VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 6/13/14

Post by **OakRidgeStars** » Sat, 14 Jun 2014 15:11:58

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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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1. Tom Davis acknowledges VCDL as a force in Virginia elections
2. Fauquier County considering anti-gun noise ordinance
3. VCDL member Don Litton recovering from serious cardiac event
4. New radio show to run VCDL Public Service Announcements (starts tomorrow)
5. VCDL Annandale membership meeting next week
6. Alexandria City CHP application process misstated on City website
7. CNN admits that Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety numbers are bogus
8. Obama’s “biggest frustration” is the Second Amendment
9. Mothers Demand Action founder discredits herself with ridiculous statement on guns
10. Covering up minority crime leads to gun control
11. Committee votes to examine gun issues further
12. Newport News business owner arrested
13. Why I own a gun? [PHOTO ESSAY]
14. Top senate dems still short on gun control votes
15. Congresswoman Jackie Speier calls for ban on import of "assault weapons"
16. ATF agent attempts to illegally scan gun owner forms
17. NY troopers confiscate toy gun from SAFE Act protester [VIDEO]
18. You can’t just walk up and arrest him
19. [FL] Report shows more women applying for concealed weapons permits
20. [TX] We are going to take that gun
21. [TX] Homeowner greets early morning invaders, leaves one dead
22. [CT] College suspends student for asking questions about gun control
23. 53% oppose stricter gun control laws
24. "Wrong guy” Glock commercial [VIDEO]
25. This is what gun ownership looks like in America [PHOTO ESSAY]
26. Gun laws and concealed carry reciprocity lookup
27. Hunters: recall notice for a crossbow

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1. Tom Davis acknowledges VCDL as a force in Virginia elections
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During an interview on WAMU, ex-Congressman Tom Davis gave VCDL a plug.

VCDL EM Dennis Fusaro called-in during the interview, bringing up the importance that VCDL played in the recent Republican primary in the 7th Congressional District (Cantor vs Brat).

Mr. Davis said, “…The Virginia Citizens Defense League, which Dennis is a part of, is a very, very well-organized group at conventions and in primaries and so on. They are now, in the Republican nomination process, a significant voter block.”

Here is the audio, with the entire comments of both Dennis and Mr. Davis. The comments begin at the 44 minute mark:

http://thekojonnamdishow.org/audio-player?nid=25502

Good job, VCDL!

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2. Fauquier County considering anti-gun noise ordinance
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Fauquier County is considering a new noise ordinance that would have a ridiculously low threshold. The ordinance would affect target shooting and hunting, because if someone could merely hear a shot in their house, they could file a noise complaint!

The Fairfax Wildlife Club is concerned for their Friday night Turkey Shoot fund raisers and for shooting on their range at any time.

If you live in Fauquier County, you can contact your Board of Supervisors member by phone or email to object to the ordinance not exempting gun shots caused by target shooters and hunters.

If you shoot or hunt in Fauquier, you should contact the Board of Supervisors members, too.

The Board of Supervisors is taking input during a 90-day comment period. Let’s be sure to give them plenty of input!

Here is a link to the contact page:

http://tinyurl.com/d9ywa7u

There will also be a chance for public comments at a future Board of Supervisors hearing on the ordinance. I will provide more information on this when I have it.

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3. VCDL member Don Litton recovering from serious cardiac event
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Board member Dale Welch advised me today that VCDL member Don Litton, a long time, very active, and well known gun-rights activist, had a serious cardiac event on Friday morning. He was taken to the hospital, and being the tough old-bird that he is, survived. (He had a 50-50 chance of not making it.)

Our prayers are with Don and his wife, Jane, for a quick and full recovery.

For more information and status updates on Don, click here:

http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/showt ... n-hospital

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4. New radio show to run VCDL Public Service Announcements (starts tomorrow)
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The Radford and Reese radio show is going to have 5-minute VCDL PSAs each week.

Radford & Reese show will be on Saturday mornings at 10am on AM820 WNTW “The Answer” in Chester, Virginia. They will have a podcast of their show, too.

The website is www.Radfordandreese.com

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5. VCDL Annandale membership meeting next week
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VCDL will have its monthly membership meeting at the Mason Government Center in Annandale, Thursday, June 19th. The meeting will be called to order at 8 PM, but fellowship starts at 7:30 PM. The meeting will adjourn to a local restaurant for continued fellowship at 9:30 PM.

We will be discussing recent events, including recent primaries, affecting gun rights in Virginia.

Board member Bruce Jackson will be at the meeting. If you need any supplies such as cards or brochures or desire shirts or mouse pads etc just drop him a line and let him know. His address is bruce@vcdl.org

As with all VCDL membership meetings, it is open to the public, so bring friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors!

For directions, click here:

http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html

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6. Alexandria City CHP application process misstated on City website
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The Alexandria City website with CHP application information is totally out of date. For example, it doesn’t mention that renewals can be done through the mail, asks for an SASE if you want your permit mailed to you (the permit has to be mailed by law - no SASE required), and military personnel are required to provide some kind of addition proof of competency (total baloney).

I talked to the Clerk about this and he seems to understand the law and appears to be doing what is required. I told him the website needs to be fixed to reflect the current law. He said the City handles the site and said he will get in touch with them to fix the CHP information page.

I am going to wait a month and check back on their website

Meanwhile if you live in Alexandria City and have any issues with getting your CHP, let me know.

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7. CNN admits that Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety numbers are bogus
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Bloomberg’s false data on school shooting since the Sandy Hook massacre even made CNN have to pause.

http://www.examiner.com/article/did-cnn ... roup-liars

Some of the original research debunking Bloomberg’s bogus information:

From ijreview.com: http://tinyurl.com/mqwf9hp

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8. Obama’s “biggest frustration” is the Second Amendment
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Darn those people who want me to honor the Constitution!

“My biggest frustration so far is that this society has not been willing to take some basic steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who can do just unbelievable damage…”

So the current 20,000 gun laws in the U.S. are not considered a “basic step,” Mr. President?

Gun violence off the charts? It’s been dropping for years. It’s much lower now then it was when the “Assault Weapon Ban” was in place and when we had far less guns and gun owners in the country.

From politico.com: http://tinyurl.com/mhpl3h9

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9. Mothers Demand Action founder discredits herself with ridiculous statement on guns
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Shannon Watts shows her ignorance on guns yet again. But, she fits in well with Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety organization in that case.

Moms Demand Founder: Good Guy with Gun 'Has Never' Stopped Bad Guy with Gun

From breitbart.com: http://tinyurl.com/p4x2bqe

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10. Covering up minority crime leads to gun control
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From americanthinker.com: http://tinyurl.com/nhdnmfy

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11. Committee votes to examine gun issues further
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Dinwiddie County does the right thing on guns, for now.

Member John Whitt emailed me this:

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From progress-index.com: http://tinyurl.com/l2xjykt

Committee votes to examine gun issues further
by Vanessa Remmers, Staff Writer
March 30, 2014

DINWIDDIE - The sheriff will place a magnifying glass to firearm complaints in the county over the next year as part of an agreement that was reached by a firearms advisory committee March 20.

In addition to the year-long study, the committee voted to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that a 1970s-era ordinance regarding the setup of target or shooting ranges be repealed.

The 12-member committee formed after county officials received numerous complaints of firearm discharges near residential areas. The group was charged with looking into a range of gun issues in the county.

"I have really been torn on this," Sheriff D.T. "Duck" Adams said. "I believe that we should table this ... and determine exactly where the problems exist."

County Attorney Tyler Southall rehashed several options for regulating firearm discharges, but the committee echoed the same hesitancy toward new regulations that they did at their first meeting in January.

Most committee members agreed that if new regulations were needed, a distance ordinance would be the best option.

"This option is the most popular for counties that desire regulation of firearms discharges near occupied areas and would probably achieve the desired objective with fewer unintended consequences," Southall wrote in his report to the committee.

Counties such as Chesterfield, Fauquier, Hanover and Suffolk have adopted a distance ordinance that prohibit firearms discharges within their entire county. Other such as Amherst, Stafford, Westmoreland, Henrico, Spotsylvania have applied the ordinance only to more densely populated parts of the county, according to Southall's report.

Southall's other option for a noise ordinance did not find much favor with the group, with some committee members comparing it to Pandora's box in terms of enforcement. Because Virginia courts require that a noise ordinance be enforced objectively, the sheriff's department would have to measure decibels created by a potential offender. Southall also warned that a noise regulation could prohibit permissible types of target shootings such as shooting on a remote farm.

Committee members believed a third option that would tighten restrictions for backdrops of target or shooting ranges would do nothing to remedy the root of the problem - noise.

Because existing regulations regarding backdrops - including one that requires the county administrator's approval for a target range - had stopped being enforced since around 1990, the committee decided to recommend erasing the backdrop ordinance from county books.

Southall said that the lack of a clear definition of shooting or target ranges has partially caused the county to make no effort to enforce the ordinance in recent years. The ordinance appears to have been enacted for turkey shoots, which are generally required to go through a special event permit process.

"Do away with the backdrop. I don't think it is doing anything," Adams said.

Adams and other committee members said there are laws in place such as reckless handling of a firearm should someone not set up a proper backdrop and cause damage or injury.

Even though the committee seemed to favor a distance ordinance by the end of the hour-long discussion, they stopped short of recommending the ordinance to supervisors.

They instead decided to wait until Adams comes back with his study.

Among other things, Adams will note the geographical origin of the complaints, the shooter's surroundings, how many of the complaints are able to be resolved and the type of weapon and backstop used.

"There is a whole lot of shooting going on that is respectful. And then there have been complaints. I think it is something that we should get some real data on," Committee Chairman and Board of Supervisor Daniel Lee said. "I think Dinwiddie is proud of its rural character .. at least hopefully we can get mechanisms in place for handling problems."

Adams said that 12 months will give him ample time to examine the issue.

"We are coming into summer now, and that is when we get most of our complaints," Adams said.

In 2013, 158 calls for "shots fired" came into the Dinwiddie Sheriff Department's dispatch center. Those calls included target shooting, celebratory gun fire, random gun shots and possibly some complaints involving hunters shooting, the Dinwiddie Sheriff's Office reported.

During a meeting earlier this month, Adams said that last year, there were six aggravated incidents where it didn't matter to the shooters that they were bothering surrounding residents.

"Most of the time we are able to mitigate the incidents," Adams said.

That was partially true for Delores Bland, who was one of the first residents that lodged a complaint. Bland, who has lived at their house on Squirrel Level Road for 40 years, said that loud booms that occasionally shook her house from nearby target shootings had caused most of her neighbors to clamor for a change in the laws. Both Bland and her husband are at-large members of the committee.

During the meeting, Bland said that the shooting near her home has stopped after the sheriff met with the target shooter. But, she added, target shooting noise still plagues some of her neighbors. She was the sole committee member who voted against the recommendation to repeal the backstop ordinance. Bland wanted to keep the ordinance on the books in case the needed to use it in the future.

Bland also argued - along with other residents - that part of the solution may be for Dinwiddie to allow commercial shooting ranges.

"That would be a building that they could go to," Bland said.

Currently, the county zoning ordinance prohibits such ranges.

"We are long overdue for one," Adams said.

Loosening the restriction on commercial shooting ranges was not part of the committee's recommendations.

Lee said he will most likely give his report to supervisors on the committee's recommendations at their April meeting.

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12. Newport News business owner arrested
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Remember, you cannot shoot at someone who is merely stealing from you, especially if they are running away! You, or some other innocent person, must be in EMINENT danger of death or grievous bodily injury.

Member Ruslan Ketenchiev emailed me this:

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From wvec.com: http://tinyurl.com/mc35t6f

Newport News business owner arrested
by 13News Now
April 3, 2014

NEWPORT NEWS -- A business owner in Newport News is charged with shooting at man who he says stole items from his store.

Police say Spencer Torrey Hill was going into his store, Cash Money Pawn on Warwick Blvd., around 12:30 p.m. Friday, March 28. A man leaving the shop and slammed the door on Hill's arm and wouldn't stop when Hill told him to stop, according to police. So, Hill ran after him and fired two shots at the man, who was now in a car.

The man drove off and wasn't hit, police stress.

"Mr. Hill advised police the man had taken a plastic bag containing valuables in access of $2,000.00," said spokesman Harold Eley.

The suspect was driving a tan or beige Chevrolet Malibu.

Hill, 44, who lives in Chesapeake, has been charged with discharging a firearm in a public place and reckless handling of a firearm.

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13. Why I own a gun? [PHOTO ESSAY]
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EM John Wilburn is one of the many gun owners covered in this photo essay.

EM Dave Hicks emailed me this:

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From roanoke.com: http://tinyurl.com/ozrojhr

Why I own a gun
A COLLECTION OF PORTRAITS & INTERVIEWS
By Rebecca Barnett, The Roanoke Times
March 30, 2014

Interactive interview with 18 people. Listen to how this diverse group of people answer the following questions:

What kind of gun(s) do you own?

Why do you own the gun(s)?

How do you feel about a push for tougher gun laws?

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14. Top senate dems still short on gun control votes
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Darn, not enough anti-gun votes to trample on the Constitution yet again!

EM Dave Hicks emailed me this:

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From ap.org: http://tinyurl.com/oejlorh

Top Senate Dems still short on gun control votes
by Alan Fram
April 3, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly a year after the Senate rejected an effort to expand background checks for gun buyers, top Senate Democrats said Thursday that they still lack the votes to successfully revisit the issue.

A day after the latest shootings in Fort Hood in Texas, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters, "I would like to be able to bring it back up, but I need some more votes."

Reid's comments were echoed by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who with Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey authored the pivotal measure that the Senate defeated last April 17. Manchin said he's received "no firm commitments" for additional support, and didn't expect to see the measure on the floor again unless proponents had more votes in hand.

The measure by Manchin and Toomey was a response to the December 2012 shooting deaths of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. It became one of President Barack Obama's top priorities, but the bill was scuttled in the face of opposition from the National Rifle Association.

Senators voted 54-46 for the legislation last year, short of the 60 votes it would have needed for passage. Four Republicans backed the proposal while four Democrats were against it.

Obama and top Democrats spoke of revisiting the issue, but it hasn't happened and seems unlikely to soon. The vote was a tough one for several Democrats facing re-election this year in conservative states, and few from the party are clamoring for another vote as Democrats try keeping Republicans from capturing control of the chamber in November's elections.

Thursday's Fort Hood shooting left four people dead, including the soldier who launched the attack, Spc. Ivan Lopez, and 16 wounded. A spokeswoman for the Puerto Rico National Guard, in which Lopez had served, and members of his family in Puerto Rico confirmed that he was the gunman.

The military has not yet released the gunman's name or cited a reason for the attack. Army Secretary John McHugh said the gunman, who saw no combat during four months in Iraq in 2011, visited a psychiatrist last month and exhibited no signs of potential violence. Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, Fort Hood's senior officer, said the gunman was taking medication after seeking help for depression, anxiety and other problems.

"Couldn't we at least have background checks so people who are ill mentally or who are felons couldn't buy guns?" Reid said Thursday. "Even NRA members support that so I hope we can bring it back up."

Background checks, aimed at keeping criminals and the mentally ill from buying firearms, are required only for sales handled by federally licensed gun dealers. The bill by Manchin and Toomey would have extended the requirement to commercial sales over the Internet and at gun shows.

A 2009 shooting spree at Fort Hood left 13 dead and more than 30 hurt.

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15. Congresswoman Jackie Speier calls for ban on import of "assault weapons"
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A Democratic state Senator in California is caught in a sting operation trying to illegally traffic in machine guns and other weapons, but the answer from another Democrat state legislator is to ban the import of “assault weapons.”

Do anti-gunners ever have two synapses that are actually touching? I don’t think so. No matter what happens or who is really at fault, they fall back like robots on their mantra, “Must….Have…..Gun….Control…."

Member Walter Jackson emailed me this:

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From San Francisco Examiner: http://tinyurl.com/q3xn4pb

Jackie Speier calls for ban on import of assault weapons in wake of Leland Yee arrest
by Laura Dudnick
Apr 2, 2014

Rep. Jackie Speier, a Peninsula Democrat, called on President Barack Obama on Wednesday to ban the import of assault weapons following last week’s high-profile arrest of state Sen. Leland Yee on gun-trafficking charges.

“This FBI investigation of Leland Yee reveals how easy it is to import lethal assault weapons that were previously banned,” Speier said in a statement. “This case should be a warning to us all that even the most trusted appearing among us are ready to do real harm. Since Congress can pass no meaningful gun-control laws, even after the mass killing in Newtown, President Obama should use his pen to slow the import of these weapons, which have no place in our homes.”

Speier, D-Hillsborough, who held Yee’s Senate seat before the suspended state lawmaker was elected in 2006, has long been an outspoken advocate for gun control. She is the sponsor of the federal Gun Transparency and Accountability Act of 2013 and the Child Handgun Safety Act of 2013, and co-sponsor of the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2013.

Dave Workman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms called Speier’s statement “ironic” because it comes on the heels of Yee’s March 26 arrest on suspicion of conspiring to traffic in firearms, along with the arrest of 25 other defendants on gun-trafficking and other charges related to a yearslong undercover FBI investigation.

“I don’t see any reason for someone to propose a ban on perfectly legal firearms coming into the country where law-abiding citizens would be able to purchase and own those firearms for hunting, competition or for any number of good reasons,” Workman said.

According to Speier, a ban on imported assault weapons was first imposed by President George H.W. Bush in 1989, which was supported by President Bill Clinton. The ban lapsed under President George W. Bush and continues to not be implemented, Speier said.

Speier represents California’s 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

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16. ATF agent attempts to illegally scan gun owner forms
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Looks like the Feds might be attempting to make a registration database out of dealer’s Form 4473s. It’s illegal, but what the heck.

Member C. S. Miller emailed me this:

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From freedomoutpost.com: http://tinyurl.com/pep2cdy

ATF Agent Attempts to Illegally Scan Gun Owner Forms of Pac N Arms Multiple Times – Threatens to Revoke Dealer's License
by Tim Brown
Apr. 2, 2014

Last year, Gun Owners of America warned that the "ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) is going from dealer to dealer, copying the information on these forms (4473), and feeding it into a database." We've seen, in recent weeks, how this unconstitutional agency is illegally terrorizing small business owners, such as Ares Armor, and raiding their establishments to gather information on their customers, in what many people believe is part of the plan to create a national gun registry database. Now comes another story out of Maine.

According to Phil Chabot, owner of Pac N Arms, the ATF also used illegal tactics to attempt to scan information on his customers as well.

Chabot has worked with the general public and various law enforcement agencies over the past twenty-two years and has many federal agents, including DEA, FBI, Homeland Security, ATF and US Marshals as customers.

Though Chabot acknowledges that ATF conducts Industry Operations Inspections (IOI - an audit that all firearms dealers [FFLs] may be subject to, during which the ATF verifies our inventory and is supposed to verify all paperwork and record-keeping is being done correctly and is properly maintained) every five years, I have pointed out that any and all federal gun laws are unconstitutional since the states never gave any authority to the federal government when it comes to restricting arms of US citizens. Therefore the agency, in its existence, is a violation of the federal constitution.

Chabot has engaged in numerous IOIs with the ATF that, according to him, are usually "completed within a week." However, he said the most recent audit, which took place in August of 2013, "went on over two months, and it appeared to be little more than a thinly-veiled attempt to create a registry of my clientele."

Under 18 USC § 926, anyone in the Justice Department, including members of the ATF are categorically prohibited from seizing any records or documents other than those constituting material evidence of a violation of law.

Specifically, the law reads:

"No such rule or regulation prescribed after the date of the enactment of the Firearms Owners' Protection Act may require that records required to be maintained under this chapter or any portion of the contents of such records, be recorded at or transferred to a facility owned, managed, or controlled by the United States or any State or any political subdivision thereof, nor that any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions or dispositions be established. Nothing in this section expands or restricts the Secretary's authority to inquire into the disposition of any firearm in the course of a criminal investigation."

While the first day of the audit produced no problems, except some corrections that needed to be made on ATF's end, Chabot said that ATF employee Wayne Bettencourt produced a handheld scanner, approximately the size and shape of a large marker, and began to go through the bound book of ATF 4473 forms and attempted to scan all the pages of the documents, which contain over 1700 forms from gun sales and transfers.

Chabot confronted Bettencourt about his illegal procedure and Bettencourt said he has the authority to do it. Chabot said he did not and told the agent that if he were willing to give him a written statement that he had that authority, he would not stop him from scanning. This was an attempt to hold the agent accountable.

According to Chabot, "Bettencourt vehemently refused to provide me with anything signed by him or other ATF authorities, and made the ridiculous claim that the records were the property of the ATF and he could do with them what he liked, and that if I kept refusing him, he would be back with an administrative warrant so that he could just take the records that I am bound by federal law to father and maintain. I again refused to allow Bettencourt to illegally copy my records, at which point he told me that I should be careful not to make the investigation about me, and that 'my license depended on how well I worked with him.' This was clearly a threat intended to let me know that if I did not allow him to perform the illegal activity of copying my bound books, he would retaliate and that my Federal Firearms License was at risk."

In other words, Bettencourt seems to have been extorting Chabot in order to illegally seize customer information, ie. create a national gun registration database.

Mr. Chabot went on to say, that after he continued to refuse Bettencourt's illegal actions, Bettencourt said he had legal investigations to conduct and didn't want to be interfered with. However, since no warrant had been produced, Chabot stood his ground, noticing "that Bettencourt seemed to be scanning chiefly the A&D pages and especially concentrating on every woman and on every person who had purchased more than one firearm in a week."

At that point, Chabot told the agent to stop using his scanner and told the agent to provide him with a list of the criminal cases he was alleging to be investigating. Bettencourt was unable to produce a list.

Bettencourt became angry and belligerent, angrily repeating his previous statements about taking the records through administrative warrants and threatening Chabot's licenses. To the best of Chabot's knowledge, Bettencourt does not have investigative authority to even allow for any type of criminal investigation, as his job encompasses records keeping compliance, not criminal investigation.

Following that issue, the audit seemed to go well. However, when Bettencourt returned on August 16, 2013 to follow up, he demanded Chabot exit his shop, told him to get a good lawyer because, in Chabot's word, "he was going to see to it that there was an administrative warrant taken out on my business ASAP, and that he would be taking my records."

While Bettencourt couldn't understand his own illegal actions and that fact that Chabot was standing up for his customers and the law, he was apparently threatening Chabot's livelihood for not allowing him to break the law and scan any records he wanted to.

Bettencourt returned again on August 29, 2013 and attempted to scan documents once again, and once again Chabot stopped him from doing so.

On October 9, 2013, Bettencourt returned once more and attempted the same illegal action. Chabot said, "I told him that not only was it illegal, but that I felt I was personally liable and ran the risk of being sued by my customers if their personal information, including social security numbers, got out. I told Bettencourt that I would allow the scanning only with a warrant or a signed statement attesting to the legality of the scanning. Bettencourt finally told me that the audit was finished and once again angrily responded that he would not be signing anything and yelled at me that he would be working toward revoking my current FFL's and making sure the application for the FFL for my new location was denied."

Chabot contacted Bettencourt's supervisor in Boston, Agent Linda Champagne, who told him that if the agent didn't get to copy or scan his records, the ATF would pursue the revocation of his current license and deny his application for the new shop he was working on. This is in clear violation of the law.

Chabot says that he has spoken to numerous agents in various federal agencies and they have all expressed concern over the cavalier attitude of the ATF. And why shouldn't they? Anyone remember Waco? How about Ruby Ridge? Fast and Furious? Yes, all of those were the product of the ATF, an illegal and unconstitutional federal agency.

In speaking to Mr. Chabot to confirm the situation, he referred us to his attorney, Penny Dean, who asked us to postpone an interview for a couple of weeks until they have obtained certain witnesses in the matter, which we agreed to do. Our desire is not to make it more difficult for justice to be brought to bear in the matter. However, Ms. Dean did encourage us to report on Mr. Chabot's letter to his Senator, Susan Collins, which is where the bulk of this article comes from.

Phil Chabot did tell Freedom Outpost that he does want other gun dealers to stand up against illegal actions by the ATF for the sake of their customers privacy. I applaud his efforts to stand his ground, based on the law.

Perhaps you would like to contact Agent Linda Champagne and ask her why she would extort Pac N Arms in such a fashion to illegally obtain customer's gun records. Her number is 617-557-1200. While you are at it, maybe you would like to contact Senator Susan Collins and find out why she is not standing for her constituents against a rogue federal agency that is engaging in illegal activity against US citizens.

We'll provide an update as soon as Mr. Chabot's attorney gives us the go ahead for an interview. For more on how the ATF works to manufacture crime, I suggest reading the excellent article found at National Review (http://tinyurl.com/oyb89t2).

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17. NY troopers confiscate toy gun from SAFE Act protester [VIDEO]
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More idiocy from New York police.

From infowars.com: http://tinyurl.com/mbux6rs

NY TROOPERS CONFISCATE TOY GUN, CUTOUT OF GUN FROM SAFE ACT PROTESTER [VIDEO]
by Adan Salazar
April 2, 2014

A SAFE Act protester at the New York state capitol in Albany yesterday was approached by three state troopers and relieved of his weapons: a toy gun and a plywood cutout in the shape of a gun.

A video posted to Youtube shows a man outfitted in colonial attire arguing with officers in front of a puppet effigy of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, the politician who signed into law the SAFE Act which, among various other Second Amendment infringements, requires registration and universal background checks on all gun purchases.

Melbourne Sann, a resident of Rome, New York, turned over his “weapons” at the behest of officers to thunderous booing. Sann then asked the crowd if the officers were innocent or guilty, to which they collectively shouted, “Guilty!”

Yesterday, thousands of gun owners and Second Amendment proponents converged at the Empire State Plaza near the capitol building where, the night before, lawmakers had passed the state’s latest budget.

“The rally is just two weeks before the final deadline to register weapons under the New York SAFE Act. By April 15, all semi-automatic assault weapons must be registered, or risk being charged with a misdemeanor,” reports TWC News.

Billionaire Donald Trump, who has been toying with the idea of running for governor, was also in attendance, and affirmed citizens’ “right to keep and bear arms.”

“You have the constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” Trump said. “You have that right and they want to take it away. And they’re taking it away, slowly and surely.”

Several other Constitution-supporting lawmakers – including Assemblyman Stephen McLaughlin, who we reported brought attention on the assembly floor to the fact that Democrats had originally written “confiscation” into the anti-gun bill – were also in attendance.

If police are already treating toy guns as potential dangerous weapons, one can only imagine how they will behave come April 15.

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18. You can’t just walk up and arrest him
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Another intolerant, anti-freedom tyrant in the spotlight.

Member Walter Jackson emailed me this:

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From gunnews.com: http://tinyurl.com/mxzdfwe

You can’t just walk up and arrest him.
by Greg Apgar
April 2, 2014

I just had the opportunity to watch a very disturbing video that perfectly illustrates the general attitude of anti-gun liberal politicians toward law-abiding citizens exercising their 2nd amendment rights. The video was recorded during a televised debate between Danny Jones, the Mayor of Charleston, West Virginia and the state’s Senate Majority Leader, John Unger, on local CBS affiliate WOWK.

The topic of the debate was the recent passage of West Virginia Senate Bill 317, which was sponsored by Senator Unger. SB 317, which passed the Senate by unanimous vote on March 25 and was approved by West Virginia Governor Tomblin on the same day, will create a new firearms preemption law intended to prevent cities and local municipalities from passing firearms ordinances that would conflict with existing state laws. Firearms preemption laws, which have been passed in several other states already, are designed to reduce confusion for law enforcement officials and citizens who choose to exercise their Second Amendment rights in public.

It appears that one of Mayor Jones’s main objections to the new law is that it will require law enforcement officers to actually say something to an armed person before taking any other action. This was a point that he made very clear numerous times during the debate. Jones objected to the new law at one point by stating, “…and then, you’ve got to walk up and warn the guy. You can’t just walk up and arrest him. You’ve got to ask him.” As opposed to doing what? Shooting an otherwise-law-abiding citizen on sight? Maybe giving the person a good dose with the taser and clapping irons on them before asking any questions? No thank you!

Liberal politicians are forever going on about passing “common sense gun laws”. Well, here is a perfect example of a real common-sense law. It dispenses with the ambiguity of trying to keep yourself legal when you decide to carry a gun for self-defense as you travel from one locality to another. How much more sensible could you possibly get?

Would Mayor Jones have us believe that the best argument he can come up with, against the new law, is that it will restrict his officers from making knee-jerk reactions when interacting with the public? It’s no wonder that he signed on with Michael Bloomberg’s draconian “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” campaign. But do you want to hear the real kick in the pants?

Danny Jones calls himself a Republican.

The man he was debating on TV, Senate Majority Leader and sponsor of SB 317, John Unger, is a Democrat. The bill easily passed in a legislative body overwhelmingly controlled by Democrats and was passed into law by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, a Democrat himself. The whole thing fairly makes my head spin!

I’m almost inspired to re-register as an independent.

West Virginia is a beautiful state filled with unspoiled wilderness and scenic grandeur. I have many wonderful childhood memories of camping with my family at Blackwater Falls State Park. I hope to travel there again in the future, especially because West Virginia is the only state that borders my own which recognizes my concealed carry permit. There is one fact, though, that you can take to the bank:

I’ll be steering clear of Charleston as long as Danny Jones is running the show.

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19. [FL] Report shows more women applying for concealed weapons permits
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You go, girls!!!

Member James Durso emailed me this:

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From wptv.com: http://tinyurl.com/k3djsqf

Florida report shows more women applying for concealed weapons permits
by Jeff Skrzypek
March 28, 2014

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- - Arming themselves in record numbers and most people would not even know it was happening.

New data from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services show that there are a growing number of women who are concealing and carrying firearms.

The report shows nearly a quarter of all permit holders are female.

"I just don't want to be caught in a situation where I would need it and not have it," said Shelly Garza, a Royal Palm Beach resident.

Garza carries her 1911 pistol in her center counsel in her truck. When it is not there, her gun is on her side.

With her boyfriend working late hours, Garza applied for her concealed weapons permit in the last year, joining a growing number of women who are carrying firearms in Florida.

"I think they're being smarter and I think they're protecting themselves," said Garza.

According to the state statistics, women now make up 22% of all active concealed weapons permits. Just a few years ago, they accounted for 15% of all licenses.

"You know you're seeing just more and more women who are out there by themselves who don't have their family anymore. Their fathers or mothers," said Jason Jordan, a firearms instructor at the Palm Beach Shooting Center.

Jordan said they have taken notice to the flood of female shooters. He said his shop is now carrying and selling a higher number of smaller, lighter guns.

"As long as they take the right training, they can handle the gun safety. They can only be an asset," said Jordan.

Garza said she just trying to protect herself without having to rely on other people.

"It's there. I feel safer that it's there. If I needed it, it's only reach away. If I don't, good," said Garza.

Of the growing number of women legally carrying and concealing a firearm, women ages 51-65 make up the majority.

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20. [TX] We are going to take that gun
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There is no legal open carry of handguns in Texas. And no one under 21 can get a CHP. So, if open carry of long guns is what Texas allows, so be it. That is until a police officer shows up who doesn’t like it.

Member Patrick Heraghty emailed me this:

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From theblaze.com: http://tinyurl.com/lael9po

Officer Tells Texas Man Openly Carrying Rifle He’s ‘Free to Go’ – It’s Hard to Believe What Happened Just Two Minutes Later
by Jason Howerton
April 1, 2014

A San Antonio man was reportedly arrested while openly carrying his rifle while on a walk near his home on Monday. The incident, which was video recorded by the gun owner, started out as a calm and reasonable conversation but ended dramatically with cops tasing the man before they put him in handcuffs.

While it is perfectly legal to openly carry a rifle in Texas, police reportedly arrested Henry Vichique, 19, under a local ordinance that apparently prohibits residents from carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun within city limits.

In a video posted on YouTube Monday, Vichique is seen being approached by officers and immediately ordered to put his rifle on the ground.

“I’m not doing anything wrong, sir,” Vichique replies to the command.

One of the officers then claimed they received complaints that he was “pointing” his rifle at people. Vichique denied pointing his gun at anyone and informed officers that his rifle was loaded.

After several minutes of chatting between Vichique and a reasonable-sounding officer, it seemed as if the situation would be diffused and the gun owner would be sent on his way.

“You are not under arrest. You are free to go,” the cop says in the video. “You’re just going to happen to walk home, and I’m just going to happen to make sure you get home safely — and as soon as you get home safely, you will never see us again.”

Then the situation took an unexpected turn.

A short time later, another officer inserted himself into the situation and took a more aggressive approach. A few minutes before the more assertive officer arrived, another officer can be heard confirming that the “sarg” was on his way.

“We are going to take that gun off your shoulder, do you understand that?” the officer is heard saying. “Do you understand that?”

The other officer then asks Vichique if he is going to “fight” if they grab his gun, to which he replies, “I’m not going to grab it, sir. I have not been arrested and the law says unless I’ve been arrested, you can’t take it from me.”

Though he had already confirmed several times that his rifle was loaded, the officers asked him again.

“It’s chambered,” Vichique replies, claiming again that he’s not breaking any laws.

Then, suddenly, an officer pulls out his taser uses it on Vichique, who mumbles that he is being unlawfully arrested and that he doesn’t consent to any searches or seizures.

In a Tuesday press release provided to TheBlaze, Open Carry Texas argued the ordinance under which Vichique was arrested “directly violates state pre-emption laws pertaining to firearms as contained in Local Government Code 229.001(a)(1), which states: “a municipality may not adopt regulations relating to…the transfer, private ownership, keeping, transportation, licensing, or registration of firearms, air guns, ammunition, or firearm.”

San Antonio Ordinance Section 21-16 states: “It shall be unlawful for any person, other than duly authorized peace officers, to carry a loaded rifle or shotgun on any public street within the city or in a motor vehicle while the same is being operated on any public street within the city.”

The pro-gun group also accused the San Antonio Police Department of lacking the “proper training, experience and common sense” on guns and Texas law.

Messages left with the San Antonio Police Department seeking clarification on the local ordinance and whether it is overruled by state law were not immediately returned.

Open Carry Texas said it plans to hold a rally in support of Vichique on April 6 at 1 p.m. outside of the San Antonio Police Department.

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21. [TX] Homeowner greets early morning invaders, leaves one dead
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Out numbered 3 to 1 by dangerous thugs? Got a gun? No problem!

Member Bill Albritton emailed me this:

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From breitbart.com: http://tinyurl.com/k89szmj

HOMEOWNER GREETS EARLY MORNING INVADERS, LEAVES ONE DEAD
by Awr Hawkins
March 31, 2014

On March 30th a homeowner near San Antonio, Texas, awaited and greeted a trio of home invaders as they entered his home, leaving one dead and causing the other two to flee.

According to 1200 News Radio WOAI, the three invaders "forced their way into [the] home... about 2 a.m." When they got inside "the homeowner was standing there to greet them."

A struggle ensued, and "several shots were fired." One of the intruders was killed and the two others fled but were "quickly apprehended" by police.

"A woman in the home suffered non-life threatening injuries" during the attack.

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22. [CT] College suspends student for asking questions about gun control
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The First Amendment is dead on many college campuses. I don’t want to hear the word “tolerance” any more from such places. They have none.

Member Timothy Wise emailed me this:

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From dailycaller.com: http://tinyurl.com/mnt5ptn

College suspends student for asking questions about gun control
by Robby Soave
Apr. 2, 2014

A Connecticut community college suspended a student veteran for his aggressive questioning of Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy during a public forum, prompting a First Amendment advocacy group to condemn the college for its flagrant disrespect for free speech and due process.

The student, Nicholas Saucier, tried to get Malloy to answer questions about his support for gun control legislation, which has put Saucier’s ammunition manufacturing business in jeopardy. Saucier followed Malloy to his car after the governor finished speaking at a public forum at Asnuntuck Community College. The exchange took place in October of last year, and was captured on video.

You can view the video on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDGqBJyntQU

Shortly thereafter, Saucier received notice from the administration that he was suspended on grounds that his “continued presence on campus would present a danger to the persons, property and/or academic process of the College.”

The student was officially charged with engaging in harassment and showing disrespect for Malloy, in violation of ACC’s student code. Administrators claimed that Saucier became increasingly hostile, called Malloy a “f*** snake,” and reached into his pocket for something that could have been a weapon. (It was actually a video recording device.)

The college attempted to persuade Saucier to plead guilty to the charges and undergo counseling. He refused, opting instead for a formal hearing. At the hearing, administrators refused to let him play his recorded video, which he argued would acquit him by showing that he did nothing wrong. Saucier was found guilty of all charges. His suspension was lifted, but any further trouble from him and he will be expelled, administrators said.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has accused ACC of violating Saucier’s free speech and due process rights by disciplining him for speaking his mind and subjecting him to a sham trial.

“ACC’s myriad violations of Nicholas Saucier’s rights, effective rewriting of its conduct procedures, and failure to rectify its errors should give all Americans great concern,” said Peter Bonilla, director of FIRE’s Individual Rights Defense Program, in a statement.

ACC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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23. 53% oppose stricter gun control laws
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Americans continue to wake up.

Member Walter Jackson emailed me this:

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From rasmussenreports.com: http://tinyurl.com/ofmln2h

53% Oppose Stricter Gun Control Laws
March 31, 2014

[SNIP]
Most voters oppose tougher gun control for the first time since the Connecticut elementary school shootings in December 2012.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 40% of Likely U.S. Voters now think the United States needs stricter gun control laws, down nine points from last May and the lowest level of support for stricter laws since February 2012. Fifty-three percent (53%) do not think the country needs tougher gun control laws, the highest level of opposition in over two years. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 26-27, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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24. "Wrong guy” Glock commercial [VIDEO]
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Member Ruslan Ketenchiev emailed me this:

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From YouTube.com: http://tinyurl.com/p85otsr

Wrong Guy Glock Commercial
by advertisingspaceu
Jan. 14,2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94tcnf_M ... ata_player

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25. This is what gun ownership looks like in America [PHOTO ESSAY]
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Another photo essay on gun owners!

Member Walter Jackson emailed me this:

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From slate.com: http://tinyurl.com/mny7en2

This Is What Gun Ownership Looks Like in America
by David Rosenberg
Mar 31, 2014

In early 2013, on a five-day assignment for the German magazine Stern, photographer Charles Ommanney traveled around the United States photographing Americans with their guns. Ommanney has built a career working as a political and documentary photographer and felt a responsibility to make a story that wasn’t just another “predictable NRA-bashing” type of series. He wanted to see “real” people to find out why they wanted to have guns in their homes. He also decided to shoot the project in a more engaged manner with his subjects instead of simply being a fly on the wall.

Ommanney said the project took him to six states in the Southern and Western United States, where he met people who owned guns for protection, as preparation for when things go “horribly wrong,” or simply because they like the beauty of weaponry. Instead of photographing the gun owners at a firing range or at a National Rifle Association conference, Ommanney wanted to capture them in their homes to create a sense of “normalcy.”

The British-born Ommanney was surprised by the ease at which the gun owners in America felt comfortable being photographed for this project. “I can’t imagine going around England and knocking on someone’s door and saying ‘I’d like to photograph you with your shotgun,’ ” Ommanney said. “They would look at me like I was a lunatic. But for these people, there was nothing in any shape or form abnormal about me wanting to do this; [their guns were] a perfectly normal extension of their lives.”

Ommanney’s favorite photos exhibit this idea of normalcy, including one of Loigrand De Angelis, who posed for Ommanney with his young son. “At first glance it’s just a dad with a baby in a Baby Bjorn on his chest, and then you take a second look and you see he’s strapped up with a 9mm just inches away from his baby—he never takes that thing off,” Ommanney said.

Another image, of teenager Elizabeth Lamont with her gun at home in Virginia, was remarkable for Ommanney because it contrasts Lamont’s innocence juxtaposed with a deadly weapon. Ommanney was struck by Lamont’s all-American looks and bedroom décor, as well as by her admitting doubt about whether she could actually fire a weapon at another person if she needed to. “That a 17-year-old girl could even be thinking about that is so foreign to me,” Ommaney said.

From an elderly woman who kept a gun because her mother had been murdered to a family with two young girls who were well-versed at stripping down an M16 assault rifle, Ommanney’s series is a striking cross-section of gun ownership in America.

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26. Gun laws and concealed carry reciprocity lookup
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Board member Dale Welch emailed me this:

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From 2afriendly.com: http://tinyurl.com/oqovd7l

Gun Laws and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Lookup

This tool allows you to look up gun laws by state and concealed carry reciprocity laws. The site allows you to select the state in which your carry permit was issued and determine if your selected target state has a concealed carry reciprocity agreement.

The site also displays a side-by side comparison of some basic gun laws between the two states.

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27. Hunters: recall notice for a crossbow
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This is a particularly dangerous problem.

Mission Archery Recalls Crossbows Due to Injury Hazard; Can Fire Unexpectedly

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2014/Mis ... Crossbows/

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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/]