They started arriving at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday — two hours ahead of the start of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting.
As the crowd grew to over 1,000 people — men, women, black, white, Indian, Asian — all of them prominently displaying one color: an orange sticker with the phrase “Guns Save Lives.”
Four for nearly four hours, they lined up to speak. Some women said they used it to fight off attackers, while some men said they keep an arsenal at home to protect their families from home invaders, and an unjust government that would want to take away their firearms.
They joined a chorus of residents who have shown up at county government meetings across Virginia calling on local leaders to make their jurisdictions “2nd Amendment Sanctuaries” — places where the rights of law-abiding gun owners are protected.
Last night Prince William County became the largest jurisdiction in the state to send a message to its residents and to lawmakers in Richmond that the 2nd Amendment is supported there, with Supervisors at 12:28 a.m. Wednesday declaring Prince William a “constitutional county,” affirming its support for the 2nd Amendment in the Bill of Rights.
The text of the resolution had been changed from a resolution printed week ago that would have declared the county a “2nd Amendment Sanctuary,” where newly passed gun laws potentially wouldn’t be enforced.
The outcry has been prompted by a piece of legislation to be heard in the General Assembly in January by Falls Church Senator Dick Saslaw, SB16, that would make selling, renting, trading, making, or transporting an assault rifle from another state into Virginia a felony.
The bill also aims to limit the number of rounds in a magazine to seven.
“I don’t see this declaring us a “sanctuary county,” said Coles District Supervisor Marty Nohe.
“It makes this a ‘constitutional county’ and it directs our staff to protect not only the lives of our citizens but also their rights,” Chairman At-large Corey Stewart Responded.
“I’m OK with saying we don’t want unjust laws passed by the state. But I won’t say we don’t want to uphold laws passed by the state,” Nohe replied.
Also Tuesday, Spotsylvania County became the 58th in the state to pass a sanctuary resolution to protect the right to bear arms. The resolution does not make residents protect its residents from violations of state and federal gun laws.
The vote in Prince William was the last act for this current Board. Occoquan Supervisor Ruth Anderson, who won’t be returning next year, motioned to approve the “constitutional county” resolution, which was seconded by Brenstville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson.
The motion passed 6-2, with Supervisors Victor Angry and Frank Principi, of the Neabsco and Woodbridge districts, respectively, voting no.
Before the resolution changed from “sanctuary” to “constitutional,” new incoming Prince William Board Chair At-large Ann Wheeler said she would overturn the resolution if it passed.
Incoming Occoquan District Supervisor Kenny Boddye said he had planned to follow wheeler’s lead. Now, he’s not so sure. “My dad owned a gun, so I understand how people can be concerned about things coming down the pike from Richmond,” said Boddye.
He and incoming Coles District Supervisor Lesli Vega were the only two incoming Supervisors to come and witness the massive crowd at the Prince William County Government Center.
The new Board should be mindful of social issues like gun control, he said, but the fact that so many people packed the Prince William County Government Center to advocate for gun rights did little to sway his opinion on the issue.
“I know about 100 people who want stricter gun rights, and they didn’t come here tonight,” said Boddye.
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