I am writing to you as a concerned constituent of Senate District 13 to express my firm opposition to the package of firearm-related legislation currently moving through the General Assembly. These proposed laws represent a significant departure from our constitutional traditions and, in my view, constitute an impermissible infringement upon the fundamental rights of Virginians.
As you cast your votes on these bills, I would like to respectfully remind you of the oath you took upon assuming your office:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent upon me as a Senator... according to the best of my ability, so help me God."
This oath is not a mere formality; it is a binding promise to protect the framework of liberty that governs our society. Central to that framework is Article I, Section 13 of the Constitution of Virginia, which explicitly states:
"That a well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state, therefore, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power."
Furthermore, the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution makes it clear that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right that "shall not be infringed." Through the Fourteenth Amendment, this protection is applied to the states, ensuring that:
"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law..."
The legal landscape regarding these rights has been further clarified by the United States Supreme Court in NYSRPA v. Bruen. The Court’s decision established that the government must demonstrate that any firearm regulation is consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation. Crucially, the Court has long held that firearms "in common use" for lawful purposes are protected. The AR-15, as the most popular rifle in America, is undeniably in "common use" by millions of law-abiding citizens for self-defense, competition, and hunting. To vote for a ban on such a platform would be a direct violation of the standard set by the highest court in the land.
Beyond these legal mandates, I urge you to consider the practical impact on your constituents in Petersburg. These measures do not target criminal intent; instead, they criminalize peaceable citizens for possessing hardware legally acquired and used safely every day. If the goal is to address gun-related violence, I recommend a return to the proven success of Project Exile. In the first year of its implementation in Richmond, homicides dropped by 33% and armed robberies dropped by 30%, according to the Department of Justice. As a legislator, you have the power to prioritize the certainty of prosecution over the administrative restriction of hardware.
I urge you to honor your oath and the constitutional protections of all Virginians by voting against these overreaching measures and focusing instead on holding criminals accountable.
Sincerely,
John G Chaney
I am writing to you as a concerned constituent of Senate District 13 to express my firm opposition to the package of firearm-related legislation currently moving through the General Assembly. These proposed laws represent a significant departure from our constitutional traditions and, in my view, constitute an impermissible infringement upon the fundamental rights of Virginians. As you cast your votes on these bills, I would like to respectfully remind you of the oath you took upon assuming your office: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent upon me as a Senator... according to the best of my ability, so help me God." This oath is not a mere formality; it is a binding promise to protect the framework of liberty that governs our society. Central to that framework is Article I, Section 13 of the Constitution of Virginia, which explicitly states: "That a well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state, therefore, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power." Furthermore, the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution makes it clear that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right that "shall not be infringed." Through the Fourteenth Amendment, this protection is applied to the states, ensuring that: "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law..." The legal landscape regarding these rights has been further clarified by the United States Supreme Court in NYSRPA v. Bruen. The Court’s decision established that the government must demonstrate that any firearm regulation is consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation. Crucially, the Court has long held that firearms "in common use" for lawful purposes are protected. The AR-15, as the most popular rifle in America, is undeniably in "common use" by millions of law-abiding citizens for self-defense, competition, and hunting. To vote for a ban on such a platform would be a direct violation of the standard set by the highest court in the land. Beyond these legal mandates, I urge you to consider the practical impact on your constituents in Petersburg. These measures do not target criminal intent; instead, they criminalize peaceable citizens for possessing hardware legally acquired and used safely every day. If the goal is to address gun-related violence, I recommend a return to the proven success of Project Exile. In the first year of its implementation in Richmond, homicides dropped by 33% and armed robberies dropped by 30%, according to the Department of Justice. As a legislator, you have the power to prioritize the certainty of prosecution over the administrative restriction of hardware. I urge you to honor your oath and the constitutional protections of all Virginians by voting against these overreaching measures and focusing instead on holding criminals accountable. Sincerely, John G Chaney