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Virginia Gun Control
When the Democrats took control of Virginia back in November, they didn’t wait long to start ramping up gun control efforts. A budget submitted by Governor Ralph Northam contains “what sure seems to be funding for a gun confiscation squad,” as Liberty Nation’s legal affairs editor Scott D. Cosenza describes it.
The bill asks for funding for $4 million and 18 law-enforcement positions to enforce his gun ban. On top of this, there is a request for a further $3.5 million to enforce gun control that has neither been passed by the legislature nor is even current law in Virginia. But Virginians aren’t taking this lying down. Scott Cosenza wrote:
“Democrats showed their intent to turn Virginia from a state that broadly respects the rights of its residents to bear arms to one that seizes and destroys those guns right after the November elections. Over 100 cities and counties have declared “sanctuary” pledges to uphold the Second Amendment rights of the people, but the state hasn’t backed down. This led to an opinion from the Democrat Virginia Attorney General proclaiming the sanctuary movement a big legal nothing. And now we have this very anti-gun budget proposal.”
These sanctuary cities and counties are a sizable push-back against laws that are unconstitutional. But will they be enough?
At a General Assembly to hear what gun owners had to say about things, the cat was let permanently out of the bag when a hot mic caught the utterances of the former State Chair of the Virginia Democratic Party, Delegate Ken Plum. Cosenza again provided insight into what was said:
Plum is heard asking Delaney: “You gonna stick around for the 25 gun guys?” A moment later, in the mostly inaudible exchange, he appears to say: “They are… mixed up, little kids.” Then, in reply to something Delaney said, Plum can be heard saying: “Yeah, as long as we, ah, just don’t respond.”
With a Democrat majority in control, things are not looking good for the Second Amendment.
What to Watch For
(Photo by Photo Media/ClassicStock/Getty Images)
These sanctuary cities and counties are not going away. If Virginia moves ahead and outlaws certain types of weapons, residents will either be forced to sell or destroy their legally purchased firearms or face becoming a felon. This is a bad situation that the local government seems to be making a whole lot worse with their dismissive attitude.
A Glimpse of the Future?
In the political capital of the European Union, a place that prides itself on the idea of “ever closer union” and co-operative defense, residents are taking unlikely measures to keep themselves safe amid ever more restrictive firearm laws.
A recent study by Brussels-Prevention & Security (BPS), a public security body, found that over 40% of residents carry some kind of weapon to keep themselves safe. Remember, this is a city that has seen terror attacks, rising crime and violence, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, a clampdown on firearms ownership. So what are the scared citizens using for protection? Liberty Nation’s Leesa K. Donner exposes a very sad and startling truth:
Why carry a .22 or a .38 when you can arm yourself with such effective weapons as umbrellas, keys, extendable batons, knives, air guns, even – wait for it – jewelry?
As well, one in three citizens of Brussels signed up for a course in self-defense. A real “karate man bleeds on the inside” moment to behold. That line from Eddie Murphy in the classic movie Trading Places would be funny if it weren’t something these folks cling to for their personal safety. What is the only thing that equalizes a 120-pound woman and a potential attacker?
This is a trend across Europe. As violence, sexual assault, murder, and terrorism rise at unprecedented rates across the continent, more laws on how people can legally defend themself come in being. In Germany, a man attacked by a Somali migrant is now being investigated by the police for defending himself too vigorously after the attacker complained that he had been hurt. You can face years in prison for carrying a knife, and yet more years if you use a knife to defend yourself even in your own home.
Be aware, America. This may be coming across the Atlantic soon.
What to Watch For
Media often say how safe countries without guns are. This is not true. Crime is an epidemic in the least armed societies. Last year, London had more murders than New York for the very first time.
Washington Whispers & Other Juicy Tidbits
Be on the lookout for:
- Facing pressure from all sides, Nancy Pelosi will likely submit the articles of impeachment to the Senate this week. Expect Democrats to start calling the trial “rigged” from the very first day, regardless of what actually happens.
- As the evidence points to Iran having accidentally shot down a plane over its own capital city, killing 176 people, we can expect to see international condemnation that may just end in the death of the Iran Nuclear Deal.
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