The Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill banning not only all assault weapons, but many kinds of firearm accessories as well.
To begin with, the manufacture, sale, purchase, possession, transportation or transfer of an assault firearm — all are outlawed by this bill. And this proposed ban has some serious teeth: Involvement in any of these acts will result in a Class 6 felony charge.
Democratic Party Delegate Mark Levine sponsored House Bill 961, which narrowly passed the Democratic Party-controlled House of Delegates by a three-vote margin (51–48) on February 11.
The House Bill’s final version included several amendments, most important of which included a “legal” definition of an “assault” firearm, to wit:
A semi-automatic center-fire rifle that expels single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material with a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 12 rounds.
So, does this mean that an assault weapon is any weapon with more than a twelve-round capacity? Oh, and of course magazines of more than twelve-rounds are themselves also banned in this bill.
The bill also outlaws the importation, sale, transfer, manufacture or purchase a silencer, as well; and makes those activities also a Class 6 Felony. This ban also includes trigger activators as well.
The Virginia Senate is also led by a Democratic Party majority, which is expected to pass the House’s bill with little or no trouble.
And then it’s on to the Governor who has been clear as crystal that he wants a ban on assault weapons in place yesterday.
Also, we may expect to soon hear from Donald Trump and his Republican Party cult of personality on this matter. His and their objections will loudly denounce, decry, lament, and proclaim — mainly through social media, of course -- that this proposed assault weapons ban in the Commonwealth of Virginia is not just an obvious violation of their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. It signals the beginning of the end of civilization as we know it.
Not to worry, though, because just as fast as you can say, “Bang! Bang! You’re dead!”, this soon-to-be law will magically appear before the Trump-and-GOP-dominated US Supreme Court where it will be shot down just as fast as you can say, “A well regulated militia…”
For more articles/essays by Herbert Dyer, Jr., go to: medium.com/...