Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Who's coming to Lobby Day?
It's next Monday, a holiday (MLK Day). Kids are out of school....bring them too, and the wife. But don't stop there. Let your neighbors, friends, coworkers, and family know.
We all need to be there to lobby our lawmakers to support gun rights and not give in to our newly elected officials as well and the mayor of NYC. The anti-gun group will be there. We need to greatly outnumber them. We need to be seen by the thousands.

Here's more info at the VCDL website http://vcdl.org/node/215

Thanks for posting that link. I was just trying to find that on the VCDL page.

Added to calendar. Doubt if I'll make it, but will definitely be there in spirit (not that that helps a whole lot...)

Yes, they need to know we're there. But big mobs like that can be a huge PITA to legislators and their staffs even if they are sympathetic to their cause. They all have meetings, hearings, and legislative sessions to go to; and are always busy as a cat covering up crap. So I would urge that everyone that goes make an effort to be cordial and concise. I've spent some time bothering legislators about certain issues up there, and I've always thought there is a delicate balance between making yourself heard and just aggravating a busy man (or woman).

dorminWS wrote:Yes, they need to know we're there. But big mobs like that can be a huge PITA to legislators and their staffs even if they are sympathetic to their cause. They all have meetings, hearings, and legislative sessions to go to; and are always busy as a cat covering up crap. So I would urge that everyone that goes make an effort to be cordial and concise. I've spent some time bothering legislators about certain issues up there, and I've always thought there is a delicate balance between making yourself heard and just aggravating a busy man (or woman).

Even if you don't want to be heard, if you are just seen that will still get their attention.

VaGunTrader wrote:Even if you don't want to be heard, if you are just seen that will still get their attention.

All those orange GSL stickers walking around send a message loud and clear.

I'll be there.

I'm not saying don't go for Lobby Day - just that there are ways we DON'T want to make an impression.

You've got to remember that there's at least one group (and usually more than one) up there every day doing that same thing, and a lot of them are community action and non-profit groups and state agencies trying to get grants and appropriations. That means most of them aren't saying "we want to be left alone and not interfered with" like we are; they're saying "we're special and we're entitled to more money out of that tight budget you have to balance before you leave Richmond". So big mobs of people "being visible", if they manage in one way or another to make a nuisance of themselves is bound to get old pretty quick with the legislators.

One pet peeve I've heard them gripe about is that those groups tie up the elevators and make it hard to get around the building without pounding the stairs. If you've ever been up there jumping from floor to floor to catch your legislators between hearings and sessions to talk about a certain issue, then you know you can stand and wait on an elevator for what seems like forever. So I think it might be a good idea to use the stairs so the legislators don't see those GSL stickers mobbing the elevators and making life complicated. The trick, after all, is to remind them that we are involved and concerned and we are legion without making them resent it.

I want to go, but i have no idea where to meet... I work downtown, thus i have convenient parking at the Coliseum on 7th. Other than that, I am lost at where to meet. I dont know the city well enough yet.

Dave, the entire group will meet in front of the General Assembly building at 8:30 am - best to arrive a little early. Here are all the details: https://vcdl.org/LobbyDay

Yep, out of town. Sucks.

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Hey yall I was going to be there, but I have three very sick kiddos. My eldest is having asthma attacks every few hours, enough that I nearly called for an ambulance last night. So we are stuck at home trying to manage this nasty illness. Have good time...Kick some butt.

I swung by today and there were 8-10 people standing around at the traffic circle. We chatted for a bit and I found that NOT ONE had heard of VGOF.
I told them to google it and join.
We need to make thsi group larger too.
Make sure you take plenty of VGOF cards and hand them out. I need a few myself to hand out. I'll try to get the wife on that since that's her department.

A good turnout, smaller than last year (which was right after the Newtown murders). Everyone I saw was a pleasant and professional as can be.

If you wanted to be there but could not, you can still participate in a meaningful way. Just go to vcdl.org and review the analysis of the bills that are still alive in the process. Then sit down and write a short letter to your delegate and senator (at the very least) and to the committee chairs that are hearing the bills that interest you. Say you wanted to meet them during Lobby Day but couldn't make it; still, you think these bills are so important that you had to communicate directly about them.

Shouldn't take you as much as an hour, which is 1/5 of the time I spent traveling to Richmond and back.

I was there! I was able to speak to a number of folks....some of whom didnt actually duck us!

I was there, our building, and our money paying these people. Attendance is the most important thing regardless of it being crowded. They need a visual of we the people. Many may have pure reason why they couldn't make it but there are many with no excuse. If our rights go to hell I don't want to here the smallest whimper of those that sit on the sidelines and do nothing.

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