VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 8/31/14

[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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This alert was drafted by Matt Cuddy and reviewed by Brandy Polanowski

1. Action item from Gun Owners of America on illegal aliens
2. Washington Post article quotes VCDL on tragic death of instructor of a 9-year-old
3. Anytime Fitness is a chain, so “no gun” policy is not universal
4. A look at the progressive guide to gun-control, #4
5. VCDL at the New Castle Preppers Day Festival [VIDEO]
6. Shots fired in VA Beach armed robbery
7. Pharmacist carries gun to protect himself and his customers
8. Fairfax County Police willing to help you "dispose" of firearms [VIDEO]
9. Feds re-open air marshall gun scheme probe
10. Hillary Clinton wants to ban 'assault weapons' and "high capacity magazines'"
11. America's expanding police state
12. Redefining antique firearms to strengthen 2nd Amendment
13. Microsoft's ban on using its services to promote guns
14. Gun crimes plummet even as gun sales rise [VIDEO]
15. To reduce violence, attack the cause and not the instruments
16. Most guns seized from gang members are handguns
17. Racial stereotypes, diversity, and gun ownership
18. [NJ] 2nd arrest in gun range robberies
19. [MS] Robbery suspect bets against victim being armed, loses
20. [NV] 'Good Guy with a Gun' - victim or martyr?


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1. Action item from Gun Owners of America on illegal aliens
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Sen. Sessions Calls on Americans to Melt Down Senators’ Phone Lines
-- Oppose Obama’s efforts to create 5 million new anti-gun voters

From Gun Owners of America: http://tinyurl.com/p3a39yn


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2. Washington Post article quotes VCDL on tragic death of instructor of a 9-year-old
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A firearms trainer failed to property instruct and control a 9-year-old girl on shooting her first FULLY-AUTOMATIC firearm. The result was the girl lost her forward grip and the gun barrel moved left and up, hitting and killing the instructor.

EM Ed Levine and I were interviewed. Some interesting video on Ed and his daughter shooting an Uzi like the one in the tragedy. Also another video showing the proper way to instruct someone on shooting such a light, fully-automatic firearm.

Such incidents with an instructor showing someone how to shoot a firearm and someone getting hurt while doing so are rarer than hen’s teeth.

From washingtonpost.com: http://tinyurl.com/qev2ore [VIDEOS]


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3. Anytime Fitness is a chain, so “no gun” policy is not universal
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From member Marcus White:

Anytime Fitness should be identified as the Alexandria facility. I called around southern Tidewater & they were unaware of what the pinhead in Alexandria had done. I thought it was a "corporate" policy... Corporate knows about it now as on their website there is a place for "feedback" on particular facilities and I sent them this identified as about the Alexandria franchise:

"I was researching fitness options when I ran across a policy in Alexandria declaring its center as a "gun free" zone. While I do understand the desire to be politically correct, this designation is intolerable. The gym itself may be quite secure however people must travel through a parking lot etc. to comply. Other entities (Starbucks, Target etc) have sidestepped the obvious and deserved backlash by "asking" that persons not carry (a weapon). To be unprotected (especially women) in this day and age is not acceptable.

They had an option to upload a picture - they got the one from the VCDL website. I gave them my personal email address - it will be interesting if /what I hear from them.


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4. A look at the progressive guide to gun-control, #4
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This is part 4 in a series looking at a document created by the antis referred to as a progressive guide to gun-control.

When a pro-gun person says something like “Criminals will get guns anyway,” the guide suggests the antis say that "background checks have blocked 1.5 million illegal gun sales over the past 14 years.” It then says the anti-gunners should talk about private sales not being covered and say that is where the felons are getting their guns.

But the truth of the matter is that only a tiny fraction of those stopped by background checks were prosecuted and a really tiny number of people have been convicted. A large number of those denied were denied mistakenly and ultimately got a gun anyhow.

For 2010: 72,000 people stopped by a background check nationwide. Only 44 were prosecuted and 13 convicted NATIONWIDE. A waste of time.

Even universal background checks won’t stop criminals getting a gun, because nothing can stop a straw purchase. There is also theft and the black-market as another source for criminals.


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5. VCDL at the New Castle Preppers Day Festival [VIDEO]
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Member Dave Knight emailed me this:

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FYI, check out this video, apparently prepared by Craig County folks. VCDL booth is shown at 1:28...lots of Guns Save Lives stickers


From youtube.com: http://tinyurl.com/ll2qpjo


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6. Shots fired in VA Beach armed robbery
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Member Ruslan Ketenchiev emailed me this:

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From wvec.com: http://tinyurl.com/lkwpzs2


Hotel Clerk Shot at, Robbed in Virginia Beach
by 13News Now
June 19, 2014

VIRGINIA BEACH -- Police in Virginia Beach are searching for two armed men who robbed a hotel clerk at gunpoint early Thursday morning.

Police received the call of a robbery at the Magnuson Hotel in the 5700 block of Northampton Boulevard around 12:15 a.m., according to police spokesperson Officer James Cason.

Investigators say that's when two males entered the lobby wearing masks. One of the suspects pointed a gun at the desk clerk and demanded cash. The victim complied and handed over an undisclosed amount of money.

The suspects then headed for the exit, but before they fled, one of the suspects turned around and fired one round in the direction of the desk clerk, Cason said. The clerk was not harmed.


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7. Pharmacist carries gun to protect himself and his customers
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Member Wales Watkins emailed me this:

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From wvec.com: http://tinyurl.com/naawjh3


Pharmacies Finding Themselves in Robbers' Crosshairs More Frequently
by Jonathan Costen
June 16, 2014

UPDATE 6/18: Police have charged 25-year-old Matthew Anderson of Virginia Beach with robbery, abduction, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and wearing a mask in public in connection with the robbery on Holland Road.

Anderson is currently being held in the Virginia Beach City Jail on no bond.

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VIRGINIA BEACH -- Police in Virginia Beach need some help to find a robber who is considered armed and dangerous.

Authorities say early Friday morning, June 13th, a man wearing a motorcycle helmet and toting a rifle held up a Walgreen’s on Holland Road. Police say the suspect demanded drugs.

David Halla knows all about the dangers of encountering robbers. Halla owns Gray’s Pharmacy on Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk.

The veteran pharmacist told 13News Now when he was barely out of pharmacy school some 40-years ago, a robber shoved a gun in his neck while he was working at a store in Philadelphia. But, he said the robbers demanded money. "I got out of pharmacy school, and the first drug store I was working for at night was held up by two guys with guns. Drugs wasn't the motive at that time - it was strictly cash. But that was kind of an eye-opener,” he said.

Halla said in the past drug addicts and dealers got drugs from the street but now they’re hitting pharmacists, “Drug stores are a candy store drug stores contain everything that everybody wants from uppers, downers across the board,” Halla said.

The pharmacist said he feels sorry for the younger people who are becoming pharmacists because he believes they will encounter more and more desperate robbers. But, what does he do for protection? “For the last 40 years, I carry a gun. I carry a gun. I go to the range. I am programmed mentally that if my life or somebody else's life is in immediate danger, I will use deadly force and I will use it in seconds,” Halla said.


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8. Fairfax County Police willing to help you "dispose" of firearms [VIDEO]
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EM Ed Levine emailed me this:

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From fairfaxcounty.gov: http://tinyurl.com/k72cb2s


Disposal of Unwanted Firearms and Ammunition
Fairfax County, VA

The members of the Fairfax County Police Department hope you find this information helpful should you have a firearm or ammunition you want to dispose of. Often, we are called upon to assist residents when they have firearms or ammunition they no longer wish to keep. Sometimes people come into contact with these items while assisting an aging family member with moving or they simply no longer want them. Whatever the case may be, the police department will assist you through a simple process.

The quickest and easiest way to get rid of the firearm or ammunition is simply to call the non-emergency police dispatch number (703-691-2131) and request an officer respond to your home. Leave the weapon in a safe location and direct the officer to it. The officer will ensure the gun is unloaded and rendered safe before taking possession of it.

Some residents prefer to deliver the gun or ammunition to their local district police station. While this is not the preferred method, it is acceptable. If you choose to bring the weapon to a station, we ask that you please follow these simple steps:

If possible, please call that district station prior to your arrival and advise them you are delivering a weapon or ammunition for disposal. Ensure the weapon is unloaded and place it in the trunk or rear of your vehicle, separate from any ammunition. Make sure you have your driver?s license or identification with you as well. When you arrive at the station, leave the weapon or ammunition secured in your vehicle. Please do not bring the weapon into the police station!

Once you speak with the front desk, an officer will be called into the station to take a police report and take possession of the gun or ammunition.

Please remember to utilize safety rules when handling any weapon. You should treat every weapon as if it is loaded. Always keep it pointed in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger. If you are not comfortable handling the weapon or are unsure of how to make it safe, please use our preferred method and have a sworn police officer respond to your home.

We hope you find this information helpful should you need our assistance.

General Gun Safety Tips for the Home

-- Treat any weapon you may come across as if it is loaded.
-- When handling a weapon at home, always keep the muzzle pointed in
a safe direction. This means that if the weapon were discharged,
it would not result in injury.
-- Always keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger
guard if you are not intending to fire the weapon.
-- When storing a weapon in your home, you should keep it unloaded.
Store the weapon in a locked cabinet or storage case and utilize
a trigger lock.
-- Ammunition should be stored in a separate location.
-- If you have a gun in your home, be sure you understand how it
operates. It is helpful to read the manual and seek training, if
necessary.
-- Know how to safely load and unload the weapon.

Virginia Criminal Code § 18.2-56.2. Allowing access to firearms by children; penalty.

It shall be unlawful for any person to recklessly leave a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any child under the age of fourteen. Any person violating the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.

It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to authorize a child under the age of twelve to use a firearm except when the child is under the supervision of an adult. Any person violating this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. For purposes of this subsection, "adult" shall mean a parent, guardian, person standing in loco parentis to the child or a person twenty-one years or over who has the permission of the parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis to supervise the child in the use of a firearm.


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9. Feds re-open air marshall gun scheme probe
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Member James Durso emailed me this:

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From foxnews.com: http://tinyurl.com/mmrgkng


Federal prosecutors reopen probe of Air Marshal gun scheme, sources say
by Jana Winter
June 19, 2014

EXCLUSIVE: The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Virginia has reopened its criminal investigation into allegations of illicit gun-selling at senior levels of the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), multiple sources told FoxNews.com.

"They're taking another look at everything. They appear to have received new information they did not have during their initial investigation," one of the sources briefed on the case told FoxNews.com.

In addition to the criminal probe, sources said internal investigations within the Air Marshal Service and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have involved a larger number of senior officials than previously had been reported. Those senior officials may have illicitly purchased guns or been involved with a June 2009 contract bid awarded to Sig Sauer, the weapons manufacturer whose guns allegedly were involved in the gun-selling scheme.

Sources said the U.S. attorney's office reopened the case following congressional inquiries into the matter and an April 10 FoxNews.com story revealing the existence of the investigation. The probe initially focused on allegations Danny Poulos, an Air Marshal supervisor, benefited from his professional relationship with Sig Sauer to receive free or discounted weapons, which were then allegedly sold to senior FAMS executives, including recently retired director Robert Bray.

A TSA spokesman, when asked about the case, confirmed the internal probe remained ongoing but referred FoxNews.com to the U.S. attorney's office regarding the federal investigation. The spokesman said: "TSA has found no evidence of criminal misconduct by any senior FAM or TSA manager."

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said the office "cannot confirm or deny the existence of any investigation, nor can we comment on any pending investigation."

Poulos' lawyer declined to comment on the latest developments. Asked for comment, an attorney for Bray said: "It is our understanding that Bob Bray is not a subject of the U.S. Attorney's criminal investigation, nor should he be, given his strict compliance with applicable laws."

Bray, Poulos and Sig Sauer were all subjects of the initial investigation, which launched in late February 2013 and involved U.S. attorneys' offices in Virginia and Maryland. Prosecutors declined to press criminal charges against Poulos in September and his case was passed back to the Department of Homeland Security inspector general's office, and the Transportation Security Administration's Office of Inspection for administrative proceedings. According to a letter from the TSA administrator to the House Homeland Security transportation subcommittee chair, federal prosecutors also declined to pursue criminal charges against Sig Sauer.

Sig Sauer did not respond to FoxNews.com's request for comment. Poulos is now working for another federal agency, according to his lawyer, who would not elaborate.

During the time of his agency's internal investigation, Bray reached a settlement agreement that included a provision to suspend any possible disciplinary actions against him, according to a letter from the head of the TSA.

TSA officials have confirmed Bray did buy weapons from Poulos, but say he did so legally and with "no knowledge" they may have been "ill-gotten."

In addition, Bray's settlement agreement is now the subject of a May 2 complaint filed against TSA Administrator John Pistole with the agency's civil rights division. To date, 29 other Air Marshal Service employees have either filed similar complaints or expressed intent to do so in hopes that the commission that reviews such complaints designates this a "class-action" suit.

"TSA Administrator John S. Pistole allowed Director Robert Bray to 'NOT' be disciplined for Bray's conduct regarding a gun scandal that made national news," the initial complaint reads, according to a copy obtained by FoxNews.com.

"TSA Administrator Pistol intentionally treated Director Bray favorably while other TSA employees were all disciplined for trivial allegations of misconduct. Pistole is Bray's supervisor and allowed Bray to enjoy a 'clean' record but denied other employees the same benefit.

"Bray was not disciplined for his criminal acts nor was he disciplined for violating policy."

New FAMS director Roderick Allison, who replaced Bray, previously led the TSA's Office of Inspection, which conducted the internal administrative investigation. Sources said new information gathered during the TSA OI investigation was passed back to the U.S. attorney's office.

According to officials with knowledge of the probe, DHS investigators conducted a late-night April 11 inventory of the Air Marshal Service's national armory in Atlantic City, N.J. Managers were questioned, and inventory of weaponry at the agency's national armory was taken.

Asked about the inventory, a TSA spokesman said "there was no all-night inventory" at the armory -- but said the agency conducts an annual firearms inventory, which apparently began earlier this year. The spokesman described this as "standard and prudent" practice.

Weapons inventories continue, as recently as two weeks ago, in field offices around the country, according to sources with knowledge of the efforts to track firearms once or currently registered to or purchased by the agency and its employees.

It is unclear if outside investigators -- in addition to FAMS or TSA officials -- were involved in the weapons checks. This followed email requests to training division heads in all the field offices asking them to confirm the whereabouts of guns registered to agency employees. Multiple sources say the agency continues to focus on tracking down all service and personal weapons purchased by FAMS employees on behalf of the agency.

Members of Congress continue to raise concerns about the allegations.

On June 5, Reps. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., and David McKinley, R-W.Va., sent a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., and Ranking Member Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., asking them to freeze plans for agency overhauls rolled out under Bray's tenure as director, including the planned closure of six regional FAMS offices, until "further questions are answered and the TSA and DHS IG probes are complete."

The latest House homeland security appropriations bill also includes a provision requiring a report -- within 90 days of whenever the bill is enacted -- on what "specific actions" will be taken to prevent Air Marshal officials "from using a Federal firearms license, and the agency's relationships with private vendors, to obtain discounted or free firearms for personal use."

A similar amendment was added to a TSA-related bill during a House Homeland Security Committee meeting.

In introducing the measure, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., referenced the "recently uncovered misuse of a federal firearms license" by an employee, adding "the former director bought several."

"TSA was less than forthcoming with Congress regarding this investigation," he said. A spokesman with the agency said, "TSA does not comment on proposed legislation.”


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10. Hillary Clinton wants to ban 'assault weapons' and "high capacity magazines'"
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Member Clayton Rhoades emailed me this:

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From Breitbart.com: http://tinyurl.com/pkpgov5


HILLARY CLINTON WANTS 'AUTOMATIC WEAPONS' BAN, SAYS GUN OWNERS 'TERRORIZE THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE'
by AWR HAWKINS
June 17, 2014

During a June 17 CNN townhall, Hillary Clinton said she wants to implement an assault weapons ban and "high capacity" magazine ban to keep people from entering school property "with an automatic weapon" to "murder innocent children, students, teachers."

In the video of the event, a Maryland school teacher asked Hillary if she thought banning "assault weapons" or "high capacity" magazines "would do any good." Hillary said, "Yes," then expounded:

"First of all, I think as a teacher or really any parent, what's been happening with these school shootings should cause everybody to just think hard. We make hard choices and we balance competing values all the time. And I was disappointed that the Congress did not pass universal background checks after the horrors of the shootings at Sandy Hook, and now we've had more in the time since. And I don't think any parent--any person--should have to fear about their child going to school or going to college because someone, for whatever reason--psychological, emotional, political, [ideological], whatever it means--could possibly enter that school property with an automatic weapon and murder innocent children, students, teachers."

Clinton went on to say, "We cannot let a minority of people... hold a viewpoint that terrorizes the majority of people."

She concluded:

"My view is, yes we need to thrash this out in the political realm. But the vast majority of Americans--even law-abiding gun owners--want background checks that work, information that is shared immediately, and an awareness that we're going to have to do a better job protecting the vast majority of our citizens--including our children--from that very, very small group that is unfortunately prone to violence, and now with automatic weapons, can wreak so much more violence."

Unfortunately for Hillary, this statement has yielded another gaffe for her book launch press blitz. No one is using "automatic weapons," which are already illegal, in school shootings. Secondly, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)--author of the Manchin-Toomey gun control bill that didn't pass--admitted that his bill would not have stopped the heinous crime at Sandy Hook Elementary. And Breitbart News has reported that the bill would not have stopped the attacks at Santa Barbara, Troutdale Oregon, Fort Hood (April 2014), Arapahoe High School, LAX, Fort Hood (Nov. 2009), or the Aurora theater, among other crimes, either.


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11. America's expanding police state
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Member Walter Jackson emailed me this:

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From The Washington Times: http://tinyurl.com/nn5ypw5


America’s expanding police state: Neighborhood cops are becoming armed soldiers
by Tammy Bruce
June 20, 2014

With so much happening internationally and the number of scandals, crises and general screw-ups of the Obama administration here at home, it’s worth noting a disturbing development here on the domestic front: a rapidly expanding police state.

On my radio program last week I had the pleasure of speaking with Cheryl Chumley, a reporter for The Washington Times, about her new book, “Police State USA: How George Orwell’s Nightmare is Becoming our Reality.” The title says it all, and aptly describes the shocking transformation of what had been our free society.

We all know about the scope of National Security Agency (NSA) spying. It’s fair to say at this point in our lives that the notion of privacy is all but dead and gone. However, it didn’t start there. In her book, Mrs. Chumley takes us on a ride through history, reminding us of the original intentions of the Founding Fathers versus the assault on the original design by “21st century realities.”

Keep in mind, people in the political class constantly reveal their contempt for regular citizens. That contempt is the inevitable result of a group of people who have convinced themselves that big government is necessary because the little people can’t control their own lives.

These same politicians and bureaucrats then begin to see themselves a genuinely better than everyone else. After all, if they were just like us, then they’d be part of the rabble, and they can’t have that. The solution to their dilemma is a police state.

Mrs. Chumley’s chapters in “Police State USA” provide a treatise on all the elements of society that are under attack as big government seeks to sustain itself through a police state, including aspects of an expanding and increasingly paranoid bureaucratic system that has decided the individual is the problem.

Regarding our nation being under attack by thugs intent on creating a police state, Mrs. Chumley notes:

“The Founding Fathers wouldn’t recognize America today. The God-given freedoms they championed in the Bill of Rights have been chipped away over the years by an ever-intrusive government bent on controlling all aspects of our lives in the name of safety and security. NSA wire-tapping and data collection is Orwellian in its scope. The TSA, BLM, and IRS are all jockeying for control of our lives. Warrantless searches are on the rise and even encouraged in some communities. Free speech, the right to bear arms, private property, and freedom of religion all are under attack. The Constitution has been tossed on the same trash pile as the Bible.”

Spying is one thing, but control is, in fact, key. During the Obama administration, most of us have grown concerned about the massive buy-up of ammunition of various federal agencies. The U.S. Postal Service, the Department of Agriculture, the Commerce Department and even the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, among so many other agencies, have acquired billions of rounds of ammunition.

In an article for Newsmax, Mrs. Chumley spoke with Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, who asked a telling question: “Why exactly does a weather service need ammunition?

“NOAA — really? They have a need? One just doesn’t know why they’re doing this,” he said. “The problem is, all these agencies have their own SWAT teams, their own police departments, which is crazy. In theory, it was supposed to be the U.S. marshals that was the armed branch for the federal government.”

In addition to mini-police forces attached to federal agencies, Mrs. Chumley addresses the “acquisition by police departments of major battlefield equipment emboldens officials to strong-arm those they should be protecting.” The New York Times reports, “During the Obama administration, according to Pentagon data, police departments have received tens of thousands of machine guns; nearly 200,000 ammunition magazines; thousands of pieces of camouflage and night-vision equipment; and hundreds of silencers, armored cars and aircraft.”

Silencers? Machine guns? Now why would local law enforcement need that sort of gear?

They do if they’re conditioning everyone, including local law enforcement itself, to believe that a police state is necessary and inevitable. The good news is, that’s a lie. It doesn’t have to be either. Speaking to a solution, Cheryl Chumley’s book concludes with a call to “Throw the bums out — why virtue, accountability are key.”

It’s one thing to have this unfold, and quite another to allow it to continue. One of the first things necessary to take back this nation is becoming informed. “Police State USA” is the book that will get you there and inspire you to defend this nation from big government zealots who believe you won’t notice what they’re up to.


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12. Redefining antique firearms to strengthen 2nd Amendment
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Member Walter Jackson emailed me this:

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From gnd.com: http://tinyurl.com/pa9ztz5


Redefining Antique Firearms To Strengthen Second Amendment Rights
by George Bear
May 14, 2014

A new bill offered by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) would re-define the classification of an antique firearm for the purposes of federal law. Designated H.R. 4547, "To modify the definition of 'antique firearm,'" dated May 1, 2014, it would deliver a symbolic blow for Second Amendment rights, even though it would remove only a small fraction of firearms from federal control. More to the point, it has the potential to make its opponents look particularly silly if they choose to try to equate an obscure rule change affecting 100-year-old firearms with controlling "assault guns."

Currently, any individual firearm - rifle, shotgun or handgun - manufactured during or before 1898 is exempt from all federal firearms laws. They are not just considered to be antiques, they are specifically not defined as firearms, even if they are still functioning and capable of firing modern ammunition. Firearms in this classification can be bought and sold by anyone, anywhere and at any time, without any restrictions or paperwork. This cut-off date was negotiated during the debates over the Gun Control Act of 1968, which dramatically changed the rules on how firearms could be bought and sold across state lines. The 1898 cut-off date was considered a reasonable compromise at the time, separating 19th century (and older) guns from modern technology. This dividing date has remained unchanged for 45 years, and is now seen as particularly arbitrary in the 21st century, when the division between "assault guns" and old-fashioned bolt-actions rarely enters into gun control debates. Rep. Cassidy, whose strong interest in Second Amendment issues has earned him a solid "A" rating from the National Rifle Association, is proposing to change that date by a modest amount to just firearms manufactured on or before 1913.

This date still leaves newer guns - including military firearms from World War One - under federal control. On that basis, opposition to the bill would seem pointless to all but the strongest gun control advocates. Arguments against the bill look even more strident when it's pointed out that local and state laws still apply; H.R. 4547 only affects federal law. It also does not affect fully automatic firearms - machine guns - nor short-barreled guns or explosive devices, all of which would remain under current, stringent federal regulations whatever their date of manufacture. Finally, the date change only applies to specific, individual firearms made on or before that year. The change in the law does not mean, for example, that any M1903A3 rifle (the standard "assault" rifle used by doughboys in World War One) would be exempt, only individual rifles actually manufactured in or before that year.

If the practical changes would be so modest, why would Rep. Cassidy bother to draft and submit the bill and why is it being enthusiastically backed by a wide spectrum of Second Amendment advocates? Part of the reasoning can be described as simple push-back against recent gun bans. Some of the restrictions, proposed and enacted, in recent years have seemed so petty (Bayonet mounts? Really?) that lifting federal restrictions on guns that were manufactured during the Woodrow Wilson administration seems reasonable by comparison.


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13. Microsoft's ban on using its services to promote guns
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Microsoft continues to drift anti-gun.

Member Bob Greene emailed me this:

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From thefirearmblog.com: http://tinyurl.com/ljc6vts


PSA: Microsoft’s ban on using its services to promote guns.
June 16, 2014

Since 2009 Microsoft’s Code of Conduct has been applied to more and more of their online service. If a service is covered by this Code of Conduct, users of it are prohibited from using it in “any way that promotes or facilitates the sale of ammunition and firearms” (See bullet point #13).

Almost all of Microsoft’s online services are by now covered under this “Code of Conduct”. These services include Windows Live, Office 365, Microsoft Sharepoint, Bing.com, Outlook.com, Windows OneDrive, Exchange Online, MSN and a number of other services.

The only major Microsoft services this does not apply to is, at the time of this blog post, Skype, Microsoft Azure and XBox Live. I expect Skype will eventually fall under the Code of Conduct.

Windows OneDrive, formally known as Microsoft SkyDrive, is built into Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8 for Phones and Windows 8 for Tablets. If you work in the gun industry you should avoid these products. You could wake up one morning to find your account terminated and all your emails, contacts, calendar etc. deleted.

Windows Live powers a number of Microsoft services including Microsoft’s cloud email and cloud Office suite. Windows Live, Outlook.com and Exchange Online power many large institutions including colleges and high schools. Don’t use any Microsoft-hosted email systems to buy or sell guns, unless you are willing to risk getting kicked out of college (especially if you have signed documents agreeing to abide by Microsofts Terms of Use)

If you use Microsoft Office in your gun business, make sure you do not use the Office 365 service to share business-related files.

Here at TFB the only Microsoft service we use is Skype. If Microsoft bans gun-related business over Skype, we will most likely switch to Google Hangouts.

It is sad to think that the Gun Club @ Microsoft was once a relatively large club. Point and Click no more.


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14. Gun crimes plummet even as gun sales rise [VIDEO]
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From visual.ly: http://tinyurl.com/n6uedum


June 6, 2014

A majority of Americans say they think gun crime has increased over the past 20 years, even though it has actually fallen dramatically, a recent Pew Research Center survey shows. Sources: DOJ, ATFAFMER & USITC, Pew Research Center, National Safety Council, Gallup For more information visit: http://nssf.org/infographics -


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15. To reduce violence, attack the cause and not the instruments
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Member George Overstreet emailed me this:

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From YourHoustonNews.com: http://tinyurl.com/mxjtmbb


Dodson: Don’t blame guns, blame society and shooters
by Glen Dodson
June 2014

Once again in the news, a mentally deranged individual goes on a rampage shooting killing six young people. Of the six, he stabbed three people in his apartment before shooting three others before finally shooting himself.

Immediately Congress and the National Rifle Association (NRA) are blamed as the cries go out for stronger gun laws. Missing in the blame game is any reference to a need for stronger knife laws or, better yet, enforcement of the many laws already on the books.

As usual, the blame of these mass killings is placed on guns or other weapons that may be used. To blame guns is easier than blaming the individual and his or her mentality. The real cause of the problem is overlooked or ignored and, in all fairness, difficult to foresee.

Quoting the introduction of the old radio program from the 1940s and 50s “The Shadow,” “What evil lurks in the heart of men? The Shadow knows.”

These cries that come from bereaved parents and others is a knee-jerk action that is natural in time of a major crises in ones life. I know firsthand.

In 1946, my brother, who had just returned home seven days prior from service in the military was killed in an airplane crash. He and two others were flying in a private plane to Temple, Texas, to do some shopping. The pilot of the plane decided to buzz his girlfriend’s house out in the country near Buckholts. In doing so, the tip of one of the wings hit an electric wire and the plane crashed to the ground a short distance from the house, killing all three aboard.

Upon learning of my brother’s death, my mother had a mental and physical breakdown. As time wore on and recovering from the shock, her first reaction was that all “airplanes should be banned and destroyed.” After all, it was the plane that killed my brother, not the pilot’s recklessness.

As in too many incidents such as this, the root problem is a mentally unbalanced person with a vast amount of anger and/or hatred built up in his mind who has shown indications of mental hostility that went unnoticed or ignored by close friends and relatives.

In this case, the disturbed youth posted statements on Facebook pointing toward his instability of mind.

Studies and research indicated that at least 32 school shooting and/or school-related acts of violence have been committed by individuals taking or withdrawing from psychiatric medication. Theses 32 shootings resulted in 164 wounded and 76 killed.

The choice of weapons has been guns but also included are the use of knives, swords and bombs.

James Alan Fox, a Lipman Family Professor of Criminology, Law, and Public Policy at Northeastern University and author of “Violence and Security on Campus” has and continues to research into the minds of mass killers of the past and has come to these conclusions.

Regarding greater attention to the telltale warning signs, Fox reported, “While there are some common features in the profile of a mass murderer (depression, resentment, social isolation, tendency to blame others for their misfortunes, fascination with violence and interest in weaponry), those characteristics are all fairly prevalent in the general population. Actually, the telltale warning signs come into clear focus only after the deadly deed.”

As for widening the availability of mental-health services, Fox says, “With the tendency to externalize blame and see themselves as victims of mistreatment, mass murderers perceive the problem to be in others, not themselves. They would generally resist attempts to encourage them to seek help. And, besides, our constant references to mass murderers as ‘wackos’ or ‘sickos’ don’t do much to de-stigmatize the mentally ill.”

Overall, “Mass killers typically expect to die, usually by their own hand or else by first responders. Nothing in the way of prosecution or punishment would divert them from their missions,” he said.

What causes the mental breakdowns in these people?

There are many possibilities. For those servicemen and women returning to the states from Iraq, Afghanistan and other embattled countries, they face what was initially called “battle fatigue.” Now to be politically correct, the term is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

I firmly believe that a lot of our mental problems are the result of misuse of drugs and alcohol.

As we watch the nightly news on Houston TV, just about every day we hear news of various shootings, stabbings and other acts of violence in the Houston area and other cities.

I have 50 years of experience in radio and newspaper and one thing I noticed was the increase in robberies, thefts, home break ins, etc. seem to be at their highest level during bad economic times.

There are also incidents of violence and killings with ties to gangs.

Overall, there are a lot of reasons for all these events. To reduce violence, we are going to have to attack the cause and not the instruments used.


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16. Most guns seized from gang members are handguns
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Member Walter Jackson emailed me this:

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From reuters.com: http://tinyurl.com/lbkatym


Most Guns Seized in 8 U.S. Cities are Pistols, Not Assault Rifles: Study
by Curtis Skinner
June 16, 2014

Most of the guns seized from gang members, felons and drug traffickers in eight U.S. cities over a decade were handguns, not the automatic assault rifles often depicted in Hollywood crime stories, according to a study published on Monday.

In the sample of 10,435 weapons seized by police in cities that included Los Angeles and Washington, 77 percent were handguns, and seven out of 10 of those were semi-automatic, according to the Geneva-based research project Small Arms Survey. The guns were seized from 2002 to 2012.

Less than 12 percent of the confiscated weapons were rifles, and the number of machine guns, submachine guns and machine pistols recovered by police were negligible, said the study "Small Arms Survey 2014: Women and Guns."

The findings contrasted with how criminal firearm use is often depicted in popular culture, with TV shows, movies and songs depicting scenes of gang members and drug dealers spraying automatic assault rifles, leading to a warped public perception of gun violence, program director Keith Krause said.

"While the public continues to associate drug dealing with fully automatic weapons, this is not what police are seizing from criminals in the U.S. municipalities we studied," Krause said.

While stranger-on-stranger violence is commonly featured by Hollywood, much of the firearms violence was directed at neighbors, family or other people the shooters knew, some of it motivated by fear or anger, the study said.

One "crime of passion" highlighted in the report described a woman's scorned ex-boyfriend shooting up her new boyfriend's car with a 9mm pistol.

Rifle use in the United States contrasted starkly with that in Mexico, where 72 percent of firearms seized from criminals were long guns and 90,000 people have been killed in drug related-killings since 2006.

The data was limited by the fact that the findings were based on weapons seized by police as opposed to a random sampling of illicit weapons owned or used by convicted criminals, making it unclear if the findings are more broadly representative of gun crime nationally, the study noted.

The other six cities in the survey were Houston; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Boise, Idaho; Columbus, Ohio; Denham Springs, Louisiana; and Satellite Beach, Florida.


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17. Racial stereotypes, diversity, and gun ownership
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Member James Durso emailed me this:

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From newyorktimes.com: http://tinyurl.com/pbxsozx


Minority Gun Owners Face Balancing Act, Weighing Isolation and Stigma of Violence
by Tanzina Vega
June 14, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS — Standing in a small booth surrounded by displays for rifles, pistols, holsters and other firearm accouterments, the Rev. Kenn Blanchard signed copies of his book “Black Man With a Gun: Reloaded.” Amid the sea of thousands of white faces that descended on this city for the National Rifle Association convention in late April, Mr. Blanchard, an N.R.A. member since 1991, offered his reasoning for why he was one of the few black visitors.

“We still culturally have a fear that we’re going to be that lone guy out, and you don’t want to be the lone guy out,” he said, estimating that one in 100 people at the convention was black. “The exposed nail gets hammered.”

With his blog and podcasts, Mr. Blanchard is an avid proponent of gun rights and founder of the Maryland Tenth Cavalry Gun Club, a national pro-gun organization for African-Americans. And he was one of very few African-Americans comfortable enough with the N.R.A. to be hawking wares here.

At a time when gun issues are volatile nationally and sales are increasing, minority gun owners — whether black, Asian or Latino — may feel that their weighing of the practical pros and cons of gun ownership comes up against the conservatism and unyielding stances of the N.R.A. and some other gun advocates. Mr. Blanchard said it could be a difficult balancing act.

Blacks are less likely than whites to own a gun. In surveys from 1973 to 2012, an average of 27 percent of African-Americans nationwide said they owned a gun, compared with 47 percent of whites, according to data from NORC, a research center at the University of Chicago. Even so, their attendance at the N.R.A. convention was minuscule compared with their rate of gun ownership, let alone their presence in the population at large.

Chuck Gueno Jr., 57, an African-American retired Marine at the convention who likes to shoot competitively, said the N.R.A. had “a stigma of being the good old boys, and people of color might be a little intimidated.”

Part of the stigma around guns among African-Americans can be traced to high rates of gun violence, particularly affecting young blacks and those who live in poor, urban communities. Blacks die from gun violence at more than twice the rate of whites, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Organizations like the N.A.A.C.P., the National Urban League and the National Action Network have spoken out against gun violence affecting African-Americans and other minority groups. Compared with the white community, “in the black community you find a greater propensity of people who know someone who has been shot, who know someone who has been killed,” said Marc H. Morial, the president and chief executive of the National Urban League.

High-profile killings of young, unarmed black men, like Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, have further alienated many minorities. The N.R.A. has supported so-called Stand Your Ground statutes and laws around the country, which offer legal protection to people who use force in the name of self-defense.

In a Gallup poll taken in January 2013, 49 percent of nonwhite respondents said they were dissatisfied with the nation’s gun laws and wanted them to be stricter, compared with 32 percent in 2012.

For Chad Ross, 36, who served in the Marines and runs the Facebook page “The African-American Gun Club,” Mr. Martin’s death was a prime example of why “a lot of black people have a bad taste in their mouth about the N.R.A.,” he said. “Most blacks thought that Zimmerman had murdered that boy, and most N.R.A. types thought George Zimmerman was in his rights.”

Of course, not all blacks are so conflicted.

Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. of Milwaukee County, Wis. — a speaker at the N.R.A. convention who has encouraged his constituents, regardless of their race, to arm themselves for protection — said many blacks were not aware of their history with guns in America.

“The reality is self-defense, and the firearm played a key role in the freeing of the slaves,” Sheriff Clarke said. “So what I’ve seen as my role is just to re-engage the black community with their history and let them figure it out for themselves. But right now they are being fed a lot of propaganda.”

Eric Morris, an African-American who runs Black Wolf Hunting Club, an organization based in Killeen, Tex., said he got the “deer-in-the-headlights look all the time” when he told people that he was a hunter. He said his goal in founding the group was to get more blacks and other members of minorities interested in hunting. “When have you ever seen a picture of a black father and son or a black father and daughter out shooting cans?” he asked.

Other blacks cited recent events in explaining their involvement with the N.R.A.

R. Malcolm Jones, 33, a filmmaker who lives in Miami, said that he owned a gun for sport and personal protection, and that Mr. Zimmerman’s acquittal in the Trayvon Martin case had prompted some blacks to buy guns. “It’s only natural — when people feel like they are not being protected, they are going to take matters into their own hands,” he said.

Nicholas Johnson, a law professor at Fordham University and author of the book “Negroes and the Gun: The Black Tradition of Arms,” said blacks today were less influenced by the anti-gun views of many black leaders. “We are out of that stage where people look to the black political class as their savior,” Mr. Johnson said.

There are signs that gun proponents are gaining ground among minority groups. The scene at the Gun for Hire shooting range in Woodland Park, N.J., which was celebrating its first anniversary just days before the N.R.A. convention, was decidedly diverse. While most of those in attendance were white, black, Latino and Asian-American patrons also queued up to shoot and enjoy the hamburgers, hot dogs and handgun-shaped chocolates.

Ainsley A. Reynolds, 42, an accountant and N.R.A. member who lives in central New Jersey and is a regular patron at the range, said blacks like him also had to fight lingering stereotypes about who owns guns in America. “Typically, when you say ‘black’ and ‘guns,’ you are thinking about gang members and carjacking as opposed to law-abiding citizens like myself,” he said.

Alexander McLucas, 43, who works at a large communications company, joined Mr. Reynolds at the range. Mr. McLucas said he was considering joining the N.R.A. but added that the organization could do more to reach out to minorities. “We need some kind of middle ground to let the N.R.A. know that there are positive, young black males who use firearms properly,” he said.

The N.R.A. appears to be listening. It has added a diverse cast to its roster of N.R.A. News commentators, including Gabby Franco, a Venezuelan Olympic shooter, and Chris Cheng, an Asian-American who worked at Google and won the History Channel’s “Top Shot” competition in 2012. But perhaps the best known of the organization’s commentators is Colion Noir, an African-American “urban gun enthusiast” whose online video series, “Noir,” began on May 11.

Mr. Noir, who has a prolific social media presence, did not respond to repeated requests for an interview. In a profile in The Los Angeles Times, he acknowledged that he did not fit the N.R.A. stereotype of “old, fat white guys.”

But Carl T. Rowan Jr., 62, a black N.R.A. board member and son of a longtime newspaper columnist, warned that despite the presence of Mr. Noir and others, the organization would not pander to potential members. “This is like any membership group — it has to be people who care about the subject matter,” Mr. Rowan said. “We’re not different than the Sierra Club or Greenpeace or any other group. We’re looking for the people who care about what we do.”


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18. [NJ] 2nd arrest in gun range robberies
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Leaving a gun range might make you a target for robbery and so you should be prepared for that.

Member Bill Sly emailed me this:

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From 6abc.com: http://tinyurl.com/p7prqvt


2ND SUSPECT ARRESTED IN GUN RANGE ROBBERIES
June 25, 2014

BURLINGTON TWP., N.J. (WPVI) -- Police say the second suspect wanted in connection with two armed robberies outside gun ranges in Philadelphia has been arrested.

It was 1:00 p.m. Tuesday when learned that 27-year-old Jeffery Chandler was inside the Threadleaf Terrace in Burlington, New Jersey.

Task Force members along with local police executed an arrest warrant and Chandler was taken into custody without incident.

Chandler, of the 4900 block of Walnut Street in Philadelphia, was wanted in connection to two gun range robberies and a shooting in Philadelphia. He is now charged with robbery, aggravated assault and related offenses.

21-year-old Samiyyah Poteat, who was also wanted in connection with the robberies, turned herself in on Friday, June 13th. She is charged with two counts of the Aggravated Assault, Robbery and related offenses.

The first incident happened on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, at 6:40 p.m.

A 68-year-old man was getting into his car outside of Yury's Gun Range at 544 North Percy Street.

Police say Poteat and Chandler got out of a dark colored car and approached the victim.

Chandler allegedly pointed a gun into the man's face and took his backpack which contained two handguns, while Poteat allegedly removed items from the victim's pockets.

Both then fled the scene.

The second incident happened on Thursday, June 12, 2014, at approximately 8:38 p.m. at Delaware Valley Sports Center Gun Shop/Shooting Range at 101 Geiger Road.

Police say the armed couple approached two men, ages 67 and 68, while they were in the parking lot.

The suspects robbed the men of seven guns and afterward police say Chandler shot the 67-year-old before the pair fled.

The victim who was shot was taken to Aria-Torresdale Hospital where he is listed in critical but stable condition.


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19. [MS] Robbery suspect bets against victim being armed, loses
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Criminal pointing a gun says, “I bet you don’t have one of these” and almost gets a Darwin award.

From theblaze.com: http://tinyurl.com/muykl2z


He Pointed a Gun at His Would-Be Victim and Said, ‘I Bet You Don’t Have One of These.’ He Lost That Bet Badly.
by Jason Howerton
June 20, 2014

A suspected robber in Jackson, Mississippi, had to be hospitalized after his would-be victim called his bluff in a big way.

The suspect first approached the man at a Motel 6 and asked for cigarettes, according to the Jackson Police Department. When the man, a hotel guest, said he didn’t have any cigarettes, he figured that was the end of the interaction.

Instead, the suspected robber turned around and pulled out a gun.

“I bet you don’t have one of these,” he reportedly said.

After hearing the man’s “bet,” the would-be victim then “pulled out his weapon and began firing shots,” officer Colendula Green told WLBT.

The suspect, who has not been identified, was hospitalized and may face robbery-related charges. His condition was unknown on Friday. The man who shot him is not being charged by police.


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20. [NV] 'Good Guy with a Gun' - victim or martyr?
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(Recently deceased) Member Bill Hine emailed me this:

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From bbc.com: http://tinyurl.com/q7gupnb


Las Vegas 'Good Guy with a Gun' - Victim or Martyr?
by Anthony Zurcher
June 17, 2014

Shortly after the shooting that killed 20 children in Newtown, Connecticut, National Rifle Association executive vice-president Wayne LaPierre said: "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun".

The oft-repeated line has become a rallying cry for proponents of looser firearm regulation as well as being a target of derision for those who believe that "good guys" with guns frequently do more harm than good.

The recent shooting spree in Las Vegas by two anti-government zealots, and the fate of Joseph Robert Wilcox, has added fuel to that particular fire.

Mr Wilcox drew his licensed handgun in an attempt to apprehend Jerad Miller, who had just murdered two police officers at a pizza restaurant across the street. He was shot and killed by Miller's wife, Amanda Miller, an accomplice who Mr Wilcox had not seen approach him from behind.

The Millers would later commit suicide after being surrounded by police.

Mr Wilcox was "a good guy with a gun if there ever was one", writes Sandy Goodman for the Huffington Post.

According to the NRA, he says, people like Mr Wilcox are "about the only thing keeping this country from criminal chaos is those good guys with the guns".

He says the truth, however, is that multiple studies have found that those who carry guns - even "good guys" - are more likely to be shot than those who are unarmed.

In addition, he says, gun-wielding good guys aren't that effective. He notes that a 2008 Rand Corporation report found "the best officers of the nation's biggest and arguably best-trained police department" - the New York Police Department - hit their intended target during gunfights 18% of the time (increasing to 30% when a target isn't returning fire).

"While there is little evidence to suggest that carrying a concealed weapon increases (or decreases) crime, it unquestionably raises the likelihood of guns being brandished in public," writes Michael Cohen of the New York Daily News.

"Even worse," he says, "it provides ordinary citizens - with no training in law enforcement and no understanding of what to do during an active shooter situation - the chance to make split-second decisions about the use of deadly force."

The NRA, he writes, has in effect created a nation of citizen deputies, whom it encourages to use deadly force whenever they see fit.

"In the case of Wilcox, his intentions were pure," he says. "He wanted to stop a shooter, but in believing the fiction that a 'good guy' with a gun can take the role of a police officer, he became yet another victim of America's gun culture."

Meanwhile, pro-gun supporters are painting Mr Wilcox as a hero whose sacrifice is being co-opted by gun-control advocates.

Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, said that "you cannot go through life without taking risks".

"I don't think we can read anything else into this other than to say, 'Darn'," he said.

Gun-control advocates are "gleefully" trying to turn the Wilcox story to their advantage, says Bob Owens of Bearing Arms.

"It's an absurd belief, offered by individuals full of hate and cowardice with very skewed morals," he writes.

He continues:

The reality of the matter is that nothing in this world works 100% of the time. That does not mean we should abandon principles that have served us since well before our nation's official founding. The right to keep and bear armed saves lives, again and again and again. Firearms are used more times in self-defence every year - estimates range from 500,000 to more than three million - dwarfing the number of times they are used in crimes.

Nick Leghorn of the Truth About Guns says that even though Mr Wilcox died, he may have prevented a greater tragedy:

Reports indicate that the two murderers had plans to move to secondary sites and continue their killing spree, but as we've seen time and again with active shooter situations, the individuals involved immediately give up as soon as they are confronted by an armed opposition. It is tragic that Wilcox had to give his life to stop these two murderers, but there's no doubt that his actions saved countless lives.

Hero or not, writes Gawker's Adam Weinstein, Mr Wilcox probably should have turned and run in the opposite direction - although he admits that due to his own gun-friendly upbringing he might have been inclined to attempt a similar valiant act.

The questions confronting a modern-day gun owner, however, are proving too confounding to ignore, he says. How do you carry your concealed weapon? Are there places you don't take it? When do you draw it? Do you shoot to kill? How do you keep from getting accidentally shot by other armed "good guys"? What do you do when police show up?

"The universe of scenarios in which carrying a gun seems prudent or useful just keeps shrinking and shrinking," he writes, "even as the legal freedom to wield personal firepower keeps expanding."

The simple act of carrying a firearm changes one's attitude, he writes. It encourages "a kind of hyper-vigilance that's simultaneously paranoid and arrogant. It encourages armed citizens to seek confrontations and escalate them, confident that they can end them definitively."

The Las Vegas incident is hardly the first time a nearby citizen with a firearm has been drawn into a high-profile mass shooting. In the Tucson, Arizona attack that grievously wounded Representative Gabby Giffords, a witness with a gun said he almost mistakenly shot a man who was aiding the stricken congresswomen. In a Portland, Oregon mall shooting, a man with a concealed handgun decided not return fire because he feared he may accidentally hit someone else.

Although overall gun violence is down in the US, we likely won't have to wait too long until the next mass shooting. Since 2009 the nation has averaged 16 a year (up from five a year during the first half of the 2000s).

More violence, and more opportunities for heroes, for tragedy and for gun politics.






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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/]