Wednesday Morning Rant

One of the hallmarks earmarks of entitled, aristocratic rule is the great and powerful exemption. The rulers impose - as the name implies - rules, but the rules do not apply to the rulers themselves. Rules are for the subjects, not the rulers. The rulers get the authority to make and enforce rules, and - thanks to their royal prerogatives, Party privileges or whatever nomenclature is popular in the style of the time - get to ignore them.

The notion of "rule of apply" does not exist to Party Men or other aristocrats. They live by exemption, as is fitting their stations. They used to at least pretend that this is not how it worked, but the mask is slipping off. While in the old days, they would pass laws and then ignore them without consequence, that is old-fashioned. The new way is to formally exempt themselves, like it was in the good old days when kings reigned and peasants served. The only thing that can stop them is a modicum of shame from within their own clique.

So it was in Virginia. Since the Democrats took over in January, Virginia has been passing new gun control laws. There is HB-217, which bans "assault weapons" and magazines over 15 rounds. This one has plenty of exemptions, mostly for cops and soldiers and some grandfather clauses. Another bill, however, was different and got much less publicity. That one had a straight-up exemption for Virginia's new rulers. That was HB-110.

HB-110 is a bill that imposes new penalties on leaving guns in cars. When the bill was introduced by the Virginia House, it was fairly simple:

No person shall leave, place, or store any handgun, as defined in § 18.2-307.1, in any unattended motor vehicle when such handgun is visible to any person who is outside such unattended motor vehicle

Good law or bad, it was at least simple and internally consistent. Then the amendments got underway. After a couple of months had passed, the bill quadrupled in length. They added boats to the definition of "motor vehicle." They added differing rules for requirements that any handgun left in a vehicle must not only be "out of sight" as it was in the original bill, but also locked in a rigid box. They added exemptions, of course, for cops and the like - including off-duty and retired cops. But there was another very special exemption slipped in through the amendment process:

The provisions of this section shall not apply to any member of the General Assembly who leaves a handgun in an unattended motor vehicle pursuant to § 18.2-308.7:1 when such vehicle is parked in any parking structure reserved for members of the General Assembly under § 2.2-1172.

The only thing that stopped them was a Senator. In that chamber, senator Richard Stuart - a Republican, took them to task for this carve-out. He was somewhat successful. While the Virginia Senate did eventually pass a version of the bill along party lines, it was much more similar to the original House bill. The Senate version is fairly similar to the original House version, with some changes. Most of the additions were removed, including the special exemption for Virginia's munificent and honorable leaders. The House then passed it largely along party lines.

The special exemption for Virginia Assemblymen failed, but that the House thought it appropriate is telling. That the only reason that exemption wasn't in the final bill likely comes down a Senator dressing them down in a public forum for considering it is hardly comforting. This is not a shining example of the system working. This is a shining example of the arrogance and entitlement of a ruling class with unmasked and unbridled contempt for those they consider to be their subjects.

It took a while, but royalty and aristocracy are thoroughly back in fashion.

posted by Joe Mannix at 11:00 AM

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