Posted: 1/20/2023 4:36:29 PM EDT
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The world watched as we traveled to Richmond VA three years ago, and many of us walked quietly into the downtown in the dark the morning of the 20th. Law enforcement was everywhere. Dump trucks had been brought in, heavy equipment and QRFs staged, fences erected, cameras placed everywhere, security checkpoints established, and snipers gathered on rooftops. We watched the snipers that morning walking out distances and setting markers while we did the same. With no core organization, tens of thousands of strangers gathered in one of the most inhospitable environments you can imagine and stood together. While there's some debate about whether our numbers were 25,000 or 50,000 or more, I personally believe it was the largest gathering of armed civilians the world had ever seen. I think we all knew there was a very good chance this event went sideways with our lives destroyed or lost as a result of being there, but we went anyway. The morning was tense. By lunchtime people had set up small grills and handed out bottles of water. Kids joined the crowd, and then a small group starting chanting "USA! USA! USA!" and it quickly spread. The lawmakers watched tens of thousands of armed citizens outside their buildings standing against them and watched us chant as their windows shook. Shortly thereafter the President of the United States posted a tweet cheering us on showing video of us from above. I believe that was the moment that a lot of second thoughts were born with those that stood in the buildings above us. For all you that joined the Silent Brigade 3 years ago in Richmond Virginia for Lobby Day 2020 - THANK YOU. While we all know what happened at a similar event just a year later, the organization and attitude of those that went to Lobby Day led to a successful outcome. The legislature declined to pursue most of their egregious gun control bills, and most of the liberal rules that pushed these ideas voted out at the next election. Virginia remains a battleground state and the gateway to the South - as has been true for hundreds of years. We won that day, though, thanks to all of you that attended. You shall all now commence to posting pictures, telling stories and hoisting a glass! Happy 3 years to you all 
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 It was a great day. I wasn’t even cold! My one story: A union thug, right out of the Sopranos with New Jersey accent and a scruffy sidekick, came up to me and asked how it was legal for everyone to be open carrying. I reminded him he was in Virginia and he pushed off through the crowd in disbelief. I’m convinced he was there to cause trouble but numbers matter and we won the day in many ways. |
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Attached File I remember some reports in the media saying it was a few thousand people… Attached File Attached File |
Not the same kit, but I do like to transfer the swag around. Although the caution tape bands stay in my reloading room. Attached File Funny part was the black Richmond cop driving up the hill telling us we couldn't have 30 round magazines while in the city. . .until he saw Ben's 203. 
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Probably the most worthwhile thing this site has ever done. Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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I'm humbled to have been there in the presence of so many good Americans. God help us. Attached File |
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Humbling indeed-- and one of the proudest days of my life. Thank You BlackFox for everything you did to assist. Some video care of VCDL: @bulldog1967 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9qbTiZMdV4 |
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I stood in Ben's line. I was/am a medic. I had a trauma kit with me and 4? bottles of water. I did not know what to expect. We got stuck in traffic and missed the walkout by about 5-10 minutes. We, me and 2 others walked up alone, several cops eyeballing us on the way. We were all kitted out. I was concerned, but we kept walking. I got there, my radio was on wrong frequencies and I left it in the truck. @elcope loaned me a radio. Told me to listen, don't talk, unless I had an emergency. That whole day the only thing I did was give an old man a bottle of water, he kind of fell out right in front of us. He was at least 80. At the end of the day I took elcope his radio back. And we were starved. We tried to hit every food joint on the way back to the truck, THEY ALL TURNED US AWAY. They all stated we could not come into their establishment. UNTIL.....we got to Jimmy Johns. I was never a real Jimmy Johns fan, until that day. I stuck my head in, I said do you serve our kind. A plump black lady working making sammiches looked at me and said HONEY WE SERVE EVERYBODY come on in. We all got Jimmy Johns that day. I was so hungry. Whatever one it is I had all Italian meats. We got back to the truck, stowed our kit, and proceeded to drive all night back to Texas. Thank you @Blackfox , we only briefly said hi, not even a real conversation, but you were integral with all you did. |
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Quoted: Humbling indeed-- and one of the proudest days of my life. Some video care of VCDL: @bulldog1967 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9qbTiZMdV4  VCDL Lobby Day 2020 Documentary |
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Quoted: I stood in Ben's line. I was/am a medic. I had a trauma kit with me and 4? bottles of water. I did not know what to expect. We got stuck in traffic and missed the walkout by about 5-10 minutes. We, me and 2 others walked up alone, several cops eyeballing us on the way. We were all kitted out. I was concerned, but we kept walking. I got there, my radio was on wrong frequencies and I left it in the truck. @elcope loaned me a radio. Told me to listen, don't talk, unless I had an emergency. That whole day the only thing I did was give an old man a bottle of water, he kind of fell out right in front of us. He was at least 80. At the end of the day I took elcope his radio back. And we were starved. We tried to hit every food joint on the way back to the truck, THEY ALL TURNED US AWAY. They all stated we could not come into their establishment. UNTIL.....we got to Jimmy Johns. I was never a real Jimmy Johns fan, until that day. I stuck my head in, I said do you serve our kind. A plump black lady working making sammiches looked at me and said HONEY WE SERVE EVERYBODY come on in. We all got Jimmy Johns that day. I was so hungry. Whatever one it is I had all Italian meats. We got back to the truck, stowed our kit, and proceeded to drive all night back to Texas. Thank you @Blackfox , we only briefly said hi, not even a real conversation, but you were integral with all you did. Your willingness to travel across the country (multiple times) for 2nd Amendment events makes you an absolute rock star!  |
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Quoted: Your willingness to travel across the country (multiple times) for 2nd Amendment events makes you an absolute rock star! Quoted: Quoted: I stood in Ben's line. I was/am a medic. I had a trauma kit with me and 4? bottles of water. I did not know what to expect. We got stuck in traffic and missed the walkout by about 5-10 minutes. We, me and 2 others walked up alone, several cops eyeballing us on the way. We were all kitted out. I was concerned, but we kept walking. I got there, my radio was on wrong frequencies and I left it in the truck. @elcope loaned me a radio. Told me to listen, don't talk, unless I had an emergency. That whole day the only thing I did was give an old man a bottle of water, he kind of fell out right in front of us. He was at least 80. At the end of the day I took elcope his radio back. And we were starved. We tried to hit every food joint on the way back to the truck, THEY ALL TURNED US AWAY. They all stated we could not come into their establishment. UNTIL.....we got to Jimmy Johns. I was never a real Jimmy Johns fan, until that day. I stuck my head in, I said do you serve our kind. A plump black lady working making sammiches looked at me and said HONEY WE SERVE EVERYBODY come on in. We all got Jimmy Johns that day. I was so hungry. Whatever one it is I had all Italian meats. We got back to the truck, stowed our kit, and proceeded to drive all night back to Texas. Thank you @Blackfox , we only briefly said hi, not even a real conversation, but you were integral with all you did. Your willingness to travel across the country (multiple times) for 2nd Amendment events makes you an absolute rock star! Yep |
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Quoted: Your willingness to travel across the country (multiple times) for 2nd Amendment events makes you an absolute rock star! Quoted: Quoted: I stood in Ben's line. I was/am a medic. I had a trauma kit with me and 4? bottles of water. I did not know what to expect. We got stuck in traffic and missed the walkout by about 5-10 minutes. We, me and 2 others walked up alone, several cops eyeballing us on the way. We were all kitted out. I was concerned, but we kept walking. I got there, my radio was on wrong frequencies and I left it in the truck. @elcope loaned me a radio. Told me to listen, don't talk, unless I had an emergency. That whole day the only thing I did was give an old man a bottle of water, he kind of fell out right in front of us. He was at least 80. At the end of the day I took elcope his radio back. And we were starved. We tried to hit every food joint on the way back to the truck, THEY ALL TURNED US AWAY. They all stated we could not come into their establishment. UNTIL.....we got to Jimmy Johns. I was never a real Jimmy Johns fan, until that day. I stuck my head in, I said do you serve our kind. A plump black lady working making sammiches looked at me and said HONEY WE SERVE EVERYBODY come on in. We all got Jimmy Johns that day. I was so hungry. Whatever one it is I had all Italian meats. We got back to the truck, stowed our kit, and proceeded to drive all night back to Texas. Thank you @Blackfox , we only briefly said hi, not even a real conversation, but you were integral with all you did. Your willingness to travel across the country (multiple times) for 2nd Amendment events makes you an absolute rock star! I believe we were closer to 50,000 than 25,000. Lots of different people came together. I, the conservative Baptist, shook hands and hung out with Erin Smith the night before. We have, at the very least, LIBERTY in common. Different people came together. They noticed. |
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It was great, and eye opening. Big learning experience. Thanks Blackfox for everything you did, and Ben for doing the right thing, and all of arf that showed up and lead us motely crew. Attached File The event was quickly overshadowed by events shortly after, but I know we left a lasting impression on the right people. |
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Quoted: View of the crowd from the Silent Brigade TOC in the Commonwealth Hotel. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/3446/20200120_105447-1252772.jpg ......... ......... THERES NO BEANS IN CHILI!!!! Oh hey you got a radio?  |
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@lug1 Don’t forget about “little man” We had a 5’ nothing antifa throw his shoulder into our group walking while crossing paths. He put all his weight into it, but lug1 didn’t even notice it was on purpose. He thought he just bumped into the kid. Walking normally, and nearly knocks guy trying his hardest on his ass. |
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Quoted: @lug1 Don't forget about "little man" We had a 5' nothing antifa throw his shoulder into our group walking while crossing paths. He put all his weight into it, but lug1 didn't even notice it was on purpose. He thought he just bumped into the kid. Walking normally, and nearly knocks guy trying his hardest on his ass. You gotta be old and have listened to Bill Cosby to get that one. That poor little anarchist.
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I was there. It was cold. I still get annoyed when people say it was a failure. Some gun bills were passing no matter what, but they basically abandoned or failed to pass the worst of them. Dems lost full control in the next election. It was a success. Thanks for coming out. Especially you out of staters. |
