According to an article by Thom Hartmann titled “Will America’s Billionaires Start a Second Civil War?” an outline for how an oligarchy (a government controlled by a small number of people) can overthrow a democracy:
For oligarchy to totally take down democracy, only three things are initially needed:
* Control of (or substantial influence over) a critical portion of the media
* Legalization of bribery of public officials, so oligarchs can achieve majority control of the legislative process
* Control of the most critical parts of the court system so they can control legal processes.
Anyone who has been paying attention can see all of these rampant in our government. And this is, of course, exactly what is happening in Virginia.
In this article I hope to explain why Virginian’s are refusing to comply with state legislators and why we should all care. I am not, nor do I ever intend to be a lawyer. I am not an expert. I only interpret the information I research.
So, I have included links to where I found my evidence in case you would like to fact check the claims I make. By the end of this article I hope you will agree to the preponderance of evidence that the super wealthy are intentionally ripping our country apart.
Virginia has quickly become the center of attention for 2nd Amendment supporters as state law makers are posed to introduce what they refer to as “common sense” gun laws. This year Virginia came under the control of Democrats after an influx of money donated by billionaire Michael Bloomberg.
According to Blue Virginia, a blog dedicated to covering “progressive and Democratic perspective – and to help elect Democrats,” the amount of money put into the state by the former NYC Mayor is well into the millions.
“First off, since this is a Virginia-focused blog, it’s worth noting that Bloomberg has donated a s***-ton of money to Virginia Democrats, either directly or via his Everytown for Gun Safety organization, which he founded and heavily finances. As you can see, Bloomberg has donated $410,000 (all to Democrats) directly, and nearly $6.3 million (again, all to Democrats) via Everytown – including over $1.5 million in 2019 alone, helping Democrats win back the Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate. So Bloomberg definitely gets credit for that!”
Bloomberg also gets credit for instituting the Stop and Frisk campaign where NYPD officers were ordered to temporarily detain citizens for questioning and search them for weapons or other contraband.
The law was ruled unconstitutional search and seizure (4th Amendment) after backlash which called the practice racial profiling when it was revealed that 85-90% of those stopped in 2017 were African-American and Latino.
The money spent by Bloomberg has been put to quick use by democrats in Virginia helping to get the current Governor, Ralph Northam, and enough blue politicians into office to give them control over both the house and the senate which allows them to pass laws regardless of republican interests.
Both Governor Northam and his next in line to receive power, Lt. Governor Fairfax, were themselves accused of misconduct earlier this year.
Calls from both republicans and democrats for Northam’s resignation arose after a photo of him dressed in black face and standing next to a person dressed as a KKK member was released to the public. Oddly, Northam first admitted to being one of the two people in the picture but refused to say which one.
Then, after a few days to meet with his advisors, he strangely retracted his statement and said he was neither of the individuals. Despite citizen protests and his own democratic colleagues calling for him to resign and saying the Governor’s ability to lead was severely in question, Northam refused to step down from his position.
The politician who is slated to take over if Northam had resigned, Lt. Governor Fairfax, was himself accused of sexual misconduct when a woman alleged he sexually assaulted her at a Democratic convention in 2004. Fairfax denied wrongdoing, saying the encounter was consensual. His accuser Vanessa Tyson, a fellow at Stanford University, of course, disagrees.
According to the Virginian Pilot,, Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington noted that the likely reason for the Governor Northam’s aggressive stance on gun laws originates from the politician seeking to draw attention away from the racist photo.
The Proposed Laws:
The gun laws Governor Northam considers to be common sense include the following:
“Prohibiting sale, transport, etc., of assault firearms and certain firearm magazines; penalties. Expands the definition of “assault firearm” and prohibits any person from importing, selling, transferring, manufacturing, purchasing, possessing, or transporting an assault firearm. A violation is a Class 6 felony. The bill prohibits a dealer from selling, renting, trading, or transferring from his inventory an assault firearm to any person.”
A citizen who owns a prohibited weapon under this law and fails to turn it over to authorities by the specified deadline can be charged as a felon as there is no grandfather clause currently included. “Grandfathering” means that if you already own a weapon on the banned list you may keep it, but if you don’t already own one, you are not allowed to purchase one legally.
There have been some reports of plans to amend this bill to allow the grandfathering of “assault weapons,” but nothing to substantiate it at this time.
SB 1210 Paramilitary Activities
“Provides that a person is guilty of unlawful paramilitary activity if such person assembles with another person with the intent of intimidating any person or group of persons by drilling, parading, or marching with any firearm or explosive or incendiary device or any components or combination thereof. Such unlawful paramilitary activity is punishable as a Class 5 felony.”
This law makes it illegal to participate in a 2nd Amendment protest with your weapons on you as it will be legally viewed as intimidation.
The law goes on to confirm that it will be illegal to give firearms training and instruction to another person, or to assemble as a group to participate in such training.
“A person shall be guilty of unlawful paramilitary activity, punishable as a Class 5 felony if he:
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 disorder.”
While the term used here is “paramilitary” the correct word should be “militia.” The state of Virginia is making the assembly of citizen militias illegal and punishable with a Class 5 felony.
The laws are not set to be voted on until January, but most reports say there is a high likelihood they will be put into law due to the political power lying in the hands of Governor Northam and his colleagues.
In response, thousands of Virginians have flocked to their town halls to voice concerns over losing their right to protect themselves, and the county sheriffs have been overwhelmingly supportive of their citizens.
According to the Virginia Citizens Defense League, 101 Virginia counties and cities have declared 2nd amendment sanctuary status and are refusing to enforce any laws which inhibit constitutional rights.
Threats
The immediate outpouring of support for the 2nd Amendment did nothing to sway the opinion of those in favor of strict gun control. Despite the vast majority of Virginia Sheriffs saying they will not devote any resources to ensuring these measures are enforced, democrats in Richmond say they are unswayed in implementing these laws and threaten to deploy the Virginian National Guard to force Virginia citizens to comply.
One of those politicians, Democratic Virginia Rep. Donald McEachin, who only earlier this year said Governor Northam was wholly unfit for leadership, said if Virginia sheriffs refuse to enforce the law, they might have their funding cut.
“They certainly risk funding, because if the sheriff’s department is not going to enforce the law, they’re going to lose money. The counties’ attorneys’ offices are not going to have the money to prosecute because their prosecutions are going to go down,” he said.
Mr. McEachin also went on to say the use of force is still on the table and the Governor could decide to call out the National Guard in order to enforce his unpopular orders:
“And ultimately, I’m not the governor, but the governor may have to nationalize the National Guard to enforce the law,” he said. “That’s his call, because I don’t know how serious these counties are and how severe the violations of law will be. But that’s obviously an option he has.”
McEachin isn’t the only one warning of repercussions for disobedience. Democratic Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly told the Washington Examiner uncompliant sheriffs could face legal punishment:
“I would hope they either resign in good conscience, because they cannot uphold the law which they are sworn to uphold, or they’re prosecuted for failure to fulfill their oath,” he said.
While Governor Northam has not made any overt threats himself other than to say the elected sheriffs will face “consequences,” neither has he commented that these courses of action are out of the question.
The Virginia National Guard refused to comment via twitter on whether they would entertain such a request to enforce these laws.
In an interview with 13 News Now, Northam says he isn’t about retaliation, then immediately went back on that statement by saying:
“If we have constitutional laws on the books, and law enforcement officers are not enforcing those laws, there’s gonna be some consequences, but I’ll cross that bridge if and when I get to it,” he said.
It’s looking like that bridge is on the horizon and it will be a treacherous crossing with an abrupt drop into a chasm on either side as Virginia county sheriffs continue to refuse compliance of what they view to be unconstitutional demands.
One Sheriff went so far as to say he would deputize every law-abiding citizen in his county as a legal loophole since these gun laws would not apply to law enforcement.
Culpeper County Sheriff Scott H. Jenkins, posted this statement to Facebook:
“Every Sheriff and Commonwealth Attorney in Virginia will see the consequences if our General Assembly passes further unnecessary gun restrictions. ‘Red Flag’ laws without due process will create enormous conflict as well,” Sheriff Scott Jenkins wrote in a Facebook post.
“My office will always encourage and support our citizens in firearms training, concealed carry permits, and the ability to defend themselves and their families,” he continued. “I remain very optimistic that our General Assembly will not pass the proposed bills. Obviously, if passed, there are many of us willing to challenge these laws through the courts. In addition, if necessary, I plan to properly screen and deputize thousands of our law-abiding citizens to protect their constitutional right to own firearms.”
Tazewell County became the first state to pass resolutions to both identify themselves as a 2nd Amendment sanctuary and establish a militia. Citizens from around the county made themselves heard through Facebook, letting their local government know where they stood.
While requests for both resolutions to be passed flooded in online, concerned citizens flocked into the town hall and overflowing the small-town board room in support.
The Bristol Herald Courier reports Board Chairman Travis Hackworth said at the town hall meeting:
“We went through them (resolutions) with three attorneys. It was not our intent to water anything down. We wanted something with teeth in it. Something we could use to file injunctions and defend in court.”
Tazewell County board member Charlie Stacy noted it was the threat from democrats in the state capital to cut off funding to their county for not obeying the law, and the threat to remove elected officials from office that persuaded them to pass the militia ordinance.
County Administrator Eric Young, who participated in the drafting of the resolutions, said:
“Our position is that Article I, Section 13, of the Constitution of Virginia reserves the right to ‘order’ militia to the localities,” he said. “Therefore, counties, not the state, determine what types of arms may be carried in their territory and by whom. So, we are ‘ordering’ the militia by making sure everyone can own a weapon.”
Southern District Supervisor Mike Hymes said he has been listening when citizens voice their concerns and requesting that the resolutions be passed.
“We live in an area where the nearest deputy might be 45 minutes away. People feel the need to have a gun to protect themselves and their property,” he said.
According to the Bristol Herald Courier, the county government is in agreement that constitutional laws supersede Virginia state laws with the recently elected Commonwealth’s Attorney Chris Plaster, and Tazewell County Sheriff Brian Hieatt voicing their support for the resolutions.
What We Can Do:
Scary stuff I know. But take a deep breath and hang in there. There’s light ahead.
We must continue to fight this fight along legal means until those means are denied us. At the moment however, Virginians (and all Americans), still have options.
In my opinion, the most important thing we can do is get the word out about this volatile situation to other Americans about what is happening. Don’t let the truth be dismissed with an offhanded wave from Rolexed wrists. Demand politicians serve the will of the people, not billionaires, and defend the constitution from all threats, foreign, and domestic.
You can participate physically by attending rallies to lend your voice to the weight of the argument and show solidarity by standing together with fellow Americans.
You can help financially by donating to those organizations taking the lead on fighting the will of the powerful elite.
If unable to offer any financial or physical support, leave comments on social media telling Virginians you support their fight. Send letters, emails and anything else you can think of to show we are united against corruption.
A great way to do any, or all of these, is to get in contact with the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), who by all accounts is doing an incredible job leading the political fight.
A VCDL Lobby day is being planned and buses are being chartered to transport Virginians to Richmond on January 20th. Seats for a round trip are only $35 each to cover the costs of the buses.
If you are unable to attend yourself, you may donate a seat to another citizen who can attend by by using this link..
This is NOT a Red vs. Blue Fight
I want to caution against seeing these issues as a Red vs. Blue, Liberal vs. Conservative, or Democrat vs. Republican. This is a fight between the people, and corrupt power. The same fight that has been going on since the beginning of our country.
Like it or not, we need both republicans and democrats to ensure all areas of government are held in balance, so no idea goes unchallenged and misguided decisions are hopefully avoided. Republicans need their democrat brothers and sisters to hold them accountable, because (and be honest) they can be pretty bull headed.
Just as republicans are supposed to hold the democrats accountable. The US government was designed to be a logical system of checks and balances, not the chaotic mess of bribes, back biting, and jockeying for power it’s become.
Yes, the politicians who are threatening to tear Virginia and possibly the whole US apart are currently democrats. This time. Republican politicians enjoy no absolution from scrutiny over the many travesties they have participated in. Today, it’s democrats threatening us, tomorrow it will be republicans. The outlandish and unchecked corruption infests both parties, and it’s the normal working American who suffers.
The face of America is covered in the weeping sores of corruption. The mask we’ve been shown for years is slipping and the average citizen is now seeing glimpses of the infection. But politicians and journalists on the payroll of billionaires attempt to hide it with makeup or distract from it with war paint.
They don’t care about you, or your family. They care about power and they are using the American people against each other, so we do not unite and collectively agree to depose them.
They are counting on misdirection and apathy to keep the masses occupied and quiet and are only able to accomplish this through heavily biased “journalists” and mega media outlets who report only what they are told by the elite.
Read here for an excellent article by one of our sister democrats, Saritha Prabhu, a self-described liberal, discussing the intentional misinformation in the mainstream media.
“I still watch CNN and enjoy the Times’ non-political articles. But I watch and read their political coverage with cynical, distrusting eyes,” she says. “It’s not just our politics that is broken; our media is broken too, and hopelessly. The bias used to be hidden, but now it is open, glaring, and shameless. Our media outlets have become very tribal and are openly rooting for or against the party and politician of their choice—truth, fairness, honesty, justice, and journalistic principles be damned.”
Whether Red or Blue, we can all agree with Ms. Prabhu that these problems affect us all.
You may approach gun control from a completely opposite direction as I do, but I think we can both agree that threatening good citizens trying to earn a living is not the best way of “healing Virginia.” We might also agree that, slow as it is, allowing the law and public education on topics important to us is a far better way to see the changes we want instead of trying to force them with violence.
Times are changing. And it could very well be that the public’s opinion about the validity of owning firearms shifts as well. But currently, Virginians, and a significant portion of the US, still feel they need a firearm for protection. And the laws proposed by Governor Northam, and the opinions of his colleagues in Richmond only serve to reinforce these feelings.
“Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms.” ~ Aristotle
Written by Brian McLaughlin for Concealed Carry ~ December 20, 2019
