U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Virginia has provided a stark example of how gun control is aimed at harassing law-abiding gun owners rather than improving public safety.
As part of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and the General Assembly’s sweeping attack on gun rights in 2020, anti-gun lawmakers enacted legislation that made it more difficult for gun owners to obtain the required training for a Right-to-Carry permit.
Prior to January 1, applicants had been able to prove their competence with a handgun by providing proof of “Completing any firearms training or safety course or class, including an electronic, video, or online course, conducted by a state-certified or National Rifle Association-certified firearms instructor.” HB 264, signed into law by Gov. Northam on March 23, removed the electronic, video, or online course options and required a qualifying firearm training or safety course to take place in-person.
Such legislation is always aimed at inconveniencing gun owners rather than improving public safety. In his book More Guns, Less Crime, Economist John Lott noted that “the presence or length of the training periods typically show no effect on crime…” and “there is no doubt that longer training requirements discourage some people from getting permits.”
However, this legislation is particularly galling given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s response to it. Just as the state government is encouraging Virginians to social distance, including distance learning, it has cut off a vital distance learning tool for gun owners. The problem has been exacerbated by Northam’s onerous COVID-19 restrictions on indoor shooting ranges.
Northam signed HB 264 11 days after declaring a state of emergency in response to COVID-19. At that same time, Northam took measures to protect the state’s workforce by banning state employee travel.
Further, the governor directed the state Secretary of Administration “to implement a phased transition to teleworking for state employees” and directed state agencies “to limit in-person meetings and non-essential, work-related gatherings.”
According to Northam, the work of the state government is capable of being done remotely, but remote learning for firearms owners is unacceptable.
Virginia’s premier state educational institutions were quick to shift to distance learning at the outset of the pandemic. For instance, on March 11 the University of Virginia announced that it would be moving all courses online – 12 days before Northam’s attack on gun owner online learning. The state appears to be so comfortable with the adequacy of distance learning that it has determined it should not stand in the way of someone securing a terminal degree from the second oldest college in America. On March 30, the College of William & Mary announced that it would require all Ph.D. dissertations to be defended remotely.
Despite the protestations of many parents, distance learning has been deemed adequate for the children of Virginia’s largest county. As of January 15, 2021, the Fairfax County Public Schools website stated, “Students will receive virtual instruction 5 days per week. The week will include 4 days of live, face-to-face online instruction with teachers Tuesday through Friday.” Fairfax County plans to keep the virtual model in place at least until February 2.
In order to promote distancing in response to COVID-19, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has even waived certain training requirements for Class B commercial driver’s licenses.
To their credit, the Virginia Senate attempted to temporarily resolve the online carry injustice in August. The Senate unanimously passed SB 5041, which would have delayed the in-person training requirement until July 1, 2021. The House of Delegates failed to pass the measure.
Gun owners across the country should take note of the flagrant double-standard at work in Virginia. The state’s eager embrace of distanced work and learning for all but firearms training reveals that HB 264 was never about the inadequacy of remote firearms education, but rather just a convenient means to attack gun owners.
About NRA-ILA:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess, and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org
Does this really surprise anyone that old blackface ,would do this.
He is a gun hater in the first degree.
Yes, no surprise there. He hates guns and has little regard for babies!
Yes, and now that the Progressive New Left makes it difficult to hate Blacks, Jews, Catholics and poor whites you have to find a class of people you can hate and get away with it. Modern progressives have settled on gun owners. Probably not all that smart in the long run, but folks like Northam have to have someone to hate and someone to fear. Lacking that, their world view collapses. You see, the reject the concept of Original Sin and in doing so reject the concept of living a Godly life to overcome our worst incilinations. No, progressives like… Read more »
It is not so much that people need someone to hate as it is that politicians need “their people” to share hatred of someone who is “other”. It is far easier to win votes on negativity than on positivity. Thus “you don’t have to like me, just oppose the other guy” is a common campaign tactic.
Gun control in its original form was Jim Crow. Gov Blackface is well aware of that. But on a broader scale Jim Crow type laws, laws that usurp rights and make rights so burdened by superfluous regulations, fees and requirements that the right itself is rendered moot are appropriate no matter who the vilified class happens to be at the time. The state and so-called ‘elites’ decide they hate a certain class of citizens, declare civil war on that class and then pervert laws, usurp rights and disadvantage members of the vilified class at every turn. This is now how… Read more »
A wise man once said, “Without the Second Amendment, the First Amendment will be next.” It looks like it’s happening simultaneously.
it is also how hitler unified people the jews were the source of all their problems power and control is divide and conquer
Damn you was in my hometown, Gettysburg. Did you take the time to visit the battlefields ? We used to have a tower that would enable you to see many of battlefields & small towns around Gettysburg. They took it down a while back (imploded). Used to be wax museum that was pretty interesting. They have been taking some of the better things of Gettysburg. Just as we’ve seen in the rest of the country. Sorry we didn’t get to spend some time over a few brews or cup of coffee. Gettysburg used to have a night life back in… Read more »
My wife and I went to Sharpsburg and Gettysburg in 1982.I don`t know if Blue and Gray bar and grill was there then, but I love the thought of a Rebel burger with the flag! That burger is probably banned now. Our home grilled deer burger will now take that name! Thanks musicman44mag.