January 18th was a special day in Richmond. It was when private citizens were able to speak with their local representatives to discuss the issues that matter to them most. While it was bitterly cold outside, it didn’t stop supporters of the Second Amendment from venturing into the state capitol to tell Virginia’s lawmakers one simple truth: guns save lives.
Around 11 a.m., members and supporters of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a state-based gun rights organization, gathered near the clock tower in the shadow of the state capitol. At the rally, State Sen. Bryce Reeves thanked these patriots for their support of the Second Amendment, adding that he never felt safer on capitol grounds; a great many VCDL supporters were open carrying their firearms.
The sound system was a bit twitchy by this point rendering many opening remarks difficult to hear. A survivor of the a 2008 mall shooting in Tukwila, just south of Seattle, Washington said he was a victim of gun violence who saw “first hand” what happens when the wrong people have guns, while the right people are left defenseless. He was in a gun-free zone and the only thought going through his head was where’s my gun?As the sound system came alive, Delegate Rob Bell and Scott Taylor gave brief remarks as well. Bell, who is set to run against incumbent Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring, slammed his job performance, calling him hostile to Second Amendment rights. He pledged to work for the next 55 days to fix the damage he’s done; Herring recently altered the state’s concealed carry laws–stripping reciprocity with nearly 26 states starting in February. Bell mentioned that it’s time to give AG Herring “no more years” in office when 2017 rolls around.
Delegate Taylor, a former Navy SEAL, said he plans to put forward a bill that would allow National Guardsmen who have obtained a concealed carry permit to carry their firearms in the state; an appropriations bill that will roll back AG Herring’s anti-gun actions; and a law that will bar Virginia from recognizing other anti-gun proposals implemented through executive action elsewhere in the country. Shak Hill, a U.S. Air Force veteran and co-chair for Sen. Ted Cruz’s Virginia Leadership Team, also thanked the crowd for all that they do to keep our gun rights safe, and added that he’s “very pleased to be packing” at the event.
Around 11 a.m., members and supporters of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a state-based gun rights organization, gathered near the clock tower in the shadow of the state capitol. At the rally, State Sen. Bryce Reeves thanked these patriots for their support of the Second Amendment, adding that he never felt safer on capitol grounds; a great many VCDL supporters were open carrying their firearms.
The sound system was a bit twitchy by this point rendering many opening remarks difficult to hear. A survivor of the a 2008 mall shooting in Tukwila, just south of Seattle, Washington said he was a victim of gun violence who saw “first hand” what happens when the wrong people have guns, while the right people are left defenseless. He was in a gun-free zone and the only thought going through his head was where’s my gun?As the sound system came alive, Delegate Rob Bell and Scott Taylor gave brief remarks as well. Bell, who is set to run against incumbent Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring, slammed his job performance, calling him hostile to Second Amendment rights. He pledged to work for the next 55 days to fix the damage he’s done; Herring recently altered the state’s concealed carry laws–stripping reciprocity with nearly 26 states starting in February. Bell mentioned that it’s time to give AG Herring “no more years” in office when 2017 rolls around.
Delegate Taylor, a former Navy SEAL, said he plans to put forward a bill that would allow National Guardsmen who have obtained a concealed carry permit to carry their firearms in the state; an appropriations bill that will roll back AG Herring’s anti-gun actions; and a law that will bar Virginia from recognizing other anti-gun proposals implemented through executive action elsewhere in the country. Shak Hill, a U.S. Air Force veteran and co-chair for Sen. Ted Cruz’s Virginia Leadership Team, also thanked the crowd for all that they do to keep our gun rights safe, and added that he’s “very pleased to be packing” at the event.
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