HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 21

Concerning the inherent right of citizens of this
Commonwealth to own and bear arms.
 

    Whereas, from the landing at Jamestown on to the expansion of this nation to
the Pacific coast, a peaceful society developed in the area that was wrested from the
wilderness by sturdy riflemen armed with their personal weapons and skilled in their
use; and

    Whereas, the history of this great nation bears witness to the many benefits
derived by a citizenry, free to own - bear - and become skilled in the use of - rifles
and other firearms and among these historic occasions, to mention but a few, were the
following: Valley Forge, Yorktown, New Orleans, the Alamo, Manassas, Chateau
Thierry, Tarawa and Iwo Jima; and

    Whereas, the right of the citizen is entwined in the very roots of the founding
of this Commonwealth when it was not only the individual's right to bear arms but his
duty to bear arms in the defense of his community - only slaves were forbidden by law
to carry weapons - Thomas Jefferson deemed the right to bear arms worthy of inclusion
in his drafts of the Virginia Constitution - and the rise or fall of the political rights of
the citizen has been allied with right to bear arms or the deprivation of such rights; and

    Whereas, our armed forces have always been dependent upon citizen soldiers
who were familiar with the use of firearms and a capable and well armed citizenry is an
efficient deterrent to any aggressor who would seek to overthrow this government by
conquest or subversion; and

    Whereas, laws limiting the right to own and bear arms have never succeeded
in deterring crime but have rather served to disarm the public; and

    Whereas, the horrible tragedy, which befell the Jackson family of Louisa County
at the hands of a fiend could well have been prevented had Mr. Jackson had available to
him a firearm for self defense; and

    Whereas, many citizens of this Commonwealth who own and enjoy the use of
firearms are greatly disturbed by the proposals of certain groups to regulate and re-
strict gun ownership and such citizens are of the firm and undying conviction that the
safety of our nation from enemies within and without makes even more necessary proper
training in the safe and effective use of firearms which can only be guaranteed by a con-
tinuation of the existing right to own and employ such weapons; now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the right to
keep and bear arms guaranteed by the second amendment to the Constitution of the United
States and which right is an inalienable part of our citizens' heritage in this State shall
not be infringed; that any action taken by the General Assembly of Virginia to interfere
with this right would strike at the basic liberty of our citizens; that no agency of this
State or of any political subdivision should be given any power or seek any power which
would interfere with, restrict, or prohibit the purchase, possession, or use of firearms
by any citizen of good standing for the purpose of personal defense, sport, recreation or
other non-criminal activities; and be it further

    Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates be instructed to send a copy
of this resolution to every member of the Virginia Delegation in the Congress of the
United States as a reminder of the fact that laws cannot prevent tragedies but bad laws
can bring on in their train even greater tragedies.