VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 7/28/14

[OakRidgeStars]

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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. More information on carrying in DC - green light could turn to red
2. Reminder: Membership meeting Virginia Beach on Wednesday
3. HELP - VCDL has booth at Steppin’ Out in Blacksburg this weekend - volunteers needed!
4. HELP - VCDL needs helpers at the Dale City gun show this weekend
5. Other upcoming events in SW Virginia
6. Educational Organizations Are Not Welcome at National Night Out?
7. HELP - Volunteers are needed at Stafford National Night Out
8. National Night Out in Your Area
9. Virginia Beach shooting range appealing to women
10. Business exploding for restaurant that welcomes gun owners
11. Man holds burglar suspect at gun point
12. "If I had a gun, I wouldn't be having this interview”
13. Even Washington Post shocked at NJ prosecution of a mother from PA
14. Policing America by John Stossel
15. Police ID man shot to death at Richmond jewelry store
16. MRCTV's Dan Joseph demolishes the 'gun show loophole' myth [VIDEO]
17. Hillary Clinton: Gun culture in US way out of balance
18. US doctors decry 'political blackmail' by gun lobby
19. Do you know how to use your gun during a home invasion?
20. Driving through MD - How lawful FL gun owner was targeted...
21. [SC] Waffle House robber shot, killed by conceal carry permit holder [VIDEO]
22. [AZ] 1A protects 2A in court victory
23. Gun control in Nazi Germany [BOOK REVIEW]
24 HELP - VCDL to have booth at Louisa County Fair THIS Th, Fri, Sat.


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1. More information on carrying in DC - green light could turn to red
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The DC police have been ordered not to enforce their ban on carry of HANDGUNS in public (DOES NOT ALLOW CARRY OF LONG GUNS), except for felons and for **DC RESIDENTS** who have not registered their handguns. DC's ammunition registration requirement is also not being enforced on non-residents.

***CAUTION - DC has a magazine-capacity limitation, so I would not consider carrying there with more than a 10-round magazine, even has a non-resident.***

Here is the DC memo to the police on the above (from the winning pro-gun attorney, Alan Gura):

http://alangura.com/wp-content/uploads/ ... 137-14.pdf

DC is trying to get a stay on Saturday’s District Court ruling allowing carry of handguns. So be careful to check that a stay is not in place should you go to DC. (The original source document I had for yesterday's alert mistakenly said it was a Circuit Court ruling.)

Here are some thoughts on the carry status in DC from a Second Amendment lawyer, David Kopel:

From washingtonpost.com: http://tinyurl.com/m28ssd5

Article on DC trying to get a stay on enforcement of the ruling, so they can continue to ban guns while appealing the ruling:

From washingtontimes.com: http://tinyurl.com/kfl6237


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2. Reminder: Membership meeting Virginia Beach on Wednesday
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VCDL will have a membership meeting on Wednesday, July 30, in Virginia Beach at:

Virginia Beach Orberndorf Central Library
Auditorium
4100 Virginia Beach Boulevard
Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Fellowship starts at 6:30 PM and the meeting is called to order at 7 PM and runs until 8:30 PM.

The meeting is open to the public, so bring your friends, family and co-workers. As a public library, carry is allowed.

Thanks to Carl Bare for making the arrangements.


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3. HELP - VCDL has booth at Steppin’ Out in Blacksburg this weekend - volunteers needed!
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VCDL will once again have a space at Steppin’ Out, Blacksburg’s 34th annual street festival, on Friday August 1st and Saturday August 2nd. http://www.blacksburgsteppinout.com/

We will be in space CC48 and may freely use the space of CHPclass.com in CC49.

Also, the antis will have a booth under the name “Virginians for Responsible Gun Laws/Moms Demand Action for Gunsense in America” in space CC26.

Here is a map: http://www.blacksburgsteppinout.com/ass ... cc_map.pdf

Our area of the festival, Community Connections, is open from 10am-8pm and we need volunteers for both Friday and Saturday. Parking suggestions are on the website and all downtown metered parking is free for those two days: http://www.blacksburgsteppinout.com/par ... burg.shtml.

Last year, we had a very successful outing and had a lot of fun, not to mention setting a raffle ticket sales record for a Glock 19. Please come out and enjoy Steppin’ Out 2014! For more information about volunteering, contact John Wilburn: john.wilburn@vcdl.org


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4. HELP - VCDL needs helpers at the Dale City gun show this weekend
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The VCDL booth at the Dale City August gun show needs several volunteers, primarily on Sunday Aug 3.

Saturday, Aug. 2 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 2, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday Aug. 3, 9 am to 12:30 pm
Sunday Aug. 3, 12:30 pm to 4 pm

To help, contact Richard Kroh: Richard.Kroh@vcdl.org


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5. Other upcoming events in SW Virginia
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Here are upcoming events in Southwest Virginia from this weekend through year’s end where VCDL will have a presence and needs you to help:

August 1-2:
"STEPPIN OUT", Downtown BLACKSBURG VA. Contactjohn.wilburn@vcdl.org

August 5:
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT; PULASKI MARKETPLACE, at the Historic Train Station, 20 South Washington Ave (US RT 11), PULASKI VA. Contactjohn.wilburn@vcdl.org to assist.

August 22-23:
TRADER JERRY'S, 724 4TH ST, SALEM VA 24153 will again host a CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY 9 AM--5 PM. FREE HOT DOGS/SOFT DRINKS. VCDL will have a table at this event. Please contact al@vcdl.org if willing to assist.

August 23:
VCDL will have a table at the ROANOKE VALLEY FRIENDS OF NRA BANQUET at the SALEM CIVIC CENTER, starting at 5:30 PM. Tickets are required to attend. IF you have tickets/plan to have tickets and want to help show VCDL's efforts, please contact al@vcdl.org

August 25:
SW VA VCDL will have a supper meeting on MONDAY evening, at "THE GREAT 611 STEAK HOUSE", 3830 FRANKLIN ROAD, ROANOKE VA (beside the Quality Inn) Fellowship starts at 6:30 PM--food will be ordered from the menu. HIGHLY suggest a RSVP for this event--there are only 60 seats available. RSVP folks will be seated first---No RSVP, you take your chances on having a seat !! We are awaiting a confirmation on a special guest speaker. Contactal@vcdl.org for RSVP.

August 30-31:
Roanoke Gun Show--Hours Sat: 9 AM--5 PM; Sunday 10 AM--5 PM. Contact al@vcdl.org if you wish to assist. (limit 3 per shift)

September 16:
VCDL Supper Meeting. Details to follow.

September 20:
CONSTITUTION/OPEN CARRY DAY CELEBRATION--NEW CASTLE VA. HOURS 10 AM---3 PM. Come out and enjoy a fun event!! Contact Al Steed, Jr. at al@vcdl.org if able to assist (limit 5 please).

September 20:
"WILDERNESS TRAIL" FESTIVAL--CHRISTIANSBURG VA. Contactjohn.wilburn@vcdl.org to assist

October 4-5:
BLUEFIELD WV GUN SHOW; Brushfork National Guard Armory, 2915 Old Bramwell Rd, Bluefield WV, Hours: Sat: 9 AM--5 PM; Sunday 9 AM--3 PM. A small, fun show with many VA residents attending. Contactjohn.wilburn@vcdl.org if you wish to assist.

October 4-5:
SALEM GUN SHOW, Salem Civic Center. Hours: Saturday: 9 AM--5 PM; Sunday: 10 AM--5 PM. Contact al@vcdl.org if you wish to assist.

October 21:
VCDL Supper Meeting: Details to follow

October 25-26:
ROANOKE GUN SHOW---Hours Sat: 9 AM--5 PM; Sunday 10 AM---5 PM. Contact al@vcdl.org if you wish to assist. (limit 3 per shift please)

November 8-9: (changed date)
K & R will have their fall gun show at the HOLIDAY INN, Exit 7, I-81, Bristol VA. Hours: SAT: 9 AM--5 PM; Sunday 10 Am--4 pm. Contact Al Steed, Jr. at al@vcdl.org if able to assist.

November 18:
VCDL SUPPER--Roanoke--location to follow

December 16:
CHRISTIANSBURG VCDL SUPPER: details to follow

December 20:
ROANOKE GUN SHOW: HOURS: SATURDAY 9 am--5 pm; SUNDAY 10 am--5 pm. Contact al@vcdl.org if you want to assist. (limit 3 per shift please)


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6. Educational Organizations Are Not Welcome at National Night Out?
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For the last two years Board Member Bruce Jackson has passed out the orange "Guns Save Lives" stickers at Stafford's National Night Out and both years he was asked to stop.

He didn't of course, based upon his First Amendment rights.

However, this year he tried to do something different. He registered for a table, thinking it would be good for the community to have a better understanding of the firearm laws, as well as to gain a resource for more general firearm knowledge.

Who does not want folks to be educated about their firearms? After all, an educated firearm owner is a safe firearm handler.

Bruce received a phone call from 1st Sgt. English of the Stafford Sheriff's Office. The table was denied with such comments as "That does not fit what we want to do", "Not our theme as far as our mission statement", and "...trying to keep political groups out..."

No disrespect to the Stafford Sheriff's Office or 1st Sgt English, but the VCDL *IS* a family friendly educational organization with firearm safety being one of the prime objectives. And we are NOT a political group.

That being said, if we cannot have a table, then we will proceed to distribute our materials without one. See the next alert item (#7).

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7. HELP - Volunteers are needed at Stafford National Night Out
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We are looking for 6 to 10 people to pass out "Guns Save Lives" stickers and VCDL materials (carry cards and brochures) at Stafford National Night Out.

The Stafford National Night Out is held in front of the Target in the Stafford Marketplace Shopping Center on Garrisonville Road (610) on August 5th from 6 to 9 PM.

If you can help out, please send an email to Bruce@vcdl.org


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8. National Night Out in Your Area
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f you are having a National Night Out in your area and want some VCDL materials to give out, please let us know as soon as possible.

Email Bruce@vcdl.org with your name, address, and phone number.

Also, if you can find it, please include the local coordinator's contact information. That way we can call and let them know you will be there to try and minimize the chances of VCDL members being denied access.


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9. Virginia Beach shooting range appealing to women
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Article on the new Colonial Shooting Academy in Virginia Beach:

http://hamptonroads.com/2014/07/va-beac ... peal-women


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10. Business exploding for restaurant that welcomes gun owners
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A Tennessee restaurant puts up a sign welcoming gun owners and her business explodes.

From wate.com: http://tinyurl.com/mopvvar [VIDEO]


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11. Man holds burglar suspect at gun point
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Two thoughts:

1. Be careful when holding someone at gunpoint and

2. You cannot use deadly force (and that includes brandishing) to merely protect property in Virginia. Deadly force can only be used if you are threatened with eminent death or grievous bodily injury.

http://www.nbc12.com/story/26086793/vigilante


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12. "If I had a gun, I wouldn't be having this interview”
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A new gun owner in Georgia laments that she wouldn’t have been the victim of a carjacking if she had been a gun owner and armed at the time of the carjacking.

From wsbtv.com: http://tinyurl.com/kr68r2g [VIDEO]


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13. Even Washington Post shocked at NJ prosecution of a mother from PA
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New Jersey is prosecuting a young, single mother who has a CHP from PA because she was honest with an officer who stopped her for a traffic violation. This case could really create an interesting public relations situation for New Jersey.

From washingtonpost.com: http://tinyurl.com/moqckmc


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14. Policing America by John Stossel
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John Stossel talks about the alarming change in the use of things like SWAT teams.

From townhall.com: http://tinyurl.com/p3w34hm


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15. Police ID man shot to death at Richmond jewelry store
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Member Clayton Rhoades emailed me this:

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Who needs a gun in a jewelry store?


From timesdispatch.com: http://tinyurl.com/m3dbyg8


Police ID man shot to death at Richmond jewelry store
May 6, 2014

RICHMOND — Police have identified the man shot to death yesterday afternoon in a downtown Richmond jewelry store as Muhammad H. Baig, 29, of the 1300 block of Virginia Avenue in Henrico County.

Richmond police officers found Baig when they responded to a 4 p.m. call for a person down at the Victoria Jewelers store at 309 E. Broad St. Police said Baig, an employee of the store, was declared dead on scene from an apparent gunshot wound.

Baig's body was taken to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

Police spokesman James Mercante said detectives believe Baig was killed during a robbery of the store.

Neighboring business owners and shoppers said Monday the store had video surveillance and that customers had to be “buzzed-in” from the street through a locked front door.

The shooting came at a time when the block, which has two bus stops, was filled with people and foot traffic. But the south side of the street in front of the jewelry store was cordoned off with police tape after the shooting — the city’s 17th this year.

“I guess it can happen anywhere,” said a woman from Dallas who had traveled to the block from the Omni hotel where she is attending a convention. “I wanted to buy a dress,” she said, pointing to the Rainbow store adjacent to Victoria.

Alicia Rasin, founder of Citizens Against Crime, said she knew the victim, whom she described as “a very nice man.”

The investigation was continuing today, and police ask anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000 or text Crime Stoppers at 274637, using the key word “ITip” followed by their tip. Both methods are anonymous.


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16. MRCTV's Dan Joseph demolishes the 'gun show loophole' myth [VIDEO]
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Gun show loophole? I don’t think so. VCDL member Mark Anderson, sporting his large GSL badge, is in this video at about the 2:10 and 2:58 minute marks and does a great job.


From theblaze.com: http://tinyurl.com/kkj3awq


‘We Already Do That!’: MRCTV’s Dan Joseph Demolishes the Left’s ‘Gun Show Loophole’ Myth
by Jason Howerton
May 9, 2014

MRCTV’s Dan Joseph recently traveled to a gun show to “see how their safety and sales operate.” What he found is antithetical to the left’s claims about the so-called “gun show loophole.”

So what’s the process of buying a gun from a vendor at a gun show?

“You have to fill out a form 4473 for the federal government, and then the state police are on site here — but we also do a criminal and mental background check through our state police website,” one gun vendor explained.

For those who don’t pass those background checks, they will “more than likely” be arrested, he added. Gun dealers are also well within their rights to simply deny a sale if they feel it’s necessary.

Another vendor told Joseph that gun dealers tend to be “ultra professional and very concerned” about who they are selling guns to — perhaps even more than they are legally required to be.

“We already do that!” a vendor said when asked about gun control advocates calling for background checks at gun shows. “They want to take your guns.”

It should be noted that federal law requires licensed firearms dealers to conduct background checks. As the Washington Times notes, a “2001 Justice Department survey found 0.7 percent of state and federal prison inmates bought their weapons at a gun show.”


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17. Hillary Clinton: Gun culture in US way out of balance
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Now it even makes more sense. When Hillary said that gun owners have too much freedom, she was speaking to a behavior health conference in Maryland. She was courting Bloomberg with those words!

If it is Maryland and deals with “research” into guns, there is no doubt about it - Bloomberg is behind it.


Member George Overstreet emailed me this:

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From voiceofrussia.com: http://tinyurl.com/plqxrgf


Gun culture in US way out of balance - Hillary Clinton
May7, 2014

Gun culture in the US is "way out of balance", the Guardian has cited Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and potential 2016 Democratic presidential candidate.

"I think again we're way out of balance. I think that we've got to rein in what has become an almost article of faith that anybody can have a gun, anywhere, anytime," Clinton said. "And I don't believe that is in the best interest of the vast majority of people. And I think you can say that and still support the right of people to own guns."

That belief, however, does not conflict with the rights of people to own guns, she told a conference in Maryland.

Clinton waded into the polarizing issue of gun politics during an appearance at the National Council for Behavioral Health conference in Oxon Hill pointing to recent shootings that involved teens who had been playing loud music and chewing gum and a separate incident involving the typing of text messages in a movie theater.

Clinton told attendees at the mental health conference that "at the rate we're going, we're going to have so many people with guns everywhere, fully licensed, fully validated" in settings like movie theatres where shootings had arisen over seemingly mundane things like loud gum chewing or cellphone use.

"That's what happens in the countries I've visited where there is no rule of law and no self-control and that is something that we cannot just let go without paying attention," she said.

Earlier, after a mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, that took the lives of 20 children and six school staff members, the Obama administration tried to tighten up gun laws. But the Democratic-controlled Senate voted against legislation pushed by the president that would have expanded background checks for firearm purchases to gun shows and online sales.

If Clinton runs for president her views on gun control would clash with those of Republicans, who have largely opposed efforts to tighten laws. During a recent conference of the National Rifle Association in Indianapolis, the Republican governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, a potential 2016 candidate, said Clinton and the vice-president, Joe Biden, considered the second amendment to be little more than "a phrase from a speech writer".

Clinton said she was still considering her political future, telling the Maryland audience she is someone "who has to really mull things over".

"So stay tuned," Clinton said. "When I know, you'll know.”


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18. US doctors decry 'political blackmail' by gun lobby
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Stick to medicine, New England Journal of Medicine. The “gun lobby” is the American gun owner - all 80 million of us.

From medicalxpress.com: http://tinyurl.com/or5vwg3


US doctors decry 'political blackmail' by gun lobby
by Kerry Sheridan
May 7, 2014

A leading US medical journal on Wednesday hit out at the powerful American gun lobby for opposing the nomination for the post of top doctor, calling it a new form of "political blackmail."

At issue is the nomination to the post of surgeon general of a Harvard medical school physician named Vivek Murthy, whose parents were born in India.

Murthy "has lived the American dream," said the editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine, noting his role in expanding HIV education, broadening access to healthcare and fighting childhood obesity.

His nomination awaits a vote in the US Senate, but that vote may be postponed or his candidacy withdrawn, amid reports that as many as 10 Senate Democrats would vote against him, enough to keep him out of the post.

The National Rifle Association has sent letters to lawmakers and to members over the past two months, urging them to oppose Murthy based on his views on guns.

"Dr. Murthy's record of political activism in support of radical gun control measures raises significant concerns about his ability to objectively examine issues pertinent to America's 100 million firearm owners," said one NRA letter to lawmakers, sent to AFP by the NRA press office.

A separate email alert to NRA members described Murthy as someone who agrees with President Barack Obama's "radical anti-gun agenda" and who has "advocated on many occasions for the banning of lawfully owned firearms."

"It's clear that Dr. Murthy would be a prescription for disaster for America's law-abiding gun owners," the email said, urging NRA members to contact their senators to express their opposition.

The editors of the New England Journal of Medicine said Murthy has stood for "reasonable and mainstream forms of gun regulation, including an assault weapons ban, a limit on ammunition sales, and required safety training."

These views are "unsurprising" given the more than 30,000 firearm deaths in the United States each year, the editorial said.

It also pointed out that Murthy has said that if confirmed, his principal focus would be on preventing obesity in America.

"This is the first time that the NRA has flexed its political muscle over the appointment of a surgeon general," the editors wrote.

"By obstructing the president's nomination of Vivek Murthy as surgeon general, the NRA is taking its single-issue political blackmail to a new level."

The authors concluded by calling on US senators to confront the NRA and vote according to their conscience.

"Dr. Murthy is an accomplished physician, policymaker, leader and entrepreneur. He deserves the president's continued backing and should be confirmed.”


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19. Do you know how to use your gun during a home invasion?
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From wric.com: http://tinyurl.com/lgal8mx


8News Investigates : Do You Know How to Use Your Gun During a Home Invasion?
by WRIC Newsroom
May 2, 2014

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) - A background check is required to buy a gun here in Virginia, but there’s no requirement that you know how to handle that firearm; training is not mandatory. But gun rights advocates, even the National Rifle Association, say it is not enough to put a gun next to your bed for personal protection.

Firing at an intruder is something most hope they’re never confronted with. Still, you purchased a gun to defend yourself if you had to. But have you ever handled your weapon?

Ed Coleman, the general manager at Colonial Shooting Academy in Richmond has noticed in the surge of those seeking personal protection, a number of people are now packing heat without training.

“We found since we opened here, hundreds of people that own firearms, that had never shot ‘em,” he said.

Coleman believes anyone who owns a gun should, at the very least, take a basic pistol shooting class. Colonial Shooting Academy offers several NRA-certified courses.

“It gives them the tools they need to be able to learn to shoot correctly and safely,” Coleman said.

In Virginia, gun sales are booming. Last year, a record number of firearms—480,000, to be exact—were purchased here in the Commonwealth. Coleman says mass shootings like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. seemed to trigger the spike in gun sales.

“There was a big surge last year after Connecticut,” he said.

Curious and never having fired a gun in her life, ABC 8News Anchor/Investigative Reporter Kerri O’Brien signed up for an 8-hour basic shooting class that happens to be for women only.

“I just felt more comfortable with the all-women’s than the men’s [class],” said student Donna Shelton.

“The fastest-growing population today for gun owners is females,” Coleman said.”

The pistol course focuses on everything from identifying the parts of the firearm to how to properly store, load, shoot and even clean it.

“I really feel like it’s a huge responsibility and if I am going to own a handgun I need to know everything I need to know about it,” said student Susan Franz.

After practicing with blanks in the classroom, O’Brien and her classmates put their skills to the test, taking aim at the firing range. To her surprise, most of her rounds hit the target her first time shooting. The other women in the class hit their marks, too.

“I have really learned a lot,” Shelton said. “I think the class is great.”

“If I am confronted with a threat, I don’t want to just lay down and take it,” Franz said. “I want to be able to defend myself and my family.”

But of course, shooting on the range under no stress is very different from the panic of pointing a gun at an intruder breaking into your home. O’Brien was told that just like you have a plan for if a tornado or hurricane hits, you should have a personal protection plan for a home invasion. You should practice that plan, and there are now classes that can teach that.

You heard something; you think someone’s breaking into your home. But before you pull the trigger, knowing what to do, what to say and what not to do could be the difference between life, death or jail time.

“It is just as important to know what not to do as it is to know what to do,” Coleman said.

Your personal protection plan should include designating a safe room. Your safe room should have a phone so you can call police, a flashlight and extra keys, as well as your weapon and ammunition. Also, there should be one point of entry, making it easier to defend yourself. Your safe room should have windows, so you can talk to police or possibly escape.

“It is important to work out that plan and practice it at home, so it becomes second nature to you,” Coleman said.

But just as important to your plan: knowing the law before you pull the trigger.

State Senator and former Louisa County Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Garrett Jr. breaks down Virginia law for the class.

“Anything you can do as a responsible gun owner to not produce your weapon, much less discharge, is advisable,” he said. “You have a right to use force where a reasonable person could perceive imminent threat of death or serious injury to themselves or another.”

In other words, did you fear for your life?

“You can never use force in defense of property,” Garrett said.

Defense of property or self-defense? It’s a question a Richmond jury will soon have to decide. Just last month, Richmond man Dominique Clark was charged with voluntary manslaughter for shooting and killing a teen. Police sources also told ABC 8News the teen was breaking into cars and threatened to kill Clark when he confronted 16-year-old Robert Lee. But the teen’s relatives say the teen did not have a weapon.

“Your life will never be the same because you shot someone today,” Garrett said. “At the very least, you will probably be tried in front of a grand jury. You could go to prison for the rest of your life.”

Still, if you are going to own a gun for personal protection, Coleman says it’s not enough to store the weapon next to your bed; you need to practice shooting it.

“You can be reasonably proficient if you shoot once a month,” he said.

In her class, O’Brien practiced as if an attacker were approaching. She and her classmates also practiced taking cover, firing, hitting the ground, and scanning the area for other dangers or bystanders before they fired.

And then the ultimate test: armed with a laser gun, O’Brien headed to the shoot house. She was in her “bedroom” and had just heard a strange noise. She had only seconds to decide if it was an intruder or just the pizza man.

“Stop! Get out! Police are on the way. I have a gun and I will shoot!” O’Brien yelled.

They didn’t leave, and it was time to put her plan into action.

O’Brien called 911, and with no time to retreat to her safe room, she took cover by the bed. But she left the phone on, so police can listen in. The intruder then barged in, forcing her to fire.

While it’s a situation she hopes she’ll never face, Coleman said O’Brien followed every step of the plan as practiced.

If you do shoot an intruder, call the police immediately, then your lawyer.

Shooting and personal protection classes range from about $150 to $180 each. You don’t have to own a firearm to take one.


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20. Driving through MD - How lawful FL gun owner was targeted...
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Member Tom Ariel emailed me this:

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This is a follow-up on an item in your Feb 28 alert. Not necessarily definitive, but it appears Maryland might be using Automatic License Plate Readers in conjunction with NSA-like data mining.


From theconservativetreehouse.com: http://tinyurl.com/p8579d9


Driving Through Maryland – How The Lawful Florida Gun Owner Was Targeted… (Hint: Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center)'
by sundance
January 16, 2014

Yesterday we spotlighted a story about a Florida family driving through Maryland and mysteriously being targeted for a police stop. They were questioned about owning a gun, detained, searched, their car contents emptied – searched, and after approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours of detention during the search they were released.

Obviously for the driver, John Filippidis, and his family, this was alarming. What would prompt the Maryland Transportation Authority Police (MTAP) to randomly select their vehicle?

Because the first question to Mr. Filippidis was about his gun ownership, and the police search for the gun was based on his gun ownership, the Florida CCW permit that Filippidis holds was identified as the most likely impetus for the stop, questioning and search. [His firearm was locked in a safe in his Florida home]

This strikes us as highly alarming – so we contacted MTAP and we immediately filed public records requests to research what took place.

However, our interest has also spurred numerous contacts, tips and directions to help understand what’s going on. We now know where else to look to find out what exactly is going on. Mr. Filippidis’ experience is merely the tip of the iceberg.

What is written below explains how the family was targeted; why the family was targeted; and what intentions were behind the MTAP engagement.

Maryland State has invested heavily in Homeland Security technical capabilities, and they have structured their law enforcement community to engage in very specific activity surrounding their investment.

Maryland State has a network of technical security databases which access the databases of all other states who comply and coordinate with them. For states who do not willfully comply, or those who are not set up to align technically, Maryland mines data from various LEO systems.

Maryland has a rather innocuous sounding name for the intelligence hub which contains this data, it’s called Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center.

The intelligence analysis hub has access to, and contains, Florida’s CCW list (among other identification systems) and mines the state’s database systems for vehicle plate numbers of the holders. These license plate numbers are then stored in a cross referencing database within the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center.

The database is directly connected to another Maryland technological system – Their ALPR (Automatic License Plate Reader) system is synergized with the MCAC Hub.

Every time one of the flagged license plates are detected by the ALPR an alert is generated.

Mr. Filippidis license plate was picked up at the Fort McHenry Tunnel on I-95 as he noted within the article. The Maryland Authority Police pursuit car was probably positioned a couple miles from the ALPR camera. The camera(s) located at the tunnel itself.

“More than 320 ALPRs are in use across Maryland. Information about every scanned license plate–even non-criminal–is stored at the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center.”

[...] These days cameras are everywhere, but some do more than watch–they automatically run criminal records.

[...] Specially assigned police officers have LPRs mounted on their cars. Said Det. Brian Ralph, Baltimore Police. Ralph can scan up to 3,000 tag numbers a shift, searching for stolen vehicles and violent criminals.

Once the pursuit car was alerted by the ALPR system the simple chase was on. As the Tampa Tribune indicated in the article, the patrol car came abreast of Filippidi; this was to allow the MTAP officer to visually confirm the driver ID from the high resolution photo from Filippidis driver’s license which was automatically on the officers on board computer screen.

Mr. Filippidis was identified by the database, his license plate cross referenced to his Florida CCW permit, an alert transmitted to the patrolling Maryland officer, and the rest is outlined in the article.

[...] Finally the patrol car’s emergency lights come on, and it’s almost a relief. Whatever was going on, they’d be able to get it over with now. The officer — from the Transportation Authority Police, as it turns out, Maryland’s version of the New York-New Jersey Port Authority — strolls up, does the license and registration bit, and returns to his car.

[...] Ten minutes later he’s back, and he wants John out of the Expedition. Retreating to the space between the SUV and the unmarked car, the officer orders John to hook his thumbs behind his back and spread his feet. “You own a gun,” the officer says. “Where is it?”


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21. [SC] Waffle House robber shot, killed by conceal carry permit holder [VIDEO]
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For some reason the article’s author doesn’t understand the difference between BURGLARY and ROBBERY. Burglary involves stealing property by breaking into someone’s abode or vehicle, while robbery involves using force to take items from a person. Burglary doesn’t necessarily involve a threat to innocent human life, while robbery does.

Member Timothy Wise emailed me this:

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From breitbart.com: http://tinyurl.com/pnkt8pw


VIDEO: WAFFLE HOUSE BURGLAR SHOT, KILLED BY CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT HOLDER
by AWR HAWKINS
May 5, 2014

A surveillance video of an attempted robbery of a Spartanburg, South Carolina, Waffle House shows 19-year-old Dante Williams pointing a gun at customers, then being shot dead by concealed carry permit holder Justin Harrison.

The attempted robbery took place in January 2012, but video from it was just obtained by FOX Carolina.

After Williams walked into the Waffle House, he held out a gun, and he and accomplice Jawan Craig yelled, "Everybody get down, get down." Everybody complied except Harrison, who continued sitting on a bar stool with his breakfast in front of him.

Harrison said he made up his mind he was "not getting on the floor," that he was "not going to be a victim."

He said the two robbers "terrorized" the other customers, and then Williams began walking in his direction. Harrison said, "This was the only time. If I am going to fight it was that one time. He was approaching me and I saw that as him engaging me."

Harrison drew his gun and shot Williams, killing him "almost instantly."

Craig then tried to wrestle the gun out of Harrison's hand before finally fleeing. He was arrested and convicted in the burglary.


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22. [AZ] 1A protects 2A in court victory
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From examiner.com: http://tinyurl.com/p6vhxb8


First Amendment protects Second in Arizona court victory
by Dave Workman
May 9, 2014

The Arizona State Court of Appeals ruled late yesterday that the City of Phoenix erred when it prohibited a prominent gun rights advocate from placing “Guns Save Lives” messages at city bus shelters, noting that Alan Korwin has a right to place his advertisements.

Korwin observed this morning in a telephone conversation with Examiner that, “This is a gigantic win for the Second Amendment and we now have the free speech to protect our gun rights in Phoenix, and the rest of the nation will have to take note of this victory.”

But it may be a narrow win, according to the Phoenix New Times. That news organ noted that “it’s a win based on a technicality of sorts, and stops well short of forcing the city to accept every ad submitted by the public.”

Korwin operates TrainMeAZ, a company that promotes firearms education. He noted that the Second Amendment Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms – both based in Bellevue, Wash. – are among the supporters of this effort.

In 2010, his attempt to buy advertising at the bus shelters was rejected because the city contended it contained political messaging. As noted by the Arizona Daily Sun, the city argued that small print around the image of a heart that is at the center of the advertisement contained what an assistant city attorney called a “diatribe” about the Second Amendment and Arizona gun laws.

But the court, with Judge Kenton Jones writing the opinion, ruled that the city’s 2011 advertising standards, which would allow the city to reject Korwin’s advertisement because it is not “limited to” a proposed commercial transaction, are unconstitutional as applied to the advertisement. Chief Judge Diane M. Johnsen and Acting Presiding Judge Patricia K. Norris concurred. The ruling may be read here.

Indeed, it appears the city was acting inconsistently with the specific language of its own standards, and the court noted that, “Although Appellant’s advertisement clearly contains a number of noncommercial statements, it comports with the first provision of the 2011 Standards requiring that it propose a commercial transaction.”

The lawsuit was handled by the Goldwater Institute, Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation. The ACLU Arizona Foundation of Arizona filed an amicus curiae brief because this is a free speech case, Korwin noted.

The city has until June 9 to appeal, so Korwin is keeping his fingers crossed. At this point, however, he is cheered with a victory that, he suggested, should put other cities on notice. He also hinted that this ruling might portend some bad news for anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg and his big-money “grassroots” lobbying effort, Everytown for Gun Safety.

“The attempt to suppress the message that guns save lives should give Mayor Bloomberg and his $50 million campaign to deny our rights one huge festering ulcer,” Korwin remarked. “The First Amendment protects the Second Amendment, and here it is on a platter.”


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23. Gun control in Nazi Germany [BOOK REVIEW]
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Member Lindsay Trittipoe emailed me this:

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From us1.campaign-archive2.com: http://tinyurl.com/lm85bla


Gun Control in Nazi Germany
by Audrey D. Kline
May 9, 2014

Gun Control in the Third Reich: Disarming the Jews and “Enemies of the State” by Stephen P. Halbrook, Independent Institute, 2014, 364 pp.

There is no shortage of theories or writings related to the rise of the Third Reich and the subsequent Holocaust. Stephen Halbrook’s 2013 book, Gun Control in the Third Reich offers a compelling and important account of the role of gun prohibition in aiding Hitler’s goals of exterminating the Jews and other “enemies of the state.” While much of the early gun prohibition was created with supposedly good intent, Halbrook carefully and meticulously details how a change in political regime facilitated manipulating some well-intentioned gun registration laws and other gun prohibition to be used in inconceivable ways.

Students of history as well as Second Amendment enthusiasts will find this a fascinating book and will find parallels between gun prohibition in pre-Nazi and Nazi Germany, and attempts to prohibit types of gun ownership and implement other forms of gun prohibition in the United States today. The current climate in the United States surrounding gun prohibition combined with a president who uses his office to impose executive order in ways not historically common gives many citizens pause, especially when looking at the era of the Third Reich. While certain states have imposed gun registration laws recently, enforcement of the laws remains unclear.

While Halbrook is careful to point out that a combination of factors led to the events of the Holocaust, there is no denying that many of the pre-war activities contributed to Hitler’s ability to disarm targeted groups, particularly the Jews. The rapid pace with which Hitler disarmed the populace in Germany is startling. Halbrook’s account is gripping, thorough, and full of legal documentation, leading the reader through the sometimes-daily changes in gun prohibitions that furthered Hitler’s agenda. Ultimately, the prohibitions enacted by the Nazi regime led to monopoly control of firearms by the Nazis and eliminated the ability of many groups in society to defend themselves. A similar progression in contemporary society related to government control of firearms and the firearms industry is a concern of many gun owners in the United States today.

In Part I of the book, a chaotic post-WWI Germany is the backdrop, a time when there were no established policies or laws pertaining to firearm ownership. Concern about firearms not being turned in after the war and conflict between extremist groups and the government led to the implementation of gun control laws. However, well-meaning clauses in the laws were subsequently used to provide the government with complete control over gun ownership, creating registries of gun and ammunition ownership, which ultimately fell into the hands of the Nazis. These lists were methodically used to disarm citizens. Through the first three chapters of the book, Halbrook does a masterful job of detailing the ever-changing gun control policies, ranging from the most extreme (execution on the spot) to the postured ‘relaxation’ of gun control laws that allowed possession of very expensive long arms that would not be affordable for the majority of the population.

Part II of the book opens with the naming of Hitler as chancellor of Germany at the end of January 1933, and the immediate utilization of the Weimar gun control policies to begin the Nazi campaign to seize arms and eradicate the so-called “enemies of the state” (all of whom were tagged as Communists). As a result, less than a month later, Hitler and Göring convinced President Hindenburg that an emergency decree was needed, which ultimately gave the Nazis the ability to eliminate constitutional assurances of liberty and free speech, a free press, the ability to assemble, and the right to privacy in personal communications. Furthermore, search and seizure of homes was authorized. This carte blanche for search and seizure essentially became the modus operandi of the Third Reich.

By the end of March, Hitler had succeeded in passing the “Enabling Law” which gave him the ability to create laws as he wished, with no requirement for consultation. Following this, the confiscation of weapons escalated. Municipal governments were informed that military weapons and ammunition had to be surrendered by the end of March. The Jews were targeted next, with a large raid in East Berlin on April 4, 1933. Jews were not forbidden to own firearms until 1938, but the raid led to confiscations and arrests. The 1928 Firearms Law was utilized to identify the so-called enemies of the state, locate them, interview them, and subsequently confiscate their weapons, thereby increasing Nazi control and eliminating private ownership of firearms from the majority of society.

Part III of the book details episodes of enforcement and expansion of gun prohibition by Hitler’s regime. To mark the one-year anniversary of Hitler’s power, the Law for the Reconstruction of the Reich was passed in January 1934, which centralized control over police and led to the replacement of the SA (Sturm Abteilung or Brownshirts) with the SS. Upon President Hindenburg’s death, Hitler assumed the presidency as well, allowing him the ability to rule by decree. Hitler could now declare laws at will and there was no right of appeal for those arrested. The military pledged allegiance to Hitler and the citizenry was instructed to follow Hitler’s decrees.

Confiscated firearms were redistributed to the police and concentration camp guards. The number of searches and arrests continued to escalate, and with the adoption of the Nürnberg Laws in September 1935, Germans or those with ‘kindred blood’ were decreed as citizens, leaving the Jews without citizenship and consequently, without civil rights. A new weapons law was drafted in November that would also forbid Jews from operating in the firearms industry. Though not yet enacted, the draft opened the door for the stealing of the gun manufacturing company, Simson & Co., by Hitler, who claimed that the Jewish owners were guilty of fraud. Additional accounts are given of exploitation of various incidents to further the Nazi campaign against the Jews.

Nazi Party control of the use and ownership of firearms was quickly implemented and far-reaching, with refinements to the Weapons Law continuing over the next few years. Eventually, in April 1938, Jews were required to register their personal assets if valued at over 5,000 marks. Just a few months later, Jews were required to register at local police stations to receive identification cards. Jews began to flee Berlin and other parts of Germany, as they were able.

In the concluding section of the book,Reichskristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass) is detailed. Jews had been systematically disarmed, and their identity and locations were now on file with local police. It was simply a matter of time before the full shift into deportation and extermination of the Jews would begin. Records support that a campaign to arrest legally registered Jewish owners of firearms was now underway, along with the push by the Nazis to pressure Jews to flee Germany.

The complete confiscation of weapons held by Jews at this point was sparked by the November 7, 1938 assassination attempt of a German diplomat, supposedly by a Polish-Jewish teenager at the embassy in Paris. The Night of the Broken Glass came in the following few days. All Jewish weapons (including such things as letter openers) were confiscated, and all Jewish organizations were deemed illegal. With the Jews disarmed, Hitler’s plans could proceed with a defenseless populace. The majority of the non-Jewish German population was stunned by what had transpired but too afraid to protest. Isolated cases of resistance remained, such as the now well-known case of Oskar Schindler. When deportations commenced in October 1941, the possessions of the Jews were searched by the Gestapo for anything of value, and completed the disarming of the Jews. The dangers of silent witness are now well known.

As has been well documented, Jews were methodically attacked, their homes, businesses, and synagogues ransacked and burned. Upward of 30,000 Jews were arrested. Any Jews resisting arrest were ordered shot on the spot. Attacks on the Jews were to be carried out by the SA, with no interference by police. Jews arrested were to be sent to concentration camps for up to 20 years. The pogrom was so thorough that nearly all age appropriate, Jewish adult males in Stuttgart had been arrested. With the population afraid and disarmed, Hitler could proceed with little worry about resistance. The Court reinforced that there was no judicial review needed for activities of the Gestapo.

Halbrook concludes by noting that less government regulation and a tradition of rejecting tyranny could have led to a different outcome in Germany. Instead, systematic creation and manipulation of firearms registration and regulations, coupled with the decimation of individual citizen’s rights, enabled Hitler’s dictatorship and the slaughter of millions of innocent Jews and citizens of Nazi-occupied countries, as well as tens of thousands of Germans. It remains for all of us to wonder what might have been had people refused to register their firearms. Indeed, we should all take note and never forget.


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24 HELP - VCDL to have booth at Louisa County Fair THIS Th, Fri, Sat.
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Volunteers needed for Louisa County Agricultural Fair July 31-Aug 2

EM Brandy Polanowski is looking for members to help with the VCDL table at this year's agricultural fair in Louisa. The fair's times/dates are:

Thursday, July 31 from 6-9pm (special event)
Friday, August 1 from 10am-8pm
Saturday, August 2 from 9am-8:30pm

The fair is located at the Firemen's Fairgrounds, Fredericksburg Avenue, Louisa. Please contact Brandy at brandy.polanowski@vcdl.org to volunteer to help or to get directions.


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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/]