Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 12/29/15

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Not yet a Virginia Citizens Defense League 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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VA-ALERT archives: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/727/=now
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1. Pre-Lobby Day dinner information
2. Speakers for Lobby Day on January 18 announced!
3. VCDL membership meetings in Newport News on January 20 and Annandale on January 14
4. HELP: Volunteers needed for the Norfolk SCOPE gun show on January 9 and 10
5. HELP: Shenandoah Valley gun show coordinator needed
6. Delegate Bob Marshall will have a bill to stop Virginia from enforcing any new federal gun control
7. Brave Virginia deputies handling a “man with a knife” call [VIDEO]
8. Thanks to recent gun show volunteers
9. Car pool to Lobby Day from Harrisonburg area
10. Articles on Herring’s attack on recognition of out-of-state CHPs
11. VCDL members make generous contribution to help cover buses
12. Senator Carrico considering defunding security team for McAuliffe and Herring
13. Where Herring and McAuliffe got their ideas for attacking gun rights without legislation
14. York County Sheriff “Danny” Diggs says Herring’s attack on recognition is nonsense!
15. Virginia State Police reciprocity/recognition link
16. McAuliffe's gun trace directive was already in progress
17. Man sought in abduction, robbery of Uber driver in Chesterfield
18. [WV] Prosecutor who took on student with NRA shirt gets suspended for allegedly pulling gun
19. [OK] Newspaper slams "designer error" for calling OSU homecoming parade death to "shootings"
20. [FL] Luckily a CHP holder defied his company's 'no guns' policy
21. [TX] Anti gun man rescued by good samiriatans with guns [VIDEO]
22. [IN] Restaurant encourages customers to concealed carry in response to robbers
23. Sen. Tim Kaine tackles gun loophole
24. No, 10,000 children aren't killed or injured by guns every year
25. Moms unite against gun-free zones
26. The armed citizen bars
27. Understanding the purpose of the military and their "muskets"
28. Gun deaths have dropped 30 percent since 1993
29. Exclusive - -Sheriff David Clarke: Obama is on a 'gun confiscation mission'
30. Poll: 2 out of 3 Americans say focus on mental health, not gun control
31. Annual firearm-related homicides down nearly 50% from 20 years ago
32. Islamic invasion pulls trigger: Europe now scrambles for guns

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1. Pre-Lobby Day dinner information
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VCDL will have a pre-Lobby Day dinner again this year!

Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 beginning at 6:30 pm at

The Hibachi Sushi and Supreme Buffet
Westland Shopping Center
8087 W Broad St, Henrico, VA 23294
(804) 270-7799
https://hibachisushiandsupremebuffet.com/

Yes, they have crab legs on Sundays : ) Parking is great. Holstered open carry is not a problem there ever - please no long guns.

Sunday buffet is $10.95 + tax + gratuity.

We have arranged for a 10% discount on your entire ticket for all VCDL members. Show membership card or completed application at restaurant to qualify. We will have membership applications on hand.

We have room for about 70 people, so we will need to get RSVPs.

RSVP to: dale@vcdl.org

In the subject line, put “Dinner” and then the number in your party. Put your name and phone number in the text of the email.

Thanks to Board member Dale Welch for making the arrangements.


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2. Speakers for Lobby Day on January 18 announced!
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Our keynote speaker this year is somebody who knows about the evils of gun control all too well. Gun control began in the United States as a way to keep blacks and other minorities from being able to own guns and it is still being used for that purpose, as Shaneen Allen was reminded.

Shaneen Allen is a young, single, mother with two children. She had just gotten her CHP in Pennsylvania in 2013 and was stopped in New Jersey for a traffic violation. She had been told by her instructor that her permit was honored in other states and that she should let the officer know she had a permit if stopped. She didn’t realize that New Jersey did not honor her permit, so she dutifully notified the officer and was promptly arrested and charged with a felony.

While the prosecutor had the option of dropping the charges for a first-time offense if she took a pre-trial intervention class, he denied her that option, choosing to fully prosecute her. (Meanwhile, that same prosecutor let a football player who was charged with a felony domestic violence charge off with the pre-trial intervention option.)

A call went out on VA-ALERT and other gun groups did the same. The outcry was enormous and, in the end, New Jersey Governor Chris Christy pardoned her.

You can only imagine the nightmare Shaneen was living through.

Some of the other speakers at Lobby Day are:

* Delegate Todd Gilbert, who had the best pro-gun voting record in the House in 2015

* Senator Bryce Reeves, who shares the best pro-gun voting record in the Senate in 2015 with Senators Mark Obenshain and Ben Chafin

* VCDL EM John Wiiburn, a realtor in the Blacksburg area who, amongst many other things, was on the leading edge of pushing realtors to get CHPs

* Member Brendan Mooney, who is a survivor of a mass shooting in a mall in Washington State


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3. VCDL membership meetings in Newport News on January 20 and Annandale on January 14
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NEWPORT NEWS MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Mark your calendars for January 20, 2016 from 7:30 to 9:30 for a VCDL membership meeting in Newport News!

Location:

Newport News Police Community Education And Outreach Center,
10188 Warwick Blvd.
Newport News, VA 23601

The location is just South of Historic Hilton. We'll use the meeting room to the left of the museum. Parking is limited, but there's more at the public tennis courts a
block north, near the railroad tracks.

We will be talking about what happened on Lobby Day, the status of gun legislation, VCDL's ad campaign, and more.

As with all VCDL membership meetings, this one is open to the public, so bring along friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers!

Thanks to member Paul Burgener for arranging the meeting!

—

ANNANDALE MEMBERSHIP MEETING

VCDL’s monthly Annandale membership meeting is on January 14. Fellowship beings at 7:30 PM, with the meeting called to order at 8 PM and adjourning at 9:30 PM.

Since this meeting is BEFORE Lobby Day, we will be talking about Lobby Day, some of the gun legislation on the General Assembly’s docket, and more.

As with all VCDL membership meetings, this one is open to the public, so bring along friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers!

Directions:

For directions, click here:

http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html


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4. HELP: Volunteers needed for the Norfolk SCOPE gun show on January 9 and 10
**************************************************

We’re looking for volunteers to work the VCDL table at the upcoming gun show at Norfolk SCOPE. Thanks to our Governor and AG, 2016 is going to be very busy year. And one of the most helpful things you can do is to come out to a gun show, meet lots of really neat people, talk guns, and spread the word about VCDL. Just tell 'em Mark and Terry sent you.

The next gun show at NORFOLK SCOPE is 9th and 10th of January. The shifts are as follows:

Saturday 9 January
9:00 to 1:00
1:00 to 5:00

Sunday 10 January
10:00 to 1:00
1:00 to 5:00

If you’d like to work a shift, please contact the Norfolk Gun Show Coordinator, Chip Marce, at norfolkgunshows@vcdl.org


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5. HELP: Shenandoah Valley gun show coordinator needed
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We need a second gun-show coordinator to help David Sayen in the Shenandoah area. Due to lack of a second coordinator, VCDL has not had booths at several gun shows out that way recently.

If you are interested in being a gun show coordinator in Shenandoah, please send an email to me at: president@vcdl.org


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6. Delegate Bob Marshall will have a bill to stop Virginia from enforcing any new federal gun control
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Perfectly constitutional and a great way to fight against future Executive Orders coming from the White House.

http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/20 ... the-state/

or

http://tinyurl.com/gv8s3ye


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7. Brave Virginia deputies handling a “man with a knife” call [VIDEO]
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I was impressed with is video showing just how far these Shenandoah County deputies went to not shoot a deranged man with a knife, when they clearly had the right to do so. Hats off to these deputies for a dangerous job well done:

http://www.policeone.com/police-product ... ObHIA5w5ss

or

http://tinyurl.com/zkf32te


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8. Thanks to recent gun show volunteers
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From time-to-time we like to thank our gun show volunteers that help make VCDL so successful. Here are the volunteers from a recent Salem gun show:

Sherrill Smith, Ed Noell, Ed & Connie French, Bill Noell, Al Steed Jr, Sherrill Smith, Ken Modica, Kathy Smith, Dave Knight, and Clint Perdue


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9. Car pool to Lobby Day from Harrisonburg area
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Member Robert Motensen is interested in carpooling from the Harrisonburg area to Lobby Day on January 18th. If you are interested, you can contact Robert at: 540-908-4235


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10. Articles on Herring’s attack on recognition of out-of-state CHPs
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http://freebeacon.com/issues/virginia-a ... ciprocity/

or

http://tinyurl.com/zzgotza


—

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/vi ... d=pm_pop_b

or

http://tinyurl.com/zjsmwnn

—

http://www.pilotonline.com/news/governm ... d5203.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/hvmhbjg

—

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/23/us/vi ... share&_r=1

or

http://tinyurl.com/q8d8ua6

—

From North Carolina:

http://abc11.com/news/virginia-revokes- ... c/1132293/


—

McAuliffe claiming “All we’re doing is enforcing the law.” He forgets that common sense is part of enforcement of laws.

http://wtop.com/virginia/2015/12/mcauli ... g-the-law/

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Kerry Dougherty weights in from the Virginian-Pilot:

http://www.pilotonline.com/news/local/c ... e8dbf.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/hl2soqf

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My interview on a North Carolina GunBlog (Sean D. Sorrentino), which begins about the 37-1/2 minute mark [AUDIO]:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/gunblogvariet ... tyCast.mp3

—

http://www.richmond.com/opinion/their-o ... 7626f.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/z6cyo9v

—

TV interviews I was on in Richmond:

http://wric.com/2015/10/15/gun-advocate ... -politics/

http://wtvr.com/2015/12/22/concealed-ca ... n-permits/


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11. VCDL members make generous contribution to help cover buses
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Roanoke members Moni & Bill Hendersen couldn’t make it to Lobby Day on January 18th, instead they contributed a very generous $300 toward the buses that VCDL has lined up for that day!


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12. Senator Carrico considering defunding security team for McAuliffe and Herring
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Hey - we shouldn’t FORCE McAuliffe and Herring to be surrounded by men carrying those icky guns. Senator Bill Carrico thinks it would make sense to defund their security teams. VCDL agrees.

Well, McAuliffe and Herring could get their own CHP for self-defense, but, of course, their permits wouldn't be good in their own offices or in any other state-agency buildings…

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/va-ti ... M.facebook

or

http://tinyurl.com/zgtfuru

—

I always get a belly laugh whenever McAuliffe, of all people, says someone else is having a “temper tantrum.” Here is an article saying McAuliffe is not worried about Carrico’s bill:

http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/g ... 855cf.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/zvl7h43

—

Another article:

http://bearingarms.com/va-gop-may-strip ... led-carry/


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13. Where Herring and McAuliffe got their ideas for attacking gun rights without legislation
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Just following the anti-liberty agenda to abuse their executive powers.

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues ... or-action/

or

http://tinyurl.com/qdba6gj


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14. York County Sheriff “Danny” Diggs says Herring’s attack on recognition is nonsense!
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How’s this for a Sheriff who gets it?

http://wavy.com/2015/12/23/new-gun-law- ... forcement/


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15. Virginia State Police reciprocity/recognition link
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http://www.vsp.virginia.gov/Firearms_Reciprocity.shtm


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16. McAuliffe's gun trace directive was already in progress
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McAuliffe sounding like he is doing something, when he’s not.

EM Dave Hicks emailed me this link:

http://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/mc ... e0317.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/nj9jw2y


McAuliffe's gun trace directive was already in progress
by Mark Bowers, Richmond Times-Despatch
October 25, 2015

RICHMOND — One of Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s new gun-control directives that would have police trace every firearm used in a crime is essentially already being done, either through the state’s 22-year-old Criminal Firearms Clearinghouse or law enforcement participation in the federal Electronic Tracing System.

Notwithstanding the directive, Virginia has the largest law enforcement participation rate of any state in the interagency sharing of data on recovered crime guns and investigative traces of those weapons, a federal law enforcement official said.

A total of 246 of Virginia’s 340 law enforcement agencies use the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Electronic Tracing System, or eTrace, and 191 of those agencies have signed on to share crime gun trace data through an enhancement of the program launched two years ago, according to ATF figures through April.

More than 68,000 firearms have been recovered and traced in Virginia through eTrace during the past nine years, for an average of 7,500 a year, according to ATF data.

More than 7,400 of those traced firearms were tied to a weapons offense, and 1,580 were linked to a homicide. The largest number of traced firearms — 16,077 — involved a weapon police found in someone’s possession, the agency said.

Two weeks after a gunman killed nine people and then himself at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, McAuliffe signed an executive order with measures he said were designed to “keep guns out of dangerous hands.” One of those directs Virginia State Police to set a policy to request the tracing of every gun used in a crime in Virginia and to work “with local and federal law enforcement to accomplish this goal.”

Some law enforcement officials in the state privately have questioned this element of the governor’s order and wondered if it was just for show, since Virginia already has strong police participation in one of the best available programs to trace guns.

“I agree that Virginia law enforcement already strongly participates in the eTrace program to track the sources of guns used in criminal activities,” said Dana Schrad, executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. “We are meeting with staff from the governor’s and attorney general’s offices to get a better understanding of the objective of the task force” that McAuliffe created to direct state resources toward gun prosecutions.

“We’re also helping to identify chiefs to participate in the task force who have experience in their regions with straw purchases and gun sales that bypass the background check process,” Schrad added. “I can’t speak for the governor or the attorney general, but this appears to be an effort to address the unauthorized sale or transfer of guns through an administrative and enforcement effort rather than a legislative effort.”

McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy said the purpose of the governor’s gun-tracing directive is “for state police to more forcefully engage local law enforcement on the use of these programs to expand their use.” The governor is not seeking the creation of any new programs.

“I think the governor believes that, if our goal is to bring more successful prosecutions of violations of current gun law when it comes to sales and transfers [of firearms], we need to be collecting and sharing as much information as we can about crime guns,” Coy said. “And that means making sure as much as possible that Virginia law enforcement is using these trace programs as effectively as possible, because this is a key piece of our efforts to gather the information that we would need to charge and prosecute people who are violating our gun laws.”

Coy said the governor’s directive could involve state police offering guidance or consulting resources about gun tracing to local police agencies, but additional funding for that purpose would not necessarily be available.

Virginia already is a leader in the number of law enforcement agencies willing to share crime gun data.

In summer 2013, Virginia became the test state for a planned, nationally linked program that allows every law enforcement agency in the state — if they choose to participate — instant access to a shared database of records of recovered crime guns and investigative searches of those weapons.

Virginia law enforcement participation in the free program has grown more than sevenfold since the first 25 agencies signed on two years ago.

Largely because of Virginia’s success, the enhanced eTrace program has been expanded to all 50 states. Virginia is the leader in participating agencies, with 191, according to ATF data through April. Illinois is second with 80 agencies, followed by Florida with 64, Ohio and Texas with 46 each and North Carolina with 44.

Virginia is “head and shoulders above everybody,” said ATF Special Agent Charles Houser, chief of the agency’s National Tracing Center.

Houser doesn’t know whether all 246 of the Virginia law enforcement agencies using eTrace use the program to track every crime gun they recover. But “what you have in Virginia is a pretty darn aggressive, comprehensive program in which I think you’re getting a large enough database to draw some pretty valid conclusions … about defining the illegal gun crime problems across the state.”

The shared information can help authorities link a suspect to a firearm in a criminal investigation, identify potential gun traffickers and straw purchasers, and detect intrastate patterns regarding the sources and type of weapons used in crimes.

Virginia also has in place the Criminal Firearms Clearinghouse, which the General Assembly established in 1993 and directed state police to maintain. Under state law, law enforcement agencies statewide are required to complete a special form for every firearm they recover or obtain that has been used in the commission of a crime or collected as evidence at a crime scene.

Police then submit those forms to state police for inclusion in the clearinghouse repository. Virginia law enforcement submitted information on more than 14,000 firearms recovered during the past five years, state police said.

But state police said the repository does have limitations due to a lack of funding for software updates or additional manpower to manage the program, state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said. Also, not every law enforcement agency participates, she said, because they “opt to upload their information into the more advanced and accessible eTrace.”

Coy said that if state police determine that local police agencies are using eTrace “as absolutely as effectively as possible,” then perhaps no additional measures would be needed. “But I think some of the information we’ve collected is that we can do more through eTrace,” he said.

Coy said there are many Virginia localities using eTrace technology “to great effect.” But “we just want to make sure that it’s as many as can be.”

A firearms trace is conducted when a law enforcement agency recovers a firearm at a crime scene and requests information regarding its origins to develop investigative leads.

The eTrace system allows police to submit electronic gun trace requests, monitor the progress of those traces, retrieve completed trace results and query other trace-related data in the ATF’s Firearms Tracing System database. The National Tracing Center processed more than 364,000 inquiries on firearms recovered by police in 2014.

State police electronically traced 291 firearms in 2013 and 303 more last year. Locally, Richmond police, Henrico County police and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office in the past two years electronically traced 1,757, 491 and 201 firearms, respectively. Numbers for Chesterfield County police were not immediately available.

In Henrico last year, eTrace was instrumental in determining that two revolvers recovered by police after a drive-by shooting had been stolen from a residence in Prince George County hours earlier. The information resulted in police recovering other property stolen during the break-in and the prosecution of those responsible.

“If not for eTrace, we would never have known the guns were stolen, the proceeds [from the break-in] would have never been discovered [and] recovered, and the individuals responsible for the B&E would never have been prosecuted for the crime,” Henrico police Lt. Chris Eley said.


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17. Man sought in abduction, robbery of Uber driver in Chesterfield
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Member Ken Martin emailed me this:

Uber prohibits firearms in their vehicles. This bad guy must not have known that. [PVC: Or more likely the criminal did know and used that to his advantage.]


http://www.richmond.com/news/local/crim ... 6d0a2.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/prxr4cq


Man sought in abduction, robbery of Uber driver in Chesterfield
By Mark Bowes Richmond Times-Despatch
October 26, 2015

Chesterfield County police are seeking a man who officers said abducted and robbed a female Uber driver Sunday, forcing her into the trunk of her car. The woman was eventually let go unharmed.

Police said the driver picked up a man about 7:45 p.m. in the parking lot of the Walmart at 900 Walmart Way, off Midlothian Turnpike. During the trip, the man asked the driver to stop at the Union Bank branch at 13700 Midlothian Turnpike. After they arrived, the man displayed a gun and forced the driver into the vehicle’s trunk, police said.

The suspect then drove the vehicle, a silver-blue 2012 Hyundai Accent hatchback, away from the bank. While he continued to drive, he demanded money from the victim and stopped at several locations, police said.

At one stop, the man used the victim’s debit card to obtain funds at the Village Bank branch at 1120 Huguenot Road. The suspect then drove the victim to Rockwood Park and fled with her purse and cellphone. The victim drove to another location and called police.

Police described the suspect as black, 20 to 30 years old and 6 feet tall with an average build. He had short, dark-colored hair and wore glasses. He was wearing dark-colored work clothes with an emblem, possibly a name tag or company logo, on the shirt, police said.

Anyone with information can call Chesterfield police at (804) 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at (804) 748-0660 or www.crimesolvers.net.


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18. [WV] Prosecutor who took on student with NRA shirt gets suspended for allegedly pulling gun
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Tell me again, who was the high school student and who was the adult during the original prosecution?

Member Walter Jackson emailed me this:


http://www.breitbart.com/big-government ... lling-gun/

or

http://tinyurl.com/nbcv8lv


Prosecutor who took on student with NRA shirt gets suspended for allegedly pulling gun
by AWR Hawkins
October 29, 2015

West Virginia prosecutor Chris White has been suspended from his position for allegedly pulling a gun in the law office and pointing it at spiders that were part of Halloween decorations.

Heavy.com reports that White “was one of the prosecutors in the controversial case against a Logan County eighth grader Jared Marcum…two years ago.” Marcum was arrested for “obstruction and disturbing the education process” after wearing a NRA t-shirt to school.

According to CBS Pittsburgh, Logan County Prosecutor John Bennett said “several secretaries in the office” where White allegedly pulled the gun had “decorated for Halloween.” White “apparently suffers from arachnophobia and became irate over the decorations” and allegedly pulled a pistol and “threatened to shoot the spiders.”

Bennett added:

[White said] they had spiders everyplace and he said he told them it wasn’t funny, and he couldn’t stand them, and he did indeed get a gun out. It had no clip in it, of course they wouldn’t know that, I wouldn’t either if I looked at it, to tell you the truth.

The Logan County Chief Deputy M.A. says a criminal investigation is underway.


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19. [OK] Newspaper slams "designer error" for calling OSU homecoming parade death to "shootings"
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Bloomberg had a special seminar for the media a few months ago. They were probably told to push the idea of a “shooting” every chance they got to push an anti-gun agenda. So, when someone murders people by intentionally running them over, that’s a “shooting” as far as the media goes.

Member Bill Busby emailed me this:

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/christiner ... s-n2071453

or

http://tinyurl.com/ouyp54x

Newspaper slams "designer error" for calling OSU homecoming parade death to "shootings"
by Christine Rousselle
October 26, 2015

On Saturday, a car plowed through a crowded intersection during Oklahoma State University's homecoming parade. Four people were killed and dozens were injured, and the driver of the car, Adacia Chambers, is being charged with four counts second-degree murder.

But according to one newspaper, the Traverse City Record-Eagle, this incident was... a shooting.

No bias here. @RecordEagle blames "shooter" for drunk driver's homecoming parade crash. pic.twitter.com/gtm8NHCdWB
— Bob Owens (@bob_owens) October 26, 2015

For the record: A car is not a gun.

Here's their [correction] excuse:

Because of a page designer's error, a misleading headline appeared on page 3A in Sunday's Record-Eagle accompanying a story about a driver who struck and killed four people at the Oklahoma State University homecoming parade on Saturday.

As Matt Vespa wrote earlier today, gun deaths are actually dropping, despite what people may think. It's mind-blowing that a paper, which presumably has editors, could miss something like this.


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20. [FL] Luckily a CHP holder defied his company's 'no guns' policy
**************************************************

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/10 ... rning_Test

or

http://tinyurl.com/nqscu5t


When two armed suspects confront him and demand cash, he was likely glad he defied his company's 'no guns' policy
By Jon Street
October 27, 2015

A Domino’s Pizza delivery driver who was approached by two armed men on the job was likely thankful that he had his own gun to fight off the would-be attackers.

It happened Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida, when police say the driver was out delivering and two men confronted him with a gun and demanded money. But the driver wasn’t about to let the would-be robbers make him a victim, so he pulled out his own gun and shot one of them, WJAX-TV reported.

Domino’s spokesman Tim McIntyre told TheBlaze that while the company prefers that drivers do not carry weapons Florida state law supersedes any company’s policy.

“In this case, the employee of the independently owned franchise has a concealed carry permit and was not charged with anything. We’re simply grateful that he was unharmed,” McIntyre said.

Crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson told WJAX-TV that the incident was an act of self-defense and that the delivery driver was totally in the right to protect himself with the gun he had.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department said the suspect who was shot was in serious condition. It was not clear whether the second suspect, who was not shot, was arrested.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheBlaze.


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21. [TX] Anti gun man rescued by good samaritans with guns [VIDEO]
**************************************************

http://vidmax.com/video/125231-Anti-Gun ... -With-Guns

or

http://tinyurl.com/pocegq4


Anti gun man rescued by good samaritans with guns
By Heisenberg
October 9, 2015

You don't believe in guns. But what do you do when a criminal attacks you? CALL SOMEONE WITH A GUN


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22. [IN] Restaurant encourages customers to concealed carry in response to robbers
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Member James Durso emailed me this:


http://dailycaller.com/2015/10/26/resta ... o-robbery/

or

http://tinyurl.com/opypmpv


Restaurant encourages customers to concealed carry in response to robbers
By David Hookstead
October 26, 2015

Indianapolis restaurant Papa Roux doesn’t want to be robbed again, so the owner is encouraging customers to bring guns to the restaurant in response to a Saturday night armed robbery.

In fact, owner Art Bouvier wants customers to start coming armed so badly that he is offering a 25 percent discount for every customer who is carrying a concealed weapon, according to The Indianapolis Star.

Bouvier posted an explanation in further detail on his Facebook page.

“I don’t want Papa Roux to turn into the O.K. Corral, but I don’t want to be an easy target,” Bouvier told the Star.

Saturday night a robber claiming he had a gun entered Papa Roux demanding that he be given all the cash. Bouvier instituted his new discount policy for customers carrying a concealed weapon in part to stop people from experiencing the fear of a robbery again.

“I’ve told my employees that money is replaceable, your lives are not,” he said. “Everyone is a little shaken up today; my manager can’t shake the feeling of helplessness, but I don’t want her to fear this happening again.”

Bouvier also admits he is a fan of the Second Amendment and wants to reward people who are legally carrying guns.

“We’re not saying, ‘Show us your gun.’ But if you’re a legal and stable carrier of a concealed carry license, I’m going to reward that. To me, it’s common sense. And until further notice, you’ll get 25 percent off your bill,” Bouvier said.

Some customers have said that because of the new policy they will be avoiding Papa Roux, but Bouvier said those people are “minuscule” compared to customers who support his decision.


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23. Sen. Tim Kaine tackles gun loophole
**************************************************

Senator Gun-Control, aka Senator Kaine, is trying to infringe on the Constitution again.

http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/sen ... id=2254482

or

http://tinyurl.com/pkvou8v


Sen. Tim Kaine tackles gun loophole
by Leah Small
October 28, 2015

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine is one of four U.S. senators trying to close a loophole that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check isn’t completed after 72 hours -- even if the buyer is legally prohibited from purchasing a gun.

Kaine says that the loophole has allowed the sale of thousands of guns to illegal buyers, including the firearm used by Dylann Roof in the deadly attack at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, this summer.

The Background Check Completion Act was proposed today by Sens. Kaine and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Diane Feinstein, D-Calif. It would require a completed background check on every gun buyer who purchases a firearm from a federally-licensed gun dealer.

Under current law, if a criminal background check indicates that a firearm purchaser may have a criminal record, the FBI tries to determine whether the purchaser can legally buy a gun. If this process takes more than 72 hours, the sale can proceed even if the FBI hasn’t determined the purchaser’s legal status. The 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech “wouldn’t have happened but for a glitch in the background record check system,” said Kaine, who served as governor during the rampage. “What we learned painfully through the loss of those 32 people and all of the families that were affected,” he said, “was the better the background check system you have, the safer you will be.”

The bill is endorsed by the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, spokesman Ladd Everitt said.

“For too long, our legislators have prioritized gun industry profits over the safety of our families,” he said. “This bill is an important signal that we value the lives of our loved ones far too much to allow guns to be transferred without a complete background check.”

But the length of time it took to run a federal background check on the Charleston shooter wasn’t to blame, said Lars Dalseide, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association. “The tragic event in Charleston took place 64 days after the federal background check was run,” he said. “The problem was a lack of communication between federal and state agencies and not the amount of time that passed.”

Dalseide said the senators “should focus on solving those problems instead of using a tragedy to attack the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.”

An FBI background check flaw was widely reported as allowing Roof to purchase the weapon. After he tried to buy a handgun April 11 in West Columbia, South Carolina, the FBI examiner assigned to his paperwork was unable to find a conviction for a felony drug arrest on his rap sheet. A fatal flaw was that the Lexington County sheriff’s office in South Carolina was mistakenly listed as making the arrest. While the examiner waited for more definitive answers following the wrong turn, the gun was sold to Roof on April 16, after the 72-hour window had passed for the gun dealer to hear back from the FBI.

On the local level, gun control has become a pivotal issue in the 10th District Virginia Senate race. The Michael Bloomberg-backed Every Town for Gun Safety Action Fund brought unprecedented attention to the race through a $700,000 ad buy for Democrat Daniel Gecker.

The television ad features Andy Parker, the father of 24-year-old Roanoke reporter Alison Parker, who was gunned down during a live interview alongside her cameraman, Adam Ward. Andy and his wife, Barbara, quit their jobs to travel the state in support of legislators in favor of gun control, and quickly are becoming the faces of the issue within Virginia. Republican candidate Glen Sturtevant, who has an A rating from the NRA, countered Gecker with ads that say he’s against gun violence and criticizes the candidate’s out-of-state donations.

The 10th Senate District covers all of Powhatan and parts of Richmond and Chesterfield County. The seat is held by long-time Republican Sen. John Watkins. The November contest joins the 29th District race as one of two contests in the state that is likely to determine which party runs the Republican-controlled state Senate.


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24. No, 10,000 children aren't killed or injured by guns every year
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Member Billy Huckleberry emailed me this:


http://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/ ... r-n2073128

or

http://tinyurl.com/nmhzusv


No, 10,000 children aren't killed or injured by guns every year
by Matt Vespa
October 30, 2015

Our sister site Twitchy posted about this pro-gun control tidbit from CNN’s Sally Kohn, where she wrote that guns kill or injure 10,000 kids a year, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. In all, she was trying to say that given these figures, shouldn’t we regulate firearms in the same fashion as we do cars and children’s toys?

Recently, my CNN colleague Mel Robbins made a startling point. Robbins was on "Legal View" to discuss the case of an 11-year-old who shot and killed an 8-year-old neighbor when host Ashleigh Banfield noted that 10,000 children are killed or injured by guns every year.

[…]

…10,000 kids die or get injured because of guns every single year and we can't pass even the most measly common sense safety laws?

[…]

For sure, there's no Second Amendment right to Easy-Bake Ovens. But the Second Amendment doesn't mean we have to hand out guns like candy without reasonable safety precautions and regulations.

Even conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia says, regarding guns and the Second Amendment, "There are some limitations that can be imposed." And simple measures like requiring universal background checks and restricting semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines are supported not only by a majority of Americans but a majority of gun owners.

Oh, where to begin with this piece? For starters, we don’t give out guns “like candy.” Legal gun owners go to dealers who have federal firearms licenses, which means they’re required by law to conduct a background check for all purchases. The same applies for online sales as well. In that scenario, you still have to go through a background check. You may be able to buy the gun online, but you have to ship by a local FFL dealer so they can run the check before you leave with your firearm. The majority of states already incorporate mental health records into the National Instant Background Check System (NICS), and that’s a provision that should be expanded. The problem is that Democrats and anti-gun progressives don’t want to have a serious debate about mental health in this country.

So, unless you want to buy a gun illegally from the trunk of someone’s car, which is also incredibly shady, then go right ahead, but if you’re caught–you should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Second, Kohn seems to have followed into the trap, like most in her circle, about gun definitions, which is why I’m suspect on any poll showing support for new gun control laws–specifically those that call for bans on semi-automatic firearms. Again, semi-automatic means self-reloading, and discharges one round per trigger pull. Millions of these firearms are in circulation. Millions of Americans own them. And they’re readily available. Fully-automatic firearms are legal for civilian use, but you’ll have to go through the ATF, pass a background check process that could take up to a year, maybe longer, and your name gets added into a federal database.

A ban on semi-automatic firearms is a gun ban. Period. And they’re not popular, given that support for a handgun ban, which is a semi-automatic weapon system, is near a record low.

So, what is Kohn saying when she writes, “restricting semi-automatic weapons”? Is this just a soft way of saying she’s on the gun confiscation bandwagon Hillary Clinton seems to be channeling, along with some editors (and writers) at the Washington Post? It wouldn’t surprise me, nor does it shock me that liberals find terms like "semi-automatic" and "AR-15" scary. Fun fact: a hunting rifle packs more power than a round fired from an AR-15 rifle. And rifles and shotguns are rarely used in crimes, but you knew that already.

As for the 10,000 kids are killed or injured claim, it’s quite the digestif, given the president’s ludicrous figure on gun deaths which he included in his address the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Chicago on Tuesday. He said that 400,00 people have been shot or killed since 9/11. Of course, the president included suicides to inflate the numbers.

With this 10,000 kids figure, the 2014 study claimed that 7,000 kids are injured with gunshot wounds, with an additional 3,000 dying before they can make it into the emergency room; that point was repeated on Think Progress, NBC News, and MSNBC.

Via NBC News:

The new study “highlights the critical effect that firearms are having on children’s health and safety,” said Patrick Tolan, a professor of education and psychiatry at the University of Virginia and director of the Youth-Nex, the U. Va. Center for Positive Youth Development. “It’s clear that this needs to be a part of the conversation about firearms. There’s been such a strong focus on whether somebody’s liberty might be fettered.”

The high number of accidental injuries, especially in the youngest children, underscores the need for parents to keep guns locked in a safe place that is separate from where ammunition is stowed and secured, Leventhal said.

[…]

If you look at homicide as a function of age, you’ll see that there is a peak between 18 and 20, Webster said. “So for this very high risk group of 18- to 20-year olds, we think it’s too dangerous to drink beer, but in 45 states they can legally possess as many handguns as they like.

“We have weak laws, and for that we pay a dear cost.”

Well, that last remark certainly captures the bias within the sciences concerning firearms, but let’s go through the figures because I’m sure you’re not the only ones thinking these are way off. John Cardillo, a Blaze contributor, noted that there were only 1,085 homicides in the under 18-age group, according to the FBI’s figures on murder victims from 2014. There were also 8,124 total murders committed by firearms last year, which constituted a 3.9 percent reduction from 2013’s figures.

Concerning safety, the National Shooting Sports Foundation using data from the National Safety Council found that in the last decade, “the number of unintentional firearm-related fatalities involving children 14 years of age and under has decreased by 28 percent and by 74 percent over the last 20 years.” They also added that firearms are less than 1.5 percent of all unintentional fatalities among children under the age of 14. Between 1991-2011, the number of fatalities from firearms within the home dropped 50 percent. By 2011, unintentional deaths from firearms at home constituted less than one percent of all fatalities.

Of course, we should be doing everything to emphasize gun safety. It’s a cornerstone of the National Rifle Association. Expanding background checks in their current form won’t stop mass shootings; Oregon showed us that. Laws that only impact the law-abiding won’t impact gun violence. Violent crime is down, gun homicides/deaths are down, and yet the left still thinks America is a shooting gallery. Guns are regulated in the United States. And if the anti-gun left wants* to move the needle on this issue, they could start by quitting peddling unadulterated crap when it comes to facts and figures about gun politics.

Last Note: The leading cause of accidental deaths among children under five is drowning.

*I mean, they’ll try and most likely fail…again.


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25. Moms unite against gun-free zones
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I like this effort, which will save lives, unlike what Everytown is trying to do.

Member Rick Evans emailed me this:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 ... ree-zones/

or

https://tinyurl.com/pemsxc4


Moms unite against gun-free zones
By Charisty Stutzman
October 26, 2015

As the mom of a high schooler, choosing the right college is a major point of discussion at our house these days. We’re asking a lot of questions like: Does it offer reasonable tuition? Should it be close to home or far away? Does it offer the right training for the major he is considering?

Like millions of concerned moms out there, my first priority has always been the safety of my children. I can’t imagine the heartache and feeling of helplessness those moms feel who have lost their children to senseless acts of violence at school. It’s devastating.

The horrific mass shootings that have occurred on school campuses over the past few years have revealed a major weakness in our education system and it’s one that is topping my list of priorities for my son’s choice of college. My No. 1 priority is to know with assurance that my son will be kept safe in every way and that, if attacked, he will have the ability and freedom to defend himself. Yes, by all means, we need to discuss the current lack of adequate treatments for mental health. There are obviously major issues that need to be addressed in that area of health care. But until that complicated subject is honestly addressed and corrected, there is one sure-fire, no-fail way to keep our kids safe: No Gun-Free Zones.

Looking at every mass shooting on record, since 2009, one thing is clear: Gun-free zones don’t protect, they endanger. The Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) released a report in 2014 showing that 92 percent of mass public shootings between January 2009 and July 2014 took place in gun-free zones. Have we become so politically correct that we are willing to ignore the facts to the detriment of our children’s safety?

“Gun-free zone” sounds so good; utopian, almost. But a philosophical paradise does not protect our kids. A gun-free zone is a fallacy. When nice ideas don’t translate into reality, it’s time to face the truth. A gun-free zone doesn’t scare away a predator. It’s actually even more of an invitation for those with evil intentions who seek to attack the weak.

It was Ronald Reagan who said, “Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid.” So, “good” moms of America, I’m asking you to join the Mothers Against Gun-free Zones — M.A.G.Z. Let’s stand united against gun-free zones in our schools. Let’s make “evil powerless” by being “good” and courageous enough to reject the politically correct ideas that sound good but fail our kids. Let’s make “evil powerless” by finding a real solution to the problem.

My sons are the best things I have in this world. They are good, kind and generous. My high schooler wants to go into law enforcement or the military some day, so he can, as he puts it, “protect people.” He really is the protector in our family and we have taught him to respect fire arms as a means of last resort in self-defense. He is an excellent shot and if he were ever in a situation where a mad-man was on the loose, he would be the one helping people escape while making moves to take out the shooter. But if he had no armed security nearby or no means of self defense, it would be a recipe for another tragedy.

They say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It’s time we realized that gun-free zones are a fallacy. It’s time we demanded that schools put in place adequate protection or defense mechanisms for our kids. Solutions like armed campus security or public statements that a school’s campus is not a gun-free zone would be a good start.

Parents, please join me in requiring colleges to include in their slick presentations some key points about how they plan to protect our kids. And to all of the “Mr. College Reps” out there: Don’t try to sell me on how safe your campus is for my child because it is “gun free.” I want to know your plan to fend off attacks before they happen by being proactive about your security or allowing kids who have been properly trained to serve as “campus watch” members or whatever it takes.

Show me how you plan to keep my child safe! That’s college priority No. 1 for this mom. Once you show me that, then we can talk majors, programs and tuition. So, I’m Just Sayin’: Safety first, educators. Safety first.


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26. The armed citizen bars
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Member John Hilton emailed me this:


http://www.americas1stfreedom.org/artic ... izen-bars/

or

https://tinyurl.com/osq7oeu


The armed citizen bars
October 29, 2015

Anti-gunners like to clutch their pearls whenever facilities that serve alcohol allow firearms, as if patrons will come in armed, drink heavily and start shooting up the place. These armed citizens prove that customers and employees at bars have the same basic need for self-defense as anyone else. Armed, they were able to save their own lives and the lives of others. (And just as a reminder, it’s illegal to carry a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.)

Two armed robbers might have thought they had the advantage against four people who were out having fun, but one of the would-be victims played the role of equalizer. Police say two gunmen in a parking garage ambushed the quartet after they left a Milford, Conn., tavern at 1:30 a.m. The robbers demanded that the targeted victims hand over their valuables, and one assailant shot one of the four tavern patrons in the neck. Another member of the group returned fire with his licensed firearm, wounding one of the culprits, a 23-year-old man. An alleged accomplice fled the scene but turned himself in about a week later. Both suspects have been charged. (The Milford Mirror, Milford, Conn., 3/5/15)

A group of women were enjoying themselves at the Cork! wine bar when a man they did not know pressed his leg against their bistro table, violating their personal space. One woman asked the man to move away. The man became upset, flipped the table over and punched the woman in the face. After the assault, another customer intervened and ordered the man to leave. The assailant grew more agitated and pulled a knife as he walked toward the customer. An employee entered in time to see the knife, prompting him to pull out a handgun and order the assailant to the ground. He was held and gunpoint until police arrived. (The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash., 8/12/14)

Bill Gies, a manager at Woody’s Wharf, was getting ready to leave the bar and eatery sometime after 3 a.m. He was in the office sending an email when he noticed something on the office security monitor: a suspicious man on the patio picking up a table umbrella. Gies dialed 911 and described the man in the security footage, then told the dispatcher that he was armed. Soon thereafter, the suspect punched through the office’s glass window, unaware that Gies stood just inside with a Glock. Gies pointed the handgun and the intruder and yelled, “Freeze!” The suspect then fled the scene and reportedly remains at large. (Daily Pilot, Balboa Peninsula, Calif., 8/6/14)

When an altercation between a man and a woman escalated at the Shoop’s Bar, the man was escorted out. As the troublemaker was being ushered out of the building by the bar’s bouncer, he turned and drew a pistol. He began firing inside the main area of the bar, striking the woman as well as two others. Twenty-five-year-old Aaron Childers, the bar’s bouncer, acted quickly, drawing his own gun and returning fire, killing the shooter. It was reported that the three injured individuals did not sustain life-threatening wounds and are expected to recover. (The Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, W.Va., 12/14/13)

Three men armed with what appeared to be real guns, but were later determined to be air pistols, entered the Concertina Beer Hall in Milwaukee, Wis., and demanded cash. Owner Andy Kochanski responded by retrieving a gun and firing at the criminals, striking one and causing the others to flee. A former firefighter, Kochanski administered CPR to the wounded criminal before authorities could arrive at the scene, but the robber later died. Kochanski later told a media outlet, in regards to his attempt to save the criminal, “That’s who I am, you know. I’m a firefighter, even though I don’t have my badge anymore. I always will be a firefighter.” The following night Kochanski reopened his bar and was greeted by a throng of well-wishers. Milwaukee County prosecutors have noted that Kochanski will not face charges. The incident was the second time in five years that Kochanski was forced to protect himself, his customers and his bar. At a 2008 Christmas party at the beer hall, Kochanski was forced to fire a .45-caliber pistol at a pair of robbers toting a sawed-off shotgun. (The Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Wis., 8/16/13 and 12/21/08; TMJ4, Milwaukee, Wis., 8/20/13)


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27. Understanding the purpose of the military and their "muskets"
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Member Ray Kasey emailed me this:

This article is very good. It even states the AR-15 was in civilian hands six years before it was in our military's hands. While that should be common knowledge, I hadn't thought about it or heard it before. Makes sense though.

That fact would be a good talking point.


http://bearingarms.com/modern-american-militia-musket/

or

https://tinyurl.com/ol47db9


Understanding the purpose of the military and their "muskets"
By Bob Owens
October 25, 2015

The Founders feared that a federal army would be used as a tool of tyrants to oppose the citizenry.

That was a smart take, for if we look at world history, federal militaries have been the weapon of bloody butchery far more against their own citizens than they have been deployed to fight in the defense of their citizens in foreign wars.

As we’ve often noted here in recent months, governments of the 20th century murdered 262 million of their own people in domestic purges called democides, far more than they did in combat between nations during that bloody century.

In every instance, the population to be slaughtered was disarmed “for the common good” first.

The Founding Fathers, having just won a war against a powerful Army that was oppressing its own citizens in the service of a tyrant, was clearly against centralized control of military units. They stated a clear preference for local militia.

We, dear friends, are that militia, as codified in U.S. law.

We are the massive irregular force known as the unorganized militia of the United States.

* * *

After the dismal failure of Yankee marksmanship during the Civil War when compared against the much more competent marksmanship of Confederate soldiers, a group of Northern officers came together to charter an organization in 1871 to improve the marksmanship of the unorganized militia for the benefit of the entire nation.

Today, that same unorganized militia training organization still exists.

It has roughly 100,000 certified instructors teaching both basic firearms safety and rifle, shotgun, and pistol marksmanship. They help construct firearms training centers, and hold marksmanship competitions with military-style arms to help ensure that the militia is in proper working order, or as the Founders used the term, well-regulated.”

You know this organization well. They have more than 5 million members, and are more than twice the size of the organized U.S. military, and they exist to ensure that the people are armed and competent with arms as a check against tyranny as the Founders intended.

They are the National Rifle Association.

* * *

Some people who want to ban common firearms today are wedded to the idea that the Founders could not conceive of today’s weapons.

These people are in for a surprise.

It is true that the two firearms most “in common use” (as the U.S. Supreme Court would later use the term) during the American Revolution were muskets.

Variations of the .75-caliber British “Brown Bess” muskets were the most common muskets fielded by both sides, though American forces also heavily used the 1763 and 1766 models of the .69-caliber French Charleville.

They were not, however, the only tools of that war. There were rapid developments in the field of small arms worldwide in terms of both range and firepower from the 1760s to the 1790s.

Riflemen were used by both sides, and one of the most historically interesting rifles was developed by a British officer. The breach-loading Ferguson rifle fired two to three times as fast as the musket, at twice the range. It was used effectively in combat at the Battle of Brandywine, but fortunately for the Continentals, Major Ferguson was injured and his unit with these hard-hitting, fast-firing rifles was disbanded before their worth was truly proven.

Americans were experimenting with advances in firepower as well.

The Continental Congress originally ordered 100 of Joseph Belton’s “new improved gun”—a superposed chain-firing machine gun that would fire 20 rounds in 5 seconds—in 1777.

Yes, George Washington almost became the first general in military history to deploy machine guns.

Congress ended up canceling the order when Belton’s price for his guns proved to be too high.

The .46 caliber Girandoni repeating air rifle, created circa 1779, would be an assault rifle by today’s standards. Thomas Jefferson owned two of them, and eventually sent at least one of the two west with Lewis & Clark.

Yes, the The Founding Fathers were very aware of fast-firing “assault rifles” with detachable magazines.

They owned them, and could purchase them a full decade before before the Second Amendment was even written.

* * *

Today, the single rifle most “in common use” among the unorganized militia is the AR-15, a cousin of the military M4 and M16 which has been on the civilian market considerably longer than the M16 has been in military service.

It was introduced to the American civilian shooter in 1963.

The selective-fire variant adopted by the U.S. military as the M16A1 wasn’t fielded until 1967, and wasn’t the standard service rifle until 1969, six years after you could buy an AR-15 at your local sporting good store.

* * *

When you read the exact words of the Founding Fathers, they make it very, very clear that they wanted the citizenry armed with weapons of contemporary military utility, in order to pose a credible threat to the government. Today, that means AR-15s, AKMs, and similar “assault weapons” with magazines that would be militarily useful, including the standard 20- and 30-round magazines common to most of these weapon systems.

Put bluntly, any law that bans so-called “assault weapons” and other militarily-useful arms and magazines is blatantly and flagrantly unconstitutional, regardless of the opinion of any elected official or appointed judge.

* * *

That the Founders wanted to threaten the government may seem jarring to our contemporary sensibilities, but you must grasp a very basic fact: we are a nation founded by insurrectionists.

These very same insurrectionists wanted to always ensure that the citizenry retained more military force than than government could bring to bear against us, and that means we should always have more guns, and better guns, than the military.

Historically, the American citizen has been far better armed than the American solider.

It is only a very recent development—within the past generation—that the U.S. government has begun denying citizens the right to own small arms on par with or better than that fielded by the U.S military, and only in the past few months that they’ve begun threatening to confiscate all arms with their fixation on “Australian-style” gun confiscation, and language suggesting that it is “common sense” for Americans to disarm “for the common good.”

Here in reality, we know world history, and we know that a government calling for you to disarm is a government that has ill intentions.

Now is when we lay in arms, ammunition, accouterments, and training, and guard against the day the Founders always knew would come.


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28. Gun deaths have dropped 30 percent since 1993
**************************************************

Member Billy Huckleberry emailed me this:


http://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/ ... 3-n2070955

or

http://tinyurl.com/plxhn3x


Gun deaths have dropped 30 percent since 1993
By Matt Vespa
October 26, 2015

Conservatives have been saying it for months and now new data back up the claims. America isn’t a shooting gallery. Our schools are not war zones. And there is no gun violence epidemic. According to Pew Research, homicides rates have stabilized, with the overall gun death rate dropping 30 percent since 1993:

Several mass shootings this year have brought renewed attention to the issue of gun violence in America, and President Obama has again called for Congress to change the nation’s gun laws.

But the increased spotlight on guns does not reflect the overall gun violence trend in the country. Although most Americans think the number of gun crimes has risen, the U.S. gun homicide rate has actually stabilized somewhat in recent years, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of death certificate data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[…]

The nation’s overall gun death rate has declined 30% since 1993. This total includes homicides and suicides, in addition to a smaller number of fatal police shootings, accidental shooting deaths and those of undetermined intent. For example, in 2013 there were 467 fatal police shootings, up from 333 in 2009.

Yet, Pew did note that suicides are growing, which is something that needs to be tackled, hopefully in congruence with reforming our mental health system. In 2013, Pew found there was a 49 percent drop in gun homicides between 1993-2010. The Bureau of Justice Statistics marked a 39 percent drop in gun-related homicides between 1993-2011, roughly the same period. Recently, the FBI noted a 3.9 percent drop in gun homicides between 2013 and 2014. The numbers might be different, but the conclusion is the same: gun homicides are down.

So, there is no need to curb Second Amendment rights with onerous and ineffective new gun laws, like expanding background checks, which have proven to be unable to stop mass shootings. Oregon has a universal background check law. Chris Harper-Mercer was still able to commit an horrific shooting at the Umpqua Community College in Roseburg since he didn’t break any laws, nor was he involuntary committed for mental health issues. Most mass shooters buy their firearms legally, and share a character profile that’s found in millions of young men who don’t commit murder. So far, the gun control crowd has offered no serious policy solutions in trying to curb gun violence; it’s mostly grounded in talking points more appropriate for a fundraising mailer than a policy debate.


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29. Exclusive-Sheriff David Clarke: Obama is on a 'gun confiscation mission'
**************************************************

Member Rick Evans emailed me this:


http://www.breitbart.com/big-government ... n-mission/

or

http://tinyurl.com/o22d2xu


Exclusive-Sheriff David Clarke: Obama is on a 'gun confiscation mission'
By AWR Hawkins
October 31, 2015

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, in an exclusive conversation with Breitbart News, weighs in on the gun control push by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in Chicago and President Barack Obama’s recent references to Australian-style gun confiscation as a way forward for America.

We first asked Sheriff Clarke about IACP’s new focus, whereby it turned from pushing longer prison sentences for criminals to pushing gun control exclusively, particularly universal background checks. The organization partnered with the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence (NLEPPGV) in this endeavor.

Sheriff Clarke says:

I was extremely disappointed when I heard that my fellow law enforcement executive colleagues had gotten into bed with Obama and his gun confiscation mission. That’s really what it’s about. It’s not about reducing violence, it’s not about reducing mass murder or suicides. The real intent of Obama and these gun groups is gun confiscation and they know they are going to have to do it step by step. They’re not going to be able to go after that today, as there would be fierce blowback. So they are doing it in stealth ways and this IACP meeting is one of those ways.

Clarke indicated the NLEPPGV has embedded itself with the IACP, and that doing so is a “slick” way of not simply getting its message out but of making it look like law enforcement really does support more gun control. Clarke pointed out that funding for groups like NLEPPGV comes from the Ford Foundation, which he described as part of an “anti-Second Amendment crusade.”

He then said, “It is important to understand that the the chiefs who met in Chicago speak for themselves, they do not speak for the law enforcement profession.” Yet he lamented that the chiefs had aligned themselves with the NLEPPGV.

Clarke said:

We, in law enforcement, have an obligation to be on the side of crime victims. Not on the side of the criminal element. Gun control has nothing to do with the crime and violence that these chiefs see in their cities on a daily basis and they know it. But many of them, especially in your large urban centers, are under the thumb of anti-gun, soft on crime, mayors. And they have to sing from the same sheet of music that their mayors are singing from.

But the crime and violence we see in our cities and counties is not the result of a lack of background checks, and these chiefs know that. The research and data are there. Criminals don’t care about laws in general and they don’t care about gun laws or gun restrictions. They will find a way to get around those. And that’s why I ultimately say that the chiefs’ push for more gun control has nothing to do with reducing violence. Rather, it has to do with gun confiscation.

Clarke pointed to Obama’s October 27 speech to the chiefs in Chicago, in which he said, “It is easier for young people in this city and [communities around the country] to buy a gun than it is to buy a book.” Clarke said that this is Obama doing his best to continue to soften up the American people; to convince enough of them that we do need more gun control laws and to finally get Congress to agree.

We talked with Clarke about Obama’s not-so-subtle comments on gun confiscation via an Australian-style gun ban, and of the fact that Hillary Clinton also pointed to an Australian-style gun ban on October 16 at Keene State College. So we asked how much more conditioning might be required before the actual confiscation of guns can be pushed on the American people?

Clarke responded:

They won’t be able to it before Obama leaves office. Now, under a Mrs. Bill Clinton presidency, who knows. But even they know it’s down the road. I don’t know how far, but these people are slick, they are stealth in how they go about it. What they do is lay the groundwork, they pave the road approaching their ultimate goal of confiscation.

What Obama will try to do with his remaining time in office is further weaken the Second Amendment and frustrate the ability of people to keep and bear arms and purchase guns without having to jump through unreasonable hoops. Then the next person will take it step further, then the next person, then the next, and suddenly you realize gun confiscation is within reach. And that is their goal.

Between now and then they will go step by step, slowly conditioning the American people to buy into the lie.


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30. Poll: 2 out of 3 Americans say focus on mental health, not gun control
**************************************************

Member Clayton Rhoades emailed me this:


http://www.breitbart.com/big-government ... n-control/

or

http://tinyurl.com/p8da59j


Poll: 2 out of 3 Americans say focus on mental health, not gun control
By AWR Hawkins
October 16, 2015

After a week of polls showing the American people reacted to the Umpqua Community College (UCC) shooting with stronger support for gun rights than gun control, a Washington Post-ABC News poll released October 26 shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans also believe Congressional focus ought to be on fixing our mental health system instead of talking about more gun laws.

According to The Washington Post, the poll shows that 63 percent of Americans believe mass public attacks like the one at UCC “reflect problems identifying and treating people with mental health problems rather than inadequate gun control laws.” Only 23 percent of Americans believe such attacks show the need for more gun control.

And if we break down poll responses by political parties we see the continuation of a similar pattern–namely, that Second Amendment support is coming from Republicans and independents while the driving force behind gun control is the Democrat Party. For example, in the Washington Post-ABC News Poll 82 percent of Republicans and 65 percent of Independents says mass public attacks show the focus should be on mental health rather than the passage of more gun control laws. Only 46 percent of Democrats agree with the Republicans and independents on this.

Moreover, when asked about gun rights versus gun control, the Washington Post-ABC Poll showed that seven out of 10 Republicans say the focus should be on gun rights while seven out of 10 Democrats want more gun control.

Breitbart News previously reported that the responses to a recent Gallup poll show a similar breakdown among political parties regarding concealed carry in America. Gallup showed that 56 percent of Americans believe more concealed carry would make America safer while 41 percent of Americans believe more concealed carry would make America less safe. The pro-concealed carry position was driven by Republicans and independents; eighty-two percent of Republicans believe more concealed carry would make the U.S. safer and 56 percent of independents agree. The anti-concealed position was driven by Democrats, 67 percent of whom believe more concealed carry permit holders will make America less safe.


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31. Annual firearm-related homicides down nearly 50% from 20 years ago
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Member Walter Jackson emailed me this:


http://www.breitbart.com/big-government ... years-ago/

or

http://tinyurl.com/qjtxogn


Annual firearm-related homicides down nearly 50% from 20 years ago
By AWR Hawkins
October 24, 2015

On October 21, Pew Research Center released findings that show the annual rate of firearm-related homicides in America declined by nearly 50 percent between 1993 and 2013.

That’s the same time period in which The Washington Post (WaPo) reported that firearm ownership doubled in the United States.

The WaPo did not put a figure on the number of privately owned guns in America. Rather, they estimated that that average gun owner went from owning 4.1 guns in 1994 to owning 8.1 in 2013. Breitbart News used Congressional Research Numbers to show that this means the 192 million guns owned privately in 1994 grew to 310 million or more in 2009 and to an estimated 350 million in 2013.

And PEW Research shows that this surge in privately owned guns did not correlate with an increase in firearm-related homicides but with a plunge in the annual firearm-related homicide rate, which fell from 7 per 1oo,ooo Americans in 1993 to 3.6 per 100,000 in 2013.

Complimenting this 20-year doubling of the number of guns owned by Americans is the fact that concealed carry permit holders nearly tripled between 2007 and now. According to the Crime Prevention Research Center, the “4.6 million” concealed permit holders of 2007 grew to over “12.8 million” permit holders in 2015. That means the last five years of the surge in gun ownership also coincided with a surge in carrying guns in public for self-defense.

Combining these findings and applying them to the times in which we live make clear that in the very year that gun control groups like Moms Demand Action and Gabby Giffords’ Americans for Responsible Solutions were founded to fight gun violence, Americans were embracing the freedom to buy approximately 150 million new guns and to carry many of those guns for self-defense.


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32. Islamic invasion pulls trigger: Europe now scrambles for guns
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Member Mark Shinn emailed me this:


http://www.wnd.com/2015/10/islamic-inva ... -for-guns/

or

http://tinyurl.com/qhq564l


Islamic invasion pulls trigger: Europe now scrambles for guns
By Leo Hohmann
October 26, 2015

Austrians are arming themselves at record rates in an effort to defend their households against feared attacks from Muslim invaders.

Tens of thousands of Muslim “refugees” have poured into Austria from Hungary and Slovenia in recent months on their way to Germany and Sweden, two wealthy European countries that have laid out the welcome mat for migrants. More than a million will end up in Germany alone by the end of this year, according to estimates from the German government.

Obtaining a working firearm and ammunition in Germany, Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands is practically impossible for the average citizen. Germany, for instance, requires a psychological evaluation, the purchase of liability insurance and verifiable compliance with strict firearms storage and safety rules. And self-defense is not even a valid reason to purchase a gun in these countries.

The laws in Austria, while still strict, are a bit less overbearing.

A Czech TV report confirms that long guns – shotguns and rifles – have been flying off the shelves in Austria, and Austrians who haven’t already purchased a gun may not have a chance to get one for some time. They’re all sold out.

And those arming themselves are primarily women.

“If anyone wants to buy a long gun in Austria right now, too bad for them,” the Czech newscaster says. “All of them are currently sold out.”

He cites the Austrian news outlet Trioler Tageszeitung as the source of his report.

“We cannot complain about lack of demand,” Stephen Mayer, a gun merchant, told Trioler Tageszeitung.

He claims the stock has been sold out for the last three weeks and that demand is being fueled by fears generated by social changes.

“People want to protect themselves,” Mayer said. “Nonetheless, the most common purchasers of arms are primarily Austrian women.”

They are also buying pepper sprays, which Mayer said are in big demand among those who can’t get a gun.

Alan Gottlieb, executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation, said he recently returned from a gun rights event in Europe, where he sensed a change in attitude toward firearms.

“I just returned from a gun rights meeting in Belgium, and I can attest that all over Europe people now want the means to defend themselves,” Gottlieb told WND. “Self-defense is no longer a dirty word. In countries like Austria, where it is still legal to own a firearm, gun sales are at record levels. I can tell you first-hand that people in Europe now wish they had a Second Amendment.”

More potential new customers are entering the market than ever before, according to the Czech report.

Until the refugees started flooding Europe, it was mostly hunters and sport shooters who purchased firearms. Now, people are seeking weapons for self-defense because they are worried about their personal safety. Most have never used a gun before.

So-called "projectile weapons" are available in Austria under two classifications, C and D, which are rifles and shotguns. Every adult Austrian is legally able to apply for a weapons permit but must disclose to the government their reason for wanting to own a gun.

The Czech station cited an interview with a sociologist and an Austrian journalist, both of whom said the weapons purchases were based on unfounded fears about foreign migrants.

'Something is very wrong here'

The Viennese sociologist, identified only as Mr. Gertler, said no such fears about migrants should ever be published by any Austrian news outlet.

A journalist named Wittinger said "something is very wrong here" if Austrians are buying guns to protect themselves against migrants.

"Shotguns will not, after all, solve any immediate problems, quite the contrary," he said.

The Czech TV station then reported that Islamists are promising: "We will cut the heads off unbelieving dogs even in Europe."

"Look forward to it, it's coming soon!" the Czech newscaster said.

ISIS-trained jihadists are now returning as European citizens or they are trying to infiltrate as migrants. In one propaganda video an ISIS operative informs his comrades back home in Germany to slit the throats of unbelievers in Germany, Czech TV reports.

"Overall, the ministry of interior stated that Germany is in the cross-hairs of Islamic terrorists but that he does not have any indications of specific threats," he said.

Bracing for another Islamic invasion

The Czech site reflects awareness of a major event in Western history, said Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America.

"Polish King John Sobieski defeated the Muslim invaders at the gates of Vienna in 1683. Another Muslim invasion is underway and Austrians are alarmed, hence their run on gun stores," Pratt told WND. "Women are right to be concerned in view of the Muslim view of women that they are good for raping and little else."

The Czech TV report cited the Arab Spring as the root cause for the flood of Muslim migrants into Europe.

"More and more, the whole thing is turning into the situation that we will experience the much-touted Arab spring from very close up – right here at home," the reporter said. "What's more, many European are alienating large part of their own populace with unfortunate social and multicultural politics, merciless removal of children, unfair seizures and trading on traditional European values and with policies which are usually less friendly toward conservative and traditional native inhabitants and leans toward that portion of inhabitants who have little trouble with globalization and nonchalant liberalization, removal of traditions and Islamization. Yet we will not be able to rely on it, that portion of (population) once the Arab Spring comes here. And that will probably be, as they say, closing the barn after the cows are gone.”




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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/]