Residents speak again at Staunton City Council about Second Amendment

Second amendment sanctuary discussions are still continuing around the Valley, and Thursday, people spoke about the issue again during the Staunton City Council meeting.

Around two dozen people spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting. This is the second meeting people have attended and spoken at. It was not on the agenda for either meeting.

The majority of people spoke against the idea of Staunton becoming a second amendment sanctuary. Many who spoke said this was a waste of time for the city to consider, since there are laws already in place. Some also argued it was not for the city to decide if something was constitutional or not. Others just didn't support the idea at all.

"It's foolishness," one resident said. "It's a bunch of old men slavery talk that I just heard one talk about slavery and Jim Crow. And you want to commit this to a second amendment city?"

Others spoke in favor of becoming a sanctuary resolution, arguing the bills proposed are unconstitutional or a threat to their rights. A few residents said they don't want to live in a lawless society, but they questioned if the laws would actually guarantee their safety.

"If any of these proposals, or bills they put up made any sense, 91 counties would not have adopted second amendment sanctuary cities," another resident said.

Still others who spoke requested that city council members listen to all citizens and make a decision based on what the majority wanted, rather than their personal beliefs. Another point several brought up was the idea of safety. Several citizens said they wanted to be safe, but were divided on if becoming a second amendment sanctuary would improve safety.

City council adjourned the meeting without any discussion or action on the public comments, but city manager Steve Rosenberg said a request had been made to consider it as an agenda item for the next city council meeting, which is on Jan. 23.