VA-ALERT: VCDL Mini-Update with ACTION ITEMS! 3/21/13

[Taggure]

VA-ALERT: VCDL Mini-Update with ACTION ITEMS! 3/21/13

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Not yet a VCDL member? Join VCDL at: http://www.vcdl.org/join
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VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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Thought for the day: "I am a gun. I started out as a rather primitive weapon, only firing one shot before I must be reloaded. But as the times changed and as man progressed, so did I." From "I am a gun" by R.G. Yoho.

1. ACTION ITEM: James City County protest for censoring Sheriff's pro-2A statement from web!
2. ACTION ITEM: U.N. Gun Ban is looming over us again - time to act!
3. ACTION ITEM: Catholic Dioceses vs. Gun Show “Loophole”
4. ACTION ITEM: Range cleanup at Potts Slope (Potts Mountain) shooting range
5. VCDL President speaking in Bedford on March 28th
6. Limited inventory at CMP store

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1. ACTION ITEM: James City County protest for censoring Sheriff's pro-2A statement from web!
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ACTION ITEM #1:

Let's PACK the James City County Board of Supervisors meeting with gun owners and GSL stickers! Those who would like to speak should do so, especially those who live in James City County.

The meeting is THIS coming Tuesday, March 26, at 7 PM at:

James City County Government Center
Board Room, Building F
101 Mounts Bay Rd.
Williamsburg, VA 23185

If you would like to speak at the meeting, you can send in a Speaker's Card **electronically** by going to:

http://www.jamescitycountyva.gov/bos/speaker-card.html

(you must send in the card before 4 PM on 3/23)

As this is a regular local government building, carry should be OK.

ACTION ITEM #2:

Let's fire an email salvo that will overflow the in-boxes of the Board of Supervisors and get their attention!

Email addresses:

jccboard@jamescitycountyva.gov

Suggested subject line:

Reinstate the Sheriff's Second Amendment statement!

Suggested message:

As an elected official of the County, the statement made by Sheriff Deeds showing support for the Second Amendment, part of the Constitution that he and YOU took a solemn oath to support, needs to be put back on the County's web site, where it belongs. At a time when the Constitution is being shredded around the country, the citizens of James City County need to see where their government stands on protecting their rights.

To have removed that statement shows a severe disdain, not only for the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions, but for Sheriff Deeds, and to the voters who have trusted all of you to protect these rights.

Please put the Sheriff's statement back on the County's web site.

Sincerely,

-

WHY WE ARE HOLDING THE PROTEST

After the James City County Sheriff, Robert J. Deeds, posted a statement of support for the Second Amendment on the James City County web site, the Board of Supervisors voted to have it removed! The County Attorney and Supervisor Robert Middaugh seem to be leading the charge to do so, claiming that the Sheriff's statement was political in nature. Not all on the Board agreed with that, with the strongest push back coming from Supervisor Mary Jones (Vice Chair), who fully supported the Sheriff's statement.

Here is the "offending" statement from the Sheriff that was censored from the web site:

“I, and the deputy sheriffs of the Williamsburg-James City County Sheriff’s Office have sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The oath of office we took includes upholding the Second Amendment of the U.S. Bill of Rights and Section 13 of the Virginia Bill of Rights, each guaranteeing our citizens the right to bear arms.

While I am Sheriff, neither I, nor any deputy sheriff in this office will take any action to aid or abet encroachment on this fundamental right of our citizens.”

The Sheriff is a patriot and is reiterating a key part of his oath of office. To some people, like the Sheriff, that oath actually means something. To some of the Board members and their staff, not so much.

A link to a story on the issue:

From wydaily.com: http://tinyurl.com/amr6seg

Video of the County Attorney explaining why the Board was justified, in his opinion, in censoring the Sheriff. It also includes Mary Jones pushing back. Every thing starts around the 94 minute mark:

http://tinyurl.com/c4khw5d


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2. ACTION ITEM: U.N. Gun Ban is looming over us again - time to act!
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The media has been quiet as the United Nations has been finalizing the Arms Trade Treaty. Hats off to the NRA for keeping on top of it.

There are two resolutions (one in the U.S. House and the other in the U.S. Senate) that reject any such treaty.

The Senate version has NOT been cosponsored by either of our two Senators, Warner and Kaine.

The House version HAS been cosponsored by 3 of our Representatives: Morgan Griffith, Randy Forbes, and Rob Whittman.

Those who ultimately refuse to cosponsor these bills are signaling a willingness to let the U.N. run roughshod over our Constitution. We expect better of our duly elected officials.

Contact both of your Senators and urge them to cosponsor Senate Concurrent Resolution 7:

Sen. Tim Kaine: 202-224-4024
Sen. Mark Warner: 202-224-2023

Contact your Representative. If he is Morgan Griffith, Randy Forbes, or Rob Whittman, thank him for supporting H. Con. Resolution 23.

For all the other Representatives, urge them to cosponsor House Concurrent Resolution 23:

Cantor, Eric, 202-225-2815
Connolly, Gerald E. "Gerry", 202-225-1492
Forbes, J. Randy, 202-225-6365
Goodlatte, Bob 202-225-5431
Griffith, Morgan, 202-225-3861
Hurt, Robert, 202-225-4711
Moran, James, 202-225-4376
Rigell, Scott, 202-225-4215
Scott, Robert C., 202-225-8351
Wittman, Robert J., 202-225-4261
Wolf, Frank, 202-225-5136

To identify your U.S. House representative, go to:

http://www.house.gov/representatives/

and then enter your zip code in the upper right corner of the page.


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3. ACTION ITEM: Catholic Dioceses vs. Gun Show “Loophole”
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From Board member Dennis O'Connor:

The Virginia Catholic Conference, which is the public policy agency representing Virginia’s bishops and their two dioceses, has published the results of its 2013 lobbying efforts. Listed among their legislative priorities is closing the non-existent gun show “loophole:”

Here is a link with the pertinent part below it:

http://capwiz.com/vacatholic/issues/ale ... d=62468896

"GUN SAFETY

Closing the “Gun-Show Loophole”. SB 1001 (Senator Marsh and Senator Howell) attempted to close the “gun-show loophole”. At a gun show in Virginia, a private seller does not have to perform a background check on a potential purchaser. Licensed gun dealers, on the other hand, are required to conduct background checks to verify that the purchaser is not prohibited from owning a firearm. It is estimated that 40% of gun sales occur without a background check. SB 1001 would have made Virginia law more consistent by requiring background checks whether the seller was a licensed firearm dealer or a private citizen. The Conference supports requiring background checks on all sales and transfers of firearms to help ensure public safety and responsible gun ownership. The bill was defeated in an 8-7 vote in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee."

--

ACTION ITEM: Cut and paste the below message (or write a respectful but firm one of your own) and email to the appropriate diocese if you are Catholic (or to both if you are not). Please delete the “Catholic only” sentence if you are not Catholic.

Alternatively, you can cut and paste into a letter and mail to each Bishop. Phone numbers are provided as well, and personal contact is most effective. Let’s flood them!

For ****Richmond**** Diocese:
Most Reverend Francis X. DiLorenzo
7800 Carousel Lane
Richmond, VA 23294
(804) 359-5661
bishopdilorenzo@richmonddiocese.org

For ****Arlington**** Diocese:
Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde
200 North Glebe Road
Arlington, VA 22203
1-800-963-2505 or 1-703-841-2500
communications@arlingtondiocese.org


Your Excellency,

I am dismayed to note that the Virginia Catholic Conference has been duped by radical anti-rights activists into supporting mandatory background checks for private sellers at gun shows. There is NO “loophole” at gun shows. Nothing can be done legally at gun shows that can’t be done anywhere else. The “loophole” sham was invented by gun prohibitionists for the purpose of damaging gun shows, because that is where lawful gun owners meet and network. Furthermore, it is a solution in search of a problem: The Justice Department reported that only 0.7 percent of guns involved in crime are purchased at gun shows, where there is typically a large presence of law enforcement officers.

Additionally, the private sales at gun shows background check scheme is a slippery slope towards the real anti-rights agenda of mandating checks for ALL private sales, even among family and friends. This would create a defacto gun registration of all lawful gun owners. Full registration has always preceded firearm confiscation by governments, most recently in this country in California and Illinois.

Your advocacy of such an agenda attacks my rights as an American, smears me as a potential criminal, and ultimately treats me like a sex offender needing to be registered just because I am a lawful gun owner. I am grievously offended, and expect better of the diocese.

************FOR CATHOLICS ONLY, add:

As a parishioner of (NAME YOUR CHURCH), I am compelled to re-consider my future contributions to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal and various weekly special collections that I now realize are being used against me and my fellow parishioners.

************

I encourage you to research this issue from credible sources, and rescind your support for attacking the rights and liberties of Virginians in a misguided effort to affect crime.

Respectfully,



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4. ACTION ITEM: Range cleanup at Potts Slope (Potts Mountain) shooting range
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EM John Wilburn is coordinating this effort:

To follow up on gun owners’ recent success in Craig County in making sure the Potts Slope range stays open, we are now seeking volunteers for two separate clean-up days for our public ranges. The Blacksburg Range will be closed for us to clean on Monday, April 8th. The Potts Slope Range (a.k.a Potts Mountain Range) will be closed for us to clean on Tuesday, April 9th. Both clean-up days will begin at 9:00am and, per the Forest Service’s recreation program manager, volunteers are asked to bring their own gloves and safety glasses if they have them. There should be extra pairs of gloves and safety glasses available on site just in case. Long sleeves are recommended for working in the brush around the lanes. If you have a rake, please bring it, but it is recommended to mark yours to prevent confusion with others’.

Also, donations to the range are greatly appreciated. Per the Eastern Divide District Ranger, Cindy Schiffer: “We’d like to see a good group of volunteers come and help complete a major cleaning , replace chicken wire and metal posts, patch bullet holes and repair other vandalism, and so on. We’d make a list ahead of time. We close the Blacksburg Range every Monday for cleaning/maintenance and will be closing the Potts Slope Range on Tuesday for the same purpose. So the major cleaning/maintenance/refurbish dates remaining in 2013 would be April 8/9. July 8/9, October 14/15. If we get enough donations we would probably use one of these 3 dates to do some sound abatement work.”

If you would like to volunteer, please RSVP to John Wilburn at: john.wilburn@vcdl.org. We would like a head count to know about how many to expect. Donations should have checks made payable to “USDA Forest Service” and mailed to:

Eastern Divide Ranger Station
110 South Park Drive
Blacksburg VA 24060.

On the check in the memo area put "Range Donation from VCDL member."


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5. VCDL President speaking in Bedford on March 28th
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One gun owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, has decided to promote my talk in Bedford on Thursday, March 28th with his own funds. He has taken out the following 1/2 page ad in the Bedford Bulletin. It ran yesterday (20th) and will run again on the 27th:

Protecting Our Right To Keep and Bear Arms - a Meeting in Bedford

If you value your freedoms, especially your right to own, carry, and use firearms, be sure to attend this up coming meeting!

Philip Van Cleave, President of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, will be at the Bedford Central Library, 321 N. Bridge St., Bedford, VA 24523 on Thursday, March 29, 2013 at 7 pm. As a grassroots organization, VCDL fights for YOUR gun rights every day in Virginia, but we, as citizens, need to step up to the plate to help, especially in these troubled times. Apathy and non-participation are exactly what the gun-grabbers want from us. Mr. Van Cleave will talk on how you can take action to protect your rights, along with connecting fellow 2nd Amendment supporters together. Bring your Flags, Wear your T-shirts! Carry is legal in libraries in Virginia (concealed carry does require a concealed handgun permit). This is the land of the free and home of the brave. Take action so we can keep it that way!

Event hosted by the Bedford Tea Party.

For more information, see the Virginia Citizen's Defense League web site at: vcdl.org or call them at (540) 446-5783.


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6. Limited inventory at CMP store
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EM Michael Irwin sent me this:

CMP Sales Update

LIMITED INVENTORY AT CMP STORES
(March 2013):

RIFLES: The CMP currently has over 12,000 unfilled orders for rifles, ammo and other items. We also still have thousands of M1 Garands. These rifles all require inspection and repair and grading before being put up for sale. At times the customer demand exceeds the amount that our staff can make ready for sale. This is the case now with the field and service grade M1 Garand rifles. As the CMP armory produces the rifles, they are all being used to fill existing mail orders, some from as far back as the beginning of January. Until we catch up on mail orders, there will not be any field or service grade rifles in the stores at Anniston or Camp Perry. For now, we only have the M1 Service Grade Special ($950), M1 CMP Special ($995), M1C, M1D, M1NM, and Kimber model .82 (.22LR) in stock at both stores. We expect this to continue until late June.

AMMO: The CMP does not have any caliber .223, .22LR, or .30 carbine ammo for sale at either store. We are sold out and expect to receive shipments of these calibers in 3-6 months. We continue to accept orders for these calibers and will fill those orders when we receive the replenishment shipments from the manufacturers. We do have caliber .30-06 ammo at both stores, but a 10 can purchase limit per year per customer applies. We also still have the Atomic caliber .308, but expect to run out in the next 60 days.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Orest Michaels
Chief Operating Officer



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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/]
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[dorminWS]

Interesting about the James City Sheriff's statement being taken off a website by the County Boartd pf Supervisors.

I wonder whose website it was. If it was the County's or the BOS's, then it is theirs and I guess they can censor it all they want. But if it is the Sheriff's website, I just don't see where the BOS and the County Attorney get off telling him to take it down. The Sheriff, besides being the Cheif LEO of the County, is a constitutional Officer, accountable to the people who elected him and NOT to the BOS. He doesn't have to let the BOS tell him how to run his office.

I know that particularly in politics, paybacks are hell; and the BOS may punish the JC County Sheriff at budget time. I wish I had time to listen to what the County Attornet had to say about it. But if he/she just told the BOS what it wanted to hear so they could do what they wanted to do it wouldn't be the first time I've seen that happen in a county.