What the hell happened in the last election? Did the VA Republican Party screw up? Did people not show up to vote? I moved out of VA five years ago at that time no would have seen this coming. I think VA is the test to see if the left can get away with this on a national scale. What confuses me is the VA state Consitution is just like the American one when it comes to the 2nd A. Wouldn't these laws be ruled unconstitutional?
GUNS/RLTD Virginia Dems' Gun-Grabbing Plans Are Already Backfiring
- Thread starter Texican
- Start date
- Status
DazedandConfused
Veteran Member
SurfaceTension
Veteran Member
pinkelsteinsmom
Veteran Member
No, I can assure you voter fraud saved the day for these communist.
DazedandConfused
Veteran Member
I heard that today Gov. Baby Killer is going to enact emergency rules to Ban all weapons from Capital grounds based on a creditable threats of violence for lobby day 1/20/20.
Sacajawea
Has No Life - Lives on TB
IJT - the VCDL plan is to challenge the constitutionality of the laws to the state Supreme Court - and the US one, if it fails there. Can't do a thing, until we see what does get passed. Contributions to the VCDL from out of state are much appreciated, as is the vocal support.
pinkelsteinsmom
Veteran Member
The SC has already ruled that the 2A stands. These communist don't care they will keep running it up to those black robbed Gods till they get the ruling they want. The communist governor Insley just demanded that the WA SC reverse it's ruling which stopped his state income tax.
Profit of Doom
Dismember
Are you referring to US SC, and what decision/case?The SC has already ruled that the 2A stands. These communist don't care they will keep running it up to those black robbed Gods till they get the ruling they want. The communist governor Insley just demanded that the WA SC reverse it's ruling which stopped his state income tax.
Has Virginia SC ever taken any 2A action, or whatever their state constitution calls it?
pinkelsteinsmom
Veteran Member
Overview
On June 26, 2008, in District of Columbia v. Heller (PDF), the United States Supreme Court issued its first decision since 1939 interpreting the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Court ruled that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution confers an individual right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes such as self-defense. It also ruled that two District of Columbia provisions, one that banned handguns and one that required lawful firearms in the home to be disassembled or trigger-locked, violate this right.
Second Amendment | Law Library of Congress
This Law Library of Congress report analyzes the ramifications of the right to gun ownership regulated in the Second Amendment to the Constitution, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller of 2008, including bibliography relevant on the subject
www.loc.gov
There is a new case going to the court. I'm not optimistic.
desertvet2
Veteran Member
If someone was carrying fifteen, thirty round magazines, how many votes would they have?
One
One
Sorry I.m late but what the heck are you taking about??? Please fill me in. Nice to have a woman's views here though! Do you sell any calming medicinals. There's a gold mine here!!!!! I think I see why your upset about a post for cures?
It went from 10% to 25% , if we're talking about the same bill.Better read this:
POL - Virginia: bill introduced to raise number of signatures required to recall politicians there
SITE HB 842 Removal of public officers; petition requirements, signature requirements. Introduced by: Paul E. Krizek (by request) | all patrons ... notes | add to my profiles SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Removal of public officers; petition requirements; signature requirements. Clarifies...xf.timebomb2000.com
We are.
MinnesotaSmith
Membership Revoked
If he had enough friends with him, all of the votes.
Stop wasting your time with me and start taking your war to those responsible. (Your wasting precious time and band width) That's where the battle is. Some of you are jumping WAY ahead of the time line that should take place. There are 4 stages of liberty. The first is the ballot box, which you miserably failed at(don't say too many of them-in your previous post you and your MERRY band of men will defeat the strongest, most equipped military in the world! Good luck!!! You are spending TOO MUCH TIME on the internet and sitting on your pooper. You should have been knocking on doors, handing out fliers, talking to people about why your candidate is best! If that Isn't enough you should have made a run for office yourself so you wouldn't have the problems you have now. YOUR the ones to blame. Take some responsibility for your gross inaction! Second is the legislature box which your working on and will fail, Thirdly the judicial box is going to fail by design(to me the constitution and Code of Va. 44-146.15 is clear but they DON'T CARE (guns will be confiscated). Don,t count on the cops honoring their oath. When they have to choose between their job, house and family, you will see which side they will choose, no matter what they told you The last is the bullet box.The one your jumping to already. Just to vote on the legislation won't be law until about 6 months from now. After the courts it should take about 2 years. You have a lot of time to prepare for whatever you plan to do. Get busy!
DandCFUSED. NEVER underestimate any opponent. For all you war experts you might want to read Sun Su's The Art of War.
If you want to go to war, you have to learn the mechanism of fighting a war. It's not just guns. Tactics, deception,etc. You'll get your chance CW2 is coming. Look up George Washington's 3rd vision and glimpses of what I saw. Your not going to like it. Know anything about water boarding. You'll spill your guts and you can call yourself cowards for doing it.
I do know some Va history. it's 242 years or so, the gun powder confiscation and ensuing protests. Good stuff but even back then NO SHOTS FIRED! Amazing, Your ancestors knew how to get things done and IF NECESSARY take further action. Be wise follow the script and you might even survive to tell the story to your kids and grand kids!
Keep those cards and letters coming in.
DandCFUSED. NEVER underestimate any opponent. For all you war experts you might want to read Sun Su's The Art of War.
If you want to go to war, you have to learn the mechanism of fighting a war. It's not just guns. Tactics, deception,etc. You'll get your chance CW2 is coming. Look up George Washington's 3rd vision and glimpses of what I saw. Your not going to like it. Know anything about water boarding. You'll spill your guts and you can call yourself cowards for doing it.
I do know some Va history. it's 242 years or so, the gun powder confiscation and ensuing protests. Good stuff but even back then NO SHOTS FIRED! Amazing, Your ancestors knew how to get things done and IF NECESSARY take further action. Be wise follow the script and you might even survive to tell the story to your kids and grand kids!
Keep those cards and letters coming in.
DazedandConfused
Veteran Member
Your probably wanting to know why I haven't been posting lately. I just couldn't take what was happening to me on this board. I had to take a break. My psyche can only take so much. When I saw a posting with welcome I just fell apart. Got Ya!!! You guys really have to lighten up. Watch a football game, chop some wood, anything to relieve stress. I'm not going anywhere. We are a family now and sometimes they have fights. All is forgiven with me. I hope you feel the same. I am just trying to contribute and help.
I was just thing the same thing. Maybe our minds are getting closer??
We'll those of you who were concerned that the lobby day event was not being covered. You made the CBS evening news. Three supremacists all ex-military and one an explosives expert were going to fly drones with explosives over the event on Monday. 1500 rounds of ammo seized and they were caught trying to destroy their phones. This is how it starts. A negative reporting event linked to a peaceful demonstration. People will NOT separate the two. They will link both as one. Demonizing has started.
Last edited:
I think you mean “demonizing”. Demonetization is something entirely different.
Cacheman
Ultra MAGA!
Falwell May Call for Civil Disobedience Over Leftist Gun Measures
In response to anti-Second Amendment measures, that are increasingly likely to be passed by the democrat led Legislature in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell is pretty sure he will call for civil disobedience if said legislation is passed and signed by the...
townhall.com
Falwell May Call for Civil Disobedience Over Leftist Gun Measures
Larry Provost
4-5 minutes
|
Posted: Jan 17, 2020 12:20 AM
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
In response to anti-Second Amendment measures, that are increasingly likely to be passed by the democrat led Legislature in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell is “pretty sure” he will call for civil disobedience if said legislation is passed and signed by the governor.
Mr. Falwell has served as President of Liberty University since 2007, succeeding to the Presidency after the passing of his father, Jerry Falwell, Sr.
President Falwell’s comments are welcome by many in the Christian and Conservative communities and may answer the larger question of when individuals on the political center and right will say “enough is enough” when confronted with Constitutional issues. Such voters said “enough is enough” with the election of the politically incorrect Donald J. Trump to the Presidency of the United States. However, such citizens have remained remarkably civil and law abiding even when it comes to campus speech codes or even the heinous procedures known as late term abortion and post birth abortion.
Leftists, by their own actions, confirm that one of the largest issues the nation faces is lawlessness. The left coddles criminals, encourages voting rights for felons, dismisses the death penalty, denies a speedy trial by refusing to send impeachment articles to the Senate, and encouraged sanctuary cities to defy the federal government. Now they wish to further take away rights of good people, turning the left’s time and scourge against law abiding citizens. People have had enough and the overall cool, calm, and collected nature of the citizenry up to this point echoes the patience seen in the Book of Job. But taking away gun rights of citizens may be a bridge too far in terms of personal protection and the generational fight, that Jefferson spoke of, against tyranny.
For those who think civil disobedience over the Second Amendment is a case of crying wolf, it is worth considering a few questions. In the last 100 years has the government gained more power at the expense of most of the citizenry or less? For those who gained rights due to the Civil Rights Movement, have their communities benefited since then from the size and scope of the government? Is government afraid of its citizens or are citizens fearful of the government? Does government generally give up power back to the citizenry? Who can threaten sanctions if the other does not behave the way the dominant asks, the citizenry or government? Who can ruin an individual’s life if they so wish? What politician has the right to tell you to disarm yourself, while the politician has their own security detail that we pay for? Do human beings in power generally lust for more power or less, especially when confronted with other human beings whose same job depends upon power?
The last time the Christian community in America engaged in at large civil disobedience was during the Civil Rights Movement. Few doubt that such civil disobedience was the morally correct thing to do. The measures that President Falwell and many others are considering in Virginia, as seen in the passage of 2nd Amendment Sanctuary municipalities, may prove to the birth pangs of a much wider movement. Mr. Falwell was one of President Trump’s earliest supporters and has remained among the most vocal. Further, his Liberty University is one of the world’s largest institutions of learning and is one of the nation’s first campuses to allow concealed carry by faculty, staff, and students. His voice may prove prophetic as the nation further divides and politicians continue to open a Pandora’s Box.
sorry my spelling is bad. Yes that what I meant DEMONIZING Corrected. thank you
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Fencing up around the Richmond Capitol
View: https://imgur.com/a/34NzCbk
I would take note of this fencing. I was going to offer some suggestions, if your attending Monday, this fencing being one of them. Fences are great to keep people out but can be placed to keep people IN. Should something happen (Note I'm not saying it will or know of anything that will happen) your egress will be impeded. Exits will be blocked as with what happened in Las Vegas. Note the height of the fence and see if you are physically able to scale this height. They don't look very sturdy and look like they could be pushed over easily. In the Las Vegas incident people were trapped, exits blocked/jammed and the only option for some was to climb over the fence. In these large gatherings or anywhere I go, I asses the best and safest way to get out. Exit strategies may have to altered. One last thought in this area-What a perfect way to round up those nasty gun owners and trouble makers. With this strategy. it saves them from going house to house. These guys are smart. They know what there doing and have resources to carry it out! VCDL has some suggestions as to dress, what not to carry or take,etc. Hope for the best but plan for the worst.
vector7
Dot Collector
| ||||
|
vector7
Dot Collector
Hmmm....
Antifa Seven Hills
Fascists to Ashes, Dust to Dust
In Response to VICE News: “Why This Antifa Group Is Siding With Thousands of Pro-Gun Conservatives In Virginia”
Posted on 18. January 2020 by antifa7hills
There has been some understandable confusion and concern raised by an article published by Vice News yesterday. We are releasing this statement now to clarify our intentions for the interview.
We have spent the past day attempting to get the author and editors to amend the article to more accurately reflect what was discussed. They took great liberties in the piece that do not accurately portray our intentions. Their response has been poor and shows a lack of understanding or care for the seriousness of what is at hand.
Many folks have read this article, or possibly just the headline, and come to the conclusion that we are choosing to march with Neo-Nazis and Klansmen on Monday. This was and never will be the case. We are forever in opposition to these groups.
It is our group’s stated mission to keep these groups from having footholds in Richmond and beyond. There are many racists and fascists planning on attending “2A lobby day rally” on January 20th, at a steadily increasing rate since this bill emerged in November. We anticipated their efforts to recruit from the 2A movement, as has already been happening, and saw this as an important point to intervene since we oppose this legislation. We recognize how many in the movement, especially due to the projections of law enforcement, bear extreme prejudice towards Richmond and its resdents, in the equation of “Democratic strongholds.” We understand the many racist, homophobic, transphobic, and misogynistic remarks that abound in the river of online comments on these issues. Reading through and digesting these conversations is a reality of the work we engage in. We see it as our place to endure this, to be able to peer further into the void. In no way does this mean we seek to make alliances with those who wish violence and terror upon those most vulnerable.
In considering how to deter their recruitment and nullify their ability to harm folks lobbying or otherwise going about their business, we recognized that the VCDL was drawing lines in the sand on optics, and trying to distance themselves from other issues and symbols like the Confederate battle flag. As the event gained traction, it was clear from sources like 4chan, Reddit, Facebook and others that there were a range of dispositions, but that open fascists were largely not wanted.
We believed it was a sound strategy to give those who expressed this the information, tools, and opportunity to ostracize these elements from the demonstration to increase our capacity. In this way they would be easily identified and tracked. We think it is vital to de-platform and stem fascist and Nazi recruitment wherever possible and saw this as an important point to intervene. In addition, the impact that Nazi violence would undoubtedly have on surrounding vulnerable communities who are often the primary target of fascists, intervening between racists and more vulnerable groups remained a primary goal. This was the reason for any considered attendance. Up until this point, it is a strategy that has been well-engaged with on and offline over the past few weeks.
We made a decision in the very beginning that we did not want to be fulfilling the trope expected by either side. That we did not want to be the militant element that defends a Democratic institution that will and always betrays us. We felt an inherent expectation that “antifa” would blindly rush in to protest, and become a convenient excuse for the state’s inevitable poor response. Too many times have we fought and seen our efforts, and the efforts of so many grassroots activists, recuperated into a Blue strategy. We refuse to be used as media pawns by Democrats and Republicans alike.
Yet are committed to keeping our community safe, to the best of our abilities. Rather than decide to continue to be excluded from any political dialogue, we began to clarify our opposition to these measures. We felt it important to point out that the left is just more complex than the new governing majority and the figurehead of Ralph Northam. That there are many not represented who want to retain the tools for self-defense without a greater risk, or pretense for state repression as much of this legislation seeks to do.
As a recognizable face of antifascist action and militant leftism in Richmond, we received messages and inquiries about our stance from other left-leaning or unaffiliated folks who also felt lost in this conversation. We felt it important to signal to others who do not fit cleanly into the polarization that is happening. We have multiple statements on our Facebook page speaking to this dated well before the Vice interview.
We never indicated we were attending as a group, nor did we make any call to action for folks to engage in the way that is being purported. We have monitored this situation closely for weeks and found it to be increasingly dangerous. We spoke to the fact that several leftist gun groups are coming as they’ve stated so publicly. We only spoke to opportunities of counter-recruitment for libertarian and rural folks who don’t normally have access to leftist armed positions and of which the far right intends to recruit from. Many of these same folks have been disgusted to hear of white nationalist planned attendance and vowed to help us get rid of that element. We never announced what capacity we planned on attending and wouldn’t readily make statements like that for an extremely tense situation where the terrain changes daily. We certainly never said we would march with the far right, nor did we ever say we would march at all. These points are conjecture and misinterpretation that follow the same narrative polarization we have been working against. The writer took liberties to indicate in both the title and picture (which is not from Virginia) that we would arrive in black bloc to march alongside conservatives without regard to the fascist element, which is simply not the case.
We understand that mass violence and shootings are an issue among our society. Most of these incidents are in direct relation to the work we engage in trying to stamp out white supremacist violence, recruitment, and organizing. We spoke to this in our hour-long interview, but our focus on white supremacy, misogyny, and capitalist individualism as root causes of this that we aim to challenge were not mentioned. From our perspective, these legislative measures do not address the causes of violence.
Arguably, they address the mechanism.
We also see from years of research, observation, and anecdotal experience, that these pieces of legislation open up more doors to repression. This is a point of concern for us directly, as all levels of government have shown their ire towards anarchists and antifascists for years, and this has only increased as of late. We know this is not just due to a profession of our politics, but based on real demonstrations of solidarity, and a clear effort at augmenting marginalized people’s power, and not the government. These moments are when we come into conflict with the state.
This rings true for many other political dissidents and change-makers. But it would be a selfish concern if it did not recognize the greater damage it can do to folks outside of the arena of political struggle. In a state without parole, where our rate of incarceration exceeds that of most the nation, and Project Exile statutes dictate an automatic 5-year sentence for possession of drugs and a firearm- we can see this as yet another way in which mass incarceration of black and brown folks will be reinforced. These are not issues that we speak to as a means of political detail, but ones that we have engaged head-on in material organizing, and supported others in their efforts. We try to use our platform to share resources and ideas, and make connections towards a more unified opposition of these atrocities.
The idea that we are “finding more in common with ‘working class whites‘“ was language chosen by the author. In our perspective, the working class is a global one, that is predominantly black and brown. We have only ever used the language of the broader working class, and how gun control serves to weaken our defense positions. We understand how this could lead to feelings of betrayal, that we are somehow stepping away from aligning ourselves with marginalized communities. We are not. Our efforts have been with more vulnerable folks in mind. We have always embraced an intersectional politics and approach to organizing. We have learned this directly from our POC elders and mentors. We work with folks across the state, in rural areas and in cities, supporting struggles from anti-gentrification, prison abolition, pipeline resistance and environmental defense, abortion access, worker’s rights, police violence, food access, transportation, housing, and beyond.
What this article could not have spoken to was our efforts behind the scenes to work with black and brown folks who intended to lobby on Monday to ensure their safety. This was a topic we intentionally avoided. We also made clear to fellow organizers our other efforts in regards to the 2A rally, and seemed to have mutual understanding of the approach. Though some of the programming may have been public, we believe it would have jeopardized their safety to discuss that we were involved, or point to their events in any way. All of this programming has unfortunately now been canceled to due increasing threats to their safety.
It has been and continues to be an issue for us that the many important wins that can be had in the legislature, in this moment of political shift, have taken the backseat to the gun debate. While we strongly believe that opponents across either side of the gun issue are to blame for points of escalation, we also recognize Northam’s role in this as a vehicle for him to regain trust in his base. While some celebrate the state’s response in preventing “another Charlottesville”, an analogy that we still find it difficult to reconcile, we believe that pushing the event off Capitol grounds has only increased the dangers presented to Richmonders.
We urge folks not to work with this writer or Vice, and we were naive to think we would be given responsible or fair reporting. Despite our reasonable request, she refused to give us questions ahead of the interview; something we often ask for to avoid “gotcha journalism.” We will henceforth only be working with trusted outlets that seek to print narratives as they are written or spoken to. We shared this piece written by comrades that was published by It’s Going Down with her as well, but were informed that depsite being well-written, Vice doesn’t publish op-ed’s. We should have known we were dealing with the devil after the poor coverage of “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville August 12th 2017. They continued to platform fascist organizers even after massive outcry from their viewership. The outlet was, is, and will remain sensational- its language, focus, and presentation dictated by the ruling class.
We will work to get active threats out to the community as we get and verify them. We will never know all the threats but we will do our best to keep a watchful eye. We are not a vanguard force, and rely on the contributions of our community and comrades to be effective.
We will use everything at our disposal to defend our neighborhoods in the event that fascists decide to move offensively. Our hope is that instead this moment will transpire in whatever peace is left.
We are deeply sorry to our allies that this article scared or angered. Especially if it seems as though we were going to march alongside Neo–nazis or fascists. We would never do that and our intention is to only ever expose and expel them to the best of our ability. We hope that our prior words and actions speak to this, and that good faith can be assumed in us, especially in moments where we cannot afford transparency.
We are always available to talk, and we encourage you to reach out. Only some of you may know our faces, but all of you have our ears.
Love and Rage
Antifa Seven Hills
Fascists to Ashes, Dust to Dust
In Response to VICE News: “Why This Antifa Group Is Siding With Thousands of Pro-Gun Conservatives In Virginia”
Posted on 18. January 2020 by antifa7hills
There has been some understandable confusion and concern raised by an article published by Vice News yesterday. We are releasing this statement now to clarify our intentions for the interview.
We have spent the past day attempting to get the author and editors to amend the article to more accurately reflect what was discussed. They took great liberties in the piece that do not accurately portray our intentions. Their response has been poor and shows a lack of understanding or care for the seriousness of what is at hand.
Many folks have read this article, or possibly just the headline, and come to the conclusion that we are choosing to march with Neo-Nazis and Klansmen on Monday. This was and never will be the case. We are forever in opposition to these groups.
It is our group’s stated mission to keep these groups from having footholds in Richmond and beyond. There are many racists and fascists planning on attending “2A lobby day rally” on January 20th, at a steadily increasing rate since this bill emerged in November. We anticipated their efforts to recruit from the 2A movement, as has already been happening, and saw this as an important point to intervene since we oppose this legislation. We recognize how many in the movement, especially due to the projections of law enforcement, bear extreme prejudice towards Richmond and its resdents, in the equation of “Democratic strongholds.” We understand the many racist, homophobic, transphobic, and misogynistic remarks that abound in the river of online comments on these issues. Reading through and digesting these conversations is a reality of the work we engage in. We see it as our place to endure this, to be able to peer further into the void. In no way does this mean we seek to make alliances with those who wish violence and terror upon those most vulnerable.
In considering how to deter their recruitment and nullify their ability to harm folks lobbying or otherwise going about their business, we recognized that the VCDL was drawing lines in the sand on optics, and trying to distance themselves from other issues and symbols like the Confederate battle flag. As the event gained traction, it was clear from sources like 4chan, Reddit, Facebook and others that there were a range of dispositions, but that open fascists were largely not wanted.
We believed it was a sound strategy to give those who expressed this the information, tools, and opportunity to ostracize these elements from the demonstration to increase our capacity. In this way they would be easily identified and tracked. We think it is vital to de-platform and stem fascist and Nazi recruitment wherever possible and saw this as an important point to intervene. In addition, the impact that Nazi violence would undoubtedly have on surrounding vulnerable communities who are often the primary target of fascists, intervening between racists and more vulnerable groups remained a primary goal. This was the reason for any considered attendance. Up until this point, it is a strategy that has been well-engaged with on and offline over the past few weeks.
We made a decision in the very beginning that we did not want to be fulfilling the trope expected by either side. That we did not want to be the militant element that defends a Democratic institution that will and always betrays us. We felt an inherent expectation that “antifa” would blindly rush in to protest, and become a convenient excuse for the state’s inevitable poor response. Too many times have we fought and seen our efforts, and the efforts of so many grassroots activists, recuperated into a Blue strategy. We refuse to be used as media pawns by Democrats and Republicans alike.
Yet are committed to keeping our community safe, to the best of our abilities. Rather than decide to continue to be excluded from any political dialogue, we began to clarify our opposition to these measures. We felt it important to point out that the left is just more complex than the new governing majority and the figurehead of Ralph Northam. That there are many not represented who want to retain the tools for self-defense without a greater risk, or pretense for state repression as much of this legislation seeks to do.
As a recognizable face of antifascist action and militant leftism in Richmond, we received messages and inquiries about our stance from other left-leaning or unaffiliated folks who also felt lost in this conversation. We felt it important to signal to others who do not fit cleanly into the polarization that is happening. We have multiple statements on our Facebook page speaking to this dated well before the Vice interview.
We never indicated we were attending as a group, nor did we make any call to action for folks to engage in the way that is being purported. We have monitored this situation closely for weeks and found it to be increasingly dangerous. We spoke to the fact that several leftist gun groups are coming as they’ve stated so publicly. We only spoke to opportunities of counter-recruitment for libertarian and rural folks who don’t normally have access to leftist armed positions and of which the far right intends to recruit from. Many of these same folks have been disgusted to hear of white nationalist planned attendance and vowed to help us get rid of that element. We never announced what capacity we planned on attending and wouldn’t readily make statements like that for an extremely tense situation where the terrain changes daily. We certainly never said we would march with the far right, nor did we ever say we would march at all. These points are conjecture and misinterpretation that follow the same narrative polarization we have been working against. The writer took liberties to indicate in both the title and picture (which is not from Virginia) that we would arrive in black bloc to march alongside conservatives without regard to the fascist element, which is simply not the case.
We understand that mass violence and shootings are an issue among our society. Most of these incidents are in direct relation to the work we engage in trying to stamp out white supremacist violence, recruitment, and organizing. We spoke to this in our hour-long interview, but our focus on white supremacy, misogyny, and capitalist individualism as root causes of this that we aim to challenge were not mentioned. From our perspective, these legislative measures do not address the causes of violence.
Arguably, they address the mechanism.
We also see from years of research, observation, and anecdotal experience, that these pieces of legislation open up more doors to repression. This is a point of concern for us directly, as all levels of government have shown their ire towards anarchists and antifascists for years, and this has only increased as of late. We know this is not just due to a profession of our politics, but based on real demonstrations of solidarity, and a clear effort at augmenting marginalized people’s power, and not the government. These moments are when we come into conflict with the state.
This rings true for many other political dissidents and change-makers. But it would be a selfish concern if it did not recognize the greater damage it can do to folks outside of the arena of political struggle. In a state without parole, where our rate of incarceration exceeds that of most the nation, and Project Exile statutes dictate an automatic 5-year sentence for possession of drugs and a firearm- we can see this as yet another way in which mass incarceration of black and brown folks will be reinforced. These are not issues that we speak to as a means of political detail, but ones that we have engaged head-on in material organizing, and supported others in their efforts. We try to use our platform to share resources and ideas, and make connections towards a more unified opposition of these atrocities.
The idea that we are “finding more in common with ‘working class whites‘“ was language chosen by the author. In our perspective, the working class is a global one, that is predominantly black and brown. We have only ever used the language of the broader working class, and how gun control serves to weaken our defense positions. We understand how this could lead to feelings of betrayal, that we are somehow stepping away from aligning ourselves with marginalized communities. We are not. Our efforts have been with more vulnerable folks in mind. We have always embraced an intersectional politics and approach to organizing. We have learned this directly from our POC elders and mentors. We work with folks across the state, in rural areas and in cities, supporting struggles from anti-gentrification, prison abolition, pipeline resistance and environmental defense, abortion access, worker’s rights, police violence, food access, transportation, housing, and beyond.
What this article could not have spoken to was our efforts behind the scenes to work with black and brown folks who intended to lobby on Monday to ensure their safety. This was a topic we intentionally avoided. We also made clear to fellow organizers our other efforts in regards to the 2A rally, and seemed to have mutual understanding of the approach. Though some of the programming may have been public, we believe it would have jeopardized their safety to discuss that we were involved, or point to their events in any way. All of this programming has unfortunately now been canceled to due increasing threats to their safety.
It has been and continues to be an issue for us that the many important wins that can be had in the legislature, in this moment of political shift, have taken the backseat to the gun debate. While we strongly believe that opponents across either side of the gun issue are to blame for points of escalation, we also recognize Northam’s role in this as a vehicle for him to regain trust in his base. While some celebrate the state’s response in preventing “another Charlottesville”, an analogy that we still find it difficult to reconcile, we believe that pushing the event off Capitol grounds has only increased the dangers presented to Richmonders.
We urge folks not to work with this writer or Vice, and we were naive to think we would be given responsible or fair reporting. Despite our reasonable request, she refused to give us questions ahead of the interview; something we often ask for to avoid “gotcha journalism.” We will henceforth only be working with trusted outlets that seek to print narratives as they are written or spoken to. We shared this piece written by comrades that was published by It’s Going Down with her as well, but were informed that depsite being well-written, Vice doesn’t publish op-ed’s. We should have known we were dealing with the devil after the poor coverage of “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville August 12th 2017. They continued to platform fascist organizers even after massive outcry from their viewership. The outlet was, is, and will remain sensational- its language, focus, and presentation dictated by the ruling class.
We will work to get active threats out to the community as we get and verify them. We will never know all the threats but we will do our best to keep a watchful eye. We are not a vanguard force, and rely on the contributions of our community and comrades to be effective.
We will use everything at our disposal to defend our neighborhoods in the event that fascists decide to move offensively. Our hope is that instead this moment will transpire in whatever peace is left.
We are deeply sorry to our allies that this article scared or angered. Especially if it seems as though we were going to march alongside Neo–nazis or fascists. We would never do that and our intention is to only ever expose and expel them to the best of our ability. We hope that our prior words and actions speak to this, and that good faith can be assumed in us, especially in moments where we cannot afford transparency.
We are always available to talk, and we encourage you to reach out. Only some of you may know our faces, but all of you have our ears.
Love and Rage
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pinkelsteinsmom
Veteran Member
IMPORTANT REQUEST: We need 10,000 patriots to fill the Capitol grounds for Monday's rally!
Unfortunately, the Virginia Supreme Court just said they did not have enough information on the stay denied by the lower court to issue their own stay, so the Governor's illegal gun-ban on Capitol grounds is going to stand for this event.
Here is what we need to do on Monday to make the rally a success:
DETAILS:
If you can commit to being one of our needed 10,000 unarmed members inside the fence, please help us by asking several of your family and friends to be your designated armed escort to the gates and to stand outside the fenced area to watch over us.
- VCDL needs at least 10,000 members/gun owners to commit to "taking one for the team'" by entering the Capitol grounds unarmed around 10 am and being in place for the rally by 10:45 am. Those who were lobbying will already be unarmed, so we urge them to be part of the 10,000 inside the fencing. NOTE: knives with folding metal blades less than 3-inches long are ARE permitted both in the General Assembly AND on the Capitol grounds.
- For every one gun owner on the Capitol grounds, we need another two to five people outside the Capitol grounds's fence on 9th Street. Those doing so can be legally armed.
WHY:
We are separating our responsibilities, in this otherwise untenable and unconstitutional situation foisted on gun owners by Northam. Gun owners standing, both inside and outside of the fence, ensure that the Capitol grounds and the surrounding area is filled to capacity to hear our speakers and it will make a great visual for the cameras!
For those who are going to be on the Capitol grounds, the less items you bring along, the quicker and more efficient the screening.
VCDL will have loudspeakers so that those outside the fence will be able to hear. The event will also be broadcast live on WRVA radio, 1140 AM /96.1 FM.
IMPORTANT:
We ask everyone to follow the temporary Capitol grounds rules. There is NO need for an act of civil disobedience to achieve standing for a court fight. We already have standing.
We still will have our day in court to fully debate the governor's unconstitutional overreach in just a few short weeks.
Thank you very much for your support and understanding. The Governor and his cronies would like nothing better than to see the Capitol grounds empty, with the speakers talking only to themselves. We simply cannot let that happen.
PLEASE CHOOSE ONE:
Either way, we'll see you there!
- Arrive temporarily UNARMED and go INSIDE the fenced area on the Capitol grounds or
- Stand with us, LEGALLY ARMED if you so choose, just OUTSIDE the fence and watch over your brothers and sisters inside the fence
FINAL NOTE:
Monday is going to be a day of lobbying, with a peaceful rally. All law-abiding citizens are invited. The Capitol, State, and Richmond police forces will be providing strong security. We thank them in advance for helping make sue that the event is a safe and fun event.
What a joke, they have already lost.
We have two threads in full bloom on this issue. I’m going to close this one.
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