Just days after Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) was sworn into office, Virginia Democratic lawmakers announced their plans to push more gun control in 2014.
The Associated Press reports the proposals include the expanded background checks which McAuliffe supported during his gubernatorial campaign.
They want the checks to cover “all commercial purchases” and include a “ban [on] gun ownership for five years for individuals convicted of stalking or sexual battery, and [limits on] gun access for individuals who have been involuntarily treated for mental health issues.”
Although the appeal to mental health appears to be a catch-all, State Senator A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico) said, “This is not about the right to bear arms, this [is] about making sure the people who do not have the right to bear arms don’t bear arms.”
On October 17th, Breitbart News reported on Mayo Clinic psychiatrist J. Michael Bostwick who argued that using mental health claims to pass more gun control is nonsensical, because most mentally ill persons either: A) aren’t violent or B) aren’t discovered to be mentally ill until they act out.
Bostwick also said, “Mentally ill people in a country with gun rights still have rights.”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.
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