Guns in the Virginia General Assembly: Lock, (Laughing) Stock, and Barrel

Once again, Virginia’s House of Delegates is a party to a minor controversy garnering national attention. One year after a member offered up a “droopy-drawers” bill aimed at reducing the scourge of saggy pants among school-aged young men and women, Del. Jack Reid (R-Henrico) is now the center of unwanted attention for something a bit more troubling. Reid, a school administrator and proud gun owner, accidentally fired his semi-automatic pistol while sitting in his office yesterday morning. Aside from wounding a helpless flak jacket (and his pride), Reid also upset the sense of security for staff members within earshot of the legislator’s personal chambers. This story generated attention around the state and across the border as the venerable Washington Post gave it “above-the-fold” copy today. Says the Post,

“The incident prompted an unexpected debate about gun control and also something uncommon in Virginia political circles: contrition from a state legislator. Reid, a Henrico County Republican, rose from his seat on the floor of the House of Delegates, asked to be heard, explained what had happened and said: ‘I want to apologize to the members of this body and to the greater body. . . . I'm just thankful that nobody was hurt.’”

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Reid “said he doesn't know if he will continue to carry a weapon. ‘I have some soul-searching to do about that.’” The issue of guns on government property has engulfed the General Assembly for some time, and yesterday’s events will surely add to the murky waters. As the Post notes:

“The incident immediately reopened the debate among lawmakers and lobbyists about whether firearms should be allowed at the Capitol, a discussion that has been held for several years...anyone in Virginia until recently could carry firearms openly into the legislators' office building and the nearby Capitol. Then, last year, a committee of delegates and senators passed a rule requiring residents to have a concealed weapon permit to bring a firearm into the complex, even if the gun is carried openly. Some senators proposed barring guns from the buildings altogether. But many gun rights groups opposed the move.”

Undoubtedly Del. Reid is sincere in his remorse and would surely love for this incident not to have happened. Yet, the incident crystallizes the insanity of the current gun rights debate. Our Constitution protects the fundamental right to "bear arms," designed both for self-protection and for purposes of defending the state though “militias” have mostly been replaced by the Pentagon and National Guard. Sensible regulation of weapons is necessary to protect innocent citizens from criminals, but such rules must preserve the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Hopefully, the Commonwealth’s legislators can figure out a way to make a sensible compromise that does both, but given the contentious environment between the two major parties, that may not be possible. In the end, all we can hope for is that common sense – an too often a concealed weapon itself - will prevail.