Category: Gun Safety Legislation

2020, Gun Safety Legislation, National Security January 19, 2020January 19, 2020

Virginia’s Gun Rights Rally | What Virginian George Washington Proved About Guns

Washington (GGM) Analysis | January 19, 2020
by Noreen Wise

As the state of Virginia braces for what many fear may become Charlottesville Part 2, with 2A activists from around the country descending on Richmond, VA tomorrow,
Monday January 20, 2020 — Martin Luther King Day — it behooves all of us to remember that George Washington won the Revolutionary War with his rag-tag revolutionary fighters, the militia, by outsmarting the mighty British Royal Army, not by out gunning them.

When the Revolutionary War began on April 19, 1775, the British Army was the fiercest, most powerful army in the world. America had very little expectation of winning our lasting freedom from Britain.

However, George Washington was determined, none the less. Washington proved to be a brilliant military tactician, and calculated that if we couldn’t win with guns, with weaponry, we could win with smarts, our intelligence, in this case through deception. Washington masterfully pieced together a covert citizen spy ring, operating out of NYC and Long Island, the secret six. The mission: take back NYC and win the war.

Unbelievably, they succeeded, despite Benedict Arnold’s treasonous plot to turn over West Point to the British. Washington’s success was surely the result of Britain’s absolute faith and reliance on weapons.

So let’s keep this in mind tomorrow. May cooler heads prevail, and be reminded of George Washington’s enduring lesson, the one which our democracy was basically founded upon, that smarts are more valuable and effective than guns. American independence and our American democracy came to fruition through intelligence. Yes, protecting our rights, and acknowledging the rights of Americans to bear arms is very important, but must be filtered through the reality of the lens of modern times. Guns are one of the many tools required to maintain our freedom and secure our nation, of course, but gun rights aren’t meant to come at the exclusion of all else. Rather, they must be balanced alongside everything else. George Washington proved this.~

2020, Gun Safety Legislation, Guns January 8, 2020

Blue Virginia Now In Session | High Expectations

Washington (GGM) Analysis | January 8, 2020
by Noreen Wise

A new legislative session has begun in states all over the country. But the one to keep our eye on is Virginia, which has just turned all blue. There’s very high expectations of what can be accomplished if legislators can smooth over the intense divisions that have surged ever since Trump was elected.

Virginia has been struggling with a turbulent force of white nationalism and hate —as we saw in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017 — as well as the combative NRA which is headquartered in Fairfax, VA, as the state perseveres through this emotionally charged environment in the hopes of steadying the course in order to pass legislation that will improve safety, security and quality of life in counties all across the state.

The apparent Democratic strategy that will be used to pass the long awaited new laws, will be a slow and steady course of action so that those in the more conservative rural areas can buy in. The goal is to find common ground and unify, rather than the typical pendulum swing that results in the opposition party getting all riled up.

Gun safety legislation is at the TOP of the LIST. Both Virginia and Congress hope to pass two critical bipartisan pieces of gun safety legislation:

Universal Background Checks
Extreme Protection Orders

Let’s GO!

Gun Safety Legislation, Military, National Security, Politics, Public Safety September 18, 2019January 7, 2020

Are Gun Deaths Higher in States Without Common Sense Gun Laws? Yes, Indeed!

Washington (GGM) Analysis | September 18, 2019
by Noreen Wise

There are many states who began passing common sense gun legislation to curb gun violence and are now experiencing the benefits. Lives have been saved. Communities are safer. Thus, it’s very clear why more than 90% of Americans are demanding that local, state and federal legislators do something.

Diving deeper to assess which states have passed which bills, it soon becomes crystal clear that the permissive gun states that have allowed gun ownership to go unchecked, are the states with the highest gun violence deaths. This makes sense, which again is why more than 90% of Americans, many millions of whom are gun owners, are demanding action.

How can Mitch McConnell hold a blind eye to this reality? Why is Mitch McConnell suddenly saying that he can’t allow any bill that Trump won’t sign to be brought to the floor for a vote? This is illogical and unconstitutional. The Legislative Branch is separate from the Executive and McConnell is at the helm of the Senate in the Legislative Branch. Going rogue and eliminating a vital check & balance, especially when it comes to the safety and protection of the American people, should be grounds for having him removed as Senate Majority Leader.

Connecticut is an excellent example of passing common sense gun laws that have served residents well and saved thousands of lives.

The Sandy Hook massacre of 20 innocent first graders and 6 adults occurred on December 14, 2012
In idyllic Newtown, Connecticut
On April 3, 2014…. less than 4 months after the traumatizing horror, the bipartisan state legislature passed sweeping gun reform
State Permit is required to purchase both long guns and hand guns
Registration is required through Department of Emergency and Public Protection for log guns & handguns, gun tracked by authorization number and DPS-3-C form
Partial ban on assault rifles: no new sales/purchases of assault rifles; banned ARs already owned, must be registered, if owner wants to sell AR, can only sell to licensed gun dealer

Magazine Capacity Restriction: any magazine that holds greater than 10 rounds is considered an LCM (Large Capacity Magazine); all LCMs were banned when new law went into effect, cannot be sold or transferred; existing owners had to register LMs by
Permit Required for Concealed Carry: owner must meet requirements, and abide by two-step process, first, 60-day temporary permit issued by local authorities, Second, 5 year permit issued by DESPP
Permit Required for Open Carry: MUST have a license to open carry
Vehicle Carry: Must have valid pistol permit to carry loaded gun in car, otherwise must be unloaded and firearm and ammunition stored in separate locked containers; if car left unattended, firearm must be locked in trunk or glove box
Castle Doctrine: not the exact same as “stand your ground,” but if intruder enters home or yard and owner has permit and “reasonable force,” courts provide civil immunity
Background Checks: required for private party transfer and must be performed by federally licensed dealer
Red Flag Law: allows police to obtain a court warrant and seize guns from anyone posing a risk to others or themselves once they investigate and determine probable cause

Connecticut’s sweeping common sense gun laws are some of the most reasonable and effective in the country and serve as a very sensible model to follow. In 2019, Connecticut ranks in the top 5 states with the lowest number of gun deaths per capita.

Hawaii
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
New York
Connecticut

The top 5 states with the highest number of per capita gun deaths are five red states with permissive gun laws:

Alaska – most permissive gun ownership in country, must be 21, complete handgun competency course, no permit required to carry, Castle Doctrine, that’s it
Montana – must be 18, open & concealed carry legal without permit, Castle Doctrine, done
Alabama – must be 18, no permit or background check or registration required for private sales, open carry legal without permit, concealed carry needs pistol permit, Castle Doctrine, done
Louisiana – must be 17, no permit or background check or registration required for private sales, concealed carry is legal with a permit, open carry requires no permit, Castle Doctrine, that’s it
Missouri – must be 19, no permit or background check or registration required for private sales, open carry and concealed carry both legal without permit, but gun owners can obtain a concealed carry permit (CCP) if they’d like one, local authorities are able to restrict in certain locations, Castle Doctrine, done

The Connecticut common sense gun laws respect the 2nd Amendment, while simultaneously protecting the American public’s expectation to live in a safe community. Colt is headquartered in Connecticut, and yet these bipartisan common sense gun laws passed in record time following the Sandy Hook massacre.

If more than 90% of the American public are demanding common sense gun laws, and the data proves the effectiveness, it doesn’t make sense to sit on the sidelines and hold a blind eye to such convincing proof that common sense gun laws save lives, maybe your own.