VA-ALERT: VCDL Mini-Update 3/25/13

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VA-ALERT: VCDL Mini-Update 3/25/13

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Not yet a VCDL member? Join VCDL at: http://www.vcdl.org/join
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VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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Thought for the day: "I am a gun. I can inflict great hardship and suffering upon many in my path. I can also be used by good men to stop the actions of evil ones. I can end the bloodshed and restore peace." From "I am a gun" by R.G. Yoho.

1. VCDL Membership meeting THIS Thursday in Annandale!
2. Reminder: VCDL speaking in protest of James City County's censorship of Sheriff Deeds TOMORROW
3. Reminder: VCDL President to speak at Bedford Tea Party event on Thursday
4. Good news: Senate votes to stop U.S. from joining U.N. arms treaty!
5. ACTION ITEM - Bad news: Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine betray Virginia gun owners with bad votes
6. "Sandy Hook Massacre" - a book review by VCDL
7. A message of thanks from Executive member Bob Sadtler on a recent VCDL victory
8. More details on home owner shooting teenager in self-defense in Sterling


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1. VCDL Membership meeting THIS Thursday in Annandale!
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The regular monthly VCDL membership meeting in Annandale is THIS Thursday, March 28, at the Mason Government Center.

As with all VCDL meetings, it is open to the public, so bring friends, family, and coworkers!

Fellowship starts at 7:30 PM, with the meeting called to order at 8 PM. The meeting adjourns at 9:30 PM, with continued fellowship at a nearby restaurant for those wishing to do so.

Directions can be found here:

https://www.vcdl.org/node/176

Meeting dates and information can be found anytime on the "Meetings" web page or on the "Calendar" web page on vcdl.org.

VP Jim Snyder has graciously agreed to run the meeting in my stead.


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2. Reminder: VCDL speaking in protest of James City County's censorship of Sheriff Deeds TOMORROW
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The James City County Board of Supervisors got a barrage of emails on Friday. If you didn't send an email to them, let's do so before 4 PM tomorrow (Tuesday)!

If you can attend, please do so. If you don't want to speak, that is OK, as I will ask for those who support our position to please stand. If you want to speak, all the better.

ACTION ITEM #1:

Let's PACK the James City County Board of Supervisors meeting with gun owners and GSL stickers! Those who would like to speak should do so, especially those who live in James City County.

The meeting is THIS coming Tuesday, March 26, at 7 PM at:

James City County Government Center
Board Room, Building F
101 Mounts Bay Rd.
Williamsburg, VA 23185

If you would like to speak at the meeting, you can send in a Speaker's Card **electronically** by going to:

http://www.jamescitycountyva.gov/bos/speaker-card.html

(you must send in the card before 4 PM on 3/23)

As this is a regular local government building, carry should be OK.

ACTION ITEM #2:

Let's fire an email salvo that will overflow the in-boxes of the Board of Supervisors and get their attention!

Email addresses:

jccboard@jamescitycountyva.gov

Suggested subject line:

Reinstate the Sheriff's Second Amendment statement!

Suggested message:

As an elected official of the County, the statement made by Sheriff Deeds showing support for the Second Amendment, part of the Constitution that he and YOU took a solemn oath to support, needs to be put back on the County's web site, where it belongs. At a time when the Constitution is being shredded around the country, the citizens of James City County need to see where their government stands on protecting their rights.

To have removed that statement shows a severe disdain, not only for the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions, but for Sheriff Deeds, and to the voters who have trusted all of you to protect these rights.

Please put the Sheriff's statement back on the County's web site.

Sincerely,

-

WHY WE ARE HOLDING THE PROTEST

After the James City County Sheriff, Robert J. Deeds, posted a statement of support for the Second Amendment on the James City County web site, the Board of Supervisors voted to have it removed! The County Attorney and Supervisor Robert Middaugh seem to be leading the charge to do so, claiming that the Sheriff's statement was political in nature. Not all on the Board agreed with that, with the strongest push back coming from Supervisor Mary Jones (Vice Chair), who fully supported the Sheriff's statement.

Here is the "offending" statement from the Sheriff that was censored from the web site:

“I, and the deputy sheriffs of the Williamsburg-James City County Sheriff’s Office have sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The oath of office we took includes upholding the Second Amendment of the U.S. Bill of Rights and Section 13 of the Virginia Bill of Rights, each guaranteeing our citizens the right to bear arms.

While I am Sheriff, neither I, nor any deputy sheriff in this office will take any action to aid or abet encroachment on this fundamental right of our citizens.”

The Sheriff is a patriot and is reiterating a key part of his oath of office. To some people, like the Sheriff, that oath actually means something. To some of the Board members and their staff, not so much.

A link to a story on the issue:

From wydaily.com: http://tinyurl.com/amr6seg

Video of the County Attorney explaining why the Board was justified, in his opinion, in censoring the Sheriff. It also includes Mary Jones pushing back. Every thing starts around the 94 minute mark:

http://tinyurl.com/c4khw5d


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3. Reminder: VCDL President to speak at Bedford Tea Party event on Thursday
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Those of you in the Bedford area: if you can attend the meeting at the Bedford Central Library, 321 N. Bridge St., Bedford, VA 24523 on Thursday, March 29, 2013 at 7 pm to show support for my presentation on protecting our right to keep and bear arms, that would be excellent! The room will hold 100 people and it would be nice to fill it to capacity. The meeting is hosted by the Bedford Tea Party.


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4. Good news: Senate votes to stop U.S. from joining U.N. arms treaty!
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The U.S. Senate just sent President Obama a message on the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty - DON'T SIGN IT.

From thehill.com: http://tinyurl.com/ahj46no

Senate votes 53-46 to stop US from joining UN Arms Trade Treaty

By Ramsey Cox - 03/23/13 04:36 AM ET

In the last batch of amendment votes to the budget, the Senate voted on several foreign policy proposals.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced an amendment that would prevent the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty in order to uphold the Second Amendment. His amendment passed on a 53-46 vote.

Republicans have been critical of President Obama’s decision to consider the treaty, although Obama has said he would not vote for anything that would violate the Second Amendment.

The U.N. Arms Trade Treaty would regulate international arms sales. Negotiations end on March 28.

“We’re negotiating a treaty that cedes our authority to have trade agreements with our allies in terms of trading arms,” Inhofe said. “This is probably the last time this year that you’ll be able to vote for your Second Amendment rights.”

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) offered an alternative amendment that clarified that under current U.S. law, treaties don’t trump the Constitution and that the United States should not agree to any arms treaty that violates the Second Amendment rights. His amendment passed by voice vote.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said he thought it was irresponsible to be considering major foreign policy decisions at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning.

…


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5. ACTION ITEM - Bad news: Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine betray Virginia gun owners with bad votes
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While the vote in the U.S. Senate in item #4, above, was 53 to 46 for the U.S. NOT to join the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, our two illustrious Senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine BOTH voted AGAINST that amendment (called the Lee amendment)! They also voted against another pro-gun amendment that would have changed the rules in the Senate to require a supermajority (67 votes) to pass gun-control measures. That amendment was called the Inhofe (pronounced "IN-hahf") amendment and failed by a mere 10 votes, no thanks to Warner and Kaine.

A reminder: Mark Warner is up for re-election next year.

Let's call both of our Senators and tell them that their "Nay" votes on the Lee Amendment and on the Inhofe Amendment were both highly offensive and a betrayal of their oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution!

Sen. Tim Kaine: 202-224-4024
Sen. Mark Warner: 202-224-2023


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6. "Sandy Hook Massacre" - a book review by VCDL
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I want to thank EM Dave Knight for taking the time to do the following book review for VCDL!

"Sandy Hook Massacre: when seconds count, the police are minutes away"
by Doug Giles & clashdaily.com columnists, 2012, White Feather Press,
252 pages, ISBN:978-1-61808-059-2

A book review, by Dave Knight

This book is a compilation of almost 60 short articles written between
December 14, 2013 and February 3, 2013, by several authors, and originally
published online at www.clashdaily.com

As a resident of Newtown CT from 1967 to 1997, the shooting at Sandy
Hook elementary school hit very close to home.

As an NRA instructor and 2nd Amendment activist since 1992, this tragedy
brings into sharp focus the sheer folly of "gun-free zones" and the
gun-grabbers' wish list embodied in the currently pending Obama/Feinstein
gun/magazine ban; most elements of which have, for decades, been law in
Connecticut: "universal" background checks on private sales, mandatory
registration, "assault weapon" bans, confiscations, etc.

While some details of the massacre and its perpetrator have been hyped
incessantly by the anti-gun media, these articles provide alternative
perspectives seldom if ever mentioned by "mainstream" news outlets,
including the Fox News Channel, where even Bill O'Reilly advocates
"universal gun registration" yet is unable to say how it prevents crime,
beyond an unsupported assertion that "It just does."

Most of the articles are well written, concise, factually correct, to the
point, with amazingly little repetition, and worth reading. Like most
writing these days, there are split infinitives, misplaced possessive
apostrophes, subject/object pronoun misuse, and at least one made-up word:
"deridation" used to mean "derision", yet it was an enjoyable read,
even for this son of an English teacher.

For readers on a tight schedule, I recommend that you read at least
the following articles:

- "Gun Control and Sandy Crooks", by Marilyn Assenheim, page 110

- "Top Two Reasons to Own a Gun: Thank God & Sam Colt", by John
Kirkwood, page 119

- "The Second War of Independence is Declared", by Kevin Fobbs, page 153

- "The Second Amendment is the Nuclear Option", by Skip Coryell, page 157

- "Gun Control = People Control", by S.C. Sherman, page 173

At $17.95 sticker-price, it's a fairly expensive soft-cover, but you
can save a few bucks at Amazon, $14.95, and you can combine it with
something else for "free shipping".

In addition, ask for this book at your public library. If you are the
first to ask, they probably won't have it. Given the predisposition of
folks that run libraries to be anti-gun liberal/progressives (in my area,
at least), they seem studiously to ignore such books. So, don't be afraid
to request that they "obtain" a copy; it may take a week or two, but it is
definitely worth the wait to prod them into buying it ... our tax dollars
at work, to help inform others!


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7. A message of thanks from Executive member Bob Sadtler on a recent VCDL victory
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Congratulations, YOU did it! Now that Governor McDonnell has signed the concealed handgun permit privacy bill (Senator Obenshain's SB 1335) into law, there is recognition due.

After Ginger Stanley of the Virginia Press Association lied to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, I asked Philip to put out an email calling for information on papers that were publishing lists of permit holders, and you responded.

I want to thank Bobby May, Charles Poindexter, Keith Bernard, Darriel Burnett, Roger Tweedy, Mark Williamson, Dennis Carter, Rick LeBlanc, Ken Elliott (your Dad would be proud), Theron Keller, Eric, Mike H, Neil & Katherine Yeakel, and Mike Carwile.

A special thanks to David Hudgins, Tom Lewis, and Tim Walker, who sent me copies, regularly, month after month!

When the House radically altered the original Senate bill, it was headed back to the Senate for a final vote (or it could have ended up in a conference committee, one of the trickier parts of the legislative process). I wish each of you could have seen the look on the face of Senator Obenshain's Legislative Aide when I brought him a TWO-INCH THICK stack of papers! I've no doubt that it contributed to the ease with which the amended bill sailed through the Senate.

Thanks to all of you for making this happen. Oh, and why not? Thanks to Ms. Stanley for lying and lighting a fire under me in the first place!

Bob Sadtler


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8. More details on home owner shooting teenager in self-defense in Sterling
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From leesburgtoday.com: http://tinyurl.com/cysthfh

Sheriff's Office: Homeowner Gave Warning Before Fatally Shooting Teen
by Erika Jacobson Moore

The homeowner who shot and killed a teenager who entered his home by mistake early Sunday morning gave verbal warnings to the boy and fired a warning shot, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office revealed this afternoon. [PVC: I always advise NOT to fire warning shots for a variety of reasons. In this case, no harm was done by doing so, luckily.]

Caleb A. Gordley, 16, was killed Sunday after he entered his neighbor's home through a window around 2:30 a.m. thinking it was his own. The sheriff's office has confirmed Gordley had been drinking with friends that night. [PVC: Based on the actions of Gordley, I am interested to see the toxicology report. I'm thinking he had something much harder than alcohol in his system.]

According to the sheriff's office, the homeowner gave verbal warnings and discharged his firearm as a warning after discovering Gordley in his home. When Gordley continued up the home's stairwell and into a hallway, the homeowner discharged his firearm several times. Gordley was struck once in the left rear shoulder after passing the homeowner in the hallway and walking toward an upstairs bedroom where the rest of the family was located. He died at the scene.

Sheriff Mike Chapman has said the investigation showed Gordley had no criminal intent when entering the home.

The sheriff's office said the firearm used in the shooting—a .40 caliber pistol—was obtained legally. Several shell casings and rounds were recovered at the scene.

While acknowledging the issue of underage drinking is separate from the shooting, the sheriff's office is continuing to investigate how Gordley and his friends obtained alcohol that evening.

Yesterday, investigators met with members of Gordley’s family to update them on the latest findings in the case and to detail the circumstances surrounding the incident. The homeowner and Gordley's family remain cooperative in the investigation.

The case remains open pending a final report from the Medical Examiner’s Office, including a toxicology report. The results of the investigation are being reviewed by the Office of the Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney, but no determination on whether to file charges will be made until all the information has been received.



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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/]
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