The Henrico County Board of Supervisors scheduled discussion of a ban on weapons, ammunition and firearm-related items at all structures owned or in use by the county. The ordinance further targeted buildings owned or used by groups created or managed by the county.
This would have included recreation and community centers in Henrico County.
It would also have denied the right to armed self-defense to concealed carry permit holders. The only exemptions would be for hired security personnel and military members carrying out their active duties.
This did not sit well with many, and a strong voice of opposition arose in the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL). The group sounded the call to act through phone calls, emails and packing scheduled meetings to have their voices heard.
And it worked.
The ordinance was pulled from the Board of Supervisors agenda after a deluge of phone calls and pleas from citizens to reconsider. VCDL President Philip Van Cleave made the exciting declaration.”
“The Board announced that due to the large volume of calls and emails, the County Manager needed time to study all those comments. Could this come up again in the future? Possibly, we just don’t know. But we will be watching.”
Kudos to Henrico County officials for listening to concerned citizens — this is democracy in action. The people voiced their objections to having their constitutional rights usurped, and the government backed down.
There is a lesson here to be learned and repeated in numerous jurisdictions across the nation. Organized resistance is the key to protecting sacred rights and has been since the founding of the Republic.
