Many commenters, including myself, have urged caution in the weeks leading up to today's VCDL "Lobby Day" pro-Second-Amendment protest in Richmond, Virginia. We've pointed out that the newly-installed Democratic Party administration in that state has basically set things up so that they can't lose. Any incident is going to be blamed on right-wing agitators, redneck rebels and "bitter clingers", and used as an excuse to implement even harsher repression against those who place a higher value on the Constitution of the United States than upon current politically correct shibboleths.
However, the other side has not been seeking to de-escalate things to a level of reasoned discourse. Instead, they're doubling down on their determination to ram new laws through the state government to reinforce their domination and control - and to prevent it ever being democratically overturned. 2nd Amendment Daily News has more details.
Between November 18-21, 2019, just days after winning the majority, several anti-gun bills were pre-filed in Virginia. These would criminalize ownership of AR-15s, outlaw ‘militia’ activity with the term now broadly defined, ban ‘high-capacity’ magazines and more.
Virginia voters - not just gun owners, but anybody who cared about the rule of law and checks and balances - were rightfully outraged. More than 90% of the state voted themselves a Second Amendment Sanctuary. News articles and Facebook forums were openly talking about voting out every single Democrat in the state in the next election.
The Democrats shot back: they filed bills that repeal voter ID, would allow felons the vote, and more. A LOT more. Senate Bill 399 would give Virginia’s electoral college votes to the winner of the national popular vote. SJ 29 would change election law so that the governor would be elected by majority of votes in congressional districts, not by statewide majority. Basically, what D.C. says goes and the rest of you be damned. SJ 14 would restore voting rights to convicted felons. SJ 8 would allow felons and those declared mentally incompetent to vote. SB 65 - Eliminates photo ID requirement for voting. SJ 6 - Increases the term limit of the governor from 4 to 8 years.
So Virginians wised up. They’re not going to lose another election to dead voters, illegals, and felons. They decide to start a recall petition for several key Democrats. They’re not waiting for another election. And they’re sure as hell not waiting two years for a sham rigged election if all these new bills become law.
But the Democrats aren’t playing a gentleman’s game, anymore. They are in this for total domination, and they don’t have any scruples about playing in the mud!
Virginia’s Democrats replied swiftly. They had Representative Paul Krizek introduce HB 842, a bill that changes how a candidate is recalled. Instead of needing 10% of the prevailing vote to recall their seat, now you need 25%. Oh, and instead of having 120 days to file all those petitions for a recall, they’ll only have 60 days.
If you live in Virginia, you’ve got some tough options in front of you. You’re losing your state and way of life if these things go though.
If you live in another state, it’s time to wake up, and fast before you find yourself pinned like these Virginians.
There's more at the link.
That news still doesn't make me any more hopeful that today's protest will develop into anything other than a deliberate trap, set for Second Amendment defenders by the new Virginia powers that be. However, it does illustrate just how determined the latter are, and how arrogant their approach is. They're being utterly blatant and in-your-face to the entire state, and to the rest of the nation. They've taken power, and they're doing their very best, by fair means or foul, to ensure that they never lose it again.
If they succeed, then, in so many words, what President Abraham Lincoln called "government of the people, by the people, for the people" shall indeed perish from the Virginia earth. What's more, those responsible for the death of democracy in Virginia will do their best to spread it from there, and places like it, to the rest of these United States.
If it boils down to that, then what some are calling "Civil War 2" will probably become inevitable.
I hate to have to say that . . . but I've seen this before, in more than one country. When one party or tribe or interest group or culture gains power over another, the temptation to make sure they never lose it again becomes overwhelming. The other side reacts, and does their best to stop the rot before it's too late. The result is inevitably chaos, disorder, and eventually bloodshed - sometimes on a massive scale.
I hope and pray that never again happens in the USA. Sadly, there are those (on both sides of the political aisle) who don't share that hope; in fact, they look forward to it happening, to "show the other side who's boss", or to "teach them a lesson", or any other specious excuse made by those who don't know the reality of which they so glibly speak.
Watch what happens in Virginia today; and watch the progress of the anti-democratic bills that are in the pipeline in that state. Virginia is now a harbinger for what's coming to this nation as a whole . . . whether we like it or not.
Peter
It no longer matters if the government of the Commonwealth actually passes the proposed laws or not.
ReplyDeleteThe enemy has stated their goals and intentions. Everything that follows is merely strategy and tactics.
Peter, you have seen war and know how bad it can be for everyone so understandably you don't want it here.
ReplyDeleteThat said, now that the masks are coming off, do you honestly see another path? An electoral spanking isn't going to stop these people from trying again until they succeed.
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — forever." George Orwell
@Off The Wall: If it comes, it'll be disastrous for the country, no matter who wins. It'll be worse than Civil War 1, I think, because the divide is so deep-rooted. However, it may be inevitable . . . in which case, every American will have no choice but to take a stand for what he or she believes.
ReplyDeleteDuring World War II, it was said:
"We are trying to show him not only what we are fighting against, but what we are fighting for. So many of these boys have only a very hazy idea of the real issues of the war. About all they see is “going back to the good old days.” This is a dangerous state. If they don’t stand for something, they will fall for anything. They need to realize that we are fighting two wars—the war of arms and the war of ideas—that other war of which the war of arms is one phase."
That's what it boils down to. We're not fighting against something so much as we're fighting for something. That fact necessarily leads to the conclusion that if what you're for isn't worth fighting for, why are you bothering to protest against something?
It is past the point that either side can back down.
ReplyDeleteIf the Right and all their minions don't show up, it's a victory for the Leftists.
If the Right do show up and nothing bad happens, the Leftists will still do what they're going to do, like pass no voter ID, all electors must vote as the popular vote goes, and other such scat.
There's a fine line past showing up and nothing bad happens where the Right's message actually gets through, and the Leftists back down. Very fine, and pert near impossible to hit this point. Like a limit in Calculus, you can get near it but never quite reach it.
And, of course, if there's any activity at all it will be blamed on the Right, and be used as a basis for even more dumbing down by the Leftists.
But.. Don't show up? Then the Leftists win, because they have scared us, stared us down, we're their female intact dog of breeding age.
These proposals aren't all one sided. The change in electing the governor (SJ29) is sponsored by a Republican. Since it elects the governor based on the number of Congressional districts voting for each candidate it reduces the influence of extremely one sided areas (e.g. Democratic DC area) over more evenly split areas (since 51% for a candidate in one district has the same effect as 90% for a candidate in another district).
ReplyDeleteThis type of thing is why I normally just vote NO on any ballot initiative.
Yup, boil time....
ReplyDeleteBut, for a good chuckle.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Julio_Rosas11/status/1219286445942284290