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 update was compiled by member Matt Cuddy and EM Brandy Polanowski
1. No surprises: DC to go “may Issue,” including for non-residents
2. Pig roast on Sunday, Oct. 5th - VCDL members invited
3. Tannerite under attack again in Virginia
4. New Jersey has a double standard for enforcement of the law
5. Texas Man faces death sentence for police-botched “no knock” raid on his house
6. Disarmed Australia illustrates the importance of the Second Amendment in the U.S.
7. Gun owner shoots robber at gas station
8. Court ruling on 'Fast and Furious' docs forces scrutiny
9. Students speak out for concealed carry [VIDEO]
10. Laundry list of politicians and celebrities who want to take your guns
11. The growing diversity of gun ownership
12. [NC] Sheriff urges residents to arm themselves to battle crime
13. [PA] Psychiatrist will not be fired after shooting murderer in “Gun Free” hospital
14. [AL] Home invader stopped by armed teenager
15. [FL] Excuse me, do you have a gun?
16. [FL] Armed victim returns gunfire, killing gang member
17. [FL] 911 tells woman to put gun down during home invasion
18. Gutfeld: Guns empower women more than modern feminism
19. [NH] Ivy Leaguer may drop out over school's anti-gun policy
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1. No surprises: DC to go “may Issue,” including for non-residents
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The tyrants that run DC just cannot bring themselves to treat law-abiding gun owners (or anyone else, for that matter) decently. It’s just not in their genes to do so.
To further confirm that statement, they are going to model the DC CHP laws after the “may issue” scheme used in Maryland and not after Virginia’s “shall issue” system. After all, why would DC want to model their gun laws after a state with a low crime rate, like Virginia, when they could model their laws after the much more crime-ridden state of Maryland?
From hosted.ap.org: http://tinyurl.com/q49a7g2
DC leaders propose concealed handgun permits
By BEN NUCKOLS
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Residents of the nation's capital will be able to get licenses to carry concealed handguns outside the home, but only after they provide a specific reason for needing one, officials said Wednesday.
Mayor Vincent Gray and other city officials said they plan to propose legislation that would make the District of Columbia similar to a half-dozen states, including Maryland, where residents can be denied a concealed-carry permit if they can't show a need for one. The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Maryland's law last year.
In July, a federal judge struck down the District's ban on carrying handguns outside the home. The judge put his ruling on hold to give the city time to rewrite its gun laws.
The District is seeking to let the police chief decide whether people have a reason to carry a concealed firearm, and officials said living in a high-crime neighborhood would not be a sufficient reason to obtain a permit. People who've received death threats or have been the victims of domestic violence are among those who could be granted permits.
"It has to be personalized. It has to be something specific," D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan said.
Alan Gura, an attorney for plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said the proposal did not comply with the judge's order.
"In America, the police don't determine what rights we have good reason to enjoy," Gura said. "You don't need a good reason to speak, to worship, to vote or to carry a gun for self-defense."
In 2008, the Supreme Court struck down the city's 32-year-old ban on handguns. Since then, the District has required gun owners to register their firearms every three years, complete a safety course and be fingerprinted and photographed, among other requirements.
The concealed-carry requirements, which the D.C. Council will vote on next week, would be even more restrictive. Those seeking a concealed-carry permit would have to complete a "more extensive" safety course than what's required for gun owners. Non-residents would also be able to get licenses if they meet the same standards. Open carrying of firearms would remain illegal under the proposal.
Gray, a Democrat and a member of the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns, made clear that he was establishing the concealed-carry program reluctantly, citing last year's mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard and the street violence in Chicago as examples of the need for stronger gun laws.
"I happen to be one that really does not support having people walking around with guns, concealed or otherwise," Gray said.
Permit holders would also be barred from carrying guns in locations including government buildings, public transportation, bars and restaurants, stadiums and places where public officials need to be protected.
Earlier this year, a federal appeals court struck down California's requirement that residents must show they faced a "clear and present danger" to receive a gun permit, although the ruling is on hold pending an appeal. Gura said the judge in the District's case followed the logic of that ruling, which found that residents only need to show a desire for self-defense.
The other states where residents must show a reason to get a permit are Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
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2. Pig roast on Sunday, Oct. 5th - VCDL members invited
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VCDL member Paul Henick is throwing a party and you are invited. Paul sent me this to be distributed on VA-ALERT:
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I'm throwing a free pig roast on Sunday, Oct. 5th at Dorey Park in Henrico County.
The free pig roast is to say "Thank You" to folks who have supported gun rights in Virginia and to especially thank those that have provided moral and financial support to folks who found out the hard way what it's like to have to fight for our rights.
The caterer has been contacted, papers signed, and arrangements made to have enough food for 150 people. I want to get a head count so that if there is going to be a need for more food it can be taken care of, and if not enough folks say they are planning on showing up I want to make arrangements for any extra food to go to a worthy group.
Of course there will be an opportunity for some food to be carried off in ziplock baggies - and especially bones for the four-legged who attend and those that were left at home.
Reply at:
From forum.opencarry.org: http://tinyurl.com/o3urtzn
with a name and the total number you think will be coming in your party. (Yes, you can bring your friends - as long as you do not turn this into some frat block party.) I'll keep a running total going.
Please don't disappoint me just because it's on a Sunday and out in the wilds of Henrico County.
Thanks, and I really do look forward to seeing you out there.
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3. Tannerite under attack again in Virginia
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Tannerite was designed to be used to make exploding targets. Misuse of it is becoming an issue that may have to be settled in the General Assembly.
http://www.shenvalleynow.com/news/artic ... fety_issue
Exploding targets now a safety issue
By J.F. McMillan
Page News and Courier
LURAY — It's a whole lot easier to visually see an exploding target at 250 yards than to walk down range.
The use of exploding targets, designed for long-range target practice, creates a lot of noise and excitement. The problem is that when used in multi-pound amounts — the explosion can shake houses.
Tannerite is a binary explosive made of ammonia nitrate, an oxidizer, and aluminum powder, a fuel. The two chemicals are designed to be mixed at a shooting range, placed in a container and shot with a firearm to serve as a shot indicator, producing a loud sound, possibly a flash of light and a cloud of smoke.
Page County Sheriff John Thomas advises that if used in the right amount, then tannerite is safe, but that the label is misleading and that the Virginia code needs to be changed.
According to Thomas, under federal law, the precursor chemicals are legal to sell, buy and ship. Once these chemicals are mixed, however, they are regulated as explosive materials. Possession of explosives for non-commercial use is regulated by the states, not the federal government.
“We are looking for people who have mixed the components and are using too much,” said Thomas. “The shrapnel from an exploding refrigerator can reach hundreds of feet from a binary explosion.”
Sheriff Thomas, along with Page County Commonwealth's Attorney Ken Alger, are working in conjunction with state officials to be proactive in addressing the issue before someone gets hurt.
“We consulted bomb expert, Special Agent Kevin Newland with the Virginia State Police, as these cases involving the tannerite substance are already being prosecuted in other jurisdictions across the commonwealth,” said Alger.
Emry King, owner of the Tactical Speed Shop, located in the East Luray Shopping Center, stopped carrying tannerite after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
“You always have a few, doing what they are not supposed to do,” King said. “It's just bad news — it's being used for the wrong thing.”
King said that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), sent out letters as warnings when the two components are mixed.
Thomas warned that any person who possesses the mixed material, to be used as a firebomb, shall be guilty of a Class Five felony.
“It is not our intention to start busting people, it is the improper use that has us concerned,” said Thomas. “We want people to stop using it.”
Virginia law currently does not make exceptions for amounts. Hanover County has started enforcing it, said Thomas — and Page is going to follow.
“I will work with Virginia legislation to get the code changed,” Thomas said. “In the meantime, if people could use common sense.”
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4. New Jersey has a double standard for enforcement of the law
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Colion Noir takes New Jersey to task over the hypocrisy, double-standards, and class warfare the state has when it comes to gun laws.
From bearingarms.com: http://tinyurl.com/ofx7pjw [VIDEO]
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5. Texas Man faces death sentence for police-botched “no knock” raid on his house
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A “no knock” warrant going after some non-existent drugs got yet another officer killed and a second wounded. It also has an innocent citizen on trial for capitol murder in Texas. Yes, the state could execute a gun owner for doing nothing more than defending his life against an unwarranted attack by the police which was mistaken as a home invasion by a group of thugs.
As we’ve seen over and over again, SWAT teams and no knock warrants are a recipe for disaster.
From unitedliberty.org; http://tinyurl.com/nxzr9yc
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6. Disarmed Australia illustrates the importance of the Second Amendment in the U.S.
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From washingtontimes.com: http://tinyurl.com/qamz6dr
EDITORIAL: ‘Compelling need’ for a gun in D.C.
Terrorism here underscores the wisdom of private firearms ownership
By THE WASHINGTON TIMES - - Thursday, September 18, 2014
The terrorists of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, prey on weakness, like Islamic terrorists everywhere. They abuse women, behead children and play the coward’s game, killing behind a mask. Australian police have broken up a scheme in Australia to embroider barbarism with savagery.
Australian police on Thursday rounded up 15 Islamic radicals suspected of receiving orders to seize soldiers on the streets of Sydney and Brisbane for beheading. The orders were intercepted. “The exhortations, quite direct exhortations,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott says, “were coming from an Australian who is apparently quite senior in ISIL to networks of support back in Australia to conduct demonstration killings here in this country.”
It was no idle threat. Last year, two jihadists who had emigrated to London used a car to run down a British soldier, Lee Rigby, as he walked along Wellington Street just outside the Royal Artillery Barracks. They used knives to take his life, but only the brave action of bystanders rushing to the scene kept the barbarians from using a cleaver to complete the intended beheading.
England and Australia were chosen as testing grounds for this cowardly and gruesome attack for a reason. Both nations have confiscated handguns and disarmed their citizens. All reasonable forms of self-defense on the streets are prohibited. It would be sheer folly for ISIS to attempt to blindside a Marine in Texas, Virginia or a point between. A terrorist might land a lucky punch, but it’s likely that if the Marine can’t shoot back, a bystander will.
It’s sad and unfortunate that the District of Columbia government, which gets so many things wrong, is trying to ignore the new ruling by a federal judge that the Constitution, which guarantees the right to “bear arms,” applies to the District, too. The D.C. Council is determined to give the chief of police the arbitrary discretion to decide who has a “compelling need” to exercise a constitutionally guaranteed right, and who doesn’t. Celebrities and politicians will get “carry” permits. Good luck to everyone else.
Every soldier in Washington has a compelling need to defend himself, and so does everyone else. A people able to fight back can never become victims of terrorists, Islamist or otherwise.
Liberals who preach the gospel of accommodation, negotiation and disarmament will never understand. If soldiers are ordered not to wear their “provocative” uniforms on public streets, they’ll be safe. If the United States abandons its interests in the Middle East, the accommodationists think we’ll be left alone. Such folly is expressed loud and clear at the White House.
The Australian prime minister has a precise understanding of the threat. Mr. Abbott remembers the Bali bombings, which killed 88 Australians, and he reminded reporters that the terrorist attacks against his country started long before its involvement in Iraq. “These people, I regret to say, do not hate us for what we do,” he said. “They hate us for who we are and how we live. That’s what makes us a target, the fact that we are different from their view of what an ideal society should look like, the fact that we are free, we are pluralist, we are tolerant, we are welcoming, we are accepting.”
The answer to the terrorists and jihadists is not to surrender our rights and liberties, but to embrace them.
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7. Gun owner shoots robber at gas station
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Member Marcus White emailed me this:
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From PilotOnline.com: http://tinyurl.com/nxkjn6f
2 charged in robbery with shots fired in Chesapeake
by Scott Daugherty
July 30, 2014
CHESAPEAKE - A gas station attendant shot a robber Monday night in Indian River, ultimately leading to the arrest of two suspects, a police spokesman said.
Terry Graves, 19, of Chesapeake, and Michelle Barber, 21, of Portsmouth, each were charged with one count of robbery and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
According to police, the robbery occurred about 7:15 p.m. at the Exxon in the 1100 block of S. Military Hwy. A man walked into the business, pointed a dark-colored handgun at a clerk and demanded money.
Officer Ravi Sheth, a police spokesman, said the clerk pulled a gun during the robbery and shot at the man. It initially was unclear whether the clerk struck the robber, who ran into nearby woods.
Several officers responded, including a police dog and helicopter, but did not locate any suspects.
Shortly after the robbery - about 7:30 p.m. - Graves walked into Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth. Sheth said Graves had a gunshot wound to his upper right shoulder.
Detectives linked Graves to the robbery. They believe Barber was his getaway driver, a news release said.
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8. Court ruling on 'Fast and Furious' docs forces scrutiny
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The defiant maneuvers of President Obama and his Justice Department to withhold documents the court has ordered produced, certainly render their declarations of innocence suspect.
Member Bill Albritton emailed me this:
From breitbart.com: http://tinyurl.com/odj9xre
COURT RULING ON 'FAST AND FURIOUS' DOCS FORCES SCRUTINY OF OBAMA EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE
by Ken Klukowski
July 31, 2014
On July 18, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates said, “Time’s up!” and has ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to turn over to the court information on all documents for which President Barack Obama is claiming executive privilege in the Operation Fast and Furious scandal.
Fast and Furious was the name of a gun-running scheme operated by DOJ, supposedly to trace American guns illegally trafficked to Mexican drug cartels. DOJ lost track of at least 1,300 of those firearms, many of which have since been recovered at crime scenes. U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered with one of those firearms.
Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress that DOJ never lost track of any firearms and later had to retract that false statement. Obama claimed executive privilege regarding any connected documents and ordered Holder not to turn over the documents investigators sought. These lawsuits are in part an attempt to discover why Holder misled Congress and the public.
There are two lawsuits challenging Obama’s claim of executive privilege. The other was filed by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) after the U.S. House voted to authorize the suit, in Committee on Oversight & Gov’t Reform v. Holder. Breitbart News reported on the oral arguments on that case on May 15, 2014, before Judge Amy Jackson Berman. No word yet from that judge.
This case, Judicial Watch v. Dep’t of Justice, was brought by the conservative watchdog group against Holder’s DOJ, demanding the same documents. Bates originally allowed a 16-month stay on disclosure. Now he has ordered DOJ to turn over a “Vaughn index,” which is an itemized listing of all the documents they have that they are trying to withhold. While the index does not give the contents of these documents, a great deal can be learned from what those documents are and why the White House asserts it can keep each one from Judicial Watch, Congress, and the American public.
As this author explains in his article “Making Executive Privilege Work,” published by Cleveland State Law Review, Obama is asserting a form of executive privilege called the “deliberative process privilege,” which the lower courts in Washington, D.C., recognize but which the Supreme Court has never had an opportunity to consider.
This form of executive privilege is when the president is not personally involved in any of the documents or conversations the administration seeks to keep secret. It is very weak under circumstances such as these, in a situation involving domestic law enforcement in a government agency with no White House role and in which crimes were committed.
DOJ is likely to appeal this ruling immediately to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
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9. Students speak out for concealed carry [VIDEO]
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EM Dave Hicks emailed me this:
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From youtube.com: http://tinyurl.com/nltd3gy
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10. Laundry list of politicians and celebrities who want to take your guns
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Member Dale Hawley emailed me this:
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From thetruthaboutguns.com: http://tinyurl.com/qdsaq3w
Seriously, No One Wants to Take Your Guns
by Dan Zimmerman
July 27, 2014
The following was posted as a comment by Excedrine under yesterday’s post, Don’t Worry, No One Wants to Take Your Guns.
I laugh when they trot out that old, tired line. I really do. Right in their faces. Then, I point out all the people who do. Branford, Connecticut Police Officer Joseph Peterson does. “I [would] give my left nut to bang down your door and come for your gun.” Those are his exact words to a long-time “friend” of his . . .
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D – CA) does.
“Banning guns addresses a fundamental right of all Americans to feel safe.” – Associated Press, 18 November, 1993.
“If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an outright ban, picking up every one of them; “Mr. and Mrs. America, turn ‘em all in,” I would have done it.” – 60 Minutes on CBS, 5 February, 1995.
“The National Guard fulfills the militia mentioned in the Second amendment. Citizens no longer need to protect the states or themselves.”
Senator Frank Launtenberg (D – NJ) did.
“We have other legislation that all of you are aware that I have been so active on, with my colleagues here, and that is to shut down the gun shows.”
He died last year.
Fmr. Senator Howard Metzenbaum (D – OH) did.
“No, we’re not looking at how to control criminals … we’re talking about banning the AK-47 and semi-automatic guns.” – Constitution Subcommittee, 2 February, 1989
He died in 2008.
Fmr. Representative Charles Pashayan (R – CA) does.
“All of this has to be understood as part of a process leading ultimately to a treaty
that will give an international body power over our domestic laws.” – United Nations Small Arms Conference, 2001
Fmr. Senator John Chafee (R – RI) did.
“I shortly will introduce legislation banning the sale, manufacture or possession of handguns (with exceptions for law enforcement and licensed target clubs)… . It is time to act. We cannot go on like this. Ban them!” – Minneapolis Star Tribune pg. 31A, 15 June, 1992.
He died back in 1999.
Then-Senator Joe “Buckshot” Biden (D – DE) does.
“Banning guns is an idea whose time has come.” – Associated Press, 11 November, 1993
Representative Jan Schakowski (D – IL) does.
“I believe…..this is my final word……I believe that I’m supporting the Constitution of the United States which does not give the right for any individual to own a handgun….” – Recorded 25 June, 2000 by Matt Beauchamp
Fmr. Representative Major Owens (D – NY) did.
“We have to start with a ban on the manufacturing and import of handguns. From there we register the guns which are currently owned, and follow that with additional bans and acquisitions of handguns and rifles with no sporting purpose.”
He died last year.
Representative Bobby Rush (D – IL) does.
“My staff and I right now are working on a comprehensive gun-control bill. We don’t have all the details, but for instance, regulating the sale and purchase of bullets. Ultimately, I would like to see the manufacture and possession of handguns banned except for military and police use. But that’s the endgame. And in the meantime, there are some specific things that we can do with legislation.”
Vermont State Mary Ann Carlson (D) does.
“We must be able to arrest people before they commit crimes. By registering guns and knowing
who has them we can do that. If they have guns they are pretty likely to commit a crime.”
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) does.
” …confiscation could be an option…”
Sarah Brady, fmr. Chairman of Handgun Control Inc. (now The Brady Campaign) does.
“…I don’t believe gun owners have rights.” – Hearst Newspapers, October 1997
“The House passage of our bill is a victory for this country! Common sense wins out. I’m just so thrilled and excited. The sale of guns must stop. Halfway measures are not enough.” – 1 July, 1988
“Our main agenda is to have all guns banned. We must use whatever means possible. It doesn’t matter if you have to distort the facts or even lie. Our task of creating a socialist America can only succeed when those who would resist us have been totally disarmed.” – The National Educator, January 1994, pg. 3, to Fmr. Senator Howard Metzenbaum
Fmr. Chancellor of Boston University John Silber did.
“I don’t believe anybody has a right to own any kind of a firearm. I believe in order to obtain a permit to own a firearm, that person should undergo an exhaustive criminal background check. In addition, an applicant should give up his right to privacy and submit his medical records for review to see if the person has ever had a problem with alcohol, drugs or mental illness . . . The Constitution doesn’t count!”
He died in 2012.
Fmr. United States Attorney General Janet “Waco” Reno does.
“The most effective means of fighting crime in the United States is to outlaw the possession of any type of firearm by the civilian populace.” – Written affidavit by Fred Diamond, 1984 B’nai B’rith meeting in Coral Gables, Florida
Deborah Prothrow-Stith, of the Office of Government and Community Programs and the Community Violence Prevention Project at the Harvard School of Public Health, does.
“My own view on gun control is simple: I hate guns and I cannot imagine why anybody would want to own one. If I had my way, guns for sport would be registered, and all other guns would be banned.”
Rosie O’Donnell does.
“I think there should be a law — and I know this is extreme — that no one can have a gun in the U.S. If you have a gun, you go to jail. Only the police should have guns.” – Ottawa Sun, 29 April, 1999
“I don’t care if you want to hunt, I don’t care if you think it’s your right. I say, sorry, you are not allowed to own a gun, and if you do own a gun I think you should go to prison.” – The Rosie O’Donnell Show, 19 April, 1999.
The American Civil Liberties Union does.
“We urge passage of federal legislation … to prohibit … the private ownership and possession of handguns.” – National ACLU Policy #47
I could go on literally for days and days, listing pages upon pages of people saying exactly how and why they’re coming for our guns. Not a single bit of it could ever be supported, defended, or refuted by them, either.
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11. The growing diversity of gun ownership
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Member James Durso emailed me this:
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From dailycaller.com: http://tinyurl.com/n3k8hgj
The Growing Diversity Of Gun Ownership
by Larry Keane, National Shooting Sports Foundation
July 31, 2014
Last October, Pennsylvania resident Shaneen Allen was arrested in New Jersey after being pulled over for a minor traffic violation. When the police approached her vehicle, the single mother voluntarily disclosed that she had a gun in her vehicle and had been issued a concealed carry permit in her home state. Since Allen was in New Jersey, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country, and not Pennsylvania, she was arrested and spent 40 days in jail.
While this is a tragic incident, Shaneen Allen herself is one example of the shifting demographics of gun owners, a story under-reported in the mainstream media. When the stereotypical gun owner comes to mind, most journalists conjure up an image of a middle-aged or older, white male typically from a rural area. That idea is not completely off-base, as popular shows such as “Duck Dynasty” help to perpetuate the image in popular culture. Furthermore, anti-gun activists, including Mayor Bloomberg, spend significant time and energy trying to advance their narrative that the legal, gun-owning demographic is shrinking, even if they are buying more guns.
We know that the gun owning public is much more diverse than portrayed in the media and changing even as America changes. For example, the number of women purchasing guns has been on the rise. More often than not, gun owners, especially women, are citing self-defense as their primary motivation for purchasing a gun. After her home was robbed twice within one year, Shaneen Allen decided it was in her family’s best interest that she buy a gun for protection. She did not, however, take the necessary notice of the disparity in gun laws between her home state and neighboring New Jersey.
For the past three years, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s annual survey of retailers has reported an increase in the number of female customers. A 2013 survey commissioned by NSSF revealed new target shooters–those who have taken up the activity in the last five years–are younger, female and more urban dwelling when compared to established target shooters, or those participating for more than five years.
We can measure this yet another way and it is occurring in jurisdictions across the country. As USA TODAY recently reported, in Florida and Washington State, women now make up about 22 percent of concealed pistol license holders. In Tennessee, women had been issued more than 30 percent of handgun-carry permits in effect at the end of 2013.
An increase in female customers is not the only trend to which the industry is responding. Urban areas are beginning to see a significant uptick in legal gun ownership, which is slowly putting the original idea of the stereotypical gun owner to rest. And, much to the chagrin of anti-gun activists, this sea change is also having a positive impact. Recently, the police chief of one of the most dangerous cities in the country, Detroit, stated that the city’s lower crime rate is due in part to the increase in citizens choosing to legally buy guns for self –protection. Over the past year, the number of robberies in Detroit has decreased by 37 percent, the number of break-ins by 30 percent, and instances of carjacking by 22 percent. Criminals in Detroit and elsewhere are beginning to think twice about committing crimes because of the increasing possibility that a citizen may be armed.
It stands to reason that law-abiding urban residents, many of them minority group members, are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries of increased, legal gun ownership. This changing landscape is steadily discrediting the anti-gun movement’s rationale for stronger gun control laws. As more law-abiding citizens buy guns to protect themselves, cities are becoming safer.
With the news this past weekend that a federal judge had overturned the District of Columbia’s prohibition on licensed gun owners right to carry their registered handguns, the day may soon arrive when residents of the nation’s capital may be able to play a role in helping to reduce that city’s crime rate, as well. This may take some time as the request for a stay of the judge’s order, possibly followed by the drafting of revised rules occurs, but as was the case for Illinois, the last state to finally give in to a federal court order and draft right-to-carry laws, the course is set.
The next step is to address states with onerous anti-gun laws to prevent the pointless prosecution of otherwise law-abiding gun owners like Shaneen Allen. Ideally, the new demographic of gun ownership will help disrupt the political machines that now dominate anti-gun states and localities.
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12. [NC] Sheriff urges residents to arm themselves to battle crime
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Member Walter Jackson emailed me this:
From abc11.com: http://tinyurl.com/kbt7sqh
SHERIFF URGES RESIDENTS OF HARNETT COUNTY TO ARM THEMSELVES TO BATTLE CRIME
by Greg Barnes
August 05, 2014
LILLINGTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Harnett County sheriff expressed concern Monday evening about a recent spike of violent crime, and he's even told residents to start arming themselves.
More than 100 people packed the sanctuary of the Spring Hill United Methodist Church Monday night for a community meeting on crime. There has been an explosion of violence and crime in the area, especially in the last few weeks.
Sheriff Larry Rollins told the crowd that the violence is fueled by gangs and drugs. He urged everyone to protect themselves, saying he doesn't go anywhere without a gun.
"When I am out with my family, even though I am a cop, I don't go anywhere without a gun," Rollins told the crowd. "I mean it's sad we have to have that attitude, but I am going to protect myself and my family. I want my deputies at your house just as fast as they can when you got a problem, but you better be able to take care of business until we get there if you have to protect your family."
This part of the county's landscape of rural life is quickly giving way to a population boom, and residents are worried. Several residents said they are afraid to leave their homes -- afraid of the growing violence.
One resident said she goes to church and prays but is still afraid. It's a sentiment shared by other families as well.
"I think they are working hard trying to get solutions for us which comforts us a little bit, but still, knowing it's out there and knowing it happens every day, still doesn't make you feel safe," said resident Jamie Salmon.
Several speakers urged the residents to call deputies if they see something suspicious, and to keep a sharp eye out for themselves and their neighbors.
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13. [PA] Psychiatrist will not be fired after shooting murderer in “Gun Free” hospital
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The psychiatrist had way too much public goodwill after stopping a madman on a murder rampage for the hospital to dare fire him.
From bearingarms.com: http://tinyurl.com/nahkbh8
Psychiatrist Will Not Be Fired After Shooting Murderer in “Gun Free” Hospital
by Bob Owens
July 27, 2014
A Pennsylvania hospital system will not punish a psychiatrist that shot a patient who had just murdered his caseworker in the doctor’s office.
Mercy Health System posted the following status to their Facebook page:
"We are thankful for the swift action of Dr. Lee Silverman, Dr. Jeffrey Dekret, John D’Alonzo and the other colleagues and visitors who took brave and difficult action during yesterday’s tragic event. We extend our condolences to Theresa Hunt’s family, and we are praying for Dr. Silverman’s speedy recovery. We look forward to Dr. Silverman’s return to serving patients at our hospital. We will do all we can to support the victims during this difficult time.
"We continue to work with the Delaware County authorities to understand fully the details of the event. We are reviewing our policies and procedures to ensure a safe environment. We are committed to serving as a compassionate and healing presence in our communities, and we are grateful for the outpouring of community support."
Dr. Silverman pulled a concealed handgun and engaged in a desk-length firefight with psychiatric patient Richard Plotts after Plotts draw a handgun and shot and killed his caseworker Theresa Hunt. Plotts—who was a convicted felon with a violent history who could not obtain a firearm through legal channels—then fired at Dr. Silverman, and one shot grazed Silverman’s head as he crouched behind his desk for cover. Silverman, who had a concealed carry permit, then emptied his gun at Plotts, hitting him twice in the chest and in one arm. Other hospital staff then rushed the wounded Plotts and disarmed him before attending to Dr. Silverman’s head wound.
Plotts was in critical condition after the incident and is expected to survive. He will be charged with first and third degree murder in the killing of Hunt, and with attempted murder for the shooting of Silverman.
Yeadon Police Chief Donald Molineux said that Silverman probably saved many lives by shooting Plotts, who had 39 rounds of ammunition in his pockets and who would have faced disarmed staff and patients in the hospital, which was a “gun free zone.”
Silverman could potentially have been fired for violating Mercy’s weapons policy, but it appears that they know they would have faced a substantial backlash for firing the doctor, considering that his actions most likely prevented a murder from turning into a massacre.
We suspect that Dr. Silverman will continue to concealed carry unless Mercy installs metal detectors at all entrances along with armed security, and we further suspect that Dr. Silverman will not be alone in carrying concealed.
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14. [AL] Home invader stopped by armed teenager
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Member Bill Albritton emailed me this:
From breitbart.com: http://tinyurl.com/mkr6zwd
ACCUSED HOME INVADER CHASED OUT OF HOUSE 'STARK NAKED' BY ARMED TEEN
by AWR HAWKINS
August 5, 2014
A Muscle Shoals, Alabama, home invader was run out of a house "stark naked" by a 17-year-old boy who grabbed his father's gun when the suspect entered the home.
According to 48 WAFF, 45-year-old Kenneth Johnson "was on drugs when he broke into the home."
Police say he allegedly got into the house through "the attached garage." Once inside, he reportedly "took off his clothes and walked in on" two boys--one 15-years old and one 17.
The 15-year-old called 911 while the 17-year-old retrieved his father's gun "and ran [Johnson] out of the house."
Police say Johnson "wandered around the area" for a time and then returned to the same home, where he had to be restrained in the process of being arrested.
His charges include "burglary, indecent exposure, and resisting arrest.”
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15. [FL] Excuse me, do you have a gun?
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Yes, Mr. Criminal. Do you want to see it? Uh, no, thanks - I’ll be on my way now.
That’s not what happened in this case. If you are being attacked and you don’t have a gun, pull a knife and pretend it’s a gun.
Personally, I’d rather just have a real gun and leave the pretending to Hollywood.
Member David Custer emailed me this:
From news.yahoo.com: http://tinyurl.com/lkzqcds
‘Knockout Game’ Attacker Asked Man If He Had A Gun Before Punching
August 9, 2014
A teenager playing “knockout game” punched a man in the face after he made certain that the victim was not carrying a gun, a Florida man told police.
According to a witness who saw the attack unfold, a teenager approached a man who was walking alone on Neptune Beach on July 31, the Florida Times-Union reported Friday.
According to the victim, the teen, who was with three accomplices, asked him if he had a “glock.”
While Glock is a weapons manufacturer, the term “glock” is also used generically to describe any type of handgun.
After the man said that he did not have a weapon, the teen punched him in the face.
Instances of the “knockout game” have been widely reported in cities across the country over the last several years. Carried out most often by teenagers — usually in groups — the goal of the so-called game is to knock a target unconscious. Several people have died during the attacks.
Fearing that outcome, the victim pulled out a folding knife that he was carrying and pretended it was a gun, according to the Florida Times-Union.
The attackers fled down the beach but were soon apprehended. The victim identified his attacker, who turned out to be 15-years old.
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16. [FL] Armed victim returns gunfire, killing gang member
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Member Walter Jackson emailed me this:
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From orlandosentinel.com: http://tinyurl.com/n2xuptt
Armed victim returns gunfire, killing 14-year-old gang member, police say
Teen arrested twice in two years for robbery with firearm, records show.'
by Henry Pierson Curtis, Staff Writer
August 7, 2014
An armed Lakeland man killed a 14-year-old gang member in a shootout Wednesday evening after both drew guns and opened fire, according to the Lakeland Police Department.
Virgis Canteen, 43, had accused Davion Smith of burglarizing his apartment last month, records show.
At 7:49 p.m., Smith and two unidentified companions began taunting Canteen in the courtyard outside his Oregon Avenue apartment before the teen drew an (sic) handgun, a witness told police.
Canteen also had a handgun and, according to Canteen, the teen began shooting at him first, striking him several times in the "upper extremities," police spokesman Sgt. Gary Gross said in a report.
Canteen said he returned fire, striking the teen "numerous times."
This was not the 5-feet 8-inch tall, 130-pound teen's first brush with violence. State records state he was a convicted felon arrested twice since age 12 for armed robbery with a gun, once for battery on a public or school employee and once for burglarizing a home.
Gross identified Smith as a documented gang member.
"This exchange of gunfire occurred in the courtyard in-between the duplex apartments at 516 & 504 Oregon Avenue,'' Gross wrote in a report.
In a telephone interview, Gross said the gang was one of several in the Polk County city with young members who are not aligned to any of the Florida's statewide street gangs.
He declined to identify the gang.
The teen was pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m. at Lakeland Regional Medical Center.
Canteen was admitted there and his condition remains undisclosed.
The shooting that took place about two miles from Florida Southern College, known internally for its Frank Lloyd Wright-designed campus, remains under investigation.
It is unknown if Canteen holds a state concealed-weapon permit or if he will claim self-defense under the state's "stand your ground" law.
The teen could not legally possess or carry a handgun because of his age.
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17. [FL] 911 tells woman to put gun down during home invasion
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More stupid and dangerous advice from a 911 operator.
Member Robert Schmidt emailed me this:
From eagnews.com: http://tinyurl.com/kz3edpd
911 tells 80-year-old woman to put gun down during home invasion
August 7, 2014
HOLMES BEACH, Fla. – An 80-year-old Florida woman grabbed her gun and called 911 during a home invasion. While the burglars were breaking a window to her residence, the police dispatcher told her to “put the gun down.” Huh?
As N.J. Logan was upstairs resting from recent hip replacement surgery in her Holmes Beach, Fla. home, she heard a racket coming from the main level, according to MyFoxTampaBay:
I kept hearing a commotion, like there were people walking around down there. It is a little frightening. You know that you don’t have the security that you thought you had.
Logan was all alone — her husband was playing bridge at a friend’s house. That’s when she took matters into her own hands. She grabbed her gun and dialed the police emergency number as she headed downstairs.
“Once I realized it wasn’t my husband, you have no idea how fast you can go,” she said.
That’s when the dispatcher gave her the bum advice.
“When I called 911 she kept saying put the gun down, put the gun down, and I said I’ll put the gun down when I see the police,” Logan told the station.
“I believe in guns inside your house,” she added. “I don’t think anybody has the right to break into your private domain.”
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18. Gutfeld: Guns empower women more than modern feminism
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Member Rick Evans emailed me this:
From foxnews.com: http://tinyurl.com/poguyph
Gutfeld: Guns empower women more than modern feminism
by Greg Gutfeld
August 07, 2014
Dartmouth student, Taylor Woolrich, says, she may leave school because she can't carry a gun on campus, despite having a crazed stalker.
When Woolrich was 16 an obsessed middle age creep -- not me -- would follow her home from work. She filed a restraining order but he kept at it, promising to visit her at school and showing up at her front door. He's in jail -- found in his car: a noose, knife and gloves. To be fair, maybe he was on a scavenger hunt.
Woolrich still lives in fear, but Dartmouth won't budge -- which I get. But if I were her, I would still pack heat.
Now, I get the concern about arming co-eds. I went to college once -- I think. But, there are kids that same age who carry, it's called the military. They can handle it. Stalkers are called stalkers, because they don't quit, which means their target has just one recourse: "boom."
But this anti-gun push is more about the sexist notion that girls shouldn't have guns. Guns are deadly objects, but so are cars. Perhaps only men should drive.
The fact is, guns do more for female empowerment than modern feminism which prefers government as their protector. But legal ownership gives you real power, equalizing the battle between you and evil. Ask any girl: The confidence from learning to shoot a pistol is far superior to any gender studies course, and a stalker is less likely to stalk if you can ventilate his groin. Which is why a whirring bullet is the ideal rape whistle and the real feminist icon should be Annie Oakley, not Sandra Fluke.
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19. [NH] Ivy Leaguer may drop out over school's anti-gun policy
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Member Bill Albritton emailed me this:
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View point of administrators:
We can't allow students to protect themselves! If we did that they might be safer and not need the campus police!
From foxnews.com: http://tinyurl.com/m8g8cfp
Ivy Leaguer plagued by stalker may drop out over school’s anti-gun policy
by Perry Chiaramonte
August 06, 2014
A 20-year-old Dartmouth student says she may have to give up her Ivy League dream and drop out of school because the prestigious college won't allow her to carry a gun -- to protect herself against a predator.
Taylor Woolrich, a junior, says Dartmouth administrators told her they won’t let her carry a gun on campus, even though she lives in fear of a man who has been stalking her since she was a high school student in San Diego.
“It’s absolutely unfair,” Woolrich said about her attempts to have the school make an exception to its weapons ban. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve had to deal with.”
Woolrich was 16 years old and working in a San Diego café when she says a man came in to buy coffee and then kept returning throughout the day, staring at her for long periods of time and trying to flirt with her. The man, 67-year-old Richard Bennett, kept this up for days, she says, even sitting outside the store for an entire day and then following her home, demanding that she talk to him and saying he was “trying to protect her.”
She filed a restraining order, but it did little to keep Bennett away. Woolrich says he constantly harassed her during her first two years at Dartmouth, stalking her on social media and sending messages in which he “promised” to fly across the country to see her at college.
“I thought they were empty threats, but when I came home from school last summer, he was at my front door within eight hours of my plane landing,” she said. “That’s when I realized how serious it was.”
Woolrich and her family called the police, and Bennett was arrested. A search of his car uncovered a slip noose, a knife, gloves and other items.
Bennett is currently in jail in San Diego County, accused of violating the restraining order and felony stalking, as well as other charges. His next court date is Aug. 20. If convicted, his maximum sentence would be four years.
Woolrich says she inquired about obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon in California and learned that the minimum age to get one is 21, though exceptions can be made under special circumstances. She says the Sheriff’s Licensing Division told her she could qualify, and she learned the same exception can be granted in New Hampshire, where Dartmouth is located.
But Dartmouth administrators told her she was “absolutely not” allowed to carry a weapon on campus. She says she tried to plead her case and was told to speak with several campus officials, all of whom provided little to no help.
“There’s no option. There’s no one to go to. They don’t want to hear my case,” she said.
Many colleges across the country have banned guns on campus to prevent mass shootings and accidental shootings by irresponsible or inebriated students. But the pro-gun rights Crime Prevention Research Center, in a study published on Monday, said there have been no reported problems or issues with college-age permit holders on campuses in the nine states – Colorado, Florida,Wisconsin, Utah, Pennsylvania,Oregon, Mississippi, Kansas and Idaho – whose laws mandate that students and others be permitted to carry concealed handguns on public college grounds.
“There’s this fear about the possibility of students causing problems, but people talk about these things without actual examples,” the center’s president, John Lott, told FoxNews.com. “By far, the safest course of action is to carry a gun for protection, especially for female victims.”
“[Woolrich] has legitimate concern,” he added. “There’s only so much a restraining order can do.”
Woolrich says Dartmouth’s Department of Safety and Security told her that instead of carrying a gun, she should call campus security and arrange for an escort if she felt unsafe after dark. But she says she was often asked to justify her requests when she called, and security officers gave her a hard time for calling often.
“What they don’t understand is that it’s not enough,” she says. “Stalkers just don’t only show up after dark. Unless they have an armed guard in front of my dorm room, I'm not sure how safe I will be. I don’t think there’s much an unarmed guard can do.”
Dartmouth officials declined to comment on Woolrich’s situation, but they said their strict weapons policy is necessary.
“It’s strictly prohibited and we are not in the habit of making exceptions,” spokesman Justin Anderson told FoxNews.com. “But we certainly do everything we possibly can to make all our students feel safe.”
“We feel that it is a top priority,” he added. “We are equipped and committed to providing the best safety possible for all our students.”
Some experts say the solution isn’t to put guns in the hands of potential victims, but to keep them out of the hands of stalkers.
“Many people don't know that current federal law allows criminals convicted of misdemeanor stalking crimes to legally buy and possess guns,” said Erika Soto Lamb, a spokeswoman for Everytown For Gun Safety. “This is a real problem. A study of incidents in 10 major U.S. cities found that nearly nine in 10 attempted murders of women involved at least one incident of stalking in the year before the attempted murder.”
Lamb said the Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act, which was recently brought before the Senate, would close loopholes that allow stalkers to obtain guns.
Others say they support Dartmouth’s no-guns policy.
“What we don’t want to see is a convicted stalker have the ability to arm themselves like Rambo,” said Ladd Everett, director of communications for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
“On one hand, I understand her fears, but I don’t believe that any student should have a gun. Data shows that those who own a gun for protection, that they [the guns] are more likely to be used on themselves or a loved one.
“These [schools] are not places where you want everyone armed to the teeth.”
For now, Bennett sits in jail on $300,000 bail, and Woolrich is not in danger. But she says she still lives in fear and feels she might have to take drastic measures if he manages to post bond and becomes a threat again.
“Every morning I check the inmate lookup online to see if he has made bail,” she said. “I feel safe for now, but the day he gets out is the day I will have to leave Dartmouth.”
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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/]