Elections have consequences. It’s something that liberals have forgotten after 2016. The inability of the Left to accept that Donald Trump won remains a source of entertainment, but it also cuts both ways. In Virginia, Democrats control everything. For the first time in two decades, Democrats control the state legislature and the governor’s mansion. The state has been trending blue, a trend accelerated by squishy Republican suburban voters abandoning the party. Northern Virginia is the liberal bastion that’s helping turn this once competitive state into another Maryland. The Virginia Republican Party hasn’t done a stellar job with candidate recruitment, having just one statewide victory in 2009. There have been none since then and nearly a quarter of the state senate races this year had no GOP opponent. You cannot win if you don’t show up on the field.
We know Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, who just survived a scandal where he admitted to wearing blackface, wants to enact Bloomberg-style gun control here. He wants to ban so-called assault weapons and have universal background checks. What’s more, is that they want to confiscate these firearms as well. Virginia Democrats tipped their hand last summer, where an assault weapons ban and mandatory turnover period were introduced during a special session that was quickly torpedoed by Republicans when they controlled the legislature.
Now, the docket for this upcoming session has all the things anti-gun lefties want; none of which will increase public safety. They want to bring back the one handgun a month law, universal background checks, limit magazine sizes, ban assault weapons, and increase the age to purchase all firearms to 21. Gun confiscation has been walked back a bit, with Democrats now saying they’ll have a grandfather clause, but that owners will have to register their firearms with the state. Yeah, it’s still a trash proposal.
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke decided to really give away the Democrats’ anti-gun playbook by declaring that he would confiscate AR-15s if elected president. Thank God he’ll never get within 5,000 miles of the Oval Office as he’s now quit, but this is the Left’s holy grail. They want to shred the Second Amendment, ban guns, and confiscate them all. They want to seize the property of law-abiding Americans. It’s now on the record, though it's something that gun owners and Second Amendment supporters have known for years.
In Virginia, Democratic Congressman Donald McEachin floated the idea of the National Guard going door-to-door to enforce Northam’s anti-gun laws. And yes, by reading the law, it seems Northam would have the power to do that:
§ 44-75.1. Militia state active duty.
A. The Governor or his designee may call forth the militia or any part thereof to state active duty for service in any of the following circumstances:
1. In the event of invasion or insurrection or imminent threat of either;
2. When any combination of persons becomes so powerful as to obstruct the execution of laws in any part of this Commonwealth;
3. When the Governor determines that a state agency or agencies having law-enforcement responsibilities are in need of assistance to perform particular law-enforcement functions, which functions he shall specify in his call to the militia;
The National Guard is part of the militia.
Now, will Northam do this is the question. The governor walking back on the hardline confiscation aspect is a sign that he doesn’t want to pass something that could bring about widespread defiance (maybe). Again, I’m not one to really trust Democrats, especially on Second Amendment freedoms. Or it could be that he’s walking back, knowing pro-Second Amendment voters will rage regardless, which then gives him the option to drop the hammer. Another option is that this issue remains in limbo and Democrats try again to pass something more aggressive after another election. Time will tell, but Northam having that power only confirms what conservatives have been saying for years concerning the Democrats' true intentions about gun rights. Be vigilant. This fight is never done. Right now, we have the vast majority of Virginia counties declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries. It's a start.
All ?? on Virginia re the 2A Sanctuary tsunami (h/t @CamEdwards)
— Gabriella Hoffman (@Gabby_Hoffman) December 13, 2019
A Sleeping Giant has awoken across the Commonwealth.
72 of 95 counties—joined by 16 cities/towns—are now 2A Sanctuary Counties. More coming...#DefendThe2nd