Essay

Sanctuary Movement in America
Warren Hunter
Feb. 10, 2020
Ripley High School

February 14, 2018, gave birth to a new gun control movement all across the United States. The survivors of the Parkland shooting wasted little time calling the nation to pick up the gun control fight. Since the shooting we have seen a rise in gun sanctuaries. In the news we constantly hear about shootings and the endless debate over guns. Many of the topics include sanctuaries, second amendment rights, and what’s happening in Virginia. Conservatives and liberals have not and will not come to a compromise about our guns Since 1950 more than 94% of mass shootings occurred in gun free zones. (Rlott.J.2020)
The sanctuary movement is a uniform approach being used by both sides of the argument to impose what they believe is right. Sanctuaries are symbolic in nature and often passed to make a statement. In states like West Virginia we are seeing counties and cities step up and become a sanctuary for gun owners believing to be protecting the rights of the citizens they serve, while states like California are passing gun free sanctuaries to protect its citizens from the harm of guns. These sanctuaries are not new in the united states. The original concept of a sanctuary was the underground railroad. (Goodman J.2020) Demographics also play into the sanctuary role. Statistics show that the more rural areas tend to be pro-gun while the major urban areas are anti-gun. (Krey. P.2020)
In the US Constitution, the right to have guns was given to the people stating “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." (Maddison. J. 1787) Gun free sanctuaries are unconstitutional and a threat to our democracy. Many counties are not being represented properly. In Virginia, the Washington DC and Richmond areas hold all the power being able to pass legislation for the entire state. (Krey. P. 2020) This is a repeat of the American Revolution, and if our government does not fix its mistakes, war may find its way home once again.
In Virginia, we are seeing both pro and anti-gun control groups forming. The commonwealth is being referred to as a tyranny by the pro-gun owners due to the lack of representation. New red flag gun laws passed by Richmond started the heated debate in Virginia. The general assembly binds the whole commonwealth under the same law no matter who is in charge. Many counties along Virginia’s western border are currently debating about leaving Virginia in search of representation. We even saw a massive gun rally in Richmond that surprisingly ended without violence. The main issue in Virginia is that the outskirts of Washington D. C. gets to vote for Virginia representatives. This creates an unfair political stage in a state that is mostly red controlled by the blue. It is only a matter of time before violence breaks out in Virginia. West Virginia is welcoming counties of Virginia to get the Vexit movement on the ballot.
In conclusion, the fight for guns has no clear end. Sanctuaries are popping up all across the country even though they carry little weight. Constant demonstrations for both sides of the argument are clear and evident. One side wants to protect the people by getting rid of guns; while the other wants to protect the freedoms of the person and allow them to have gun in order to protect themselves. The second amendment gives all citizens the right to keep weapons to protect yourself and your country. Virginia will continue to be a warzone of human right’s until the federal government redistricts and gives the people of Virginia a say in its government.

References
Goodman. J. (2020). The sanctuary strategy. Progressive. Retrieved February 5, 2020, from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=8&sid=149adadd-7497-4267-8a17-917462f43f54%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=139777504&db=f5h
Krey. P. (2020). [A17] [A18] AG claims second amendment sanctuaries have no legal effect. The New American. Retrieved February 4,2020, from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=12&sid=149adadd-7497-4267-8a17-917462f43f54%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=141336549&db=pwh
Krey. P. (2020) Backlash against gun control in Virginia. The New American. Retrieved February 3, 2020, from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/command/detail?vid=2&sid=149adadd-7497-4267-8a17917462f43f54%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#jid=1HLH&db=pwh
Maddison J. (1787) Unites States Constitution Retrieved February 13, 2020, from https://constitutionus.com/
Rlott. J. (2019) Mass public shootings keep occurring in gun free zones 94% of attacks since 1950. Crime Prevention Research Center. Retrieved February 12, 2020, from https://crimeresearch.org/2018/06/more-misleading-information-from-bloombergs-everytown-for-gun-safety-on-guns-analysis-of-recent-mass-shootings/