Combatting Gun Violence
Gun Violence
Data and facts
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Leading cause of death of youth
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1244 people died buy guns in 2021
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About 75% of gun deaths are suicides
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Virginia is 7th in gun sales, 12th in population
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Gun violence cost America $229 Billion and Virginia $14.2 Billion per year
A new Approuch
"Virginians spend nearly $300 Million per year in response to gun violence, let's start spending millions to prevent it and save lives."
Randall Wolf
To fight gun violence and to help people with mental health problems or drug addiction Virginia needs funds to hire staff and provide those critical services. Gun violence costs Virginia $14.2 billion each year and $288.3 million is paid by taxpayers. There is a history of uses excise taxes to control the sales of items that create social ills and fund programs to address the effects of those items like alcohol. I propose30 percent tax on the sale of all weapons and ammunition to non-law enforcement agencies.
The additional revenue would be dedicated to addressing gun violence and the creation of a Virginia-wide fourth group of First Responders for crisis care situations. Increase short and long-term care facilities for mental and behavioral care. It will provide additional resources for background checks, better data collection, gun buyback programs, victim support, and increased school security programs.
These programs of action will reduce gun violence and suicides that will save lives. It will reduce gun sales, many of which are sold to non-Virginians. It will protect our students, care for people and make us all safer in our communities.
There would be a tax-free weekend for licensed hunters to purchase supplies shotguns, hunting rifles, and a limited supply of ammunition for the season.
Assault-style Weapons
Ban the sale of new assault-style weapons. Offer a gun buyback program to remove as many as possible from circulation. Reduce maximum clip size to 15 rounds or less. Mandate they be in locked cases during public transport.
My opponent's view
The above screen grab from Del. Campbell's website lists guns as her number one issue. If the right to bear arms is a God given right, I would think all the thoughts and prayers would have ended gun violence.
Preventing suicides
Over two-thirds of gun deaths are suicides and Congressman Ben Cline's district has an average of 84 firearm suicide deaths per year. This equals 11.2 per 100,000 people and well above the 7.1 per 100,000 people rate in the nation. Creation of crisis response teams to provide care and increase beds in short- and mid-term mental health care facilities will lower these deaths as will enforcement of Virginia's Extreme risk protection order laws.
End 2nd Amendment sanctuary status
Augusta County voted in 2019 to be a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary county, one of over 100 counties and cities in Virginia. On the above map green passed these resolutions. Waynesboro voted to be a Constitutional Sanctuary city, (different name, same meaning), Legally this has no standing, but here's an interesting data point, Staunton which voted against this has used the Red Flag law twice since the summer of 2021, Augusta and Waynesboro have not used it.