Virginia Democrats Threaten Second Amendment Sanctuary Counties with National Guard
75 counties refuse to enforce upcoming gun control laws - Dems threaten prosecution
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Virginia Democrats are threatening to send the National Guard in to prosecute Second Amendment sanctuary counties who are preemptively refusing to enforce future gun control laws, according to reports.
75 Virginian counties have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries in anticipation of coming gun control laws in the Democrat-controlled state.
Virginia's Democratic lawmakers have threatened law enforcement officials in those counties with potential prosecution should they refuse to comply with their anti-gun measures.
Similar to liberal illegal immigration sanctuary cities, law enforcement officials in Second Amendment sanctuary counties would refuse to prosecute people for violations of laws they don't agree with.
Virginia Democratic U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly told the Washington Examiner that such actions from law enforcers may carry serious consequences.
"I would hope they either resign in good conscience because they cannot uphold the law which they are sworn to uphold, or they're prosecuted for failure to fulfill their oath," Connolly said.
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"The law is the law," Connolly continues.
"If that becomes the law, you don't have a choice, not if you're a sworn officer of the law."
One lawmaker says Democrat Governor Ralph Northam should consider deploying the National Guard to enforce gun laws in sanctuary counties.
"They certainly risk funding, because if the sheriff's department is not going to enforce the law, they're going to lose money," Virginia Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin said.
"The counties' attorneys offices are not going to have the money to prosecute because their prosecutions are going to go down.
"And ultimately, I'm not the governor, but the governor may have to nationalize the National Guard to enforce the law.
"That's his call because I don't know how serious these counties are and how severe the violations of law will be.
"But that's obviously an option he has."
Virginia Gov. Northam (D) seemed to contradict himself on the issue, saying there wouldn't be retaliation for sanctuary counties, but there would be consequences.
"There's not going to be retaliation. That's not what I'm about. I'm about making Virginia safer," Northam said.
"If we have constitutional laws on the books and law enforcement officers are not enforcing those laws on the books, then there are going to be consequences, but I'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it."
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The threats and suggestions come after gun-rights advocates in the state won a minor victory, when Northam announced that any proposed ban on assault weapons would include a grandfather clause.
Under such a clause, legal owners of banned guns could keep them but would be required to register the weapons.
Last week, a Virginia sheriff vowed to "swear in thousands of deputies" to defend citizens' Second Amendment rights as the state's Democrat-control government moves to begin the "confiscation" of legally-acquired guns from law-abiding Americans.
Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins has promised to "deputize thousands" to defend gun rights as incoming Democrats push to use their legislative positions for more gun control in Virginia.
In a December 4 Facebook post, Sheriff Jenkins thanked the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors for pledging to stand with the dozens of other counties that have pledged to defend citizens' Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
