'The law is the law': Virginia Democrats float prosecution, National Guard deployment

[ansible]

Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill say local police who do not enforce gun control measures likely to pass in Virginia should face prosecution and even threats of the National Guard. After November's Virginia Legislature elections that led to Democrats taking control of both chambers, the gun control legislation proposed by some Democrats moved forward, including universal background checks, an “assault weapons” ban, and a red flag law.

Legal firearm owners in the state, however, joined with their sheriffs to form Second Amendment sanctuary counties, which declare the authorities in these municipalities uphold the Second Amendment in the face of any gun control measure passed by Richmond. Over 75 counties in Virginia have so far adopted such Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions in the commonwealth, the latest being Spotsylvania County. The board of supervisors voted unanimously to approve a resolution declaring that county police will not enforce state-level gun laws that violate Second Amendment rights.

Virginia Democratic officials, however, already say local law enforcement supporting these resolutions will face consequences if they do not carry out any law the state Legislature passes.

“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,” Democratic Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly told the Washington Examiner of local county police who may refuse to enforce future gun control measures. “The law is the law. If that becomes the law, you don't have a choice, not if you're a sworn officer of the law.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/the-law-is-the-law-virginia-democrats-float-prosecution-national-guard-deployment-if-police-dont-enforce-gun-control

[underpants]

1. 75 counties?

I had no idea it was that many.

There are 95 counties and 38 cities in Virginia.

[BuffaloJackalope]

2. If they don't follow the law they're no longer "legal firearm owners"

They're criminals

[LexVegas]

3. The idiots in my county have passed this sanctuary crap. nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Someone should remind Gerry Connolly that this is the position taken by

Virginia AG Herring regarding the Marshall-Newman amendment to the Virginia constitution. It prohibited any marriage other than one man, one woman. Herring said that it wouldn't pass a challenge at the Supreme Court level, so he wasn't going to enforce it. That was about a year before Obergefell. He was applauded for his courage.

Turnabout is fair play.

Democratic Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly told the Washington Examiner of local county police who may refuse to enforce future gun control measures. “The law is the law. If that becomes the law, you don't have a choice, not if you're a sworn officer of the law.”

[crickets]

5. Who are these toddlers who can't deal with a few reasonable rules?

People, no one is taking your guns away. Well, unless you're an assault weapons fan, in which case you get no sympathy: there's a real "get over it" moment. Can't pass a background check? Too bad. Even Trump advocated for red flag laws (shocking, I know) until the NRA bullied him into dropping the issue.

Frankly, most gun regulations don't go far enough. It wouldn't be a bad idea to make gun licenses similar to a driver's license. At the very least, everyone should have to pass a vision test and a written test on gun safety before being able to own one.

The overreaction to any sort of adult supervision regarding gun ownership is so tiresome. To have law enforcement joining in with this nonsense is just unreal.

[ansible]

7. They're defining all semi-auto rifles as assault weapons

[Straw Man]

9. Well, at least they're not following ...

... the latter-day Originalists who claim that the Second Amendment only protects flintlocks. I guess being limited to 100-year-old technology is better than being limited to 250-year-old technology.

[Straw Man]

6. Can you say "culture war"?

I knew that you could.

This is the mother of all wedge issues, and it makes Republicans come out in droves to vote. It does little to nothing for public safety or crime prevention, yet the true believers insist on banging the drum, year after year.

This is what happens when urban/suburban electorates pass laws with no knowledge of or regard for rural lifestyles. Expect it to be even more intense on a national level.

Q: When do liberals and progressives suddenly become lock-'em-up law-and-order martinets?
A: When the issue is gun control.

[Pepsidog]

10. Good point.

[rockfordfile]

8. So there are certain Policemen that don't support dealing with out of control gun violence

[DanieRains]

11. Cops Dont Like Being Shot

I thought.

[Mersky]

12. Here's the rest of the article if you don't want to link

to the Washington Examiner.

-snip-

Democratic Virginia Rep. Donald McEachin suggested cutting off state funds to counties that do not comply with any gun control measures that pass in Richmond.

“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.

McEachin also noted that Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam could call the National Guard, if necessary.

“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.”

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring blamed the numerous Second Amendment resolutions in the state on the “gun lobby” as a tactic to frighten state residents.

“The resolutions that are being passed are being ginned up by the gun lobby to try to scare people. What we’re talking about here are laws that will make our communities and our streets safer,” Herring told CBS 6.

“So, when Virginia passes these gun safety laws that they will be followed, they will be enforced,” he added.