On Monday, thousands of Second Amendment supporters carrying long firearms and wearing stickers reading “Guns Save Lives” descended upon Virginia’s Capitol in Richmond for a widely publicized rally to protest a recent push by state Democrats for comprehensive gun control. The activists who gathered in Richmond on Monday were heard in large groups reciting the Second Amendment in unison, while others broke out in chants of “we will not comply!” When one speaker asked the crowd if they were ready for gun control, the crowd yelled back, ”No!”
Last week, three gun control-related bills advanced in Virginia’s General Assembly. The bills that sailed through the Senate Judiciary Committee propose to require background checks on all firearms purchases; allow law enforcement to temporarily remove guns from people deemed to be a risk to themselves or others; limit handgun purchases to one a month; and let localities decide on whether to ban weapons from certain events. To become law, the bills would have to pass the full Senate and the House of Delegates before going to the governor for his signature.
