This is an announcement from Virginia’s Governor’s Office.
Governor Northam Declares State of Emergency in Advance of Capitol Square Demonstration
Governor’s decision based on credible threats of violent extremism
RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today declared a state of emergency in advance of expected demonstrations on Capitol Square on Monday, January 20, 2020. Law enforcement intelligence analysts have identified credible threats of violence surrounding the event, along with white nationalist rhetoric and plans by out-of-state militia groups to attend.
The Governor’s declaration prohibits all weapons, including firearms, from Capitol grounds, and will provide joint law enforcement and public safety agencies the resources they need to keep demonstrators, policymakers, and all Virginians safe.
This emergency declaration is temporary, and extends from Friday, January 17 at 5:00 PM until Tuesday, January 21 at 5:00 PM.
Internet Chest Thumpers aside, what I’ve seen of the gun sanctuary townhalls and marches has been overwhelmingly peaceful and polite.
If it hadn’t, we’d be flooded with stories about the crazy gun nuts scaring local politicians in between impeachment updates on CNN.
Yes, the Governor’s action is probably justified on some scale based on the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville back in 2017, and is bracing for the worst.
But there is another factor at play because history repeats itself.
In 1996, Australia was mulling a gun ban. There was a political rally held by Australian sportsmen and hunters. The Prime Minister at the time was John Howard, who addressed the rally of law-abiding licensed, Australian gun owners visibly wearing body armor under his clothes.
This upset the crowd. The PM was implying that these law-abiding gun owners would try and shoot him at the rally, which was offensive as hell.
The media reported that the rally was “hostile” and portrayed Howard as fully justified in needing to wear armor. This turned the public opinion further against the Australian gun-owning community and the Australian parliament passed its gun ban and buyback with overwhelming support.
I am absolutely convinced that Northam is engaged in the same sort of act. He is declaring this emergency the way he has to set the narrative that ALL GUN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ARE JUST AS DANGEROUS AS THE HANDFULL OF TIKI-TORCH ASSHOLES.
That is the story the press will run with. You know this to be absolutely true.
CNN, MSNBC, etc. will not separate the guy with the SS runes tattooed on his neck from law-abiding NRA members and they will do their best to make sure every person there is assumed to be the worst that America has to offer.
I fully support the right of the people to peaceably assemble. I think showing up at the capital is important, do demonstrate in real-time that gun control is not going to be welcomed across most of Virginia.
The worst thing that can happen to decent, law-abiding, gun owners or Conservatives, etc. is to be silenced and intimidated out of the public square with the threat of character assassination.
So here is my advice.
Leave your Gadsden flags, MOLON LABE, Spartan helmet, and all other shit like that at home. Make your signs polite, presentable, and nonthreatening.
Wear a Polo shirt and a pair of khakis. Look like you are going to work on a casual Friday.
I have documented time and time again on this blog about how the excesses of a group scare the normals and turn public opinion against a moment instead of towards it.
Remember that the public opinion towards gay rights went up with Will and Grace and down with Pride parades of pre-pubescent drag queens and men dancing on the street in nothing but roller skates and leather cock-socks.
DON’T SCARE THE NORMALS.
Wearing a III% shirt with a banner saying “come and take it” is the gun-rights version of a satanic drag queen showing his asshole to children.
You can read the rules in the EO for yourselves.
Some important things to note:
[N]o weapons, including firearms, may be carried or possessed on any land, real property, or improvements owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia within the area bounded by Broad Street, Ninth Street, Bank Street and Governor Street in the City of Richmond, Virginia, as well as any Commonwealth-owned parking lots for Virginia’s Department of Transportation, the Madison Building, the Monroe Building, the Patrick Henry Building, Washington Building, the Jefferson Building, and the Oliver Hill Building.
Leave your shit at home. You are showing your dislike for these gun control bills by your presence in numbers, not with guns.
“Weapon” means any weapon as defined in paragraphs (ii) through (v) of
subsection A of § 18.2-308 of the Code and any stun weapon, as defined under § 18.2-308.1 of the Code, with the exception of a pocket knife
having a folding metal blade of less than three inches. “Weapons” also
includes, but is not limited to, sticks, torches, poles, bats, shields, helmets, caustic substances (i.e., pepper spray), hazardous materials, scissors, razor blades, needles, toy guns, toy weapons, fireworks, glass bottles, laser pointers, aerosol containers, baseballs, softballs, UAVs/Drones, or any item that can inflict bodily harm that is visible, other than firearms.
A knife is an important part of EDC. I have one on me all the time. This is not the place for your tactical BFF (big fucking folder). Your little Swiss Army Knife will do just fine.
If it looks like a weapon, it will be treated as such.
Conduct yourself with the best behavior. Be unimpeachable in your conduct. The Left and the media are looking for a reason to destroy you, do not give them anything.
Everyone should come in black face
You have a fine idea if the attendees live in town. But keep in mind that parking is highly restricted. For lobby day the city has banned on street parking. Many of us attending don’t have access to the VCDL busses and have extended trips. I for one don’t think leaving a gun in an unsecured area (yes locked in a box) for an extended time in an area that will in all probability contain a high percentage of cars with secured guns while law enforcement is with the crowd is a good plan. So no thanks, I will as I always have retain my concealed weapon and stay out of coonman’s fence.
‘DON’T SCARE THE NORMALS’
Wrong noun. Normalizes hoplophobia.
I saw definitely dress normal and act normal. But bring your weapons. Show we will not comply.
Leave the gun at home.
Seriously. Do you actually believe for a second that gun rights will be supported by having a bunch of CCW permit holders getting arrested? Imagine your picture, front page, above the fold on the Washington comPost getting arrested for refusing to comply. Imagine hundreds of people at the rally getting arrested.
Do you actually think that helps? Really? Are you working for Northam?
If you were a student of Alinsky, I would think you were working for the other side.
Choose not to comply when the media is not on alert for any excuse to make gun owners look bad. Refuse to comply when it makes the government look bad, not you.
Charlottsville, contra the official narrative, was a total set up, forcing violence on peaceful protestors. Official narrative was also set up, same thing happening here. Virginia seems to specialise in stitching up heritage Americans.
I read somewhere that there was a bill passed in VA back in 2012 that disarming the public in an emergency was illegal.
VA repubs better start making some noise.
I wonder if antifa will be making an appearance. I bet they won’t follow the rules on weapons.
Governor Blackface Babykiller is pretty obviously making this EO for the specific purpose of rendering innocent demonstrators vulnerable to the Democrat party’s gang of blackshirt terrorists.
And when Antifa does make their appearance, fully armed, I am sure that Governor Blackface will not have any problem with it at all.
Da rulz are set up to make it as inconvenient and unpleasant as possible to attend. Only one entrance for screening, no separate handicap screening, handicap drop-off five blocks away, etc. Obviously, by design, after waiting in line for hours, people will say and do things they’d never otherwise do or say. Carrying concealed and getting caught at the screening point will only make things worse. If you can’t keep your cool or aren’t willing to go unarmed, you should probably demonstrate your support somewhere else. You do no one a favor by becoming a caricature of a gun owner on national TV.
What I see in the various responses is the conflict between the plain letter of the law, and what the politicians are doing to us. Also, the conflict between what is right and what is good PR.
J’s argument is all about what politicians are doing and what is good PR. I agree with those points. This event is all about making friends and influencing people, which you do by making a good impression on those who are willing to listen to reasonable arguments and change their mind.
Civil disobedience has its place, but it’s not PR and it doesn’t do a good job of influencing reasonable wavering people. So grit your teeth and do the PR thing.
I fully expect that the dishonest media will fabricate false narratives even if everyone present is sane and reasonable, but it’s much harder for them to get away with that if they can’t actually produce photos of Bubba Tactical with his tricked-out open carry AR15 and bare arms full of tattoos.
Everyone should be presentable. The attendees should go unarmed.
But there should be a reserve, in case the antifags get froggy. Out of sight, far enough away for plausible deniability, but on speed-dial.
Really, do any of you realize that we can stand outside of the fence and carry concealed pistols in a legal manner. Further realize that a polo shirt will result in frozen corpses in Virginia in January. Last year at this event it was in the low 20’s and windy.
I know several retired and former LEO’s coming from a couple hours away like many of us are. I want you all to hold your breath while we travel across the state unarmed. Don’t forget that on street parking is prohibited city wide(thanks Mike B) so anywhere a car can park will in all likelihood be in an area with other cars containing guns ripe for theft.
Go unarmed or stay home.
Are you from Lord Northam’s office?
In a prepared statement, VCDL advised grassroots activists, “VCDL believes that this gun ban is illegal. Our legal team is looking at our options and we will keep you advised as soon as we have a definitive plan. As it stands now, you can carry on 9th Street, or other nearby streets, as long as you don’t go into the fenced-in Capitol grounds area (or into any of the government buildings).
I learned in HS sports that it is the 2nd infraction the referee will see and penalize.
So, Blackface needlessly pushes the pro-gun crowd.
The pro-gun crowd pushes back.
TWEET!!! Pro-gun crowd to the penalty box.
Wash and repeat. The referee is the People, the nation.
When your opponent is playing dirty, you got to go in to commit the first foul. You may not want to but you know your opponent will. Thinking you will ignore their crap and just play the game has a low success rate especially when they’re not even playing the same game.
The right should have moles in every leftist group, including splinter groups. However, they aren’t even your true opponents. The duty of the mole is only to acquire knowledge of names of who is calling the shots and the movements of those persons. The true opponents are not even on the field but they are calling the shots.
Blackface is mere pawn as is all the other shitbirds looking to score points with head honchos. Blackface and other commie governors and AGs, etc are merely carrying the water. His 30 pieces of silver will be shown as worthless but the puppet masters will carry on. That is, until the right encumbers them mightily. Going head to head on the field yields little with respect to putting an end to this crap. Infiltrate the enemy to the level that they will gladly take you to their leader.