Time to End Open-Carry
The presence of a militia group in Charlottesville two weeks ago causes me to reflect on state laws. The very fact that these people were able to openly carry semi-automatic assault weapons on the crowded streets denies the common sense laws under which our nation prospered for 180 years. There are no constitutional provisions that prevent states, cities, or counties from enacting laws against an open display of weapons.
Neither are there federal laws preventing such local control.
The fact that people seem to think nothing can be done about folks just casually walking around with side arms or assault weapons is a symptom of being brainwashed these past forty years by the likes of the National Rifle Association. Former chief justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, Warren Burger, said it best, “The Second Amendment has been the subject of one of the greatest pieces of fraud, I repeat the word ‘fraud,’ on the American public.” He said, “The right to bear arms belongs to the states,” and attacked the NRA for fostering the opposite view.
Now, neither Justice Burger nor I believe this has anything to do with restricting anyone’s ability to hunt, target shoot, or keep a weapon for home protection. Hopefully guns in your homes are under lock and key, but that’s another issue. The issue here is that the state of Virginia can certainly obtain the same degree of common sense that was had in Dodge City, Kansas back in the days of the so-called Wild West. Open-carry back then was illegal! And today most states still allow localities the ability to enforce such prohibitions.
Everyone these days, Democrats and Republicans alike, seems to prefer to tiptoe around any form of common sense gun control for fear of violating some sacred privilege. The ability to carry weapons openly has been regulated in all states and all localities in some way or another since our founding. It’s time that Virginia’s laws reflect common sense, something to keep in mind when voting for candidates for the House of Delegates.
George Coussoulos
Lake Monticello
