Virginia Lawmakers Seek to Criminalize Children Using Firearms in Home-Defense

After Democrats took control of the legislature in Virginia, gun control is the main agenda for the party. While legislators seek to enforce tight and universal background checks and other gun control laws, as usual, they have given attention to age restrictions on access to firearms. One such bill is SB 18 Firearms; criminal history record information checks, age requirement, penalty.

State Sen. Dick Saslaw of Fairfax County introduced the bill in the spirit of Ralph Northam of the renewed spirit of more gun control in the State after retaking the legislature for the first time in over two decades.

Under this bill, it will be class 1 misdemeanor to allow a child to use firearms, unless “under parental supervision.” This means that a child cannot use a firearm in the absence of a parent, even if his or her life depended on it. The bill does not consider whether the child has adequate firearm training or if the child is 17 years old. The only solution is to lock every gun while the parent is away and leaving the fate of the child to the mercy of any burglars who decides to pay your home a visit while the parent is away.

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There are numerous cases of children as young as 11 years old, using weapons against burglars in the absence of the parent. Under the proposed bill, such acts of heroism will be outdated and parents will be risking facing misdemeanor charges.

If the bill passes, parents will have to decide whether to risk facing criminal charges or gambling with the lives of their children. Parents must trot along with their 17-year-old to be able to use guns that they have trained to handle.

While this is in Virginia, Texans are not safe from these draconian and tyrannical laws. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is pushing to enact universal background checks in Texas; something that would make Obama proud! Don't let this happen! Many fear that Texas will turn blue in 2020, but the real truth is that Texas is already blue!

Help us turn Texas red! Join LSGR today and help our fight in Austin! Have us send Dan Patrick a postcard on your behalf to flood his office with opposition to his gun control push! Sign our petition to deliver to lawmakers in Austin, and help us make Texas pro-gun again!