Ralph Northam

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Democrats swept to victory in Virginia last year after raising awareness for stricter Gun Control laws. Weeks later, the game began.

Militia -members, if you had to have a meeting in a Virginia suburb, before a gun Rally on The Following day, The Culpeper County 2A Facebook-group five rules.

a rule was "Get Busy run Schedule action and take the necessary steps to protect our rights. Sharing memes is not enough. We need coordinated action. "

rule two-don't give up " - We are in The Fight of our lives. Act accordingly. Never Surrender . "

sometime at the end of January, The Rules changed and the rule was the two "no to racism". But the main goal remained: Culpeper County 2A (the 2A stands for Second Amendment) was founded with the aim of resistance against Gun Control bills working their way through the Virginia state legislature.

Similar to groups by The State . Dozens of cities and country decision-making circles, declare that "second amendment sanctuaries" - a term borrowed from the "sanctuary cities" immigration-Movement of a few years ago. The resolutions vary from county to county, But they explain, by and large, the support for the second amendment and designation of the proposed state Gun Control laws as invalid.

Democrats won control of the Virginia house and Senate in November for the First Time in 24 years, and they proposed a series of Gun Control measures, universal background checks, restrictions on high-capacity magazines. The exchange came as no Surprise - the Democrats had fought, the strong on Gun Control , supported by funding from activist groups, the comprehensive with regard to financial, The National Rifle Association in his home state. Democratic candidates were started in response to a growing clamor for Gun Control , mass shootings of 32 people at Virginia Tech in 2007, and has been reinforced in the last year, When a municipal worker 12 people in Virginia Beach are slaughtered. If you won, the Democrats turned their proposals into bills and promised a wave of progressive legislation. Weeks later, the game began.

Nearly 200 Virginia municipalities have now passed, the second amendment to The Sanctuary resolutions, turn the old Confederate capital, in a kind of front line. The Driving Force behind the resolution in Culpeper County was Heelen Patrick, a local lawyer, who founded the Culpeper County 2A group.

Heelen is a barrel-torso man, something over six feet, who wears cowboy boots and a Long Beard befitting his role as a captain in The Local Civil War battle re-enactments. He prefers the term "constitutional county" to the second amendment to The Sanctuary , because he believes that the founding fathers of the grant is determined, the absolute gun rights to the population, in all of eternity.

", All eyes on Virginia," he said to me. "America is watching what we do, how we behave. America is to be observed, in the extent to which we can be pushed around. America is watching to see if we are going to take a position. "

I asked, Heelen, as far as he and his colleagues Culpeper County 2A-members would go on to defend their weapons. "We are engaged," he said.

attorney Patrick Heelen was a vocal supporter of gun rights in Culpeper At The First Board of Supervisors meeting in Culpeper, on a cold Tuesday morning in December, so Many people came that the 180-capacity room was leaking in the hallway and clear the Parking lot. This was an unusual condition for the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors.

"I've been on the board for 38 years, and that was the biggest crowd I ever saw," Bill Chase , Vice-Chairman, said then. "It's the fired up issue that I've seen in all my years. "

Many at The Meeting wore bright orange stickers reading "guns save lives", the always familiar in parts of Virginia. Chase introduced the resolution, to a round of applause, and to be invited to speak to Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins . Jenkins , the highest-ranking officer in The County referred to The Constitution and the Founding Father from Virginia, Richard Henry Lee , and called the idea of the possession of high-capacity, 15-shot-Magazine "crazy." He told The Crowd that there was, in fact, the second amendment that gun rights for the citizens, But to God.

Jenkins also made an unexpected announcement that Culpeper he said the map in the sanctuaries of Movement , he would. deputise someone in The County , the wanted, allowing you to use the same width of The Gun ignore the rights of a Sheriff ' s Deputy, and the possibility of new gun laws

I met Jenkins , and later, at the Culpeper County Sheriff 's office. "My statement was simply that I would choose to allow to swear, hundreds, or even thousands, of our citizens as Deputy sheriffs, if need be, for them to own guns and push back on the spill-over of our Government ," he said.

He pointed out that Virginia already has Many laws on The Books that are not enforced. "We have laws against spitting in a public area or sidewalk," he said. "I can't recall, to force an officer that in the time that I worked for. "

Some would argue that the Gun Control bills passed by The State legislature to deal with more serious issues, such as reducing the access to the types of high-Power rifles, which were used to devastating effects in mass shootings, or makes it easier to temporarily remove The Guns from individuals in psychiatric crisis.

But Sheriff Jenkins stated, to pass The Bills into Law in the next few weeks, you would sit about spitting, on public surface in its list of priorities. "I think, to focus if there is No Other more important problems, maybe officers to focus on you," he said.

Sheriff Scott Jenkins in his patrol car. He has offered to deputise thousands of citizens, According to Sheriff Jenkins had spoken of finished, the Board of Supervisors meeting and a handful of residents had spoken in support of this resolution, the Board be adjourned, a second meeting That Night . In the evening meeting, which was similarly Packed with Fans, a person delivered a speech against the resolution.

As a young, sharply dressed black man, Uzziah Harris in several respects. He told The Crowd in the context of the Second Amendment, "it was clear, that it will allow for the retention and storage of weapons to a Militia in times of need".

"never mentioned or stated how Many or what kind of weapon and he never said anything about the lack of restriction, regardless of intellectual or emotional capabilities," he said. "There is not currently a national emergency, not even the military need to be supplemented. "

Harris, a Middle School English teacher, went on to quote, cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, cars and The Internet as elements in a General and acceptable to the governed. "So, what is wrong with the regulation of Firearms ?", he said.

approve At the end of The Meeting of the Board of Supervisors unanimous decision.

Harris has a detailed knowledge of the parts of The Constitution and recite the second amendment, analyze its meaning, as he goes. Like others in Culpeper contrast to this Movement , he supports the second amendment. "With all my heart," he told me.

"But there are limits that can be set, and should the possession of guns. We should be for background checks, we need to make sure that people have the mental capability to own weapons. Hunting is one thing, the protection of their families is Another , But this influx of military weapons, unlimited cartridges and rounds, how useful is that for hunting? How necessary is that for the protection of your family?"

The supporters of the "sanctuary Movement " are quick to dismiss, hunting, and family protection as reasons for the defense of gun rights, though. They are quite clear: The Right to bear arms is the defense against a "tyrannical Government " - a term that goes back to the fathers.

"here's The Thing ," Harris said, "it doesn't matter what you have in your stock, what chance do they have against the US military now? What chance do they have against drones?"

of Uzziah Harris was the only one meeting against the resolution at a local meeting on Saturday after The Board of Supervisors, Culpeper County 2A, and The Local Republican Committee staged a Rally in Culpeper's Yowell Meadow Park , where The Local Militia had been applied, in 1770, to fight the English. To hear more than 500 Second Amendment supporters stood under gray skies and drizzle Sheriff Jenkins and others talk about the "sanctuary Movement ".

The Meeting drew an impressive crowd for such a miserable day, But it was really just a warm-up for a much bigger event. Jenkins , Heelen, and The Other sanctuary Fans were all looking in the week before the annual Lobby day Rally in The State capital of Richmond, where more than 50,000 people were expected to gather in The Streets to - Many heavily Armed - to protest against the democratic Gun Control bills.

united states, us gun laws, virginia

Source of news: bbc.com