January 17, 2019

Action Alert:
Tell Virginia Legislator to Keep Her Gun at Home


On January 15, 2019, Virginia state Senator Amanda Chase made headlines by open-carrying a .38-special handgun on the floor of the Virginia Senate. The GOP-controlled General Assembly in Virginia allows visitors and legislators alike to bring loaded firearms into the Capitol, but most carry concealed to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

Virginia Sen. Amanda Chase has also been displaying her loaded gun in committee hearings attended by constituent-advocates like gun violence survivor Lori Haas (top-left).

Senator Chase broke that tradition after fellow Republican Senator Dick Black (R-Loudoun) claimed (without evidence) that pro-immigration activists “mobbed” him after he introduced legislation to ban sanctuary cities. “I’ve had people get in my face,” Chase told the Washington Post. “I’ve had people come up and try to touch me inappropriately. And it—the gun—is a deterrent.” She also bragged about being called a “bad-ass” for open carrying in the Capitol.

Prior to this stunt, Senator Chase was best known as a a vocal opponent of efforts to ratify the federal Equal Rights Amendment.

Please take a minute to contact Senator Chase through one of the channels below and give her the following message, personalized to your liking:

You are disrespecting our democratic process in Virginia, putting others at unnecessary risk, and making a fool out of yourself by open-carrying your handgun in the General Assembly. How dare you attempt to intimidate those in your presence—including fellow legislators who disagree with you and gun violence victims and survivors advocating for tougher gun laws as constituents—with this thuggish gesture? You should be ashamed of yourself. The real reason you are doing this is because you lack esteem and are bowing to a patriarchal gun culture in which violence against women is routine in hope of gaining some measure of privilege. I find your actions offensive, gutless and fundamentally anti-democratic. Maybe you should try to earn the respect of your colleagues/constituents by demonstrating personal character rather than extorting it through an implicit threat of political violence. Leave your gun at home, senator.

Virginia state Senator Amanda Chase (R-11th) 
Phone: (804) 698-7511
Email: district11@senate.virginia.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chase4Senate/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/a_chase11

Once you’ve contacted Delegate Chase, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!


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