S. Don’t forget to register to vote if you have not already done so. And if you’ve let your membership lapse, make sure to renew your membership in Gun Owners of America today for only $20!
About Gun Owners of America
GOA was founded in 1975 by Sen. H.L. (Bill) Richardson (now retired). The GOA Board of Directors brings over 100 years of combined knowledge and experience on guns, legislation and politics. GOA’s Board is not satisfied with the “status quo.” Americans have lost some of our precious gun rights and we want them back! This is why GOA is considered the “no compromise” gun lobby.
From state legislatures and city councils to the United States Congress and the White House, GOA represents the views of gun owners whenever their rights are threatened.
I counted them based on media reports and as of mid-January, 475 counties already have proclaimed sanctuary status. Assuming low murder rates will impact the bottom line, I’d project that almost 70 percent of the counties nationwide will declare allegiance to the Constitution and refuse to enforce laws that violate it. That would comprise 472 counties with only one murder per year plus 1,700 counties that have no murders at all. I’d add that 46 cities and towns also have declared sanctuary status and an additional seven sheriffs have pledged support. If that projection materializes, one desirable result would force… Read more »
@Roy – I would think it more likely that the feds would focus on enforcing gun laws in locations where local law enforcement is refusing to do so. As a result of feds focusing on arresting innocent gun owning americans, they would neglect inner cities, gangs and drugs – resulting in higher crime rates and liberal claims that we are to blame. It is after all far easier and safer to go around arresting peaceful people with jobs and steady lifestyles than it is to track down itinerant, violent gang members. While I sincerely hope that this is not the… Read more »
The FBI is already walking around with a black eye and several bruises, they should leave state business to the states and keep their hands in their pockets. Citizen trust is sketchy at best. But after re-reading my post, they are, after all, a federal organization and will deem it necessary to muddy the water for the Democrats!
I am an older man, and after what I have witnessed at all the ABC Agencies since Obama took office, I TRUST NONE of them and think they need be DONE away with.
Top echelon CROOKED as HELL and MARXIST Bstd’s to boot.
Feel for the hon3est rank and file, they will never regain the respect of the next two generations.
FedGov can NOT enforce state or local law. Can ONLY enforce federal laws. State bans on this or that type of firearm or accessory, mandats about BGC on private sales, private sales (non FFL) of handguns to under 21, one gun a month, waiting periods, prior Mother May I Cards, state issues, as a requreiemt to purchase, where one “may” carry in other than Fed facilities, NONE of those can be enforced by FedGov agents.
Nor can state or local LE enforce Fed laws. All they can do is report to Feds and let Feds handle it.
You are expecting the other side to engage reason. That is a stretch.
Governor Northam will announce at a press conference tomorrow that he will ban the carrying of all weapons. Including firearms from the capitol grounds. In response to the 2A rally being held there on January 20th.
Facts are the only weapon needed for that weasel & his snakes. Nothing on pitchforks, torches,tar & feather ? Run them all out on a rail.
I would think a lot of folks are heating up that kettle!
If more politicians were tar and feathered, we wouldnt be in this mess.
“Michael Bloomberg spent millions of dollars in Virginia to mobilize less than 5,000 voters in strategic districts, and that was enough to change both houses of the Virginia legislature” “Democrats say they implemented a strategic “pilot program” in Virginia during the last election. And now, because of their recent electoral success, they plan on expanding the program to a dozen swing states this November.” What did he do? pay people to register the dead and homeless? Filling out their ballots for them? Paying the vote counters to look the other way while he cheated? Sounds like he found where it… Read more »
Over 6.4 Million for 5 seats and the Gov.
All of this COULD HAVE been prevented by the REPUBLICANS i the state,Most of the eats taken were empty and NO ONE RAN against the Dems, easy WIN when you are the only horse in the race.
The 2nd Amendment Sanctuary movement is happening all across the nation. It began in Washington State, then spread to New Mexico, where it is the most successful and is also occurring in Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Colorado and many other states. Instead of just focusing on Virginia, people should be working in their home states first, then help other states once their state is “secure”, and only then send money to other states and national organizations.
Idaho has been a second amendment sanctuary state since 2014. That’s worth a mention don’t you think?
Sadly the US Govt owns MOST of that state.
true, but there are very few voters living in the parts FedGov illegally “own”. And I’ll bet almost all would vote to throw them out.
In Texas our county chose not to USE SANCTUARY(because of the illegals crap),our county made ourselves a 2nd Amendment County.
One of the top 10 largest in Texas.
Over a million here.
Liberty Lobby against the Fetal Terminator Northam. Should be an interesting contest. Liberty shall prevail.
When I joined the military it was to serve our nation and follow in my familiy’s footsteps. While real Americans were protecting our freedoms traitors such as bloomberg, piglosi and her family of criminals. clintons, schumer and other democrats were selling out America. My wife is a holocaust survivor and has repeatedly told me the democrats are doing the same thing the Nazis did. I did not believe her until obama, clinton and pig-lsi, brown, newsome and democrats in general have turned into traitors.
You will notice that most, not all, but most gun grabbers have no military or law enforcement background. This is the same mind set that causes them to farm out their personal security to armed guards instead of personally carrying a firearm. Now could be that this same mind set believes that the military and law enforcement community will just enforce their twisted will upon the people they are constitutionally mandated to serve. I think the gun grabbers and “only ones” will be surprised when the rank and file law enforcement and military support the people instead.
What the governor, his cronies and his financiers are doing is tyranny at least and treason (more likely) at worst. If they are not brought to justice and soon, the people — the citizens will be left with only two choices. We can submit and thus become second class subjects — slaves, or fight back. If the traitors in government are not arrested, tried and, if found guilty, put to death, somebody, maybe a nation of somebodies, will wind up doing the court’s job for it. I hope and pray that it is the former rather than the latter. But,… Read more »
I wonder if any Virginia politicians will be tar and feathered in the coming weeks…
The person who should be tarred and feathered is the guy who “bought” the election. Why didn’t the gun owners see that and unite in time to stop it?
When they pass illegal legislation that violates the first ten amendments to our Constitution, simply ignore it…they are the law breakers.
If they actually acquire the gonads to attempt to confiscate weapons, shoot them dead!
If they mean to have war let it begin here…
I have been following the goings on in Va., and what I’m not seeing is the good people of Va. recalling these “Commie Rat Bastards”.
Put them out of work, better yet run them out of the state, oh hell, run them out of the country!
“13 steps, and a rope”.
@Hoss, I propose a contest. Whichever brand of 3/4 inch manilla hemp rope that can hang the most betraying politicians, bureaucrats, and judges, one at a time and consecutively, before breaking gets a national contract!
They can’t , it requires the state Government to do that in VA.
Dems are not going to screw Dem Gov Northam ,nor backtrack on the 6.4 Million the little rat shite(Bloomberg donated) donated to take it over.
They are doing everything by the books,as written in the VA Const, so short of a shooting spree nothing can be done.
I bet the empty seats sucked up by Dems will have GOP contenders next election.APATHY got VA in this shape.
On the GOP side.
Wow!
EMERGENCY ALERT:
Northam has declared WAR on gun owners. See here:
Virginia Democrat Governor Ralph Northam To Declare Emergency Banning All Guns From State Capitol Grounds For Upcoming Protests
https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-virginia-democrat-governor-ralph-northam-to-declare-emergency-banning-all-guns-from-state-capitol-grounds
DEFCON 1
I really hope to see the Virginia Governor be impeached. I could get behind that.
Not possible with Dem majority or a peoples petitions.
If it’s on the books and LAW, then you have to put up with it.
Again, you are faulty in your post.
You believe the democrat lies so you will TURN on the NRA.
How easily the simple-minded are turned and assist their would-be masters..
Turning on an organization that has already abandoned you…you were only $$$ to them…legit!
Please don’t count all of the millions of Patriots that are members of the NRA in your condemnation, blasting us with a blanket accusation goes against all we should stand for. A few bad apples are going to show up in any organization sooner or later, specially when considering how Large the organization has become. The NRA is still a force to be reckoned with ! Don’t be so quick to kill the chicken, lots of good eggs in the basket.
No one faults NRA members with WLP’s corruption. The NRA members do not control how the funds are wasted, lavished on executives, or how the NRA compromises and negotiates our rights away, as it has for decades.
The NRA says one thing to collect donations, and says another to lawmakers.
Apparently, the NRA board also doesn’t control how the funds are wasted, and lavished on executives either!
72 mbr board is pretty much ineffective, and doesn’t exert controls on much of anything. Sort of a “good old boy/girl” networking event” instead of running the organization and overseeing WLP, Inc.
Rocket, he was condemning the NRA – and rightfully so. He did not state NRA members, many of whom I suspect, as I am, are also members of other rights groups, too.
Our goals are preservation of our Constitutional Republic, and our inalienable rights protected by our Constitution – our founding document that created our nation. A nation of the people, by the people; a government that is granted its authority and power by the consent of the governed. A consent that as it was given, can be taken away.
THE TOP EGG must go.
Still a member of Both, but majority dollars go to GOA,until LaPierre is GONE the NRA is shooting itself.