Newest Gun Control Bill in Virginia

[GMDino]

(01-29-2024, 06:59 PM)CKwi88 Wrote: It's different from speeding or endangerment laws in the sense that the speeder's actions are directly putting other people in danger. Leaving your gun in the open in the car depends on a bad actor seizing that opportunity and breaking into the car and stealing the weapon for harm to come onto another person.

I suppose another analogy would say I go to a state park with a cooler full of booze (perfectly legal here in CT). Should I be legally permitted to leave that cooler full of booze unsupervised for an extended period of time in a park frequented by underaged adults? Or would leaving it out in the open unattended reach the level of irresponsibility that merits a fine? Sure, no harm will come to anyone as long as nobody comes along and commits a larceny. But I'm also wildly irresponsibly creating that opportunity.

The laws already in place are laws against breaking and entering into cars and committing larceny. 

What I'm saying is the law against speeding is that you MIGHT cause an accident that harms someone else due to your behavior in public.  This bill says the same.  Your actions MIGHT cause harm and if you are caught, even before that happens, you will be fined.  Just like speeding.

I agree the person stealing is already covered by the existing laws.

And, once again, I'm not saying I think this law is absolutely right or wrong.  I'm saying, as a thought experiment, would it deter more people from being irresponsible?

Is this even a problem on such a scale that a law is warranted?   I dunno.  But it's interesting to talk about.