New gun control legislation is making its way through the Virginia Senate. Those who oppose the legislation surrounded the capitol building Monday, carrying weapons and wearing camouflage. CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues discusses what took place and why.
An amendment to a current law in Virginia has some martial arts companies, as well as some citizens concerned.
Known as SB64, the bill, according to Self Defense Company, would “instantly transform all martial arts instructors into criminal felons.” They also claim that it would criminalize all firearms training classes, including concealed carry classes.
According to SDC, the law would “even criminalize a father teaching his own son how to use a hunting rifle.”
The law, which was initially passed in 1987 relates the following:
A person is guilty of unlawful paramilitary activity, punishable as a Class 5 felony if he:
- Teaches, demonstrates to any other person the use, application or making of any firearm, explosive or incendiary device, or technique capable of causing injury or death to persons, knowing or having reason to know or intending that such training will be employed for use in, or in furtherance of, a civil disorder;
- Assembles with one or more persons for the purpose of training with, practicing with, or being instructed in the use of any firearm, explosive or incendiary device, or technique capable of causing injury or death to persons, intending to employ such training for use in, or in furtherance of, a civil disorderSB 64 adds the following language:
- Assembles with one or more persons with the intent of intimidating any person or group of persons by drilling, parading, or marching with any firearm, any explosive or incendiary device, or any components or combination thereof.
According to the article in Natural News, the language of the bill as written is too wide open to interpretation, especially in a state that appears to be going hard left like Virginia. We recently published a couple of stories on new confiscatory gun laws that are being proposed in the Virginia legislature.
In fact, numerous counties in Virginia and elsewhere have vowed to become so-called “Second Amendment Sanctuaries” (thank you California and other immigration law sanctuaries for the idea) where any laws that counter the Second Amendment would not be enforced.
The fact that this law is being amended, at the same time when new confiscatory gun laws are going to be put forth, gives gun owners reason to be concerned. As always, laws like this will likely be adjudicated in court. As we are painfully aware, that can be a crapshoot. It is inevitable that this new law will somehow be tested via a court case.
One can understand how people might be concerned. For example, the firearms addendum is somewhat vague.
If a person has a license to carry and happens to be with one or two people and they are involved in a counter protest to something like an Antifa or BLM rally, based on this law, the Antifa thugs or BLM participants could say that someone exercising their Second Amendment rights “intimidated” them and that would result in them getting arrested.
The statute is ripe for abuse.
Are some being paranoid? Perhaps. But in 2019, anything goes. All it takes is a social justice warrior wearing a robe and you could easily see why some people are concerned.
On Thursday, lawmakers in Virginia threatened to deploy the National Guard to enforce the strict gun legislation they’re pushing for if law enforcement officials refuse to do it themselves.
They said, “the law is the law.”
But apparently that’s a double standard in Virginia. Instead of focusing on what is and what isn’t against the law, it seems as though these lawmakers are only pushing to enforce rules that they believe are right.
Don’t believe us?
Take a look at what happened just a few months back in regard to a police officer cooperating with federal immigration officials.
In late September, a Virginia cop had the nerve and the audacity to notify ICE that he had detained a subject that they had a warrant out on.
He was subsequently suspended.
Luckily, a week later, after a massive public outcry about punishing the officer for upholding the law, the Fairfax County lawman was allowed to return to work.
As reported by the Washington Times, Chief Roessler Jr. said he suspended an officer who cooperated with federal deportation officers by turning over an undocumented immigrant he encountered during a traffic stop — a move the chief said violated policy.
Read Entire Article on Law Enforcement Today
