HANDS OFF: Former state Sen. John Rodgers, D-Essex-Orleans, has been one of the leading advocates for gun rights in Montpelier.
As the prospect of having a pro-gun-control leader in the White House gains steam heading into the new year, gun rights advocates in Vermont are re-evaluating the outlook for firearms freedom in 2021 and beyond.
Vermonters may soon have to face new gun laws coming out of Washington, D.C., if former Vice President Joe Biden makes good on his gun-related campaign promises.
Former state Sen.John Rodgers, D-Essex-Orleans, says even though he won’t be in the Senate this year, he will remain an advocate for Second Amendment rights.
“I’m sure that there’s going to be the same liberal push for more gun control measures; they want to take a little bit at a time until they get what they want,” Rodgers told True North in an interview. “I have no doubt that there will be proposals that will infringe further on our Second Amendment rights.”
Although Republicans have picked up seats in the Vermont General Assembly, Rodgers does not think that the new composition of representatives at the Statehouse is going to change things much on gun issues.
“I don’t think it changes a whole lot,” he said. “The pro-Second Amendment people still don’t have enough power in the building to overcome the liberal anti-gun agenda, so really it’s sort of left to how far do they want to push it, will the governor veto it, and then there’s the override.”
Stu Lindberg, a resident of Cavendish, helped promote a movement to make his town a sanctuary town for gun rights. The push failed after a close vote.
“We’re still a relatively free state, but if the legislature has their way with their supermajority then we’ll get gun laws like in New York and Connecticut,” he said.
Gun sales have been booming in the state and across the nation, setting new records. Lindberg said that’s a good sign.
“I can tell you that those of us who care about the Constitution and personal freedoms and liberties as enshrined in the Constitution, we’re all very nervous,” he said. “We’re very concerned about what’s going on in Vermont and in the country about both the First Amendment and the Second Amendment, and all this propagandizing on all of these issues. It’s unnerving.”
Post-election polls show 80 percent of Republicans, and 30 percent of Democrats, believe election fraud took place that helped Joe Biden. Lindberg said he was unimpressed with the way the 2020 presidential election was handled.
“If we’re going to defend the Constitution it’s going to take a grassroots effort to really motivate every voter to get out and try to make sure any sign of voter fraud is documented and reported, and to really put pressure on our elected officials to take it seriously,” Lindberg said.
Eddie Garcia, a gun rights activist and the founder of Vermont Citizens Defense League, said he’s concerned about having Biden in the White House.
“With Biden/Harris, I’ve progressed from concerned to livid. I don’t appreciate being threatened. For years, those of us who support gun rights have been called paranoid when we said we see the things coming that are in Biden’s gun control plan,” he said.
“[We could have] registration in the form of taxation, and ultimately confiscation. It’s almost like Biden wasn’t paying attention to what happened in [Gov. Ralph] Northam’s Virginia. I have four words for Mr. Biden: We will not comply. If he thinks I’m going to tell the government what I have, he’s sneaking puffs of his son’s dope pipe.”
Sen. Alice Nitka, D-Windsor, got a “strong 2A” rating when she was ranked by Gun Owners of Vermont’s report 2018 report card. She said that she doesn’t think there will be new proposals this year, but some familiar ones may return.
“I think there’s one piece with regards to domestic violence that I think might come up; that was something that had come up before and it didn’t go anyplace,” she said.
“The issue which still remains is getting a court order before somebody can take somebody’s guns. You know, that’s all kind of been worked out, but people feel there’s something more to be done there,” she added.
Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.
I really don’t understand why John Rodgers doesn’t just switch sides. He’d have to change his mind on a few other issues but I just don’t understand how an old school democrat can stay in the party anymore. Not that we need another Republicrat but it would seem John could easily be a real conservative.
There sure as heck was some disagreement about conservative / pro gun candidates this year. It was miserable! Two names in this article clearly stand out as the source of that misery as far as I’m concerned. I don’t understand why those two had to be so hateful toward anybody they didn’t support. Ya put your man out there with the best case you’ve got and leave the foolishness regarding the other conservatives alone! By all accounts, these two men should have been backslapping buddies of mine but couldn’t have been more the opposite.
So for those who will not watch the video above, this is what it boils down to:
Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty.
The obedient must be slaves!
Henry David Thoreau
The video below that Tom posted.
Another video you might find very interesting, it could be relevant. Takes place in Athens TN. I stop in Athens twice a year back and forth from FL & VT and stay in the town. It’s on I-75 at X49. Hauling an RV I usually stay over night at a huge Walmart there, and if not hauling stay at a very nice Motel 6.
Here’s a true story about Athens and political corruption and how the town took it back. WW2 vets did so.
The Battle of Athens: Fighting Voter & Election Fraud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5ut6yPrObw&feature=emb_logo (13:31)
The Battle of Athens was an armed rebellion led by WWII veterans and citizens in Athens and Etowah, Tennessee, United States, against the tyrannical local government in August 1946.
On the web page you can find other interesting videos and the history. Never give up.
Happen in VT? The state capitol in Oregon was just stormed. Utube has videos.
Perhaps a more peaceful stand will the get the same results on January 6th, 2021
Nice video
The 2020’s was an interesting year if you let it get to you. Here’s a New Years Resolution for an understanding and direction. Only 13 mins.
How Civil Disobedience Safeguards Freedom and Prevents Tyranny
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnodcLLEZw4&feature=emb_logo (13:10)
Well isn’t that an interesting video. Perhaps the plan for Jan 6th 2021?
I don’t give a rats ass what they pass anymore. They can pass all the unconstitutional laws they want. I will not obey them. I will not sell them back my guns. I will not register my guns let alone my magazines. Wake up people ! We do not have to obey unconstitutional laws. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT REGISTER YOUR GUNS !
Unconstitutional Official Acts
16 Am Jur 2d, Sec 177 late 2d, Sec 256:
The general misconception is that any statute passed by legislators bearing the appearance of law constitutes the law of the land. The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and any statute, to be valid, must be In agreement. It is impossible for both the Constitution and a law violating it to be valid; one must prevail. This is succinctly stated as follows:
The General rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and name of law is in reality no law, but is wholly void, and ineffective for any purpose; since unconstitutionality dates from the time of it’s enactment and not merely from the date of the decision so branding it. An unconstitutional law, in legal contemplation, is as inoperative as if it had never been passed. Such a statute leaves the question that it purports to settle just as it would be had the statute not been enacted. Since an unconstitutional law is void, the general principles follow that it imposes no duties, confers no rights, creates no office, bestows no power or authority on anyone, affords no protection, and justifies no acts performed under it..… A void act cannot be legally consistent with a valid one. An unconstitutional law cannot operate to supersede any existing valid law. Indeed, insofar as a statute runs counter to the fundamental law of the lend, it is superseded thereby.
No one Is bound to obey an unconstitutional law and no courts are bound to enforce it.
“An unconstitutional act is not law; it confers no rights; it imposes no duties; affords no protection; it creates no office; it in legal contemplation, as inoperative as though it has never been passed”.
Norton vs Shelby County 1886 – 118 US 425 p.442
Hear, hear! 😀
Join (or start) a group of like-minded patriots. Lone wolves won’t last long if what’s been promised begins next year.
Any form of firearm legislation is an infringement on the 2nd ammendment. Period. What needs to happen is our f’d up court system needs to start holding people accountable for their actions with the laws our people under the dome already have in place and leave us alone. ” I will not comply”
Now, now comrades! Accept your fate. The people have spoken. The ones who actually matter at any rate.
Stay lock and loaded and keep adding more guns and ammo.. I’ll never give up my rights to own guns.
Come and try …
All we need is a modified form the USAF Human Reliability Program, applied from the day kids enter high school. If you can’t behave properly, your name gets on the ‘cannot buy list.’ — Liberals just hate the idea.
Sounds a lot like the Chinese social credit system – which socialists love.
I will never forget Gun Owners of Vermont under the rule of Eddie Cutler selling out John Rodgers when he was running for governor in the state of vermont.
I have been chastised numerous times by people in the republican party for supporting John rogers who has always stood firm for gun rights in the state of vermont.
People that did not support John and have chosen to support others in the run for governor should hang their head in shame.
All those no compromise people compromised.
All I can say is I thank John Rodgers for standing tall in spite of the party he belongs to and remaining loyal to the second amendment and article 16 in the state of vermont.
if we had elected John governor in the state of vermont we would not have any gun laws in the state of vermont today.
john Rodgers is a patriot.
Ed Cutler was a ‘politician’ and I quit Gun Owners of VT because of him. He was more interested in trying to sway the Commiecrat politicians in the legislature of the error of their ways, which he never was going to do, instead of informing and educating the people that the only way to fight is by not obeying unconstitutional laws passed by Communists.
That was an interesting episode. More patriots than any political party ran for office. There was much division within the entire group. Complete and utter chaos and fighting.
Who was the beneficiary?
Phil Scott.
A contesting of ideas, a challenge and debate are wonderful things. It’s still an amazing feat our founding fathers did, write and adopt our constitution in the time they did, with the controversies and lives on the line.
We can’t elect an every day official without so much rancor we tear each other apart. This internal division is not part of the American spirit, certainly not the Holy Spirit, to which our state is in desperate need of.
There is this issue of NWO Pimps who are pushing an anti American agenda, with a super majority making it difficult for anyone to stop. Tis a rather large issue before us.
The threat of more and stricter gun control is the single best marketing tool for firearms manufacturers. Keep talking regulation and confiscation, and citizens will keep stockpiling.
We should combine this article with the teen prostitution. 🙂 Dad’s win, pimps lose would be my guess.
Real Vermonter’s no matter what your political leaning is if you are a gun owner
you should be worried about all the rhetoric coming out of the administration of
the ” so-called ” President-elect and his rabid anti-gunners staff………….
As stated above, they may be underestimating ” We The People ” and our respect
of our Constitution and the Second Amendment, maybe a problem to these leftist
fools !!
Keep your guns oiled and clean and your powder dry.
No compromise, Compromise is surrender on the installment plan!
We will not comply. Period.
They’ve taken enough away from gun owners as it is. All I can say is that they better be prepared for a fight with any new legislation that further infringes on our rights.