Freedom Outpost – by Suzanne Hamner
In case many have not heard, the State of Virginia is set to cease recognition of concealed carry weapons permits from 25 states under the authority of Democrat Attorney General Mark Herring. Virginia’s GOP party, unhappy with Herring’s action, fired back at Herring with Republican State legislators looking to relieve Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe of his protective detail. Virginia Sen. Bill Carrico plans to propose a budget amendment that would defund the governor’s protective detail, according to The Herald Courier.
Herring stated after making the announcement last week, “Our General Assembly has already identified who can and cannot conceal handguns in Virginia, and we cannot have that decision undermined by recognizing permits from other states with more permissive standards.”
What Herring is referring to is reciprocity regarding concealed carry permits. If you have a concealed carry permit from a state Virginia recognizes, you can have that permit honored in Virginia and vice versa. North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky border Virginia and Virginia will no longer recognize carry permits from these states. The list of states Virginia will not recognize beginning on February 1, 2016, per Herring are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. With Virginia refusing to honor or provide reciprocity to these states, residents who have valid carry permits in Virginia may find their permits not accepted in states Virginia refuses to honor.
As many already know, the Second Amendment states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Any requirement or law enacted for individuals to obtain permits, go through background checks or any other criteria, goes against the Second Amendment, qualifying it as an infringement on the people. The federal government has no jurisdiction to legislate on arms. Neither does any state have the authority. The militia is the people, period.
According to Carrico, he is not willing to provide the governor funds for a protective detail when the governor is afraid of guns.
“A lot of the governor’s power is deferred to the General Assembly at that point and I’ll be getting with my colleagues to circumvent everything this governor has done on this point,” Carrico said. “I have a budget amendment that I’m looking at to take away his executive protection unit. If he’s so afraid of guns, then I’m not going to surround him with armed state policemen.”
Most Americans know these unconstitutional gun control laws, edicts and unilateral orders have nothing to do with officials being “afraid of guns.” Moreover, Americans recognize it is not about keeping “guns out of the hands of criminals” or making sure the “mentally compromised” are not able to access guns. Americans know this is about limiting the citizens’ rights to keep and bear arms — law are directed at legal gun-owning citizens.
Pro-gun activists in Virginia claim they secured a promise from a state lawmaker that legislators will propose to defund Herring’s new gun control policy.
Michael Hammond, Gun Owners of America Legislative Counsel, says the GOA “obtained commitment from a state legislator that he will move to defund this lawless act when the state legislature considers the budget over the next three months. In addition, we will push to ensure that Herring’s unilateral decree is denied the funds to pursue other political vendettas.”
For residents of Bristol, Tennessee, this new policy by Virginia creates a problem. Bristol is a town shared by both Tennessee and Virginia. With this edict by Herring, residents of Bristol with a permit from Tennessee will become a criminal should they cross a street because Virginia will not recognize the Tennessee permit.
Virginia resident Ted Culberson called the state’s stance “a crock.” Culberson claims it is all a political play that affects residents of Bristol, Tennessee, more so than the residents of the entire state of Virginia.
As one can figure, McAuliffe vetoed a number of pro- gun legislation this year and issued an executive order denying conceal carry permit holders from carrying firearms in executive office buildings throughout the entire state. Pro Second Amendment activists are expected to lobby both chambers of the legislature on January 18, 2016.
One can agree with Carrico. If any politician supports any unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment and the right of the people to bear arms, these politicians should be more than willing to forego their armed security. Any measures to limit the people have to include law enforcement, the military, armed security details and politicians since “they’re people too.”
Of course, that is not how these “gun grabbers” intend it to be. Only the people should be limited, not law enforcement, the military, armed security guards, politicians or any of their cronies. It produces an imbalance in power making the people defenseless against over-reaching government, tyranny and despotism.
If Obama “end runs around Congress” and those “gun grabbers” in Congress pass any legislation to infringe on the people’s right to bear arms, Virginia residents won’t be alone in their fight to preserve the Second Amendment.
Read more at http://freedomoutpost.com/2015/12/va-senator-threatens-to-defund-governors-armed-security-detail-over-ags-gun-stance/#PwUyu5DIFcP9Pmko.99