VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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VCDL Update 5/14/10
1. Reminder: VCDL meeting May 20 at Mason District Govt Center
2. PBS "Need to Know" episode is now online
3. PBS "Need to Know": Reactions and comments
4. The Second Amendment and the terror watch list
5. Bloomberg (naturally) focuses on terror suspect's gun purchase
6. Editorial: Gun plus booze equals stupor
7. RTE LTE: We will become the Wild West
8. Crimes decline, adult arrests increase in Va.
9. Why you might need a gun at a hotel
10. Open carry incident at the Fairfax Government Center
11. VCDL fixes Harrisonburg "no firearms" on their website
12. Randy Forbes' newsletter: Protecting Second Amendment rights
13. Second Amendment quotes
14. Who needs a gun while standing in your front yard?
15. RMGO Lawsuit against gun ban wins - CSU backs down
16. Man arrested after loaded handgun, bullets found in vehicle
17. Editorial: Guns needed to stop Chicago murders
18. Wyoming now honors Virginia concealed handgun permits
19. KENYA: Your guns or your freedom, please
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1. Reminder: VCDL meeting May 20 at Mason District Govt Center
**************************************************
VCDL will have its monthly meeting in Annandale on Thursday, May 20th,
at 8 PM, with fellowship starting at 7:30 PM. After the meeting, we
will adjourn to a local restaurant for continued fellowship.
The meeting is open to the public, so bring a friend, family, or
coworker.
Those who wish to carry to the restaurant will need to open carry as
they serve alcohol. Starting on July 1, I won't have to bother with
that statement!
The meeting location is:
Mason District Governmental Center
6507 Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA 22003
Directions and more information is on the VCDL web site:
http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
**************************************************
2. PBS "Need to Know" episode is now online
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/vcdlneedtoknow
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3. PBS "Need to Know": Reactions and comments
**************************************************
After the "Need to Know" program aired, an anti-gunner sent me this
jewel. So typical that group:
"There are several constants in your gun toting crowds.... you're all
fat, ignorant and sport bad haircuts. So carrying around guns make
you feel important and meaningful. How pathetic."
Who's pathetic?
Also, Roy B Scherer emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/2v45woe
The show has promise, though it clearly has a way to go.
The part that sticks in my mind, unfortunately, is the look of stunned
disbelief on the face of the interviewer when the pro-self-defense
speaker mentioned that if there had been just one armed passenger on
each of the two World Trade Center flights, the tragedy may well have
been prevented. He seemed to go into brain-freeze at the thought of a
gunfight inside a jet plane. Too bad that he wasn't capable of
understanding that even the worst-case outcome of such a fight,
causing the aircraft to crash somewhere random and kill everybody
aboard, would have still saved several thousand lives.
Perhaps the true difference between those who choose to carry means of
self-defense and those who do not is that those who choose to act
responsibly are the ones who aren't afraid to think about unpleasant
possibilities.
**************************************************
4. The Second Amendment and the terror watch list
**************************************************
Dave Hicks emailed me this:
--
I can hardly believe it. The Roanoke Times actually comes out against
prior restraint of 2A when there is no criminal conviction!. Wow!
http://tinyurl.com/2cbaael
blogs.roanoke.com
May 7, 2010
Some Republicans are coming under undue ridicule for opposing an
effort to block the purchase of weapons by people on the U.S. terror
watch list. In an editorial for next week, we'll defend Republicans
like Maine's Susan Collins and South Carolina's Lindsey Graham, noting
that those on the watch list have been convicted of no crime and
should not be stripped of constitutional rights simply because the
government has decided they deserve extra scrutiny when they fly.
We will, though, propose that the Department of Homeland Security be
notified whenever someone on the list attempts to purchase a weapon,
so that the purchase can be blocked - or at least investigated.
**************************************************
5. Bloomberg (naturally) focuses on terror suspect's gun purchase
**************************************************
Dave Workman emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/2g5wwh8
http://www.examiner.com
By Dave Workman
May 5, 2010
[SNIP]
Whatever else anti-gun New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg may be, he is
predictable.
It took less than 24 hours after authorities disclosed that a firearm
was recovered from Times Square terror-bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad's
car - left parked at Kennedy International Airport when he was
apprehended trying to flee the country - for Bloomberg to appear
before a Senate committee, calling for tighter gun restrictions...
**************************************************
6. Editorial: Gun plus booze equals stupor
**************************************************
Dave Hicks emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/3ybqb9j
http://www.roanoke.com
May 3, 2010
Why should some people get to have guns and drink and others not?
This whole guns and bars thing is getting rather confusing.
Say you wanted to go out tonight and slam back a few. You are
perfectly free to do so, provided you're old enough, of course. You
can go alone and drink. Or you can tote along your friend, just as
long as he's out in the open and everyone knows you're drinking and
armed. Virginia law is A-OK with that. Your bartender might not be,
but that's his problem. You can just take your money where you and
Smith & Wesson are welcome.
Now, say you just happen to be a cop or a commonwealth's attorney with
a permit to carry concealed. Why, then, you can tuck your friend in
your waistband or ankle holster, plop down on your favorite stool and
hoist a few. Perfectly legal. Not very bright, but legal.
Now, say you aren't one of those elite, but you don't like to go
advertising that your friend is keeping you company. What's a good,
law-abiding citizen like you to do but wait? Come July 1, you too can
carry concealed in places where alcohol is sold. Only you can't drink
it. At least not legally.
That's not fair, says Philip Van Cleave, leader of the Virginia
Citizens Defense League.
Well, don't go falling off your bar stool, but we agree.
Van Cleave worked so hard to get this law passed, and a year ago he
would have been fine with it. He said as much in a commentary right
here on our pages.
But that was before his friend became governor. Now he wants a redo:
Either everyone gets to carry concealed and drink or no one gets to
carry concealed and drink.
Better, we think, no one should get to drink and carry. Open or
concealed. Period.
But don't just listen to us. As some of our letter writers like to
remind us, we aren't gun experts. So let's check with the experts, the
big guns, the authoritative source -- the National Rifle Association:
"Never use alcohol or over-the-counter, prescription or other drugs
before or while shooting. Alcohol, as well as any other substance
likely to impair normal mental or physical bodily functions, must not
be used before or while handling or shooting guns."
A sober warning worth heeding.
**************************************************
7. RTE LTE: We will become the Wild West
**************************************************
"This trend of Virginia lawmakers attempting to permit ordinary
citizens to carry firearms in places where weapons don't belong is a
dangerous one."
And that's why the crime rate in Virginia continues to drop (see item
#8, below).
Dave Hicks emailed me this:
--
Another anti who thinks "unarmed victim zones" work and that recent
State gun rights law changes will result in more danger, because
permitting "ordinary citizens to carry firearms in places where
weapons don't belong is ... dangerous ...."
http://tinyurl.com/385fbx6
http://www.roanoke.com
May 4, 2010
We will become the Wild West
Re: "Gun law change helps the law-abiding against the lawless," April
25 letter:
Is everywhere in Virginia going to look like the Wild West? There are
more and more places in Virginia that residents with concealed weapons
permits are allowed to carry a firearm. The Virginia General Assembly
recently allowed citizens who possess concealed weapons permits the
right to carry firearms in places that serve alcohol.
Earlier this year, there was a bill going through the General Assembly
that would permit full-time professors at state universities to carry
their weapons into their classrooms. In a state where a concealed
carry permit can be obtained through an online test, there is no
reason for bar patrons or professors to be carrying weapons of any
kind at all.
This trend of Virginia lawmakers attempting to permit ordinary
citizens to carry firearms in places where weapons don't belong is a
dangerous one.
RILEY CASH
RADFORD
**************************************************
8. Crimes decline, adult arrests increase in Va.
**************************************************
Philip Levy emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/2493vp6
wtop.com
May 7, 2010
RICHMOND, Va. - State police say Virginia saw declines in violent
crimes and other offenses in 2009.
The Virginia State Police's 2009 Crime in Virginia report says violent
crimes fell by 9.7 percent compared to 2008. Motor vehicle and other
property thefts and drug offenses also decreased.
Juvenile arrests also declined but adult arrests increased.
Juvenile arrests for violent crimes and other serious offenses fell by
4.1 percent, while arrests for trespassing, bad checks and other
lesser offenses dropped by 13.9 percent.
Adult arrests for serious offenses increased by 3.9 percent. Arrests
for less serious offenses rose by 5 percent.
Total arrests increased by 2.9 percent, from 339,189 in 2008 to
345,884 in 2009.
**************************************************
9. Why you might need a gun at a hotel
**************************************************
Dave Hicks emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/2a9jxdr
http://www.wavy.com
May 6, 2010
Hotel shooting suspect caught on tape
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - A Country Inn & Suites employee was shot
at about 10 p.m. Wednesday during an attempted robbery, Virginia Beach
police said.
Surveillance video at the hotel captured images of the suspect. The
video shows him enter through the front doors, wearing a black cloth
over his mouth and a hat. He was also carrying a silver gun.
The suspect jumped over the counter and confronted the clerk. There
was an altercation in which the clerk was shot. In the surveillanve
video, he can then be seen emerging minutes later, with his shirt over
his head as he ran out of the same doors he entered.
Police said the victim was taken to the hospital. Even though he was
shot multiple times, police said his injuries are not life-threatening.
The suspect is described as a black male, 5 foot 9 to 5 foot 10, 185
to 190 pounds and about 18 or 19 years old.
The Country Inn & Suites is located on Burton Station Road, near the
Norfolk Airport.
If you have any information that could help police, call Crime Line at
1-888-LOCK-UP.
**************************************************
10. Open carry incident at the Fairfax Government Center
**************************************************
Tony M emailed me about a problem he encountered while open carrying
at the Fairfax County Government Center. If you should have a similar
incident while carrying, always be sure to get the names of the
security or law enforcement officers involved. Then forward all
details to the VCDL:
----
Hello Phil,
I'm not sure if I should've used this email form or not, anyway just
wanted to get the jist of what took place today, May 5th, at the
Fairfax Government Center.
At about 3:30 PM I walked into the above mentioned building while open
carrying. I was stopped by a security guard who told me I wouldn't be
allowed to proceed without showing some form of identification. I
informed him that Virginia law does not require any identification to
be shown and that I was there to conduct business.
He then called the Fairfax county police department and the officer
said that it was up to the guard to let me carry on or not. I didn't
argue and just decided to contact you instead.
----
In this case, EM Dave Vann headed over to the government center and
politely educated the guard on Virginia law. The guard's supervisor
overheard the conversation and reinforced Dave's educational
lesson.
A few days later, the guard saw Tony M. apologized to Tony for
misunderstanding Virginia law.
**************************************************
11. VCDL fixes Harrisonburg "no firearms" on their website
**************************************************
VCDL coordinates with Harrisonburg to fix illegal "no guns" in parks
wording on their web site and future flyers. Hats off to EM Dave
Knight for working with them. The emails are in reverse chronological
order:
From: Dave Knight
Date: May 7, 2010 10:17:29 AM EDT
To: Lee Foerster
Subject: Re: Website still boasts illegal "no weapons" policy
Dear Mr Foerster
Outstanding!
I trust you will also ensure that all Park & Rec signage will be
similarly amended or removed.
Thanks very much for your prompt attention to this matter.
Regards,
Dave Knight
Radford
----
On Fri, May 7, 2010 at 7:59 AM, Lee Foerster wrote:
The wording has been deleted from the Activities Guide on our website
and will be omitted from future mailings.
----
From: Dave Knight
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 6:49 PM
To: Lee Foerster
Subject: Website still boasts illegal "no weapons" policy
Dear Mr, Forester:
The current Harrisonburg website contains the following item:
- No ... firearms or weapons of any kind are allowed on park property.
Pursuant to Virgina Statute (15.2-915) all such local government
restrictions on lawful firearm possession & carry on public property
are prohibited.
For Harrisonburg to be in compliance with state law (i.e. 15.2-915),
this policy needs to be rescinded immediately, if it has not already
been rescinded, the website updated, and any illegal "no weapons"
signs removed.
Please let me know what you intend to do.
Sincerely,
David Knight
**************************************************
12. Randy Forbes' newsletter: Protecting Second Amendment rights
**************************************************
Congressman Randy Forbes sent this out in an email to constituents
recently:
--
Friend:
According to George Washington, "Firearms stand next in importance to
the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth
and keystone under independence . . . the very atmosphere of firearms
anywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor
with all that's good." So important are firearms to the maintenance
of freedom, that the right to bear arms was enshrined in the 2nd
Amendment (http://tinyurl.com/5l7728), which was ratified on December
15, 1791 as part of the original Bill of Rights. More recently, the
2008 Heller decision by the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that there is
a federal right for individuals to possess firearms. Yet, there
remain those that would infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens
to possess firearms.
In response, I have joined Rep. Rehberg (MT) in cosponsoring a
resolution, H. Con. Res. 71, which expresses Congress' Sense the
Federal Government should not create a national database tracking
firearm owners or firearm purchases. This resolution (http://tinyurl.com/26lgq27
) works to protect against the expansion of Federal power to keep tabs
on law-abiding citizens who assert their right to bear arms.
I have also joined a number of my colleagues as a cosponsor of H.R.
1923, the Fairness in Firearm Testing Act. This Act would require the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to make and
preserve a video recording of the entire process of its examination
and testing of an item for the purpose of determining whether the item
is a firearm (and if so, the type of firearm) or ammunition. It also
bars ATF from editing or erasing any such recording, and makes it
available at trial if requested to increase accountability. This
important bill will provide video documentation of how ATF associates
a gun with a crime or gun owner, preventing them from arbitrarily
enforcing laws as they see fit and manipulating evidence without
consequence.
Together, these common sense pieces of legislation work to protect law-
abiding citizens from having their rights infringed by the federal
government. As a cosponsor of these bills, I intend to make a clear
statement that the 2nd Amendment is just as relevant today as it was
in 1791.
Please share your thoughts on this issue by e-mailing me here (http://tinyurl.com/25a67nr
). I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours in service,
Randy Forbes
Member of Congress
**************************************************
13. Second Amendment quotes
**************************************************
Ed Walsh emailed me this:
--
Hello
Thought you might enjoy a few really good gun related quotes I found
this morning.
Ed
--
"You didn't hear Elliot Ness whining about Al Capone's machine
gun." (Not sure who said this)
Ken Konecki-July 1992 [who?]
"The 2nd amendment was never intended to allow private citizens to
'keep and bear arms'. If it had, there would have been wording such
as...
'the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.'"
John Trenchard and Walter Moyle:
".....a Man that hath a Sword by his side, shall have least occasion
to make use of it."
Margaret Thatcher, in a 1998 speech to the National Institute for
Public Policy in Washington, DC:
"It is a fact, too -- although a curious one -- that the sale of small
arms to gun enthusiasts or sportsmen produces a greater sense of moral
outrage in Western society, than is produced by the sale to psychotic
despots of weaponry capable of killing thousands.
"A gun in the hands of a free man frightens and angers the autocrat,
not because he fears the power of the gun, but, rather, the spirit of
the man who holds it."
Lucius Annaeus Seneca "the younger", ca. 4 BC - 65 AD:
"Quemadmoeum gladis nemeinum occidit, occidentis telum est."
("A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands.")
**************************************************
14. Who needs a gun while standing in your front yard?
**************************************************
I continue to suggest that you are armed at all times, including in
your home or in your yard. Jay Britt emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/39mnn5r
hamptonroads.com
By Kathy Adams
May 5, 2010
Man arrested in Va. Beach robbery, home break-in
VIRGINIA BEACH - Police have arrested a 29-year-old Virginia Beach man
in a home break-in and armed robbery of two people.
Adibio Ijahmid Potter, of the 3800 block of Chimney Creek Drive in
Virginia Beach, has been charged with robbery of a residence,
attempted robbery, burglary, use of a firearm, abduction and wearing a
mask in public, according to jail records.
Early Tuesday morning, two people were standing outside a residence in
the 300 block of Scott Lane when a man approached them with a gun and
pushed his way inside the home, said Officer Margie Hobbs, a police
spokeswoman. One of them fled and called police, she said.
When officers arrived, they found the robber inside the home and
arrested him, Hobbs said. They also recovered $55 that had been
stolen, according to a police report filed online.
**************************************************
15. RMGO Lawsuit against gun ban wins - CSU backs down
**************************************************
Colorado State University rescinds their gun ban, allowing those with
CHPs to be able to carry on campus! Hopefully this will be the start
of a trend. Ken Stanton emailed me this.
--
http://tinyurl.com/358t46p
http://www.rmgo.org
May 5, 2010
RMGO Lawsuit against gun ban wins -- CSU backs down
(Fort Collins, 5/05/2010) Today the CSU Board of Governor's voted to
rescind their illegal ban on concealed carry on campus.
"They didn't have a legal leg to stand on," said Dudley Brown,
Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners (RMGO). "We told them
in January, in no uncertain terms, that state law did not allow them
to create their own gun ban. Unfortunately, it took a lawsuit to
force them to back down."
RMGO filed suit against CSU's Board of Governors on April 15th,
proving that unelected board had no authority to override existing
state law, which explicitly allows permit holders to carry on college
campuses. A day later, a Colorado Appeals Court ruled against CU's
ban on carrying.
"This has been a good couple of weeks for law-abiding citizens who
want to defend themselves on Colorado campuses, and a terrible week
for criminals who assume no one is able to defend themselves on
campuses," Brown said. "We're now going to track the policy of every
secondary education campus in the state -- every community college,
every university, all of them -- and file suit against those who
attempt to violate Colorado law."
"The citizens, students and faculty at these facilities should thank
the members and donors of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, the organization
responsible for correcting these errant bureaucrats, and Students for
Concealed Carry on Campus, who put a lot of hard work into this battle."
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners is Colorado's largest gun rights organization.
**************************************************
16. Man arrested after loaded handgun, bullets found in vehicle
**************************************************
A reminder - Maryland's citizens do not enjoy the same firearms rights
as we do here in Virginia, so don't confuse their gun laws with
Virginia's gun laws. There is NO open carry in Maryland and they
don't recognize our CHPs. If you have ammunition or a gun somewhere
where a police officer can see them during a traffic stop, it probably
won't turn out well for you.
Bruce Jackson emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/29mlatj
http://www.fredericknewspost.com
By Gina-Gallucci-White
May 3, 2010
A Virginia man was arrested after a deputy saw bullets in a bottle and
found a loaded handgun during a search of his vehicle, according to
the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.
The deputy stopped Lewis F. Southard, 63, of Nellysford, Va., for
speeding about 7 a.m. Sunday on U.S. 15 near Md. 26, the sheriff's
office said.
When Southard, opened the glove box to retrieve his identification,
the deputy saw the bottle with handgun bullets. A loaded gun was found
later during a search.
Southard was charged with transporting a handgun in a vehicle,
authorities said. He was released on personal recognizance and a June
22 court date has been set.
**************************************************
17. Editorial: Guns needed to stop Chicago murders
**************************************************
VCDL EM Hal Macklin emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/2vb3may
http://www.washingtontimes.com
May 6, 2010
[SNIP]
If Chicago were serious about bringing its violent crime problem under
control, it would recognize the constitutional right of residents to
use firearms to protect themselves.
...
Such facts are not important to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who
continues to insist that more gun-control laws are the "solution" to
his crime problem - as if hardened thugs carefully consulted the book
of municipal ordinances before embarking on a crime spree. A more
rational analysis would conclude that the restrictions apply only to
good, law-abiding people looking for a way to defend themselves and
their families. When the thugs know victims are defenseless, they
pounce.
That means it is up to the Supreme Court to restore to Chicagoans
their fundamental right to self-defense. In the pending case of
McDonald v. Chicago, a number of residents are asking the high court
to apply the reasoning it used to strike down Washington's gun ban. It
is worth noting that a year after the landmark District of Columbia v.
Heller ruling, Washington's murder rate dropped 25 percent - without
resorting to using the National Guard.
Encouraging personal ownership of guns is the only proven solution to
Chicago's crime problem.
**************************************************
18. Wyoming now honors Virginia concealed handgun permits
**************************************************
Tom Lambert with the VA State Police emailed me this:
--
We now have CHP mutual recognition with Wyoming. Our page has been
updated.
Tom
http://tinyurl.com/3e95kr
**************************************************
19. KENYA: Your guns or your freedom, please
**************************************************
When the government comes to confiscate your guns, your freedoms are
approaching the end of the line. Of course they are only doing it
"for your own good."
James D Durso emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/29y4ckx
http://www.irinnews.org
By Conflict News
May 7, 2010
ISIOLO-SAMBURU, 7 May 2010 (IRIN) - Thousands of security
personnel have been deployed across northern Kenya to confiscate
weapons after a voluntary disarmament exercise netted only a
small fraction of the 50,000 guns thought to be in civilian
hands.
Firearms are widespread among pastoralist communities in east
Africa, where police are rare and cattle theft and intercommunal
conflict is common. Similar operations are taking place in neighbouring
Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda. Borders between these countries have
been temporarily sealed.
With previous disarmament operations having been heavy-handed,
some families have reportedly fled their homes ahead of this one,
despite assurances that the police have adopted less aggressive
methods.
Samburu, Turkana and Marsabit residents oppose the operation and
accuse the government of failing to protect them in the past
after they surrendered guns.
"We'd rather commit suicide. To hand over our guns is like
stripping naked. Our people were killed, our animals taken away;
many families are poor now... We'll never repeat the mistake we
made two years ago," said an elder from the village of Lerata.
But the police say things are different this time. "This
operation is different. We have used a different approach; it
will succeed [as it is] well planned and involves the largest
number of security forces," said Assistant Police Commissioner
Marcus Ochola.
"The government is not using force, nobody will be harassed. We
have gathered adequate intelligence reports. Security measures to
protect all communities are also being implemented," he said.
He added that the operation involved paramilitary and regular
police; rapid response units and aerial surveillance.
"Those who have gone into hiding will be tracked," warned
Internal Security Ministry Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia in
the town of Isiolo, where five people have been detained for
resisting security forces.
Samburu member of parliament Raphael Letimalo said hundreds of
local children had failed to report back to school after moving
with their families to the areas of Wamba, Seloribi and Archers
Post. The second term of the school year has just begun.
A 2009 Human Rights Watch report entitled Bring the Gun or You'll Die,
urged the government to conduct future disarmament operations in line
with the provisions of the National Policy on Small Arms and Light
Weapons, which calls for the underlying economic, social, cultural and
political causes of gun prevalence to be addressed.
***************************************************************************
VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization
dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to
Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.
VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org [http://www.vcdl.org/]
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