Activism, Uncensored: Impact of Gun Control Laws Visible in Virginia Protests
With the evolution of gun control policy in the state of Virginia, the character of gun protests have changed, as Ford Fischer shows
In a creative and provocative piece of video journalism from TK partners News2Share, Ford Fischer compares three years of “Lobby Day” protests by pro-gun activists in Virginia, who push for gun rights every Martin Luther King Day. You can see in this piece how the numbers have dwindled dramatically, coinciding with policy-driven changes in the law enforcement approach.
This is an interesting piece showing how, over time, public policy can impact demonstrator behavior. Former governor Ralph Northam watered down so-called “pre-emption” laws that made it difficult for localities to pass stricter gun control policies than the state. After the changes, the city of Richmond was able to impose much tougher rules with regard to carrying weapons, to the point where a major state gun rights umbrella group called the VCDL (Virginia Citizens Defense League) canceled “Lobby Day” protests this year.
It looks like until gun activists can reverse Northam’s laws, “We Will Not Comply” has become, for now, “We Will Not Bother.”
As always, Ford interviews a range of interesting figures (the pronouns-brandishing gun activist whose body seems not to be visible in any place is an interesting interview), captures a lot of on-the-ground dynamics, and offers an idiosyncratic window into the activist scene in a state too often caricatured from afar.
I'm pretty conservative and a gun owner, but I have no use for this demonstration on MLK day, of all days, and I really have no use for parading my guns around in public (unless concealed of course). I am glad there is now a republican governor, as I should be a resident of the state in a few years.
This is what's so annoying about the right. I'm a completely disaffected traditional liberal who absolutely cannot stand the left anymore -- but this complete unwillingness to have ANY regulation in regards to gun laws is exactly like the left. I live in Nashville (TN where there basically are no gun laws) --- we had over 1,000 guns stolen out of cars last year (hundreds of thousands of cars broken into to find them), that's 1,000 irresponsible people who own guns and I expect my life to be safe???? We were also just named one of the most dangerous capital cities in the US. The FIRST amendment ISN'T absolute so why do they expect the second amendment to be? I don't want to outlaw guns but this unwillingness to be reasonable is not going to get me on their side.