VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 3/14/13

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VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 3/14/13

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1. Goodlatte says House will act on gun legislation
2. Federal court: No Second Amendment guarantee for concealed carry
3. SAF scores major win for concealed carry
4. Stafford County, VA - CHP's up 170%
5. Loudoun County advises residents of new CHP application process
6. Armed guards and protecting our children
7. DHS contractor apologizes for selling shooting targets of children
8. Jimmy Carter: U.S. at the forefront of killing people with guns because the NRA "pressures the weak-kneed" [Video]
9. Who needs a gun while walking their dog?
10. Vice President Biden's criminally stupid advice about self defense
11. Shots fired, 2 injured as Richmond robbery turns violent
12. US gun debate: Guns in numbers
13. Massachusetts residents erupt in applause as 'assault weapons' ban withdrawn
14. Shocker: DOJ admits "assault weapons ban" will not curb crime
15. Florida task force reaffirms "Stand your ground"
16. Former Secret Service agent on the Second Amendment [Video]
17. A look at South Africa's gun laws
18. 'Straw man' gun laws already on books, rarely enforced
19. RT LTE: Founding Fathers said nothing about ammo
20. Happy Guns and Coffee day to you all! [Video]
21. How .22 Long Rifle bullets are made [Video]


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1. Goodlatte says House will act on gun legislation
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EM Dave Hicks emailed me this:

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From Roll Call: http://tinyurl.com/bjgjaqm

By John Gramlich
February 22, 2013

For the first time since the Dec. 14 mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, House Judiciary Chairman Robert W. Goodlatte said Friday that his chamber will take legislative action to curb gun violence.

"The Congress is going to act on this issue," Goodlatte, R-Va., said in a telephone interview with CQ Roll Call. "The Senate is at work on it, and we are as well. Our goal is to do anything we can do keep firearms out of the hands of people who should not have them."

At the same time, Goodlatte and every other Republican member of his committee sent letters Friday to President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., calling on the administration to provide 11 years' worth of data on federal enforcement of existing gun laws. The letters warned that it is "imprudent" for Obama to call for new gun proposals without also assessing the enforcement of laws that are already on the books.

"Part of the decisionmaking process as to whether additional laws are necessary to combat future violence is whether the existing federal firearms laws are being enforced," the letters said. "It is imprudent to simply call for more laws without examining the efficacy of the current laws."

Goodlatte, in one of his first interviews about gun violence since taking over the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee in January, said the administration's recent enforcement of gun laws has been "pathetic." He noted that the Justice Department rarely prosecutes those who attempt to buy firearms illegally by lying on federal forms that ask prospective buyers to assert that they are not among a group of prohibited purchasers. He pointed to statistics, cited in the Judiciary Republicans' letter to Obama, that the Justice Department prosecuted just 62 of more than 76,000 such cases in 2010.

But Goodlatte also said that the committee's emphasis on stronger enforcement of current gun laws should not be interpreted to mean that it is not willing to take up new legislation. Until Friday, House Republican leaders had said only that their chamber is willing to look at whatever gun-related legislation is passed by the Democratic-led Senate.

Goodlatte himself, who has an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association, told CQ Roll Call four days after the Connecticut shooting that "gun control is not going to be something that I would support." He struck a more conciliatory tone on Friday.
"I wouldn't draw any conclusions about what we'll do with gun laws," Goodlatte said. "Our point is that as we look at legislation to prevent tragedies like Newtown and other crimes that occur with these guns, we should first be looking at what's being done to enforce the laws that we have."

He said Republicans are open to new gun laws, "but we do not want to write new laws that are not going to be enforced, number one, and we don't want to write new laws that aren't going to work, number two."

Specific Proposals Identified

Goodlatte expressed openness to two legislative proposals in particular: a strengthening of the current background check system for gun purchases and a crackdown on gun traffickers, or "straw purchasers," who illegally buy firearms for those who may not do so.

Under the current background check system, known as the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, state and federal agencies provide records of prohibited gun buyers to a national database that tells gun dealers whether transactions may proceed or not. The Government Accountability Office has found gaping holes in the system, including a lack of information-sharing by states, particularly when it comes to providing the records of mentally ill individuals who are barred from buying firearms.
"That law, NICS, is up for reauthorization at the end of this year anyway," Goodlatte said. "We believe that the law can be improved, and there's no question we will be working on ways to prevent criminals and people with serious mental illness from obtaining firearms, while at the same time protecting the right of law-abiding citizens to have firearms."

States have raised privacy concerns as one reason that they have not shared more mental-health records with the database, and Goodlatte acknowledged that Congress is limited in what it can do to encourage information-sharing by the states. But he said the Judiciary Committee would raise the issue prominently.

"We're certainly going to shine a spotlight on the fact that states need to do this," he said. "At some point in time, the responsibility falls to the states to say, 'Hey, we can save the lives of a lot of our citizens.'"
While Goodlatte and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., have now both expressed support for improving the background check system as it currently exists, neither has shown support for a proposal Obama and congressional Democrats have called for: expanding the system to apply to nearly all gun sales, including those between private individuals.

Goodlatte expressed a willingness to take up another Obama proposal that has gained bipartisan support in recent weeks: a crackdown on straw purchasers. Democrats and Republicans in both legislative chambers have unveiled proposals to create tough penalties of up to 20 years for such purchasers.
"We're looking very closely at those various proposals," Goodlatte said. "We're definitely interested."

In the letters they sent to the administration earlier Friday, Goodlatte and the 22 other Republican members of the Judiciary Committee called on the Justice Department to provide data from 2001 to 2012 on the number of individuals who failed federal background checks on gun purchases and were prosecuted as a result.

The Republicans asked the department, "where possible," to break out that information among the 93 federal prosecutors' offices in the nation to show geographical patterns. The lawmakers also asked the department to provide statistics on a range of other gun-related prosecutions over the past decade - and to return it to the Judiciary Committee by March 8.


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2. Federal court: No Second Amendment guarantee for concealed carry
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From Denverpost.com: http://tinyurl.com/aznzoak

By Karen Auge
February 23, 2013

The Second Amendment's guarantee of a right to bear arms does not extend to the right to carry a concealed weapon in public, a federal appeals court in Denver has ruled.

"We conclude that the carrying of concealed firearms is not protected by the Second Amendment . . ." Justice Carlos Lucero wrote on behalf of a three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Lucero cited case law dating to the 1800s that put restrictions on walking around in public with a gun.

"In light of our nation's extensive practice of restricting citizens' freedom to carry firearms in a concealed manner, we hold that this activity does not fall within the scope of the Second Amendment's protections," he wrote in the ruling issued

The case began when a Washington state resident was denied a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Colorado. Gray Peterson, who holds a concealed carry permit in his home state as well as in Florida, applied for a similar permit in Colorado.

When that permit was denied, because Colorado law allows only state residents to hold one, Peterson sued.

On a blog Peterson describes himself as "a civil rights activist" who specializes in lesbian, gay and transgender issues as well as Second Amendment rights.

Numerous organizations, from the National Rifle Association Civil Rights Defense Fund to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, weighed in on the case.

On Friday, though, a spokesman for the Second Amendment Foundation, which filed a brief in support of Peterson, played down the significance of the ruling.

"It's an interesting ruling," said Dave Workman of the foundation.

"They don't really say it's unconstitutional to carry a gun, just that concealed carry is not protected. So I presume open carry is an option. It's a kind of a narrow case we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

The 10th Circuit's ruling comes on the same day gun rights activists were celebrating a victory, as a federal appeals court in Chicago said it won't reconsider an earlier ruling that Illinois' concealed-carry ban is unconstitutional.

In December, a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down that state's total ban on concealed carry permits and gave lawmakers there a deadline to craft legislation legalizing the concealed carry of firearms.

In the Colorado case, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and local police departments who conduct background checks stated in affidavits that information that would disqualify a concealed-carry applicant in Colorado such as juvenile convictions, misdemeanor convictions for drug use, or violence, restraining orders and mental health contacts isn't available in nationwide databases.

James Spoden, CBI's background check data supervisor, stated in his affidavit that, "It is virtually impossible to evaluate a non-resident applicant's background thoroughly enough to determine that the applicant, if granted a [concealed carry license] will not be a danger to himself or the community."


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3. SAF scores major win for concealed carry
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From Examiner.com: http://tinyurl.com/agkkrcz

By Dave Workman
February 22, 2013

[SNIP]

The Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation today scored another victory for concealed carry when the entire Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals let stand a December ruling by a three-judge panel that forces Illinois to adopt a concealed carry statute.

The SAF case, known as Moore v. Madigan, was actually decided in December with Judge Richard Posner writing the majority opinion. In the process, the judge affirmed that the right to bear arms exists outside the home. That ruling now stands, leaving the Illinois legislature no alternative but to write a statute that enables citizens to carry outside the home, without a lot of red tape, for their personal protection. This column earlier covered the ruling, which also applies to a similar case filed by the National Rifle Association called Shepard v. Madigan.


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4. Stafford County, VA - CHP's up 170%
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EM Robert Herron emailed me this:

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From Fredericksburg.com: http://tinyurl.com/b5yj64d

By Katie Thisdell
February 21, 2013

The monthly statistical report the county issues is full of interesting tidbits. Here is February's if you want to take a look.

Here are some numbers that stood out in the sheriff's office section:

The number of concealed weapons permits and federal licenses increased by 169 percent. In January 2013, there were 567, compared to 211 in January 2012.

For all of 2012, there were 2,062 permits, a 57 percent increase from the previous year.


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5. Loudoun County advises residents of new CHP application process
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Tim Dunlap emailed me this:

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2013

Contact: Liz Mills, Director of Media Relations and Communications,
571-251-5568 (mobile)
Liz.mills@loudoun.gov

LCSO & Clerk of Circuit Court Advise Residents of New Concealed Handgun Permit Application Process

Loudoun County, VA- In an effort to better streamline the process for applying for a concealed handgun permit, Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman and Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary M. Clemens are advising residents of changes in the application process to obtain the permit that will take effect on February 25, 2013.

"I am happy to work with the Circuit Clerk of the Court to streamline and expedite the concealed permit process," said Sheriff Chapman. "Gary Clemens and I are always looking for ways to improve service to the community," added Chapman.

In order to apply for a concealed handgun permit, residents are asked to print out an application on the Virginia State Police website at www.vsp.state.va.us
and click on Forms & Publications and then click on Firearms. Here you will find a downloadable version of the application for a concealed handgun permit. You can also download the application from the Clerk of Circuit Court website at www.loudoun.gov/clerk
and click on Concealed Handgun Permits on the left-hand side of the home page.

Residents may also pick up an application at the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Administrative Office located on 880 Harrison Street in Leesburg, VA, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Dulles South Station located at 25216 Loudoun County Parkway in Chantilly, VA, or the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court located at 18 East Market Street in Leesburg, VA.

The completed application must be filled out in black ink only, and residents are asked to take the application to the Clerk of the Circuit Court's Office to complete and/or file their applications. Residents must also provide their driver's license and proof of training for new applications or your old permit for renewals.

"I value the partnership and collaboration with Sheriff Mike Chapman and his leadership team as together we are attempting to provide better services to our citizens," said Gary M. Clemens, clerk of the circuit court. "Streamlining the application process for the concealed handgun permits is just one of several ways we are teaming up for the benefit of our residents."

The fee for the applications process is $40.50. Credit card, cash, and check payments are accepted. The Clerk of the Circuit Court does not accept packets after 4PM. It takes up to 45 days for your application to be processed by the court.

For more information about obtaining a concealed handgun permit, please visit http://sheriff.loudoun.gov/handgunpermit.


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6. Armed guards and protecting our children
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VCDL member John Pepper sent me this in response to VCDL Update 2/22/13, items 8 & 16.

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Cheers Philip. # 8 and 16 about protecting schools. In the long run the only lasting affordable way is armed teachers and school employees. Perhaps if a large school a guard in plain clothes to gather outside Intel in addition to the armed employees. This is affordable. For now. Temporary perhaps as if organized terrorism develops here to large gang attacks which it may the preceding would not be enough. #8s armed volunteer militia would certainly fit that circumstance.

From the forgotten past. During W W Two an anti saboteur requirement was put forth that each railroad bridge in the U S had to be guarded 24 hours a day for the duration. Some bridges had railroad current and long time employees as guards, but I believe the largest portion were men too old or unfit for Armed Forces that were long time trusted locals of bridge area hired just for that purpose. A form of local militia.

Guns usually rifles were either supplied by individuals, the railroads or government. Calibers varied as no need for uniformity for such a job. 30-30 Winchester was so common and popular that the U S Army issued ammunition and Winchester rifles or carbines in that caliber for limited stateside use. Probable some of these found the way to the railroad bridge guards. Ammunition for certain.

If terrorism in the form of large suicidal forces comes to our nations schools which it might in the future it will be time to organize fairly large affordable counter forces at local levels near schools. Kind of on call local minute men. Much initial training and conditioning to be an effective force. Each background checked for stability. #8s liability requirement would have to be in effect for any called out to fight the terrorists.
So far this hasn't happened, but it might so best to be prepared.


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7. DHS contractor apologizes for selling shooting targets of children
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Member Monty Oakes emailed me this:

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From infowars.com: http://tinyurl.com/avv6f3r

By Paul Joseph Watson
February 22, 2013

A company which received $2 million dollars from the DHS has apologized and taken offline "no more hesitation" shooting targets which depicted pregnant women, children, and elderly gun owners in residential settings as "non-traditional threats," following an online uproar.

As we first reported on Tuesday, Law Enforcement Targets Inc. (LET), a Minneapolis based company that has received almost $2 million dollars in contracts from the Department of Homeland Security over the last three years, recently began selling cardboard cut-out targets designed to desensitize police to "non-traditional threats," including pregnant women, mothers in school playgrounds, and little boys, as well as elderly gun owners in their homes.

The company's relationship with the DHS, along with thousands of law enforcement agencies, led to fears that the targets could be connected with Homeland Security's purchase of roughly 2 billion rounds of ammunition over the last year, which many fear is linked to preparations for mass social unrest. As we documented, the LET's contracts with the DHS were for "training aids" and "paperboard".

In its apology, posted on the company's website as well as Facebook, LET acknowledged that the targets were requested by law enforcement agencies.
We apologize for the offensive nature of our "No More Hesitation" products. These products have been taken offline due to the opinions expressed by so many, including members of the law enforcement community.
This product line was originally requested and designed by the law enforcement community to train police officers for unusually complex situations where split-second decisions could lead to unnecessary loss of life.

Consistent with our company mission as a training supplier (not a training methods company), we will continue to seek input from law enforcement professionals to better serve their training objectives and qualification needs. We sincerely appreciate law enforcement professionals for the risks they take in providing safety and defending freedom.
The company's excuse that the targets were designed to help police prevent "unnecessary loss of life" is highly dubious given that the images were all of armed individuals termed "non-traditional threats," designed to ensure "no more hesitation" from police officers encountering them.

As one respondent to the company explained, "Look, each of the supposed "threats" appeared to be in their own home settings. They were also all holding a weapon....it is obvious these paper targets were never intended to be decoy (don't shoot targets). It is apparent this was designed to assist in desensitizing the trainee."

In addition, the company had previously struck a different tone when it told Reason's Mike Riggs that the targets were designed to combat, "hesitation on the part of cops when deadly force is required on subjects with atypical age, frailty or condition."

Although the targets have been taken off the company's website, it's unclear whether or not they have been removed from sale entirely.
Mike Lilly, a retired 32-year police officer, demanded that the targets be discontinued completely.

"Whomever convinced you this was a good idea needs psychological counseling. Proper training and readiness is NOT dependent on shooting pictures of pregnant women and children. Anyone who says otherwise is seriously mistaken or has another agenda It is noted that you say they were taken OFFLINE. Have they been DISCONTINUED AND RECALLED?" he stated.

Lilly's concern was echoed by retired City of Houston police officer T.F. Stern, who asked why police officers were being trained "to feel nothing's wrong in shooting a pregnant lady or an old man with a shotgun inside his own home."


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8. Jimmy Carter: U.S. at the forefront of killing people with guns because the NRA "pressures the weak-kneed" [Video]
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Funny hearing Jimmy Carter talking about others being "weak-kneed."

Janice Frye-Johnson sent me this via Facebook:

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From The Blaze: http://tinyurl.com/d6joxp4

By Madeleine Morgenstern
February 22, 2013

Former President Jimmy Carter on Thursday chalked the nation's gun murder rate up to the influence of the National Rifle Association and "weak-kneed public officials" who cave to its demands.

Appearing on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight," Carter agreed that the gun lobby wields incredible influence and could derail new gun control legislation.
"It happens not only at the federal level, but it also happens at every, at every state level and every municipal level," Carter said. "The NRA is there pressuring weak-kneed - weak-kneed public officials to yield to their pressures, when they know what they're doing is wrong."

Carter went on to say that he's a gun owner and has been hunting all his life, but "I never have had a need for an assault weapon, I've never had a need for armor-piercing bullets."

"I think it's ridiculous for our country to be in the forefront of killing people with guns. And when you see that there are maybe 20 or 30 people in Canada killed in a year and several thousand people killed here in the United States from guns, that shows that the NRA is wrong and that we should have some restraints," he said.


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9. Who needs a gun while walking their dog?
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From potomaclocal.com: http://tinyurl.com/addjvzj

February 20, 2013

A man was shot and killed while walking his dog in Woodbridge last night. A suspect is in custody and is charged with murder.

More in an unedited press release from police:

On February 20th at 9:40PM, police responded to the 3700 block of Wertz Dr in Woodbridge (22193) for a call of shots fired. Witnesses reported seeing a man fleeing the area on foot who was believed to be the shooter.

A description of the shooter was given to responding units that arrived in the area quickly. Off duty Prince William County Police Lieutenant Carlos Robles was in the area and encountered the man on Cardinal Dr. Lieutenant Robles was able to detain the man following a brief struggle. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation revealed that the victim was walking his dog in the area above when he was approached by an unknown man, identified as the accused. During the encounter, the accused shot the victim and took property belonging to the victim before fleeing the area. The accused was found to have some personal property belonging to the victim on his person at the time of the arrest.

The gun used in this incident had also been reported stolen on February 15th from a vehicle in Montclair. The victim and the accused are not believed to have known one another. Following the investigation, the accused was subsequently arrested.

Arrested on February 20th:

Aric Alexander SMITH, 25, of 3755 Bogner Dr in Woodbridge

Charged with first degree murder, armed robbery, and using a firearm in commission of a felony

Court date set for June 19, 2013, held WITHOUT bond

Identified:

The victim has been identified as a Gregory Lee HOLLEY Sr., 55, of Woodbridge


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10. Vice President Biden's criminally stupid advice about self defense
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EM John Pierce sent me this via Facebook:

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From Monachus Lex: http://tinyurl.com/b9lgz4c

By John Pierce
February 20, 2013

Vice President Biden is known far and wide as being the master of the gaffe. Were he a Republican instead of a Democrat, the 'pet media' would have long since convinced the American public to have him committed to some nice facility where he could watch Bugs Bunny cartoon for the rest of his life.

But instead, we are stuck with a skinnier version of Peter Griffin as Vice-President, and may God preserve and keep President Obama because we never ... ever ... want Biden sitting in the Oval Office.

And that brings us to today's topic. Biden likes to think of himself as a bit of an expert on ... well ... just about everything; and guns are no exception. During a Facebook question and answer session yesterday, Biden insisted that no one would ever need an AR15 or similar semi-auto firearm for self-defense because you could just use a double barrel shotgun.

His advice to Americans is the same as his advice to his wife Jill. "f there's ever a problem just walk out on the balcony here ... put that double-barreled shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house."

He went on to add that "You don't need an AR-15. It's harder to aim. It's harder to use and in fact you don't need 30 rounds to protect yourself."

Well ... since we, unlike Vice President Biden, are all bound by the laws of the states in which we live as well as the laws of physics, let's do a breakdown of his assertions.

Fire Two Blasts From The Balcony

The first problem with this is that Biden apparently forgets that many Americans do not live in a multi-acre, 2.9 million dollar mansion with balconies such as the one he shares with his wife.

Bidens_Mansion

Nor do most of us enjoy round-the-clock Secret Service protection on-site (in a cottage that he actually forces them to pay rent for to the tune of $12,000 a month if you can believe it).

In any case, if your average American were to follow 'Average Joe' Biden's advice, they would almost certainly be committing multiple crimes. Simply walking onto your back porch (which is what most of us have in lieu of balconies) and firing both barrels of a double barrel shotgun in a random direction would probably criminally endanger the neighbors of most Americans who dwell in cities or urban areas.

But don't blame Joe for his lack of knowledge of the law. After all, he did finish 76th out of 85 in his law school and only barely managed to graduate after being caught plagiarizing 5 out of 15 pages of his law review article. So give him a break on that score. He may have been out with a hangover the day that reckless endangerment was covered in Criminal Law class.

However, to further the debate, let's just pretend that we all have multi-million dollar mansions on a palatial estate like ol' 'Average Joe' there.

If all we have is a double barrel shotgun and there are home invaders attempting to enter your house, why in the world would you recommend that your wife empty both barrels into the air and put herself in a situation where she is lower on ammo and needs to reload before the gun is useful again?

Makes you think doesn't it.

How about the next comment?

An AR15 is Harder to Use

As we analyze this comment, we are going to continue the scenario we started earlier. Remember that we are just 'average' Americans like Joe with our multi-million dollar estate and our double barrel shotgun which our wife has just fired twice into the air as the bad guys try to break down the door.

At that point, if she had an AR15 with a standard 30 round magazine, she would still have 28 rounds available to actually confront the bad men should they gain entrance to the home and would not be facing a reload situation that, even if successful, will only give her two more rounds.

And how hard is it to reload a double barrel shotgun while panicking? It is extremely hard! Unless you are a practiced shotgunner, it is hard to reload a double barrel shotgun quickly in a non-stressful situation when you do have fine motor skills available to you.

In a home invasion scenario such as the one painted by Biden, adrenaline would be coursing through your wife's body, robbing her of all but her gross motor skills; making the task of reloading a double barrel shotgun a daunting one indeed.

The good news? It only takes gross motor skills to insert a new magazine in an AR15. And you would only have to do so if you had already had to fire 30 times.

And that brings us to his final comment.

You Don't Need 30 Rounds to Protect Yourself

Well of course not ... that's why we only arm law enforcement officers with 2 shot firearms. Wait ... what? You mean we don't? Well that can't be right can it?

This just in. The most popular handgun for police officers in the US is the Glock 22 which features a 15 round magazine and officers carry at least one backup magazine as well. Hmm ... that's 30 rounds minimum. Strange.

But at least they don't carry AR15s right? Oh wait ... they do? They call them 'patrol rifles'? Now I am just confused. Joe told me no one needed an AR15.

Wait ... I know. Maybe the police just don't use all that ammo. Let me Google a little.

Holy smoke! In a 2011 study of NYPD officers, it was determined that, on average, officers discharged 11.5 rounds in a gunfight with a bad guy. Even more startling is the fact that only 30% of those rounds, fired by presumably proficient officers, actually struck the bad guy. And even fewer were fatal or sufficient to stop the threat.

It looks like even 30 rounds might not be enough to stop a determined attack by a group of armed criminal.

Wow. Myth busted!

Vice President Biden might want to consider not offering any further advice on self defense until he gets that stupid of his fixed.

UPDATE: Steve Griffiths does a great job of covering the manual of arms differences between the AR15 and a double barrel shotgun in his column at Ordnance Corner.


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11. Shots fired, 2 injured as Richmond robbery turns violent
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Just follow the criminals orders and you'll be safe. Well, maybe not.

Member Bill Hine emailed me this:

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From Richmond Times-Dispatch: http://tinyurl.com/bayxjtl

February 21, 2013

RICHMOND -- Multiple shots were fired and two people were injured, one seriously, in two attempted robberies and one robbery in South Richmond on Wednesday night.

Richmond police Capt. Paul Kiniry said the most serious of the injuries occurred at 10:59 p.m. in the 3900 block of Stockton Street, where a 25-year-old man said he was walking home when he was confronted by an armed man who demanded money.

When the victim told the gunman he had none, the suspect said, "You know what I have to do," and then shot the victim once in the upper portion of one thigh before fleeing on foot, Kiniry said.

The victim was taken to VCU Medical Center to be treated for injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, Kiniry said.

The suspect was described as black, 25-30 years old, about 130 pounds and wearing a black or gray hoodie and blue jeans.

Kiniry said police attempted to locate the suspect by using a canine unit and an airplane, to no avail.

The other injury occurred at 10 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 1300 block of Armfield Road, just northeast of the intersection of Hull Street Road and Chippenham Parkway, where a man getting out of his car in a parking lot was confronted by two teenage males, one brandishing a handgun, Kiniry said. The victim began to struggle with one suspect and was struck on the head with the gun before the suspects robbed him and fled in a red Toyota.

Kiniry said the victim's injuries were not serious.

The other attempted robbery occurred at 9:30 p.m. in the 1700 block of Stockton Street, where a 19-year-old man walking home was confronted by a man with a handgun who demanded money, Kiniry said. The victim told police he turned and ran toward his home, and when he did, he heard the suspect fire 3-4 shots, none of which struck the victim, Kiniry said.

The suspect was described as black, in his early 20s, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a stocky build and chin hair and wearing a gray hoodie, blue jacket and blue jeans and brandishing a small-caliber black semiautomatic handgun.

Anyone with information on any of the crimes can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at (804) 780-1000.


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12. US gun debate: Guns in numbers
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From BBC: http://tinyurl.com/ab3l99k

February 16, 2013

US President Barack Obama has announced a series of proposals to reduce gun violence, ranging from a proposed ban on military-style assault weapons to universal background checks.

The proposals to tighten gun controls follows the shooting of 20 children and seven women by lone gunman Adam Lanza in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012.

The Second Amendment to the US Constitution protects the right of citizens "to keep and bear arms".

However, restrictions on lawful gun ownership vary by state.

On Tuesday, New York passed gun control laws that supporters say are now the tightest in the nation. The New York measures include a wider ban on assault weapons, a law limiting high-capacity ammunition magazines, and provisions to keep guns from mentally ill people who make threats. Some gun owners will also have to register them with authorities.

In Arizona, handguns can be bought with an instant background check and carried without a permit (in certain places), whereas in Illinois, special ID is required and concealed weapons are unlawful.

The vast majority of states do not require rifles or shotguns to be registered and no permit is needed to buy or carry them. Handguns are more tightly restricted, with 38 states requiring a permit for carrying.

Only a handful of states still restrict semi-automatic "assault weapons", after a 1994 nationwide ban lapsed in 2004.

New York and New Jersey ban assault weapons outright, as, in effect, does Massachusetts.

Connecticut has a ban on assault weapons but some semi-automatic weapons can be possessed as long as they meet certain criteria.

In California, assault weapons may not be sold, although existing weapons may be possessed if registered.

They are banned in Chicago (although not the whole of Illinois), while Hawaii and Maryland ban assault pistols.

GUN MURDER

Some 9,960 people were murdered with a firearm in the USA in 2010, a rate of 3.2 per 100,000 people.

On a global scale, this rate puts the US 26th in the world, behind Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica, according to UN data.

However, when compared with other highly developed countries, the rate shows the US as an outlier.

The US firearm murder rate has been fluctuating in recent years, from 3.9 per 100,000 people in 2006 to 3.2 in 2010, according to the UN.

Different data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Report indicates that the 2011 rate is 2.8 per 100,000 but this varies across states.

As shown below, DC is by far the highest, with Connecticut coming in below average at 2.6.

OWNERSHIP

Gun ownership across the country is falling, according to the comprehensive General Social Survey which regularly asks respondents whether their household or they themselves own a firearm.

While some 46% of households and 29% of individuals said they owned a gun in 1990, two decades later this had fallen to 32% and 21%.

WEAPONS USED IN NEWTOWN SHOOTINGS

One gun-owning household was that of Adam Lanza and his mother, Nancy. It has been reported that the weapons he used were all legally held by Mrs Lanza, who was her son's first victim on 14 December, 2012.

They ranged from a semi-automatic rifle to hand guns.


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13. Massachusetts residents erupt in applause as 'assault weapons' ban withdrawn
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Walter Jackson emailed me this:

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From Breitbart.com: http://tinyurl.com/b9hfouh

By AWR Hawkins
February 21, 2013

Approximately 400 citizens attended a meeting of the Westford, MA Board of Selectmen on Feb. 20 to speak against a proposed "assault weapons" ban, which was ultimately defeated. The crowd "erupted in applause" and greeted the news with a standing ovation.

Robert Jeffries, Vice Chairman of the Board of Selectman and the one who proposed the bill, said he was taken aback by the size of the opposition: "This was meant to be a discussion within the town of Westford. A community discussion that's gotten way, way beyond that."

However, Jeffries then said he had hoped to look beyond his community to justify the ban: "I thought there would be some negative reaction. But I also thought maybe some other towns in Massachusetts might have also tried something similar and none of them did."

Westford resident David Kohl was at the meeting and said: "It was good for gun owners, it was good for everything. It was great."

NRA President David Keene weighed in on the ban's defeat as well, suggesting that proponents of such bans should consult the Constitution before putting such proposals forward in the future.


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14. Shocker: DOJ admits "assault weapons ban" will not curb crime
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From Storyleak.com: http://tinyurl.com/d7r9gyz

By Anthony Gucciardi
February 19, 2013

Undermining Obama's 2013 'priority' of extensive gun control throughout the United States following mass shooting events like Sandy Hook, the Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) research institution has released an in-depth study on gun control and confiscation that reveals firearms classified as 'assault weapons' are actually not a serious danger at all.

In fact, they contribute to a very low number of homicides as has been detailed in the past quite extensively using data from the FBI and different branches within the Department of Justice itself.

department of justice gun controlThe DOJ study, which you can read online for yourself, explains how mass shootings (which are classified in the report by homicides of more than 4 individuals) only account for 35 homicides a year - an extremely small figure when compared to the FBI figure of 1,825 deaths from knives and other sharp objects alone. The memo specifies that police officers going after mass shooters are therefore ineffectively utilizing their time, and would be much better off seeking to protect against a wider range of homicides such as the large number committed by hands, clubs, and various other weapons.

"...a complete elimination of assault weapons would not have a large impact on gun homicides," the report reads.

In an interesting statement, the DOJ report even states that gun buybacks do not aid in the fight against crime, as the guns being turned in actually will not statistically be used in crime. After all, why would law-abiding citizens turn in their guns if they were intending to commit a crime? This is why we have see massive increases in crime in cities where guns are banned through extreme legislation. Criminals, of course, do not care what the local law reads, whereas the average citizen will turn in their guns or whatever the law dictates. Subsequently, these citizens will be taken advantage of by the very criminals who know their targets are disarmed.

In a statement that challenges the constant call for buybacks following the mass shootings that in total only kill 35 per year on average, the DOJ memo reads:

"Gun buybacks are ineffective as generally implemented. 1. The buybacks are too small to have an impact. 2. The guns turned in are at low risk of ever being used in a crime."

We can compare this to the statistics in cities that have enacted gun bans to see how when regular people turn in their guns, not only does it not prevent crime - it generates it. Below, we see what happened in Chicago following the notorious hand gun ban that made it nearly impossible to receive a handgun:

This same trend can be seen in cities like Washington D.C., and the opposite can be seen in states like Texas which have embraced concealed carry laws.

Beyond the conclusion that an assault weapons ban would be ineffective, that law enforcement should focus on a broader range of murders that are much more concerning, and that buybacks are virtually worthless despite being expensive and labor-intensive, the report even went on to break down some very crucial figures regarding how many criminals are acquiring their guns amid gun bans. While citizens are disarmed and forced to use things like bats as home defense weapons, statistics from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have found 47% of guns used in criminal offenses are obtained through a straw purchase, and another 26% are actually stolen property. As a result, extreme background checks also prove to be quite ineffective.

The NIJ explains how a 'perfect' background check system "does not address the largest sources (straw purchase and theft), which would most likely become larger if background checks at gun shows and private sellers were addressed."

The report reminds us that once again even major branches of the United States government have exposed the real statistics behind so-called 'enhanced' gun control measures, from annual FBI data to this bombshell report from the DOJ that really deflates the argument that firearms need to be taken off the streets to prevent mass crime waves. Perhaps this DOJ report will be a reminder to extreme gun control supporters that such action only suppresses law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves and therefore provokes criminals to take advantage of the situation.

After all, 40% of criminals report not committing crimes due to fear of firearms. For more stats, checkout the graphic I created below:


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15. Florida task force reaffirms "Stand your ground"
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From Newsmax: http://tinyurl.com/a7gb5xa

By Cyrus Afzali
February 22, 2013

A task force formed Friday by Florida Gov. Rick Scott following George Zimmerman's shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed, black, 17-year-old, recommended additional police training to ensure laws applying to self-defense situations are properly applied, while reaffirming that citizens have a right to defend themselves when threatened.

The task force was formed following outrage over Martin's Feb. 26, 2012 shooting. Zimmerman, who was a neighborhood watch volunteer, told police he shot the unarmed Martin in self defense, sparking a debate over a Florida law allowing citizens to use deadly force when they feel threatened. Zimmerman was arrested and faces murder charges. A judge has yet to decide whether the Stand Your Ground principal will apply in his case.

House and Senate Democrats, including Senate Democratic Leader Chris Smith, have filed a slew of bills that would amend the law or repeal it altogether but GOP legislative leaders say they want the law to remain as is.

Following the incident, Scott formed The Citizen Safety and Protection Task Force, which held a series of meetings around the state and issued draft recommendations in November, which are subject to approval by Florida legislators.

In its findings, the task force reaffirmed the rights of citizens to "stand their ground," saying "all persons, regardless of citizenship status, have a right to feel safe and secure in our state.

"To that end, all persons who are conducting themselves in a lawful manner have a fundamental right to stand their ground and defend themselves from attack with proportionate force in every place they have a lawful right to be," the report said.

The task force also recommends that the legislature further examine the definition of unlawful activity and specifically define applicable conduct in an effort to ensure that a uniform standard is applied to everyone, regardless of citizenship status, by law enforcement and the judicial system.

The group also recommended that police, as well as prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges provide increased training to citizens, community leaders, and other groups to ensure the rules are applied using the same standard across the state. The task force also recommends that legislators set uniform rules governing what constitutes a neighborhood watch group and establish laws that limit the activity of those groups to observing activity and reporting potential criminal activity to law enforcement.

Finally, the group is recommending that legislators determine whether individuals who use force to defend themselves are immune from future civil litigation if innocent third parties are killed or injured during an incident.

The task force worked with the University of Florida's Levin College of Law to compile and analyze data in connection with the use of force in self-defense cases in the state.

However, the task force could not reach a conclusion as to whether race, ethnicity, and gender were factors in the use of force in self-defense situations. Because that portion was inconclusive, the group is recommending additional study that would compare Florida's statistics with other states. The task force's proposal calls for a formal study on the issue to be issued by 2015 and updated periodically.


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16. Former Secret Service agent on the Second Amendment [Video]
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Excellent video.

Michael Carwile emailed me this:

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From Youtube: http://tinyurl.com/d6vawzd


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17. A look at South Africa's gun laws
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Darrell Potter emailed me this:

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Great article about home invasions in South Africa due to restrictive gun laws. Home invasions have doubled


From CNN: http://tinyurl.com/d62leap

By Ashley Fantz
February 25, 2013

(CNN) - Oscar Pistorius has claimed in a court hearing that when he heard noises in his home, he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder and accidentally shot her with his 9 mm pistol.

Plausible? The courts will decide. In the meantime, the killing has highlighted South Africa's history of gun violence and high crime. And it's shown the world that many South Africans live with a palpable, almost paranoid, fear of having their homes broken into.

In the past year, more than 50% of South Africans told the country's police force that they're afraid. The number of home burglaries across the country of 50 million have more than doubled. They totaled 9,063 in a 12-month period spanning 2002/2003; seven years later, it was up 18,786. And in a similar period ending in 2012, reported break-ins dipped to 16,766, according to South Africa's crime reporting body, the Institute for Security Studies.

The international group Gunpolicy.org reports that there are about 6 million licensed firearms in South Africa.

"The paranoia about being a victim of a house robbery is understandable," said the group's small arms researcher Lauren Tracey. "Victims are relatively helpless against these attacks."

It's common to see armed guards patrolling gated, middle-class neighborhoods.
A virtual look at Pistorius' defense

Hiring a private security firm is not the exception but the norm. Workaday people install panic buttons, closed-circuit televisions, man trap doors, boom gates and outdoor point-to-point infrared motion-sensing beams on their houses.

Also unique to South Africa: When burglars break in, they likely aren't after a flat-screen television or jewelry, experts say. They want the homeowner's guns.

That's in part because it's very hard to acquire a gun legally in South Africa, but it remains, many say, relatively easy to get a gun illegally.

To understand South Africa's gun culture, it's crucial to go back nearly two decades. In 1994, apartheid ended. The official system of racial segregation, in place since 1948, took rights away from black Africans and gave virtually all power in every aspect of life to whites.

For generations, violence born out of apartheid spawned a kind of arms race; blacks and whites fought against each other, and everyone else armed themselves, afraid to be caught in the cross fire.

Gun violence was at a record high as the country made its first effort to become what archbishop and peace crusader Desmond Tutu envisioned -- a rainbow nation.

Other spiritual leaders around the country began campaigning to reduce violence.

"Before 1994, there was a low-key civil war in South Africa," said Claire Taylor, a spokesperson for Gun Free South Africa, a non-profit group that grew out of a movement to cut down on crime born from years of inequity during apartheid. "Both sides -- white and blacks -- were armed soldiers in a way."

The roots of gun culture in South Africa are not unlike those of the United States, she said.

"There is a history of colonization, of taking, of settling," she said. "For black people, the AK-47 was a symbol of liberation, of fighting back. There is huge meaning attached. Gun are about fighting and superiority."

Unlike the United States, the right to own a gun is not written in the country's constitution.

Police have confiscated and destroyed hundreds of thousands of unlicensed guns, but it's unclear how many illegal guns remain on the street.

Researcher Tracey also believes that criminal violence is rooted in South Africa's historical traumas. There was rampant proliferation of firearms in the nation before the end of apartheid, and liberation movements stockpiled them.

Many of those weapons, she said, were never recovered.

Laying down the guns

As Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, took office in 1994, there was a tremendous desire to put the guns down.

"There was a national feeling that we had lived under the gun for so many years during apartheid, and we had to do something to signal that beginning anew was possible," said Claire Taylor, the non-profit's spokesperson.

Taylor was personally motivated to act. At the time, one of her closest friends was shot to death during a break-in.

In 2000, South Africa passed the Firearms Control Act. Since then, violence by handguns, Taylor said, has dropped steadily, often by double digits.

Among the law's rigors: Before it was enacted, 16 was the minimum age to own a gun; today it's 21. To apply for a gun, you have to take competency tests, akin to a driver's license test, which demonstrates that not only can you shoot straight, but that you also know the law and how to store your firearm safely.

Next, law enforcement conducts a background check that runs an applicant's criminal history and also tries to assess whether the applicant has a propensity for violence, may be mentally ill or suffers from an addiction that might cloud their judgment. An applicant must give references whom the authorities will interview, including relatives and a spouse, if that's possible, Taylor said.

Authorities go a step further, checking medical information and digging into any instances of domestic violence or employment issues.

Once licensed, gun owners must reapply and requalify for their licenses every two to 10 years.

South African law also helps ensure that only one gun per person is approved. If someone is a sport shooter or has a reason that for needing to own more than one gun, he must file a separate application and explain, Taylor said.

The law isn't a fix-all

The law isn't perfect. As one South African correspondent put it, guns are still very much a part of the culture. Signs at South African airports and casinos point to where consumers should drop off their weapons.

And gun ownership advocates say that is why people are still incredibly afraid of hearing someone creeping in their house at night.

There are about 2,000 guns stolen from legal gun owners in South Africa every month, according to Gun Free South Africa.

Between April 2005 and March 2011, more than 18,000 police firearms were reportedly stolen or lost. Guns have gone missing from police stations.

There's also a severe backlog in gun license applications, some of which date back several years. A task force has been appointed to look into the problem, Taylor said.

All of this has highlighted one fact for the country gun rights organization Gun Owners of South Africa.

Executive Wouter de Waal told CNN that it is "dead easy" to get weapons illegally.

And there's little reason for armed burglars to think they'll be caught and punished. The rate of arrest and prosecution in the country is 7%, said former detective Rudolph Zinn, who wrote a book about home invasions and now trains South African police.

He believes there's one chief reason for that: Few South Africans trust law enforcement because in recent years, the police force has become politicized, with higher ranking officers who are politically appointed.

"In 1994 there was a push to have policing more community-focused, there was more legislation to focus on that," he said.

"There was a distrust related to our heritage," he says, referring to apartheid, "and unfortunately, over the years, we've gone back to that. I saw it often when I was a detective.

There are undoubtedly more home invasions, he said, than are officially counted.

"People don't even want to report a crime," he said, "because they don't believe anything is going to come of it."


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18. 'Straw man' gun laws already on books, rarely enforced
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Member Bill Watkins emailed me this:

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From The Virginian-Pilot: http://tinyurl.com/bhje46k

By Louis Hansen
February 22, 2013

NORFOLK - Federal and state lawmakers have proposed new crimes and stiffer penalties for straw purchases of firearms in the wake of several mass shootings.

But law enforcement officials and state Supreme Court statistics show the proposals, aimed at those who buy guns for anyone banned from carrying a firearm, might be more symbolic than practical.

A recent study for Virginia lawmakers estimated that the proposed state bill would result in one or two additional convictions annually in the state. And an analysis by The Virginian-Pilot of state Supreme Court records shows that local prosecutors seldom enforce straw purchase charges even though the practice is illegal.

The reason? Law enforcement and prosecutors say the crime is hard to track and prosecute.

At best, supporters of the measures see their latest efforts as another tool to send a message that putting guns in the wrong hands is a serious offense.

Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Virginia Beach, has co-sponsored a federal bill to ban straw purchases. He compared its potential effect to the change in culture associated with driving under the influence. Society became less tolerant of the behavior, he said.

Rigell wants the same to happen with straw purchases of guns. His bill has drawn support from prosecutors and law enforcement, as well as bipartisan support from state constitutional officers.

At the state level, Gov. Bob McDonnell has endorsed a bill that would increase punishment on the straw purchaser and the recipient of the gun. The bill, advancing in the General Assembly, would add a mandatory one-year jail sentence for the purchaser. An ineligible person who receives a gun would face a mandatory five-year term with a maximum term of 10 years.

The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Tom Garrett, said the legislation is in response to recent shootings, including one in western New York that left two firefighters dead. Federal prosecutors say the gun used by a convicted felon was purchased by a neighbor.

"Will this bill end that? The realistic answer is no," said Garrett, who served as prosecutor in Louisa County. "It's a message bill."

The Pilot's review of Virginia Supreme Court records shows that between 2006 and 2011, Hampton Roads law enforcement officials rarely convicted offenders for straw purchases. In that time, local prosecutors brought a total of 12 charges in state courts against people for unlawfully buying a gun for another person.

Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton and Newport News officials did not bring any charges during that period, according to The Pilot's analysis, while Virginia Beach brought six charges against four defendants. According to court records, none of the Virginia Beach cases in Circuit Court involved wholesale gun trafficking:

-- In 2008, Drew C. Turnage, a decorated Marine, was charged with selling a fully automatic rifle to an undercover police officer posing as a convicted felon, records state. Turnage and another man stole equipment out of a military armory and built the weapon, according to a stipulation of facts filed in Circuit Court. Turnage was convicted, fined and received a five-year suspended jail sentence, records show.

Turnage, now living in Louisiana, said in a telephone interview that he was pressured into selling the weapon. He denied taking parts from the armory and said he did not regularly sell guns but needed the money to fix his truck and travel home.

He served two tours of duty in Iraq and left the Marines as a lance corporal, he said.

Turnage, now 26, works as a gas and oil operator in the Gulf of Mexico and recently had his rights restored by Virginia, he said. "I'm the furthest thing from a criminal," he said.

-- In 2011, a Suffolk man was charged with providing a firearm to a juvenile family member in the Beach, records state. The teen's mother discovered a handgun in the house. The man pleaded guilty, received a 3-year suspended sentence, and was fined and ordered to have no contact with the juvenile, records state.

Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney Harvey Bryant said his office occasionally receives tips from firearm dealers when they suspect a customer is trying to make a straw purchase. "It's not easy to detect; it's not easy to prosecute," said Bryant, who also served as a federal prosecutor.

State and national statistics on the crime are difficult to track because a federal law restricts the compilation of some statistics on gun offenses, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said.

However, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia noted a few recent cases including one that involved the distribution of dozens of guns through the use of straw purchases. This month, 44-year-old Kimberly Dinkins from Manassas pleaded guilty to buying 31 handguns at Virginia gun shows, court records state. Prosecutors said she bought the firearms last year at shows in Hampton, Richmond and Chantilly and resold them, federal court records state. Prosecutors say Dinkins faces up to five years in prison.

David Chipman, a retired special agent for the ATF who was assigned to work in Norfolk in the late 1980s, said federal agents need many tools to fight gun smuggling. Tougher penalties for straw purchases will help but not as much as more strenuous background checks, said Chipman, now a consultant for a gun control advocacy group.

Virginia had a reputation as a high-volume gun exporter in the late 1980s and 1990s, before limits were placed on monthly firearm purchases in 1993. That ban was lifted by state lawmakers last year.

It's too early to know whether lifting the ban has made a difference, said Dan Woloszynowski, resident agent in charge of the Norfolk ATF field office.

While that change brought out a fiery debate between Virginia gun rights supporters and opponents, the proposed changes to straw purchase penalties seem to have done the opposite, gaining acceptance from both sides.

Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, said straw purchases punish criminal behavior. "We don't have a problem with that."

Said Ladd Everitt, spokesman for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence:

"It's part of the solution."

Federal and state lawmakers will continue to debate the proposals in the coming weeks.


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19. RT LTE: Founding Fathers said nothing about ammo
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Here come the antis with more illogical, wishful thinking.

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From The Roanoke Times:http://tinyurl.com/bxvzzgt
February 22, 2013

Founding Fathers said nothing about ammo

Guns don't kill people. Bullets kill people. So let's ban bullets.

Yes, the Second Amendment gives everyone the constitutional right "to keep and bear arms." But it says nothing about powder and ball. So taxing and regulating ammunition would not be unconstitutional.

Comedian Chris Rock has the right idea for curbing senseless gunfire. A bullet should cost $5,000.

JACK CHAMBERLAIN
LANCASTER

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Firearms violence demands a change

Apparently, many people are not particularly upset about 20 children being murdered, 32 college students being killed, thousands of women having their domestic problems resolved by their murder, or thousands of other people being killed by firearms annually.

That is why they are happy with the status quo or wish to see more liberal gun laws. This is America; that is what we do.

Does the Second Amendment give us the right to unfettered gun ownership? I don't think so. The assault weapons ban stood for 10years until Congress repealed it.

The Founding Fathers mentioned a well-regulated militia in that amendment; I question if they were thinking about the town drunk or the village idiot. The standard firearm in those days was a 5-foot muzzle loader, not a rapid-fire weapon with several dozen rounds.

Nor do I think unfettered gun ownership is going to help if the world-government people come in their black helicopters.

The Founding Fathers were pragmatic; that is why many of them accepted slavery. We need to be pragmatic. The United States, especially Virginia, should control gun ownership more effectively.

DAVID SMITH
ROANOKE


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20. Happy Guns and Coffee day to you all! [Video]
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EM Ed Levine emailed me this:

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From The Washington Post: http://tinyurl.com/aomrwog

By Tom Jackman
February 22, 2013

Many people who love guns and coffee particularly appreciate Starbucks. In the 12 states with unfettered rights to "open carry" a gun, including Virginia, and the 16 others that are mostly open carry, Starbucks has rebuffed attempts by gun control activists to keep guns out of the national coffee shop chain.

So on Friday, 2-22 (for the Second Amendment), gun rights supporters are holding "Gun Owners Support Starbucks Day," and will be drinking their joe while openly packing their heat. In Northern Virginia, this is being organized by Ed Levine, who already has an "I Love Guns and Coffee" website (there are two) and mints a guns and coffee challenge coin, seen above. He wants 2-22 to be an annual day of support for Starbucks by gun owners.

Levine, an executive member of the Virginia Citizens Defense League and founder of Virginia Open Carry, said the point of the Starbucks day is "to show the general public that good guys carry guns too. Because all they hear about on the news is that someone got shot. You've got to quit creating gun-free zones. Schools, colleges, universities where a good guy can't carry a gun is where the bad guys have a field day. This is just to show when you carry, you're not only expressing your rights, but to show good guys carry." Levine will be hanging out at the Starbucks in Cascades, in Sterling, on Friday and will be flush with $2 bills.

Starbucks first got drawn into this debate several years ago, and has tried to stay steadfastly neutral. Spokesman Zack Hutson told me Thursday that "our longstanding position is to comply with local laws in the communities we serve. We think that's the right way to ensure a safe environment for our partners," which is both employees and customers.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told ABC News in 2010, "I'm not a politician. I run a coffee company and we're trying to abide by the laws in which we do business." A spokeswoman for the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence said the group had no comment.

Here is the Facebook page for the 2-22 event, here is Levine's "Guns and Coffee" page, and for t-shirts and coffee mugs and tire covers supporting guns and coffee, you can go here. And below is a video of Levine discussing how and why this national day came to pass.


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21. How .22 Long Rifle bullets are made [Video]
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Fantastic video - I had no idea it was such a long process to make a simple .22 LR.

--

From outdoorhub.com: http://tinyurl.com/ahql5ft

By Edward Pierz
June 5, 2012

For most people who don't hand load, or reload, their own ammunition commercial manufacturing is a bit of a mystery. Here is a really interesting video the shows how ATK produces .22LR ammunition at their CCI facility in Lewiston, Idaho. The video is not incredibly detailed, but I think it would leave all but the most curious of viewers satisfied.





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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/]
***************************************************************************

[dorminWS]

"OWNERSHIP

Gun ownership across the country is falling, according to the comprehensive General Social Survey which regularly asks respondents whether their household or they themselves own a firearm.

While some 46% of households and 29% of individuals said they owned a gun in 1990, two decades later this had fallen to 32% and 21%."
....................................................................................
I'm willing to bet $50 agin' a dry roadapple that this study DOES NOT mean fewer people own guns; it means fewer people will admit to a surveytaker that they own guns. I wouldn't either. However, I wouldn't tell a polite lie; I'd just tell them it was none of their damned business.

[WRW]

#14. Assault weapon ban won't affect crime. OF COURSE IT WON'T. If it significantly reduced crime, gun ban lobby jobs would be lost and that platform would lose momentum. Donations would drop. It's all about the money!

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