06/07/11 - VCDL Update 6/7/11

Post by **allingeneral** » Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:56:20

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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Not yet a VCDL member? Join VCDL at: http://www.vcdl.org/join.html
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1. VCDL Picnic in Chesterfield on August to celebrate State Park OC
2. Henrico Police to do presentation on "man with a gun" calls at VCDL meet
ing in Richmond on June 8th
3. Al Qaeda wants Jihadists to buy fully automatic weapons at gun shows and
become "lone wolves"
4. Discharge of firearms
5. More on weak-hand shooting
6. Practice and have a weak-hand holster
7. Inflection does matter
8. Who needs a gun in a park?
9. When is a gun brandished?
10. Women taking aim: More women buying guns
11. More women choosing guns for protection
12. Open carry march in Philadelphia protests violation of gun owner's righ
ts
13. Glad we have the VCDL
14. Senate approves 4-year extension of the Patriot Act, NRA was neutral on
Rand Paul amendment
15. Steady decline in crime
16. FBI - Violent crime down
17. Man's concealed handgun saves him and his dog
18. Journalists' guide to guns
10. How to test the quality of optics with a flashlight (VIDEO)
20. (UK) Girl fined for fighting back at masked man
21. Government reports multiple explosions in South China city

**************************************************1. VCDL Picnic in Chesterfield on August to celebrate State Park OC **************************************************

Mark your calendars!

To celebrate the Governor McDonnell's directive earlier this year to allow both open and concealed carry in State Parks, VCDL is having a picnic on Saturday, August 6th, at the Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield county from 11 AM to 2 PM.

Address:

10301 State Park RoadChesterfield Court House, VA 23832

We are planning some guest speakers, who will be announced at a later date.

The picnic is open to the public and is free (there is a $5 parking fee that the parks charge for each vehicle entering the park). If you are planning on attending, please RSVP to:

picnics*vcdl.org

Use a subject line that say "Attending" followed by the number in your party, like this, "Attending 3"

If you can help with set up, cooking on the grills, or tear down, please indicate so in your email to picnics*vcdl.org

**************************************************2. Henrico Police to do presentation on "man with a gun" calls at VCDL meeting in Richmond on June 8th**************************************************

Henrico PD for them to make a presentation on how they handle "man with a gun" calls. They will also answer other questions you might have about their operation.

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 8th, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. We will meet at:

Tuckahoe Library1901 Starling DriveHenrico, VA 23229

Fellowship will start at 6:30 PM. We will go to a local restaurant after the meeting for further fellowship.

A similar event was held with Fairfax PD earlier this year and we had a big turn-out. People really liked the opportunity to be able to interact with the men and women who patrol our streets and protect our communities.

As with all VCDL membership meetings, they are open to the public, so bring friends, family and co-workers.

See you there!

**************************************************3. Al Qaeda wants Jihadists to buy fully automatic weapons at gun shows and become "lone wolves"**************************************************

Looks like al-Qaeda is one of the few groups of people who believe what they read in the mainstream media any more. They are calling for "lone wolf" Jihadists to go to a local gun show and buy "fully-automatic rifles" without a "background check" or any form of ID needed and go shoot up America.

A fully-automatic rifle without a background check or ID? In my dreams.

Of course this is all undiluted baloney, but I'll bet the mainstream media won't correct the lies - after all wouldn't this kind of message encourage lawmakers to control the private sales of guns? That's what the media wants, so far be it from them to be honest about the issue. I hope they prove me wrong, but I don't think so.

However, I don't know if any lone wolves are going to heed this request from Al-Qaeda, but Americans had best be prepared if they do. A well armed citizenry is the best hope of stopping a lone wolf from committing mass murder. A few may die, but he won't get far.

For those who don't carry a gun regularly, perhaps it is time to consider doing so. It is your life and your choice. As for me I plan to be better prepared for the worst case scenario:

=46rom ABC New: http://tinyurl.com/3p9cvyt

New Al Qaeda Video: American Muslims Should Buy Guns, Start Shooting People

In a new video message released on the internet Friday, American-born al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn calls on Muslims living in America to carry out deadly one-man terrorist acts using fully automatic weapons purchased at gun shows, and to target major institutions and public figures.

"What are you waiting for?" asks Gadahn in English, and then adds that jihadis shouldn't worry about getting caught, since so many have been released. "Over these past few years, I've seen the release of many, many Mujahideen whom I had never even dreamed would regain their freedom."

The two-part, two hour video appeared on jihadi websites Friday with images of jihadi leaders as well as snapshots of alleged underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and accused Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hasan. Both Hasan and Abdulmutallab are charged with carrying out attacks inside the U.S.

Called "Do Not Rely on Others, Take the Task Upon Yourself" and produced by al Qaeda's media arm, as Sahab, the tape mixes Gadahn's new message with clips from old videos of Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and other al Qaeda leaders praising one-man attacks. They call on jihadis in the West to carry out lone wolf operations.

Gadahn sounds the same theme in his message, a series of soundbites interspersed throughout the video and accompanied by images of U.S. airliners, bombmaking and the logos of U.S. companies. "Muslims in the West have to remember that they are perfectly placed to play an important and decisive part in the Jihad against the Zionists and crusaders, and to do major damage to the enemies of Islam, waging war on their religion, sacred places, and things, and brethren," says Gadahn. "This is a golden opportunity and a blessing.."

He urges Muslims to pursue attacks with whatever is available. "Let's take America as an example. America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms. You can go down to a gun show at the local convention center and come away with a fully automatic assault rifle, without a background check, and most likely without having to show an identification card. So what are you waiting for?"

Gadahn suggests targeting major institutions -- after a clip showing the logos of such firms as Exxon, Merrill Lynch and Bank of America -- and "influential public figures." "Getting to these criminals isn't as hard as you might think," says Gadahn. "I mean we've seen how a woman knocked the Pope to the floor during Christmas mass, and how Italian leader Berlusconi's face was smashed during a public appearance. So it's just a matter of entrusting the matter to Allah and choosing the right place, the right time, and the right method."He claims that many Western born or raised jihadis, the "brothers who came from abroad" are now thinking about returning to their "Crusader" countries to "discharge their duty of jihad." He also says not to worry about imprisonment, since so many have been jihadis have been set free. "If it's Allah's will that you be captured, then it's not the end the world, and it doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to spend the rest of your life in prison." Many mujahideen who were locked up "are now back home with their families, or back on the frontlines, fighting the enemies."

Gadahn, a 32-year-old California native, was born Adam Pearlman, the grandson of a Jewish urologist. His parents changed their name to Gadahn after becoming fundamentalist Christians. After converting to Islam, Gadahn moved to Pakistan in 1998 and then became a senior commander in al Qaeda.Gadahn has appeared in numerous al Qaeda videos over the past seven years. In 2005, after terror attacks in Madrid and London, he said, "Yesterday, London and Madrid. Tomorrow, Los Angeles and Melbourne, God willing." He is currently considered al Qaeda's leading media strategist, and has been on the FBI's Most Wanted list for nearly 10 years. He has been reported dead or captured several times, only to reemerge alive.

**************************************************4. Discharge of firearms **************************************************

Question and answers on localities banning firearms discharge in parks.

Michael Wegner emailed this to leadership:

--

Can you provide assistance in regards to a new local park's signage? The park makes no effort to unilaterally ban the possession of firearms, but the wording of their "rules" negates their use by default.

"No discharge of firearms"

As they cannot strip the ability of one to defend themselves, and a weapon that cannot be fired is of no use whatsoever, I feel that this is an unconstitutional sign. Additionally, this is an end run around the carry of weapons, because a prudent person would conclude that they cannot legally carry here due to this sign, a point the administrators admitted.

I have contacted the director of the Albemarle Parks and Recreation Department, Matt Smith, and he stated that on the recommendation of their lawyers, they will not change their signs.

I request your advice and assistance in this matter.

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VCDL Board Member Dennis O'Connor responds:

-

Mike -

While localities are prohibited by 15.2-915 from regulating purchase, carry, transportation, etc., there is no prohibition on their regulating of discharge.

Having said that, case law in Virginia generally supports/protects the right to discharge a firearm in self-defense.

Dennis

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VCDL Board Member John Fenter also responds:

--

The Commonwealth allows an exception for self-defense as noted in D. below. Albemarle cannot have a blanket prohibition on discharge, no matter what the sign says. Check their ordinance and see if it conforms to the language here...

S 18.2-280. Willfully discharging firearms in public places.

A. If any person willfully discharges or causes to be discharged any firearm in any street in a city or town, or in any place of public business or place of public gathering, and such conduct results in bodily injury to another person, he shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony. If such conduct does not result in bodily injury to another person, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

B. If any person willfully discharges or causes to be discharged any firearm upon the buildings and grounds of any public, private or religious elementary, middle or high school, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony, unless he is engaged in a program or curriculum sponsored by or conducted with permission of a public, private or religious school.

C. If any person willfully discharges or causes to be discharged any firearm upon any public property within 1,000 feet of the property line of any public, private or religious elementary, middle or high school property he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony, unless he is engaged in lawful hunting.

D. This section shall not apply to any law-enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties nor to any other person whose said willful act is otherwise justifiable or excusable at law in the protection of his life or property, or is otherwise specifically authorized by law.

E. Nothing in this statute shall preclude the Commonwealth from electing to prosecute under any other applicable provision of law instead of this section.

(Code 1950, S 18.1-69; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1992, c. 735; 1999, c. 996; 2001, c. 712; 2005, c. 928.)

**************************************************5. More on weak-hand shooting**************************************************

Clyde Shinn emailed me this:

--

Philip,

I second Geoff Bricker's position in #14 of this issue ("Practice with both hands," VA-ALERT 5/26/11). I routinely practice with both hands, not nearly as many rounds with my non-dominant left hand as my right, but enough to stay in the kill zone. I greatly increased the practice with my left hand during the six weeks immediately prior to having carpal tunnel release surgery on my right side to ensure I could defend myself with my right hand out of commission - my holster is right handed, but I wore it above my left hip pocket and practiced drawing it from that position. It's also a good idea to practice racking the slide (I employed the sole of my shoe as it prevented marring and kept the muzzle in a safe direction), as well as swapping/reloading magazines magazines one handed - you never know when you may have to perform these actions single handed.

**************************************************6. Practice and have a weak-hand holster**************************************************

Mark Anderson emailed me this:

--

Philip,

I wanted to expand on item 14 (Practice with both hands) in your VA-ALERT of May 26. A few years ago, I broke a finger on my shooting hand (left). It not only hurt like the dickens, there was no way I could operate a handgun with that hand.

Fortunately, I not only practice with the right hand, I have several right-handed holsters. One holster is the mirror image of my normal left-handed carry set up. As soon as I was out of surgery and off the painkillers, the right handed holster went on and I was good to go. I carried right handed until the left hand had healed. If I didn't have the correct holster, I would have been unarmed until I could get one.

So, don't just practice off-handed, get an off-hand holster and *really* be prepared!

**************************************************7. Inflection does matter**************************************************

"Virginia Gun Owners Guide" author, Alan Korwin, emailed me this:

--

#6 particularly important ("More on communicating with the police," VCDL Update 5/26/11), especially related to my book After You Shoot which has stirred controversy over what to say or not. When does not talking to police apply -- when they show up, or when you call them and make recorded statements while your blood pressure is still thru the roof?

Classic example of inflection I've used for years:

"I never said you stole the chickens."

The meaning changes dramatically by simply accenting any word (except "the") in that sentence.

Try it. It's amazing.

**************************************************8. Who needs a gun in a park?**************************************************

=46rom wtop.com: http://tinyurl.com/3pzzf9u

Woman attacked on Loudoun County trailMonday - 5/23/2011Hank Silverberg, wtop.com

HERNDON - A nice Sunday ride on a popular biking trail got a little scary for two local women and now police are warning people using the trail to travel in pairs.

The two women were biking along the Washington and Old Dominion trail Sunday afternoon near Oakgrove Road in Loudoun County. They stopped briefly and that's when one of the women was grabbed by a man they had seen walking on the trail.

Loudoun County Sheriff's spokesman Kraig Troxell says the woman managed to get away.

"They did follow him off the trail into some of the neighborhoods surrounding the W&OD trail. They apparently lost sight of him near Earl Wallace Drive near Old Ox Road," he says.

Police do not have a description of the suspect.

Troxell says if you use the trail it's a good idea to travel in pairs and to bring a cell phone for emergencies.

A few years ago, several similar incidents prompted increased patrols on the W&OD which runs 45 miles from Alexandria into Loudoun County.

This is the only recent incident. More than three million people use the trail each year.

**************************************************9. When is a gun brandished? **************************************************

Board member Bruce Jackson emailed me this:

--

=46rom styleweekly.com: http://tinyurl.com/3jpd78r

When Is a Gun Brandished? The law allows open carry, so when does a gun-toting mother cross the line?BY MELISSA SCOTT SINCLAIR

Richmonders are buzzing about Chesterfield County mom Shiquita D. Reed, who's accused of bringing a gun to a school bus stop on May 16. Reed allegedly did so because she was concerned about her middle-school-aged daughter being bullied.

A Chesterfield judge ordered Reed held without bond on Wednesday. She's charged with five misdemeanor counts of brandishing a firearm, plus one additional charge of disorderly conduct for allegedly yelling and cursing at the bus stop on Tuesday.

What does "brandishing" really mean? According to Virginia law, it's illegal to "point, hold or brandish" any firearm, whether it's loaded or not, in a way that would "reasonably induce fear in the mind of another of being shot or injured."

The "fear" part is key, explains Claire Cardwell, partner with criminal defense and personal injury firm Stone Cardwell & Dinkin. "What 'brandish' goes to is the intent," Cardwell says. It doesn't matter if you're waving the gun around wildly or just pulling back your jacket to show a holstered weapon, as long as your intent is to induce fear -- or it would appear that way to a reasonable person.

Reed did pull the gun from its holster, Chesterfield police say. But if Reed had showed up with a gun in her hand while acting calmly, she might have been within the law. While carrying a concealed weapon requires a permit, openly carrying a gun is perfectly legal (not on school property, but a bus stop isn't school property).

You can carry a gun in your hand while you're walking down the street, Cardwell points out. "Now does that look scary and suspicious? Sure it does ... But it's not against the law."

Many of the commenters on the Richmond Times-Dispatch's website have expressed sympathy for Reed. "I don't agree with this Mother's methods, but I totally understand her frustration," said one commenter. "If no one else will protect her child, who will?"

**************************************************10. Women taking aim: More women buying guns **************************************************

=46rom wusa9.com: http://tinyurl.com/3v62s5b [VIDEO]

[SNIP]LORTON, Va. (WUSA) -- "I was a victim of a crime. A rape crime," says a woman who wants to go by the name 38-Special-K. A .38 Special is her weapon of choice. And she knows how to use it. 9NEWS NOW caught up with "38 Special" at Sharpshooters in Lorton.

"It's like putting on lipstick. It's just part of my make-up."

"38-Special" is a member of the Meet-Up group Shooting Divas of DMV (District, Maryland and Virginia).

**************************************************11. More women choosing guns for protection**************************************************

Bruce Jackson emailed me this:

--

Note the last line: There are 15 million women nationwide who are permitted to carry a concealed weapon.

=46rom wvec.com: http://tinyurl.com/3n8ezmu [VIDEO]

[SNIP]More women choosing guns for protectionby Shannon SimsWVEC.comPosted on May 22, 2011

NORFOLK -- Experts tell 13 News they've noticed a sharp increase in women wanting to carry guns to stay protected.

The number of concealed weapons permits in Virginia continue to rise and gun experts say the numbers translate to more women wanting to pack heat.

**************************************************12. Open carry march in Philadelphia protests violation of gun owner's rights**************************************************

A Pennsylvania VA-ALERT subscriber, Ted Noga, emailed me this:

--

Below you'll find an article that I hope you find interesting and I hope you will publish in your upcoming VA-ALERT.

The article highlights our protest of Philadelphia's policies regarding open carry, disregard for our [Pennsylvania] preemption law, and the violation of Mark Fiorino's civil rights.

--

More information, photos and videos of the march can be viewed here:

=46rom forum.pafoa.org: http://tinyurl.com/3sn6ky5

=46rom the Philadelphia Weekly:http://tinyurl.com/3o2tmx6

Open-Carry Experiment Shows Cops Don't Know Their Own Gun LawsBy Jon CampisiPosted May. 17, 2011

It was late last week when gun-rights activist Mark Fiorino joined PW for a stroll around downtown Philly. The Montgomery County man, who was featured on the cover of yesterday's Daily News for his stance on carrying pistols openly, walks down 15th Street toward Sansom, attracting nary a look.Eventually, one man offers a double-take. The head turn probably has something to do with the fact that Fiorino's belt contains an openly holstered firearm alongside his cell phone and keys. After all, Fiorino's story hadn't yet appeared in the Daily News, so his face wasn't yet recognizeable.

Surprisingly, that one brief stare was about the only bit of reaction Fiorino received on that particular day, a few days before the Daily News story broke. But minimal public feedback is often the norm. People typically go about their business unaware that someone like Fiorino has a gun strapped to his hip--even when it's in full view. "For the most part, it's either a look or a dismissal or nobody notices," says Fiorino. And unbeknownst to many Pennsylvanians, "open carry," or the act of carrying one's firearm unconcealed by clothing, is actually quite legal. Even in Philadelphia, legal gun owners who have a license can wear their holstered handguns in plain sight. In the rest of the state, open carry requires no license. Still, despite the law being quite clear on the issue, open-carry advocates like Fiorino sometimes find themselves in the crosshairs of an ignorant public.

But what happens when the ignorance comes from the very people who are paid to uphold the law? For open carriers like Fiorino, it's a problem that can have dire consequences.

Like the time he found himself with a gun pointed at his head. Back in February, when he was visiting his native Northeast Philadelphia, his gun attracted the attention of a passing city cop. After a 40-minute ordeal in which Fiorino was ordered to the ground and detained, the cops eventually cleared him for release, but not before they got in a few choice words. But it wasn't the profanity used by the responding officers--audio from Fiorino's recorder was posted to Youtube--that totally offended Fiorino. Rather, it was the lack of police knowledge regarding the open-carry law. "I obviously did a ton of research beforehand," says Fiorino. Police, he says, ought to do the same.

Not that Fiorino totally faults cops for having a heightened sense of awareness. But he does take issue with the fact that officers aren't being trained to respect law-abiding citizens. "In my experience, in the city, it's always been negative," Fiorino says of his interaction with Philly cops, many of whom appear unaware of the legality of open carry. "There's always a lot of attention with the police because they know you're armed and they automatically perceive you as a threat," he says.

One city cop, who requested anonymity, said that he was unaware carrying a firearm openly within the city limits was legal.

"To see somebody carrying a gun in full view, it's kind of, I would say, scary in a big city," the officer says. But as Fiorino sat on a bench at Dilworth Plaza talking about his cause, very few eyes glanced his way. Passers-by didn't even seem to notice him--even though his gun was out in the open on his left hip.

"Nobody's screaming or running around," Fiorino says.Still, the officer maintains that the sight of a gun on someone without a badge could cause a problem.

"When people see you doing that, people assume you're a police officer," the cop says, adding that even off-duty, most city cops carry concealed. "I think all guns should be concealed."

Fiorino says open carry is meant to raise awareness, to let people know that they still have rights. And in Philadelphia, they are, thanks to people like Fiorino."Technically, the answer is yes," says Lt. Fran Healy, a special adviser to Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey. "You can carry openly within Philadelphia as long as you have a license." Healy, who is also an attorney, doesn't dispute the claim that city cops are often ignorant on the open-carry law, which has been on the books since 1995. He says it's just never been a problem, that citizens were simply never observed carrying openly in the city. He adds that incidents such as Fiorino's have prompted the PPD to better train its officers. The training has come in various forms, Healy says, including educating beat officers during roll call and conducting "teletype training," which is when a sergeant receives a message from the commissioner that is passed down to his or her subordinates. "When they [officers on the street] know the law, that helps them respond better," he says. "These [citizens] are decent people. They're not criminals."

But Healy certainly understands why the sight of someone openly carrying a firearm might put off some cops. "The bottom line is this: If I stop you and your behavior and conduct is such that I feel at risk ... I personally may have my gun out," he says. "That doesn't mean I'm pointing it at your head. I don't know who or what you are yet."

The other factor contributing to cops' confusion is that according to state law, a license is needed to carry openly in the city, but it's not required in the rest of the commonwealth. Because of that, officers don't technically have cause to detain an open carrier without reasonable articulable suspicion of a crime having been committed. But in Philly, because a license is needed, law enforcement officers contend they have authority to stop people to make sure they're legit. Gun-rights activists take issue with this, saying probable cause is still required for a police stop. They liken it to driving: Officers aren't legally allowed to stop everyone who is driving a car to ensure they're licensed, unless a violation has been committed.

Healy, however, says it comes down to an "officer safety" issue, meaning if an open carrier is spotted, there might be brief police interaction.

"I think the officers are well justified in Philadelphia ... to do an investigation," he says. "We just want to confirm that you're lawful, and we'll let you go on your way."

Add to all that the convoluted wording of the state law, which essentially makes open carry de-facto legal: "No person shall carry a firearm, rifle or shotgun at any time upon the public streets or upon any public property in a city of the first class unless:(1) such person is licensed to carry a firearm; or (2) such person is exempt from licensing under section 6106 of this title (relating to firearms not to be carried without a license). The second bullet point generally refers to law enforcement and others for whom their job requires the carrying of a gun. Because the law doesn't explicitly say open carry is legal, some question whether it really is. State law also doesn't make a distinction between open versus concealed carry.

"By not addressing it, the Legislature has left it open," Healy says. "The statute is vague, which leaves a little bit of a problem."

To gun-rights advocates, the law is quite clear. After all, if there isn't a law against something, anything, it's legal, right? Proponents of open carry were so adamant about getting their message out that they organized a rally in Center City last weekend. One of the activists was Derek Price, who on May 14 was strolling up the steps toward City Hall wearing black pants, a blue button-down shirt, a black vest and a gun on one hip.

The Harleysville resident arrived for a gathering organized by members of the Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association. "Open carry, concealed carry, it's totally up to the individual," said Price, 38, who has been open carrying since getting his license in 2007. Price, like the others attending the rally, aim to make open carry more visible. One woman came up to Price, asking him to point her in the direction of the Ritz Carlton. "Perception is everything," Price said.

As more protesters arrived, it seemed as though the rally had the makings for some interesting feedback. Again, nothing. Here they were, a group of about 25 or so gun-toting average Joe's, walking through the outdoor plaza at City Hall, and nobody seemed to notice. "We've been standing here, what, 20 minutes?" Price asked. "Nobody's complained."

Finally, Healy arrived with officers from the department's Civil Affairs Unit, the armband-clad cops who monitor protests and labor disputes, and off the group went. During the next four hours, the gun-wearers and a handful of cops, all in plainclothes, strolled downtown Philadelphia. There were stops outside police headquarters and the District Attorney's Office. Since federal law was recently changed to allow for firearms in gun-friendly states to be brought into national parks, the group figured it would stop by and

take a photo near the Liberty Bell, too. "Exercising our Second Amendment where the Second Amendment was signed," one member could be heard calling out.

Over the next four hours, the group walked, held signs and handed out pamphlets to members of the public. A few people cast stares. Some asked questions. None seemed worried or concerned in the least. That's the way it should be, the open carriers contend. Even Healy seemed pleased with the results of the peaceful protest.

"These interactions can be positive," he said at the rally. "I'm looking at this as more of an educational thing on both sides."

Ted Noga, the Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association member who organized the rally, was also pleased that everything went off without a hitch that rainy Saturday. "I'm quite impressed with the response by the police department," he said.

Lt. Lisa King, head of the department's Gun Permits Unit, said her division is now working to amend language on a supplemental sheet accompanying the firearms license application that says a licensee must conceal. The wording on is old, she concedes. King, who attended the rally, says she didn't even know the practice was legal before it was brought to her attention.

"It's definitely going to do something," says Josh Dillon, a Philly gun owner who typically carries concealed. Dillon, who carried openly on this day, says the whole aim of the event was to create awareness. Still, since he doesn't want to be harassed, he keeps it concealed. But that's not to say he opposes open carry. People can choose for themselves, he says.

As for Fiorino, he's just glad the encounter in Northeast Philly sparked some awareness. "I think that if people like myself don't get out there and do it, that often misinformation and ignorance continues to spread," he says.

**************************************************13. Glad we have the VCDL**************************************************

More on Philadelphia's disdain for gun owners.

Dave Troxel emailed me this:

--

When I read something like this I sure am grateful for the VCDL:

=46rom foxnews.com: http://tinyurl.com/3q9bwra

After Altercation, Philadelphia Police Say They Won't Look the Other Way on Open-Carry Gun OwnersBy Stephen ClarkPublished May 21, 2011FoxNews.com

With a shocking altercation between Philadelphia police and a 25-year-old IT worker putting the spotlight back on open-carry gun laws, local authorities are warning gun owners that they will be "inconvenienced" if they carry unconcealed handguns in the city.

Lt. Raymond Evers, a spokesman for the city police, told FoxNews.com that gun owners who open carry, which is legal in the city, may be asked to lay on the ground until officers feel safe while they check permits. [PVC: Is this how Philadelphia treats every citizen walking down the street? Make them lie down until the police feel safe around them? Police are paid to protect the public and take some risks. But in Philadelphia the police are paid to make themselves feel safe, while putting law-abding citizens at risk by pointing loaded guns at them.]

"Philadelphia, in certain areas, is very dangerous," he said. "There's a lot of gun violence." Several officers have been killed in the line of duty in the past three years, local authorities say. [PVC: Ok, let's play this game. A certain number of innocent citizens are mistakenly shot and killed by police every year, so should citizens make police in Philadelphia lie on the ground until the citizens feel safe that the police aren't going to mistakenly shoot them, too?]

The warning comes after Mark Fiorino, a suburban Philadelphia IT worker, posted an audiotape to YouTube of his tense, 45-minute encounter with police in February over his exposed handgun. The video went viral and captured national attention.After Fiorino released the audiotape, he was charged with disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment. He now faces up to two years in prison.

"The police department and assistant district attorney are coming after me, in my opinion, to make an example of me because I stood up to them and exposed them for their lack of knowledge," Fiorino said, who called the trial "absolutely inappropriate and a waste of taxpayer money."Fiorino said he did nothing reckless, nor did he endanger anyone's life.

"I had a gun pointed at my chest," he said.

Only seven states ban the practice of openly carrying guns, and Pennsylvania isn't one of them, according to OpenCarry.org, which advocates gun rights.. In Philadelphia, a permit is required to carry handguns openly. But on Feb. 13 a police sergeant who was unaware of the law -- which dates back to at least 1996 when the state Supreme Court referenced it in an unrelated ruling -- stopped Fiorino, who was walking to an auto parts shop in Northeast Philadelphia with a gun on his hip.Sgt. Michael Dougherty can be heard yelling out to Fiorino as "Junior," and asking him to show his hands as Fiorino protests having a gun pointed at his chest, prompting Dougherty to call for backup.Dougherty grows increasingly agitated as Fiorino offers to show his permit when he is ordered to get on his knees, causing Dougherty to threaten to shoot if he makes a move. Dougherty then unleashed a string of profanities as the two argued over the legality of open carry.

"Do you know you can't openly carry here in Philadelphia?" Dougherty yells."Yes, you can, if you have a license to carry firearms," Fiorino responds."It's Directive 137. It's your own internal directive."

When several other officers arrive, Fiorino is forced to the ground as he tries to explain that he's not breaking the law.

"Shut the f---- up!" Dougherty yells.

Police found the recorder while searching Fiorino's pockets. Officers eventually released him after speaking to the department's lawyer and being told that he was within his legal rights.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey took issue with Dougherty's language and his lack of knowledge about the law during the altercation, Evers said, but not with the stop itself.

Evers, who has been an officer for nearly 20 years, said "very rarely do people open carry in Philadelphia." But he added he wasn't making excuses.

"We weren't as up on that crime code as we should have been," he said, adding that officers are being re-educated on open carry in response to the incident.

Dougherty is facing disciplinary action pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation, Evers said.

Fiorino's trial is scheduled to begin in July and the district attorney's office emphasizes that Fiorino's response to the police, not his gun rights, are at issue.

"This office respects and upholds the rights of a citizen to lawfully carry a firearm," Tasha Jamerson, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said in a statement emailed to FoxNews.com. "The permit to carry a concealed weapon, however, does not mean that a permitholder can abuse that right by refusing to cooperate with police."

Jamerson said Fiorino "allegedly became belligerent and hostile" when police officers "were legally attempting to investigate a potential crime."

But Fiorino's attorney, Joseph Valvo, said the case is larger than Fiorino.

"It's my position that this entire prosecution is an effort by Philadelphia authorities to send a message to legitimate gun owners that open carry as a practice is not welcome in Philadelphia despite the fact that it's constitutionally protected behavior and that's offensive to me as a citizen and as a lawyer," Valvo said.

Gun rights advocates say they're are also offended.John Pierce, a co-founder of OpenCarry.org said, Philadelphia police have sent a clear message to gun owners that will chill their rights to openly carry.

"Even if it's legal, we can punish you financially and by disruptions in your life," he said.

But the district attorney's office dismissed as "ludicrous" claims it is seeking retaliation or trying to send a message.

"This office only charges people with offenses that we think we can prosecute," Jamerson said in an interview with FoxNews.com. "We just don't willy-nilly charge a person with a crime as retaliation for an incident."

The February incident wasn't the first time Philadelphia police officers have confronted Fiorino about his unconcealed gun. Since July, he has been stopped twice and he has had an audio recorder on him each time in case a cop is having a bad day or doesn't understand the law, he said.

His handgun was confiscated once for five months, but neither occasion escalated like the third encounter.

Fiorino said he studied Pennsylvania law for a year before he started openly carrying a gun. He said he carries the gun openly because some of his friends have been held up at gunpoint and he's not willing to allow himself to be helpless.

Police spokesman Evers said Fiorino appears to be inviting trouble from the law by "surreptitiously" recording his encounters with police.

"If you put everything together, it was more than him walking down the street to go to an auto parts store -- without a jacket in the middle of winter," Evers said.

But Fiorino denies that he was looking for trouble.

"How many times does a convenience store need to be robbed to be justified in putting up a security system?" he said.

**************************************************14. Senate approves 4-year extension of the Patriot Act, NRA was neutral on Rand Paul amendment**************************************************

Why was the NRA "neutral" on the Rand Paul amendment to the Patriot Act which would offer more protection to gun owners?

Ben Piper emailed me this:

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If you want to see my gun purchase records, show evidence that I am engaged in criminal activity to a judge, get a search warrant, and then seize the records. The purpose of government is to secure the rights of individuals. It is not to enable surveillance of citizens by "law enforcement" (the government). I think I may have to cancel my NRA membership over this.

BP

--

=46rom politics.blogs.foxnews.com:http://tinyurl.com/3plaavz

"Defeat was a near certainty after Sen. Saxby Chambliss, top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, announced his opposition. Saying that probably "no one owns as many guns as I do," Chambliss declared that the Paul amendment could risk scuttling terrorism investigations and then read from a letter he said was authored by the National Rifle Association taking no position on the provision."

=46rom blogs.abcnews.com: http://tinyurl.com/3g4o34x

"I think it's very important that we protect the rights of gun owners in our country not only for hunting, but for self-protection, and that the records of those in our country who own guns should be secret," Paul said on the Senate floor before the vote. "I don't think the government, well-intentioned or not well-intentioned, should be sifting through millions of records of gun owners."

=46rom sfgate.com: http://tinyurl.com/3uhledk

"Even hard-core conservative Republicans like Georgia's Saxby Chambliss (who said he owns more guns than anyone in the Senate) failed to support "my friend" Rand Paul in this vote, saying it would "harm law enforcement."

**************************************************15. Steady decline in crime**************************************************

The secret reason unknown to "experts" - More guns = less crime

Michael Rutkaus emailed me this:

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In today's NYT, an article on the steady decline in crime except in NYC, over the past years. Hmmm. One possible reason not mentioned, something else that has been happening over the past years. Anyone guess what that other reason might be?

=46rom the New York Times: http://tinyurl.com/3sjgbzn

Steady Decline in Major Crime Baffles Experts [PVC: Funny - I'm sure that not a single VCDL member is baffled by this!]By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.Published: May 23, 2011

The number of violent crimes in the United States dropped significantly last year, to what appeared to be the lowest rate in nearly 40 years, a development that was considered puzzling partly because it ran counter to the prevailing expectation that crime would increase during a recession.

In all regions, the country appears to be safer. The odds of being murdered or robbed are now less than half of what they were in the early 1990s, when violent crime peaked in the United States. Small towns, especially, are seeing far fewer murders: In cities with populations under 10,000, the number plunged by more than 25 percent last year.

The news was not as positive in New York City, however. After leading a long decline in crime rates, the city saw increases in all four types of violent lawbreaking -- murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault -- including a nearly 14 percent rise in murders. But data from the past few months suggest the city's upward trend may have slowed or stopped.

Criminology experts said they were surprised and impressed by the national numbers, issued on Monday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and based on data from more than 13,000 law-enforcement agencies. They said the decline nationally in the number of violent crimes, by 5.5 percent, raised the question, at least in some places, of to what extent crime could continue to fall -- or at least fall at the same pace as the past two years. Violent crimes fell nearly the same amount in 2009.

"Remarkable," said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University. "Given the fact that we have had some healthy declines in recent years, I fully expected that the improvement would slow. There is only so much air you can squeeze out of a balloon."

There was no immediate consensus to explain the drop. But some experts said the figures collided with theories about correlations between crime, unemployment and the number of people in prison.

Take robbery: The nation has endured a devastating economic crisis, but robberies fell 9.5 percent last year, after dropping 8 percent the year before.

"Striking," said Alfred Blumstein, a professor and a criminologist at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, because it came "at a time when everyone anticipated it could be going up because of the recession."

Nationally, murder fell 4.4 percent last year. Forcible rape -- which excludes statutory rape and other sex offenses -- fell 4.2 percent. Aggravated assault fell 3.6 percent. Property crimes -- including burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson -- fell 2.8 percent, after a 4.6 percent drop the year before.

But the gains were uneven. New York saw 536 murders last year -- 65 more than in 2009, which was the lowest since 1963.

The number of rapes in New York City jumped 24.5 percent; robberies, 5.4 percent, and aggravated assaults, 3.2 percent.

New York was the only city with more than a million people besides San Antonio with an increase in the total number of violent crimes -- a 4.6 percent jump, to 48,489 -- and the only one besides Philadelphia to see a rise in murders.

Some experts cautioned against reading too much into the city's numbers, noting that New York's drop in violent crime over the last two decades has far outpaced many places, some of which are only now catching up.

"It's been so huge, there's always been this lingering question, how low could it go?" said Michael Jacobson, director of the Vera Institute of Justice, and a former New York City correction and probation commissioner.

There were 2,245 murders in New York in 1990, but the total has been less than 600 for the past nine years.

"One murder is too many, but the 2010 spike has to be viewed in the context of the historic low the year before," said Paul J. Browne, the New York Police Department's chief spokesman. He said the department was doing more to encourage victims to report rapes.

Eli Silverman, a professor emeritus at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said Mr. Browne's account might only be a "partial explanation" -- the other part, he said, was increased scrutiny of the integrity of the department's crime statistics. When crime rates go up, the police say it is because they are encouraging more victims to come forward, Mr. Silverman said, "but when crime goes down, it's the work of the police."

Nationally, the drop in violent crime not only calls into question the theory that crime rates are closely correlated with economic hardship, but another argument as well, said Frank E. Zimring, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

As the percentage of people behind bars has decreased in the past few years, violent crime rates have fallen as well. For those who believed that higher incarceration rates inevitably led to less crime, "this would also be the last time to expect a crime decline," he said.

"The last three years have been a contrarian's delight -- just when you expect the bananas to hit the fan," said Mr. Zimring, a visiting law professor at New York University and the author of a coming book on the decline in the city's crime rate.

But he said there was no way to know why -- at least not yet.

"The only thing that is reassuring being in a room full of crime experts now is that they are as puzzled as I am," he said.

Joseph Goldstein contributed reporting.

**************************************************16. FBI - Violent crime down**************************************************

More information on declining crime.

A VA-ALERT reader emailed me this:

--

Phil,

Of course, they fail to note the parallel increase in "shall issue" states and CC permits!

Also, it would be interesting to correlate the "smallest" cities crime drop with their increase in CC permits. Versus the much larger cities retention of restrictive constraints...

"The downward trend for murder and non-negligent manslaughter was especially pronounced in the nation's smallest cities, where it went down 25.2 percent for cities under 10,000 people. Murder actually rose 3 percent in cities with populations of 250,000 to half a million."

=46rom wtop.com: http://tinyurl.com/3r466eq

FBI: 5.5 percent drop in violent crimeMonday - 5/23/2011By PETE YOST Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Crime levels fell across the board last year, extending a multi-year downward trend with a 5.5 percent drop in the number of violent crimes in 2010 and a 2.8 percent decline in the number of property crimes.

Year-to-year changes released Monday by the FBI in its preliminary figures on crimes reported to police in 2010 also showed declines in all four categories of violent crime in 2010. All categories for property crime went down as well.

"In a word, remarkable," said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University. In Fox's view, the declines signify success for aggressive law enforcement and corrections programs and comprehensive crime prevention efforts. He said the crime levels could easily rise if the current environment of state and local budget cutting extends to law enforcement measures that are working.

Some experts are puzzled.

Expectations that crime would rise in the economic recession have not materialized. The size of the most crime-prone population age groups, from late teens through mid-20s, has remained relatively flat in recent years.

"I have not heard of any good explanations for the good news we've been experiencing in 2009 and 2010," said professor Alfred Blumstein of Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School of Public Policy. "I hope the trend continues and I'm going to keep searching for answers."

Violent crime last increased in 2005. Property crime last increased in 2002.

The FBI reported that violent crime fell in all four regions of the country last year: 7.5 percent in the South, 5.9 in the Midwest, 5.8 percent in the West and 0.4 percent in the Northeast.

The bureau's preliminary statistics for 2010 are based on data from more than 13,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide.

Nationally, murder and non-negligent manslaughter declined 4.4 percent, forcible rape decreased 4.2 percent, robbery declined 9.5 percent, and aggravated assault was down 3.6 percent.

The downward trend for murder and non-negligent manslaughter was especially pronounced in the nation's smallest cities, where it went down 25.2 percent for cities under 10,000 people. Murder actually rose 3 percent in cities with populations of 250,000 to half a million. In New York City, the number of murders and non-negligent manslaughter cases rose from 471 to 536, up 13.8 percent.

Among property crimes, motor vehicle theft showed the largest drop in 2010 _ 7.2 percent _ followed by larceny-theft, which was down 2.8 percent and burglary, a decline of 1.1 percent.

___

FBI crime data: http://tinyurl.com/3vdb3z7

**************************************************17. Man's concealed handgun saves him and his dog**************************************************

=46rom skyvalleychronicle.com: http://tinyurl.com/3bt76cz

MAN'S CONCEALED HANDGUN SAVES HIM AND HIS DOGWhen 3 pit bulls stage surprise attackMay 22, 2011

(KIRKLAND, WA) -- Tim Lewis of Kirkland may be thanking his lucky stars this weekend he bought that handgun, had it with him and knew how to use it Saturday when three pit bulls attacked him and his German Shepherd dog.

Kirkland Police said Lewis, who was legally carrying the firearm as a concealed carry permit holder, was playing catch with his 3-year-old German shepherd across from Juanita Bay Park, in the 9700 block of NE Juanita Drive in an area where a Seattle man had his three unleashed pit bulls nearby.

Out of the blue said Lewis the three pit bulls charged and began attacking his dog.

Both Lewis and the pit bulls' owner fought to stop the attack and at one point thought they may have stopped it but then the three pit bulls suddenly attacked again both Lewis and his dog and that is when Lewis, fearful for his own life and his dog's life, drew his handgun and fired, hitting and wounding one of the dogs and scaring off the others.

The owner of the pit bulls then rounded up the animals and left, talking the injured dog to a vet for treatment.

One report on the attack, by KOMO-TV Seattle, quoted a nearby witness as saying the attack was so ferocious that if Lewis hadn't had the gun he would probably be dead.

Lewis's dog sustained minor injuries in the attack. Kirkland Police are investigating the incident.

According to statistics compiled by dogbites.org there were 33 recorded fatal dog attacks in the U.S. in 2010 and despite being regulated in Military Housing areas and over 500 U.S. cities, pit bulls led these attacks accounting for 67% (22) of the fatalities.

And that is despite the fact pit bulls make up only 5% of the total U.S. dog population.

In 2010, the combination of pit bulls (22) and rottweilers (4) accounted for 79% of all fatal attacks in the U.S. and in the 6-year period from 2005 to 2010, this same combination accounted for 71% (129) of the total recorded deaths (181).

According to dogbites.org, "The combined breakdown between the two breeds is substantial. From 2005 to 2010, pit bulls killed 104 Americans, about one citizen every 21 days, versus rottweilers, which killed 25 Americans, about one citizen every 88 days."

In addition:

* 2010 data shows that 61% (20) of the attacks occurred to children (11 years and younger) and 39% occurred to adults. Of the children, 75% (15) occurred to ages 4 and younger. Within this same age group, males represented 60% of the victims.

* 2010 data also shows that 36% (12) of the fatal incidents involved multiple dogs. Nearly a third, 30% (10), involved breeding on the dog owner's property either actively or in the recent past, and 9% (3) involved chained dogs.

* Dog ownership information for 2010 shows that family dogs comprised 73% (24) of the attacks that resulted in death; 88% (29) of these incidents occurred on the dog owner's property and 12% (4) occurred off the owner's property.

* The state of California led fatalities in 2010 with 7 deaths; pit bulls contributed to 83% (6). Florida followed with 3 deaths and Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas each had 2 deaths.

**************************************************18. Journalists' guide to guns**************************************************

Michael Soh emailed me this:

=46rom blog.robballen.com: http://tinyurl.com/m77ygz

**************************************************19. How to test the quality of optics with a flashlight (VIDEO)**************************************************

Board member Bruce Jackson emailed me this:

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=46rom outdoorlife.com: http://tinyurl.com/3wrparq (VIDEO)

[SNIP]May 19, 2011How to Test the Quality of Optics With A Flashlightby Andrew McKean

The next time you go to buy a binocular or a riflescope, take a little penlight along. That simple tool will give you a good indication of whether an optic is worth the money, or whether it amounts to an overpriced tube of glass.

With a flashlight and a little know-how, you can learn a lot about lens coatings, how much stray light will distract you, even about how well you might be able to see through the optic in low light, which is exactly when most hunters rely on their binos and scopes.Here's what you do:

**************************************************20. (UK) Girl fined for fighting back at masked man**************************************************

Apparently in the UK a young woman is expected to submit to a rape rather than fight back. Think of how WW II might have turned out for Britain had they had this attitude back in the 1940s.

Oh, well. Better them than us.

EM Matt Gottshalk emailed me this:

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You just cannot make this stuff up. This is what happens when citizens are disarmed, they are then prosecuted for defending themselves in ANY way.

=46rom edinburghnews.scotsman.com: http://tinyurl.com/4yaobzz

[SNIP]A TERRIFIED teenage girl has been fined #500 for knocking unconscious a masked stranger who stalked her home from a nightclub in what lawyers have called an "exceptional" case.

Claire Burleigh, 19, was pounced on by Sean Docherty, 43, as she was about to open the door of her Bathgate home, Livingston Sheriff Court heard yesterday.

**************************************************21. Government reports multiple explosions in South China city**************************************************

"Homemade bombs are frequently used to settle scores in China, where fertilizer and explosives for construction are readily available and guns are tightly controlled."

For the gun-haters - perhaps you would prefer that criminals simply use bombs instead of guns?

--

=46rom foxnews.com: http://tinyurl.com/4xowh9x

Government Reports Multiple Explosions in South China City Published May 26, 2011Associated Press

BEIJING -- Three explosions, some from car bombs, occurred within a half-hour outside three government buildings in a south China city Thursday, blowing out windows and wounding at least five people, an official and state media reported.

A car exploded outside the prosecutor's office in Fuzhou city, then 10 minutes later an explosion went off at a district government building and 15 minutes later a car exploded outside a drug administration office, said an official at the information office of Jiangxi province, where Fuzhou is located. He declined to give his full name, identifying himself by the surname Zhang.Photos posted on a micro-blogging site showed blown-out window frames, glass shards on the ground and an injured man lying prone outside one government building.

The Xinhua News Agency reported that at the prosecutor's office many of the windows and a car were destroyed, while at least 10 vehicles were damaged at Fuzhou's Linchuan district government building.

Xinhua said at least five people were wounded.While Zhang said the cause of the explosions was not known, Xinhua reported that the culprit was a farmer unhappy about the government's handling of a dispute.

Homemade bombs are frequently used to settle scores in China, where fertilizer and explosives for construction are readily available and guns are tightly controlled.

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