“An embarrassment to Virginia”; “It’s the guns Ms. Sears…IT’S THE GUNS!!”; “Enough is enough. Do your damn job.”

Yesterday, Virginia Democrats held a video press conference, in which they blasted Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears for attending the NRA convention in Texas, just days after 19 children and two teachers were murdered by someone using an AR-15. As Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker, put it, “it’s an abomination to the victims of this shooting and an embarrassment to the Commonwealth.” And as Del. Elizabeth Guzman said,Sears’ speech at the NRA event was a “slap in the face to the victims and to the Latinx community… Her appearance at this event is shameful.”

Since then, the Washington Post reported on Sears’ speech – for which we have no audio, video or a full transcript! – as “acknowledging the horror of this week’s shooting at a Uvalde elementary school but blaming it on a range of social factors from lack of prayer in schools to ’emasculated’ men and pandemic safety protocols”; while defending the NRA as “our fellow law-abiding American” – not “monsters.”  Uhhhh…

Anyway, as you can see below, Virginia Democrats didn’t appreciate any of this lunacy from Sears, who of course is a huge gun enthusiast (remember this photo)? Among the reactions:

• DPVA spokesman Gianni Snidle says Sears’ comments are “an embarrassment to Virginia.”
• State Senator Ghazala Hashmi seems completely baffled – and for good reason! – at what Sears is even blathering about.
• State Senator Scott Surovell says “this is your Lieutenant Governor,” who believes (completely falsely) that “mass shootings happen because of no prayer in school, society emasculating men…Black on Black crime…”
• Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney says to Sears: “How about instead of pandering to the @NRA & the far right today, maybe get back to Virginia and focus on how we stop these mass murders for good? Enough is enough. Do your damn job.”
• Loudoun County Chair Phyllis Randall, who tweets: “Parkland had Security Tops Grocery store had Security Robb Hill had 19 armed officers in the building for over 30 minutes. @WinsomeSears, weapons of war do not belong in the hands of untrained civilians. It’s the guns Ms. Sears…IT’S THE GUNS!!”