California and Virginia legislatures, both with democrat majorities, are assaulting the Second Amendment, the right to firearms. California continues to pass laws hindering the use of guns -- mandating background checks to purchase weapons, sell them and now buy ammo.
Since July 1, 2019, 62,000 Californians were forbidden to purchase ammo as the new background check law took effect. Even law enforcement officers have been denied purchasing ammo.
The California Department of Justice released background check rejection numbers in response to a lawsuit filed by the California Rifle & Pistol Association that seeks to overturn the new regulations. The court filing said that 18 percent of $1 background checks for ammunition purchases have been rejected.
Records indicated that 19,000 rejected ammunition buyers weren’t in the database at all, mostly because the Department of Justice was behind in maintaining the data.
Another 22,000 rejected ammunition buyers had addresses that didn’t match what was listed in the gun registry. Many of that number had moved since their data was entered.
Nearly 8,000 ammunition buyers were rejected because their names on their identification didn’t match what was in the registry.
Only 101 of the stopped ammunition purchases out of 345,547 total ammo purchases prevented “prohibited persons” from making a transaction. The ammo purchasing system violates the Second Amendment and is tyranny. This is not government’s business.
The charade to stop violence with gun laws is a brazen power move to disarm the public. It will have no effect on criminal behavior or deaths by firearms.
Founding Father Noah Webster wrote that the right to bear arms was “To prevent rule by a standing army; To prevent Congress from executing unjust and unconstitutional laws; To prevent the Federal Government from becoming unjust and oppressive; The people bearing arms should be superior to an army controlled by Congress.”
Richard Henry Lee, writer of the Resolution Declaring Independence, explains, “[W]hereas, to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.
Virginia’s Patrick Henry said, “Oh, sir! We should have fine times, indeed, if, to punish tyrants, it were only sufficient to assemble the people! Your arms, wherewith you could defend yourselves, are gone; did you ever read of any revolution in a nation, brought about by the punishment of those in power, inflicted by those who had no power at all? You read of a riot act in a country which is called one of the freest in the world, where a few neighbors cannot assemble without the risk of being shot by a hired soldiery, the engines of despotism. We may see such an act in America.”
No American should be required of government to seek permission to buy a gun, use a gun or acquire ammunition.
Meanwhile in Virginia today, 87 of its 95 counties, 10 cities and 17 towns have passed resolutions designating themselves Second Amendment ‘Sanctuaries.’ This was done as the new democrat majority declared its intention to bring strict gun control to the state.
The sanctuary movement has been advanced with the advocacy of the Virginia Citizens Defense League and other smaller gun advocacy groups.
“I did not think it would be that high of a number,” said Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins. “It’s an organic thing that just took off after Election Day. Elections have consequences and this is the result. This has truly rocked the conservative, libertarian group’s core. It has really shook a lot of them awake. They are fully awake.”
Sheriff Jenkins has been one of the sanctuary county advocates and even suggested deputizing thousands of law abiding gun owners within his county, to extend law enforcement firearms carve-outs to those gun owners who would otherwise be affected by new gun laws.
Meeting resistance, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam transferred an additional $250,000 to enforce new gun control laws even suggesting calling out the National Guard. He threatened consequences to law enforcement for being resistant to the new laws.
Americans have fought valiantly for their freedom on foreign soil but are pathetic at home in resisting infringement by government. It may be a strategic moment for bloodshed.
Thomas Jefferson wrote, “And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
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