VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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I was interviewed on March 17th by Christina Nuckols of the Virginian- Pilot. She called to verify some of my comments in a recent VA-ALERT about Virginia Beach Chief of Police, Jacocks.
She asked clarifying questions, I gave clarifying answers. I'm not sure why she bothered to call since she wasn't interested in my answers - they didn't fit the story she wanted to write.
But, having been down this road before, I have a recording of that interview and this will be a great chance for you to compare what I was asked, what I answered, and what appeared in her opinion piece.
The key comes at about 5 minutes into the interview where she asks me, "Do you think that getting into this kind of a confrontation with the Police Chief is helpful for this bill?"
That's what this is really about - the paper's wish to find some way, any way, to get the bill vetoed, even it if requires intentionally twisting my words to do so.
In the article she writes, "The issue: He also insults Beach police officers over the guns-in-bars- bill." As you have read in the original alert a few days ago and will hear in the recording, that is a lie.
Then she lets the cat out of the bag: "Where we stand: The bill is a bad idea, will endanger law enforcement and should be vetoed by the governor."
While I doubt any of you will be truly shocked at the extent that the paper is willing to go to get their way, I suggest you listen to the recording and read the article.
Recording of my interview by Christina Nuckols at 4:11 PM, March 17:
http://www.vcdl.org/audio/DW_C0209.wav
The opinion piece:
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/03/gun-act ... ef-jacocks
Gun activist hacks at Chief Jacocks
Posted to: Editorials Opinion
THE ISSUE He also insults Beach police officers over the guns-in-bars bill.
WHERE WE STAND The bill is a bad idea, will endanger law enforcement and should be vetoed by the governor.
The Virginian-Pilot
© March 19, 2010
Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, thinks he should be allowed to keep his gun concealed when he goes into a bar.
Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake Jacocks thinks that would be dangerous because waiters won't know whether they're serving alcohol to an armed customer.
Both men are entitled to their opinions. But Van Cleave is not entitled to turn this policy disagreement into a personal attack against Jacocks and the Beach's 800 police officers. [PVC: Notice that the Pilot is allowed to intentionally twist my words and then attack me for things that I didn't say and that kind of personal attack is OK.]
In an e-mail Wednesday to members of his organization and media outlets, Van Cleave criticized Jacocks for asking Gov. Bob McDonnell to veto a bill that would permit concealed weapons in restaurants and bars that serve alcohol.
"t sounds like Chief Jacocks is afraid of his own officers carrying guns and being able to drink responsibly," Van Cleave wrote. "That's a sad commentary on his department and the other departments that are backing this position.... I've said it before and I'll say it again: a whole lot of chiefs of police are nothing more than political hacks that did not work their way up through the ranks..."
Van Cleave, meet Chief Jacocks. He began his career with the Beach Police Department at age 19. He became a sworn officer in 1973 and worked in all four city precincts as well as special operations and the detective bureau. He celebrated his 10th year as chief on Monday.
He and the men and women who work for him have made Virginia Beach one of the safest cities in the nation, according to the FBI. [PVC: I did not say that you had to be a political hack to work against the Constitutional rights of Virginians, but simply that many police chiefs unfortunately fall into that category.]
Chief Jacocks, meet Phil Van Cleave. He writes computer software from his home office in Chesterfield County, but his claim to fame is his leadership post with a pro-gun group that claims 5,000 members. He says he's never shot a gun outside a shooting range but carries one with him at all times. He says he drew his gun "a few times" while
volunteering as a reserve deputy sheriff when he was younger. [PVC:
My lifestyle does miff Christina
]Each winter, Van Cleave patrols the halls of the state Capitol in his corduroy jacket and his gun, asking legislators to pass bills permitting weapons in parks, shopping malls, libraries, churches and bars. Meanwhile, Jacocks and his officers are patrolling the streets of Virginia Beach protecting city residents from murderers, robbers and rapists. [PVC: Christina simply can't fathom, or doesn't want to fathom, is that what VCDL does at the General Assembly makes the streets of Virginia Beach and everywhere else in Virginia safer, too.]
So which man is the hack? [PVC: Actually - I think the hack in this opinion piece is a woman
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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/]
