As Democrats in Virginia prepare to enact sensible gun laws, such as universal background checks, banning of weapons like AR-15’s, and stripping guns away from owners who are deemed threats to themselves and others, the far-right had to be heard. How they chose to respond was anything but your normal “business as usual.”

The estimate of at least 22,000 took over Richmond on January 20th dressed as their favorite gun-toting characters from franchises including Call of Duty, Rainbow Six, and the eighties classic G.I Joe. 

They marched in the streets with their rifles comfortably nestled on their chests and backs while dressed in fatigues and tactical gear. Cell phones and keys swayed across their various colors of cargo pants. They marched with the usual bravado of an aging white man with Pro-Trump signs and reciting chants out of sync while ignoring the simple fact that we have a problem.

It’s a gun problem. 

• 36,000 Americans are killed by guns each year—an average of 100 per day
• 100,000 Americans are shot and injured each year
• In 2017, gun deaths reached their highest level in at least 40 years, with 39,773 deaths that year alone
• Gun deaths increased by 16% from 2014 to 2017

Giffords Law Center

These macho cosplayers also like to ignore that the problem might be in their own backyard. The highest rates of gun violence happen to be in states with the weakest gun laws, which are predominantly Republican controlled.

• On average, fewer people die from gun violence in states with strong gun laws and more people die in states with weak gun laws
• Nationally, about 12 people are killed with firearms for every 100,000 US residents
• Alaska has the highest gun death rate among the states as well as some of the weakest gun laws—nearly 25 people are killed with guns for every 100,000 residents
• Hawaii has the lowest gun death rate and some of the strongest gun laws in the country. Comparatively, only 2 out of 100,000 residents are killed with firearms—less than one-tenth Alaska’s rate

Giffords Law Center

It is pretty telling that while these men love to play dress up and travel across the country, their states might be the worst of the bunch when it comes to gun deaths. So, maybe it is time to hang up your army helmet you bought at the military surplus store and look at blood that pours down your own streets.