Closing The Barn Door

To utilize a common country saying, Virginians are attempting to “close the barn door after the cows have gotten out,” and there’s a lesson in it for the rest of us.

Because even after Republican control of the Virginia legislature was retained only through a tie-breaking name draw in 2017, a lot of conservative voters in the Old Dominion still didn’t get the hint. Low turnout in the most recent round of elections in 2019 put the legislature in solid control of the Democrats, with a Democrat governor offering to sign any gun control bill they put in front of him.

Now 2nd Amendment supporters in Virginia recognize the threat to their liberty and are rallying statewide by the thousands. It is inspiring to see…but is it too late?

It may be, though I have been told by some inside the fight in Virginia that there is hope that these gun control proposals can still be defeated in the legislature. There are some Democrats whose positions will be at serious risk if they vote in favor of gun control, and they know it.

But am I the only one wondering where all this energy was prior to and on election day? Virginia didn’t just flip to blue overnight, you know. After the close shave in 2017, the signs were all there that Democrats were gaining strength, and that Republican control could easily slip away…which is exactly what happened.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam attends a rally held by gun control activists and the families of shooting victims outside the Virginia State Capitol Building in Richmond, VA, U.S. July 9, 2019. REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy/File Photo

My fear is that if the Virginia Democrats make good on their promises, violence may be inevitable. If these laws pass and if enforcement is pushed, eventually someone is going to fight, and someone is going to get hurt. From there, it will be difficult if not impossible to deescalate before things get much, much worse. It isn’t very hard to imagine a scenario in which hundreds (if not thousands) of lives are lost.

Unnecessarily.

After all, the grassroots energy being expended in Virginia right now might have averted this crisis entirely had it been applied before the election. Heck, if this level of citizen action can stop the Democrats now, it could have stopped them before. But it seems that many took it for granted that gun rights in Virginia were secure, and they were wrong. Having failed at the polls, Virginia’s cows have now escaped the barn, and the best prospect of peacefully saving gun rights in the Commonwealth may be through the courts…which will take time. Violence will only make things worse.

While we now have Virginians forming militias and loading magazines, expressing willingness to fight and die for the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution…what were they willing to do to prevent a fight? Go vote in a seemingly meaningless mid-term election? Telephone their representatives? Make office visits with their representatives? Attend and speak at local and state level government meetings and hearings? Are there any of these things too burdensome if they might save the lives of your fellow citizens?

The rest of us ought to learn the lesson that Virginia is learning the hard way right now. Don’t take your liberty for granted, and don’t let your politicians think that you do. Hold them to task not just at election time, but in between as well. Stay informed and engaged and make sure that they know that you are paying attention. It is not enough to vote and then leave your government on autopilot until the next election.

My prayer is that Virginians can find a peaceful resolution to this crisis, and that the rest of us will learn to keep the damned barn door closed.