Flag this message VA-ALERT: VCDL mini-update 6/29/09

[zephyp]

Thank God for the VCDL. If you're not a member you shouldn't be reading this. You should be over at the VCDL web site signing up. These folks really take the anti-gun crowd to task.

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1. Article and update on VCDL's battle with the Richmond Coliseum over "Guns Save Lives" stickers
2. National Public Radio does segment on guns
3. Colonial Height fixes web site on CHP application process
4. Lexington corrects statement to gun owner on City's ability to ban open carry
5 Manassas Airport removes "no guns" sign
6. REMINDER: Republican luncheon tomorrow - tough question time

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1. Article and update on VCDL's battle with the Richmond Coliseum over "Guns Save Lives" stickers
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I have spoken to Councilman Connor and to the Mayor's Executive Assistant, Cecilia Garner, recently. Both of them are working on resolving the issue of the Coliseum banning VCDL stickers.

The Coliseum management is now stiffing everyone. They are not returning calls to:

1. City Council members (the Coliseum's management's bosses)
2. Doc Thompson of WRVA
3. Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter

Sounds like Darwinism at work - the stupid ones get weeded out before the smarter ones.

Here is an article on the sticker debacle:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/l ... 05/276663/

Gun-rights advocates say Coliseum staff challenged free-speech rights
Richmond Times-Dispatch
By Will Jones

Published: June 27, 2009

The Virginia Citizens Defense League is used to fighting for the right to carry guns.

But now it's having to defend the right to wear stickers about carrying guns.

The group says officials at the Richmond Coliseum recently attempted to stop members from handing out blaze-orange "Guns Save Lives" stickers before an appearance by radio and television talk-show host Glenn Beck.

"It's bad enough they're trying to trample the Second Amendment. Then you come and attack the First," President Philip Van Cleave said, referring to the U.S. Constitution's guarantees of the right to bear arms and to free speech.

Dolly Vogt, who manages the Coliseum as a regional general manager for SMG, did not respond to three messages Friday. Van Cleave described the incident and his group's concerns to the City Council on Monday. A city spokesman had no comment but said officials are looking into the matter.

Van Cleave said the confrontation occurred June 6 as guests were arriving to see Beck, a defender of guns-rights and other personal liberties. Group members were handing out stickers when Coliseum officials told them to stop and advised that stickers were banned from the city-owned venue, he said.

"Our people stood their ground, [saying] this is public, this is freedom of speech," Van Cleave said.

Then, Coliseum officials turned their attention to people who were wearing the stickers as they entered the building. "They had to throw the stickers away," he said. "They couldn't hide it."

Van Cleave said most people followed the instructions. He said the incident was particularly disturbing because other stickers were being worn into the show without any apparent objection.

"I think that kind of speaks for itself," he said. "It was about our sticker."

Rebecca K. Glenberg, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, said members of Van Cleave's group were clearly within their rights if they were handing out stickers on public property. She said it's less clear whether Coliseum officials could ban stickers but added that any restriction would have to be enforced evenly and be reasonable in a way that's unrelated to content.

"They cannot prohibit stickers about guns while allowing stickers about other topics," she said.

Van Cleave suspects Coliseum officials are still chaffed from last month's challenge by group members that he said established that guns could be brought into the venue if carried openly or concealed with a permit.

"They didn't want to advertise that you could legally carry there," he said.

A list of banned items on the Coliseum's Web site includes laser pointers, backpacks and stickers; however, Van Cleave said his group determined through Internet searches that stickers were added after the Beck show.

He said the Virginia Citizens Defense League isn't looking to file a lawsuit or asking for an apology. [PVC: That's not to say that an apology wouldn't be the right thing for the Coliseum to do.]

"We just want this policy changed and that be the end of it," he said.

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2. National Public Radio does segment on guns
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You can just hear the bias in the moderator's voice and her questions. No one called in, nor did anyone on the show explain, about the fact that in Virginia gun owners are REQUIRED to carry openly in restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages for on premise consumption. Instead they made it sound like the only reason a person would open carry in such a restaurant would be to show that they have the right to do so.

The BATFE agent who was interviewed did a pretty good job and I learned something new: one reason Virginia often gets the blame for guns used in crime outside of Virginia is because of our large, more transient military presence. Someone in the military buys a gun, gets transfered to New York, their gun is stolen and used in a crime and, voila, Virginia is blamed as the source for that gun!

Words mean something. The moderator uses the word "hoarding," when referring to people buying up ammunition. A lot of us buy ammo in volume when it is cheap to save money. So, I guess when the moderator finds a good deal on toilette paper and buys up a bunch of rolls, she is "hoarding" toilette paper?

And Sheriff Morgan of Newport News comes across as an elitist, with a guns-should-be-only-for-cops mentality. A disgraceful position for an **elected** public official:

http://tinyurl.com/mtd9tg

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3. Colonial Height fixes web site on CHP application process
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A member let me know that the Colonial Heights Police web site had misinformation on applying for a CHP. They said it could take up to 90 days and that they would photograph you.

I talked to the officer in charge of CHP background checks, explained the situation, and he called today to confirm the web site had been changed to show 45 days maximum wait and all language about photography has been removed. The title is still wrong: "Concealed **Weapon** Permits." I was told that will be fixed later.

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4. Lexington corrects statement to gun owner on their ability to ban open carry
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Lexington PD and the Lexington City Attorney told a gun owner that the City prohibits open carry.

I made a quick phone call to the City Attorney and left a short message. The City Attorney called back and apologized. He said the City made a mistake when they re-codified that ordinance and that it would be fixed at the NEXT City Council meeting. He said that in the meantime the ordinance is null and void.

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5 Manassas Airport removes "no guns" sign
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VCDL member Ed Levine noticed a "no guns" sign at the Manassas Airport. He contacted the Airport and pointed out that their sign and ban were illegal. He also pointed out that effective July 1, they can be sued and legal fees recovered for just such an illegal ban.

POOF! The wording is now gone.

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6. REMINDER: Republican luncheon tomorrow - tough question time
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This Tuesday, June 30th, at 12:30 PM, the Goochland Republicans are planning a luncheon at Enzo's restaurant in Manakin Sabot. We need as many people to attend as we can get.

**The speaker is going to be Linwood Cobb.**

Who is Linwood Cobb?

Linwood is the 7th District chairman who, year after year, has selected anti-gun Innsbrook as the location to hold the annual Republican Roundup.

VCDL has raised the issue of moving the Roundup to a gun-friendly location with Linwood year and year and he has simply ignored us.

This year we won't be ignored and we are already in the planning stages of a protest for the Roundup in October. More on that in future alerts.

The Roundup is held primarily for Congressman Eric Cantor and Virginia House Delegate Bill Janus. Both Cantor and Janus need to help put an end to this de facto "no guns" policy.

Tuesday, we need members to show up at the luncheon, which is open to the public, to show support for VCDL as we ask Linwood during the question and answer segment why he is putting alcohol over the values and safety of Republican gun owners. (Innsbrook allows alcohol on their grounds and that is why Linwood claims the location is so important that he's willing to accept Innsbrook's "no guns" policy.)

If you wish to eat at the buffet on Tuesday, the cost is $8.75. Otherwise there is no cost to attend.

The luncheon will last no more than 90 minutes.

Enzo's address:

36 Broad Street Rd
Manakin Sabot, VA 23103
(804) 784-2962

I'll be there around 12:15 to handout Guns Save Lives stickers.


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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