VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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VCDL Update 3/25/10
1. Reminder: Lynchburg meeting on April 6th
2. Firearms in Wolf Trap
3. U.S. gun rights advocates pack heat with pride
4. France VCDL article, translated through Google
5. Spain VCDL coverage [VIDEO]
6. New VCDL membership benefit: member discounts web page!
7. The G.A.: 'Virginia is for (gun) lovers'
8. Police divided on repealing the restaurant ban
9. LTE about Senator Petersen in previous VCDL Update 3/18/10 was from prominent anti-gunner
10. Firearms programs on Direct TV
11. Letter to VA Fraternal Order of Police
12. Poll -- should police departments destroy confiscated firearms?
13. VCDL Update 3/18/10, Item 8, #2
14. God, guns, and gays
15. Letter: to all neo-liberals and neo-conservatives
16. News release: 2nd Amendment March
17. Limit one per customer
18. 1 in 5 = 8,000 home invasions every day in North America
19. New law permits guns on the Blue Ridge Parkway
20. Maryland needs our help passing a CHP recognition bill
**************************************************
1. Reminder: Lynchburg meeting on April 6th
**************************************************
Member Joe Seiffert lined up a gun-friendly restaurant for us to go to
after our membership meeting in Lynchburg on Tuesday, April 6th:
Monte Carlo
3230 Old Forest Road
Lynchburg, VA.
The meeting will begin at 7 PM and is going to be held at:
Solid Rock Baptist Church
110 Church St
Madison Heights, VA
We will be discussing the legislative session and other things of
interest to Virginia gun owners.
VCDL will have a table there for those wishing to purchase some of
VCDL's "stuff"
As with all VCDL membership meetings, they are open to the public, so
bring your friends, family and coworkers!
Thanks to Pastor David Cash for letting us use the facility and to
Board member Al Steed, Jr. for coordinating.
I'll see you there!
**************************************************
2. Firearms in Wolf Trap
**************************************************
Government considers lawn area "part of a building"
Bill Heath emailed me this. This is your government working AGAINST
you. Petty bureaucrats ripping away your freedoms. VCDL is weighing
its options.
--
Philip,
I finally got a response from the NPS about carrying a firearm in the
"lawn area" of the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park.
Apparently, between the Park Service and their Solicitor Office, they
have determined that the lawn area is "part of a building".
In my opinion, this is quite a stretch, but I'm not surprised as
government bureaucrats often do whatever they can to restrict our
freedoms.
Sincerely,
Bill Heath
--------
Dear Mr. Heath,
This responds to your e-mail inquiry about the recent Federal firearms
law,
now codified at 16 USC 1a-7b, and its impact at Wolf Trap National
Park for
the Performing Arts, located in Virginia.
Federal Law 16 USC 1a-7b generally allows individuals to possess
firearms
in a Unit of the National Park System, if such possession is also in
compliance with other Federal laws as well as the laws of the State in
which the park unit is located.
In that regard, 18 U.S.C. 930 is another Federal law, and it generally
prohibits firearms within a Federal facility. Further, the term Federal
facility is defined at 18 USC 930(g)(1) as a "building or part thereof
owned or leased by the Federal Government, where Federal employees are
regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties."
The Park Service in consultation with our Solicitor's Office, has
determined that the entire Filene Center, which also includes the
amphitheater areas located inside its ticketed entrances, qualifies as a
Federal facility under 18 USC 930(g)(1). To alert the public,
appropriate
signage has been posted conspicuously at each public entrance to the
Filene
Center.
As to your question regarding firearms at private restaurants at Wolf
Trap
National Park for the Performing Arts, it is the Park Service's policy
to
defer to its concessioners to decide for itself whether to prohibit
firearms, as long as such authority is also authorized under State law
such
as at Va. Code Ann. 18.2-308(O). In the event that a restaurant
concessioner in our park decides to prohibit firearms, appropriate
signage
will be posted conspicuously by the concessioner at each public
entrance to
the restaurant.
Thank you for your interest in Wolf Trap National Park for the
Performing
Arts.
Duane Erwin, Chief Ranger
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Virginia 22182-1643
Office # (703) 255-1822, Fax # (703) 255-4009
**************************************************
3. U.S. gun rights advocates pack heat with pride
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/yk6d6ch
http://www.vancouversun.com
U.S. gun rights advocates pack heat with pride
By Virginie Montet, Agence France-Presse
FALLS CHURCH, Va. - About 60 gun rights activists gather in a pizzeria
in the Virginia suburb of Falls Church, just outside of Washington DC,
their firearms openly displayed in waist holsters.
They are celebrating what they expect will be the successful enactment
in Virginia of legislation expanding gun rights for residents.
Republican Governor Bob McDonnell has pledged to sign the measure.
With gun control legislation stalled at the federal level in Congress,
a number of states have taken matters into their own hands to make it
easier for residents to pack heat.
As many as 43 states already have some form of open-carry laws that
allow citizens to carry firearms in plain view.
"Gun laws (authorizing openly carrying weapons) and popularity of gun
ownership have been going up considerably," said Philip Van Cleave,
president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, carrying a
.40-caliber semiautomatic pistol strapped to his belt. [PVC: They got
that quote wrong. No authorization needed for open carry!]
Many gun rights proponents feared that President Barack Obama's
administration would take steps to curb gun ownership, but Van Cleave
said this has not happened.
In fact, says John Pierce, co-founder of the pro-gun group
Opencarry.org, Obama "has done more for us than anybody in recent
history," by spurring gun owners to organize at the grassroots level.
Also positive, they said, was Obama's decision to allow guns on Amtrak
trains and national parks.
"There is absolutely no reason for gun owners to feel insecure at this
point," he said.
According to some estimates, roughly 200 million guns are in
circulation in the United States in a population of just over 308
million.
Only seven states ban the carrying of firearms openly.
In Virginia, where residents can already openly carry firearms, the
new law would expand gun rights to allow concealed carry permit
holders to bring loaded weapons into establishments that have a liquor
license, including bars, nightclubs, restaurants, pizza parlors and
bowling alleys.
"It's legal here, it's been a right since the beginning of the
country," says gun owner Rose Brahin, a retired 64-year-old secretary.
"We need to protect our right because if you don't use it they are
going to take it away."
Even mass killings like the 2007 shootings of 31 people at Virginia
Tech University, a short drive away, have not shaken the conviction of
gun rights proponents.
"I carry a firearm for personal protection. I openly carry to show my
support for the Second Amendment (to the Constitution) which is our
right to bear arms," said 23-year-old student Elizabeth Webb, carrying
a Smith & Wesson .38.
"It's a personal responsibility to defend your life in the event of an
attack."
Ray Fary, a 53-year-old equipment operator, said carrying a gun is
becoming more accepted.
"In most places I go, they treat the pistol as if it may as well be a
cellphone or something else you carry under the belt," he said.
Coffee shop giant Starbucks Corp. was forced recently to wade into the
gun rights debate, reluctantly saying it would allow customers to
openly carry firearms into its stores, as long as they are in
compliance with local laws.
The decision sparked outrage among anti-gun activists.
"I don't think having at the next table a guy with a gun is a relaxing
way to drink a coffee," said Jill Lucas of the group Protest Easy
Guns, which is pressing for more background checks on gun owners and
tougher gun control laws as a way to stem gun violence.
While gun rights activists say Virginia is the vanguard, others say
the state is asking for trouble.
Virginia Beach police chief Jake Jacocks wrote to the governor, "We
can fully expect that at some point in the future a disagreement that
today would likely end up in a verbal confrontation, or a bar fight,
will inevitably end up with gunfire if you sign this legislation into
law." [PVC - This is the same lame argument used to try to undermine
shall issue - that there will be shoot outs over fender benders and
shopping cart collisions. None of these hysterical hand wringing
events has happened. Since it doesn't happen now with people open
carrying and allowed to
drink, how does allowing concealed hanguns with no drinking now make
it dangerous? Ah, there I go again, mixing logic and reason with gun
control!]
**************************************************
4. France VCDL article, translated through Google
**************************************************
The computer translated this article from French to English, so some
of the wording is a little strange:
http://tinyurl.com/ycabbo6
http://www.lexpress.fr
In the U.S. state of Virginia, love showing off weapons in public
By AFP, published on 20.03.2010 at 21:51 - updated on 20/03/2010 at
21:50
FALLS CHURCH (USA) - In Virginia, supporters of firearms have never
been happier and the Americans do not hesitate to "assert their right"
to show off their weapons in public.
In a pizza restaurant in Falls Church, a suburb of Washington, members
of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), celebrate the weapon
in his belt, the forthcoming adoption of a measure liberalizing the
carry of 'weapons in bars and restaurants in the state of the east
coast.
"Owning a weapon is becoming increasingly popular," assures Philip Van
Cleave, president of the VCDL, a .40 caliber semi-automatic on his belt.
The fear of an Obama administration change the gun laws in a
restrictive sense - which has boosted sales after the election of the
first black president - has given way to relief: "So far, it has
nothing that justifies that concern, "said AFP Van Cleave.
The Democratic administration has even given the green light to carry
weapons in national parks and on trains (in his luggage). As the
Supreme Court, after allowing handguns in Washington, she plans to
extend this right to the few states or municipalities where there is
limited.
"It's Obama who has done more for us in recent history," said John
Pierce, co-founder of Internet Opencarry.org Network, which campaigns
for the right to carry arms visibly.
In the United States, which circulate 200 million guns for 300 million
inhabitants, only seven states ban carry a loaded weapon in public.
In Virginia, very liberal state in the matter, the weapon must be
visible, unless you have a license to conceal, but in bars and
restaurants that serve alcohol, it is necessary to demonstrate its
equipment. This should soon change, however, allowing consumers to
carry a revolver under his jacket.
"Wearing a weapon is a constitutional right and should use it,
otherwise we will remove us," says Rose Brahin, a retiree of 64 years,
a revolver in his holster and a badge on his chest: "Guns save lives.
Tragedies like the shootings at Virginia Tech where a student
unbalanced killed 31 people in 2007, not shake his belief that "if
every student had a weapon on campus, there were fewer deaths."
"I carry a weapon visible to show my support for Second Amendment
guarantees our right to have a weapon," said Elizabeth Webb, 23, a
student, a .38 Smith and Wesson size.
Like other respondents, it is never used them but says it is ready for
the worst: "It is our responsibility to defend ourselves in case of an
attack," she said, adding that it regretted a once for not having a
weapon when an individual in France, has bothered to train.
"People do not even notice the" gun belt, ensures Ray Fary, 53, "is an
accessory like any other, as a phone.
Some have however recently moved to Virginia and California before
manifesting in Starbucks for direct, in vain, the chain does not serve
consumers armed.
"I do not think that having a neighbor, a revolver in his belt at the
next table is the best way to have a quiet coffee, sorry Jill Lucas of
Protest Easy Guns, an association against the liberalization of
weapons .
A concern shared by Virginia police chiefs who saw the green light for
concealed weapons in bars "recipe for disaster".
**************************************************
5. Spain VCDL coverage [VIDEO]
**************************************************
Same story as some of the other foreign newspapers, but this has some
video:
--
http://tinyurl.com/yag85x3
**************************************************
6. New VCDL membership benefit: member discounts web page!
**************************************************
VCDL is proud to announce a new member benefit: discounts!
Many vendors (and the list is constantly growing) have offered to
provide VCDL members a discount for simply showing their VCDL
Membership card.
You can check out the member discounts list at:
http://www.vcdl.org/static/discounts.html
If you are not yet a member of VCDL, maybe it is time to join and take
advantage of the member discounts. You can join right now, by going to:
http://www.vcdl.org/static/signup.html
If you own a business which you would like listed or if you know
someone with such a business, send an email to Ed at:
Discounts@vcdl.org
Many thanks to EM Ed Levine, who came up with the idea and who is
keeping the data up to date for us, and to EM and VCDL webmaster, John
Pierce, for his technical expertise in the implementation.
**************************************************
7. The G.A.: 'Virginia is for (gun) lovers'
**************************************************
Ah - the Freelance-Star op-ed guys - never met a gun they didn't
hate! Not understanding guns makes for some wild imaginations:
--
http://tinyurl.com/yfjnvnr
http://fredericksburg.com
Richard Amrhine's op-ed column on the Virginia General Assembly 2010
<SNIP>
PISTOL WHIPPED
So while Virginia might not be for all lovers, it is for gun-lovers.
The legislature dealt with dozens of bills involving firearms. The
vast majority of them died, many of them in Sen. Henry Marsh's (D-
Richmond) sub-subcommittee, which he set up to kill them.
In the end, the assembly killed some that should have passed, and
passed others it should have killed--more evidence of the General
Assembly's dysfunctional nature.
Lawmakers passed a bill that makes it OK for someone who can legally
carry a concealed gun to carry it into a bar or restaurant, as long as
he or she doesn't drink. Is this not a troubling scenario? How is this
policed, exactly, without infringing upon a gun owner's sacred rights?
A lot of the bills dealt with who can buy a gun and places where you
could carry your gun if you wanted to. One would allow guns in an
emergency shelter (failed). No extra stress there, for sure. Others
involved storage of guns in child care facilities (passed), and
allowing school boards to offer firearm safety classes in the
elementary grades (passed).
Whatever. Some people evidently think about guns to the exclusion of
all else.
What makes no sense at all is that among the bills that died are HB
1234 and SB 595. These would have closed the gun-show loophole, which
allows the transfer of firearms from vendor to buyer without the
background check that's required in a gun-dealer purchase.
There's no excuse for not requiring this. None. Inconvenience doesn't
count. Nor does Second Amendment paranoia. Gun owners and lobbyists
are all about being prepared to defend themselves against people who
shouldn't have guns, but they are against legislation that would
prevent anyone from obtaining a gun. Can't have it both ways.
If someone with a criminal or mental health history wants a gun, off
to the gun show he goes, perhaps to buy a gun that police had
previously removed from circulation. Next stop: The school, office,
government facility, church, or other venue of his choice to vent his
anger.
**************************************************
8. Police divided on repealing the restaurant ban
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/yakmvg7
http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com
Guns in bars law divides police
Sunday, March 21, 2010
By AMANDA BUCK - Bulletin Staff Writer
Local law enforcement officials are split on whether Gov. Bob
McDonnell should sign legislation that would allow people with
concealed weapons permits to carry their guns into bars.
The legislation passed the General Assembly and is awaiting
McDonnell's signature. Last week, the Virginia Association of Chiefs
of Police sent the governor a letter asking him to veto the bill,
which it called a "recipe for disaster," according to The Associated
Press.
In the letter, Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake Jacocks Jr. compared
combining alcohol and firearms with drinking and driving, the AP
reported.
Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry said Thursday that although he is "a
gun rights person," he too would like to see the legislation vetoed.
"I do not think weapons being in proximity with people drinking" -- a
situation that he said can become volatile -- "is a good idea," Perry
said.
The legislation would bar a person carrying a weapon from drinking in
a bar. However, that doesn't mean it wouldn't happen, the sheriff said.
"People are not supposed to drink, but they are in that
environment ... It's too easy once you're there to drink, and you may
not have your full wits about you if a bad situation erupts," he
said. [PVC: So if he's so adamant that the allowance for us to carry
concealed WITHOUT drinking should be vetoed, does he also believe the
current allowance for police to carry concealed and drink should also
be repealed?]
Henry County Sheriff's Maj. Steve Eanes agreed.
"I personally think it's not a good thing to have guns and alcohol
together," Eanes said.
Martinsville Police Chief Mike Rogers disagreed.
"That's a tough one," he said, adding that he can understand both
sides of the argument. However, he said, "The way I look at it, the
person who has gone to the trouble to get a concealed weapon permit,
we've already established the fact that they're a law-abiding citizen.
Personally, I want every law-abiding citizen to have every opportunity
in the world to defend themselves or their family."
Unless there is a person screening customers for weapons as they enter
a bar or restaurant, some will carry weapons inside illegally, both
locally and nationwide, Rogers said.
"For some people it doesn't matter what the law is, they're going to
always have a gun," he said. "Those are the ones in my mind you've got
to be worried about and ready to protect yourself" from.
An armed law-abiding citizen might be able to stop a gunman from
taking innocent lives, Rogers said. For that reason, he said he
disagrees with the recommendation that McDonnell veto the bill.
Perry wasn't swayed by that line of thinking.
"If a person thinks they need protection when they go in a bar,
they've got a choice not to go there," he said.
The letter is not likely to make a difference, the AP reported,
because McDonnell's office has said he plans to sign the legislation.
The police chiefs said that if the change becomes law, they will ask
lawmakers to reconsider it if an increase in gun violence in bars is
reported, according to the AP.
Perry said that might be too late.
"Why wait until a tragedy to ask to repeal something when there is a
heightened sense of concern to begin with?" he asked.
**************************************************
9. LTE about Senator Petersen in previous VCDL Update 3/18/10 was from
prominent anti-gunner
**************************************************
Ian Branson emailed me this about the author of a LTE we sent out in a
previous Update.
--
Philip,
Item #8 below is actually from the ex-president of the NOVA Million
Mom March.
http://tinyurl.com/yh4x3z8
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com
March 10, 2010
I have been an admirer and supporter of State Sen. Chap Petersen
(D-34) for many years, but I was deeply disappointed when he chose to
vote "Yes" on SB334, which allows concealed weapons into restaurants
that serve alcohol. I do not believe that this vote is in line with
the interests of his constituents or his community.
As Sen. Petersen notes, a restaurant owner is free to exclude CCWP
(concealed carry weapon permit) holders by posting or policy. Fair
enough. But have you ever been about to enter a restaurant and
suddenly noticed a sign that says "no guns allowed?" Would that make
you (and your family) more or less likely to enter that establishment?
Fairfax County welcomes many out-of-state and foreign visitors each
year and they all eat at our local restaurants. How do you think these
visitors would react at seeing such a sign? Sen. Petersen's "Yes" vote
was a blow to our commonwealth's hospitality industry, which is why
they fought against it for so many years.
Sen. Petersen also notes that it is illegal for someone carrying a
concealed weapon to drink alcohol. How a restaurant owner is supposed
to know that the person who is drinking is also carrying a concealed
weapon? He does not say. I assume we have to rely upon the CCWP
holders' character and their training. But the training that CCWP
holders are required to have is a joke. Any applicant can watch an
online video for about an hour and take a short - 20 easy questions -
quiz and receive the so-called "certificate of proficiency." You don't
even have to touch a gun, much less fire one.
Gun-rights politicians assert that CCWP holders are all responsible,
levelheaded, law-abiding citizens and that they would only use their
guns to protect themselves against a serious threat to their lives.
This is a fantasy. Consider the high-profile cases involving mentally
imbalanced and trigger-happy Virginia CCWP holders we have had just in
the last few weeks:
#1. Christopher Bryan Speight, a concealed carry weapons permit holder
since 1999, whose permit was renewed as recently as 2009, who amassed
an arsenal of weapons in spite of the "restrictive" one-gun-a-month
rule and in spite of his obvious and ever-increasing mental problems,
whose "high-powered rifle" had enough firepower to nearly bring down a
helicopter, killed eight people, including two children, in
Appomattox, Va. on Jan. 19.
#2. On Jan. 18, Gerald Ung, 28, a Temple University grad student and a
Virginia CHP holder, shot an unarmed Villanova college student five
times in Philadelphia. The two had been arguing and what might have
become a regular fistfight among testosterone-overloaded young men
became something much more lethal.
#3. And from the Washington Post on Friday, Feb. 5, Jose Avila, 57, a
Fairfax County respected domestic violence and anger management
counselor, and Virginia CCWP holder pulled a gun on two men in
Annandale just because he thought they were blocking his car. As if
the irony weren't palpable enough, the two men turned out to be
federal marshals.
Over the last few weeks, there has been a rapid-fire volley of bills
proposed in the Richmond that seek to expand the privileges of CCWP
holders while, at the same time, removing any burden of
responsibility. Members of the various gun groups (and the politicians
who support them) tout SB334 as a victory of their rights. But on the
subject of their responsibilities they are deathly quiet. Instead,
they actively seek to do away with any inconvenience or requirement
for training put upon CCWP holders. This is madness. Shouldn't we and
our elected leaders be holding armed citizens to a higher standard,
rather than continuing to lower them?
Laura Austin (Sonnenmark)
Alexandria
**************************************************
10. Firearms programs on Direct TV
**************************************************
Joel Cox emailed me this:
--
Phil, we have shared a great many thoughts since we became acquainted.
There are a great many good firearms programs which are aired each
week which I wish to bring to your attention. If you have access to
Direct TV then check out the programs which appear on channels
605,606,607,608, and 649. They are Handguns, Personal Defense TV,
Tactical Impact, Tactical Arms, and Guns & Ammo Classics. Each week
they feature different weapons systems and defense tactics for all who
carry weapons for defense purposes. They feature such authorities as
Larry Vickers and Massad Ayoob. I hope that these are programs that
you and others will find interesting.
As always respectfully yours,
Joel H. Cox
**************************************************
11. Letter to VA Fraternal Order of Police
**************************************************
Captain Shawn Charchan emailed me this:
--
All,
I drafted this up last night and will mail it shortly. I pass it on
so that those of you who contribute to the VA Fraternal Order of
Police have a better understanding of the FOP's stance on your right
to self defense.
Feel free to pass on to those whom you see fit.
R/S,
SMC
To Whom It May Concern:
I recently read that the Virginia Association of Chiefs has urged the
Governor to veto Virginia Senate Bill SB334. This bill, as well as
the House version HB505, are known as the "restaurant ban repeal". If
passed, these bills would allow licensed, competent (as determined by
the court) citizens to carry a concealed firearm in restaurants that
serve alcoholic beverages, provided any individual carrying a firearm
does not consume alcohol.
Your organization calls my home annually seeking financial support. I
investigated the FOP's stance on these bills to ensure I haven't been
supporting an agency that opposes citizens exercising the very rights
that the FOP's members are sworn to protect. I was both surprised and
disappointed to find HB505, the House version of the bill listed under
the "2010 Bills FOP Oppose" list contained on the VA FOP website.
I am disheartened by fact that your organization would oppose a bill
that would allow me to increase the safety of my family and those
around me simply because other restaurant patrons are consuming
alcohol. I remind you that the Law Enforcement Oath of Honor states,
"On my honor...I will always uphold the Constitution, the community,
and the agency I serve, so help me God." Given this oath, I find it
hard to believe that the rank and file members of your organization
oppose the restaurant ban repeal bills.
The Fraternal Order of Police will receive no financial support from
my family as long as it maintains this position. Further, I will
strive to ensure the widest dissemination of your stance on this issue
and encourage others to cease any further support of an organization
that opposes self-defense and the exercise of federal and state
constitutional rights by the citizenry.
By taking a stance against our Constitution and against the very
citizens who contribute to the FOP, your organization will reduce the
valuable funding it receives to help the families who have lost
someone serving in the line of duty as a peace officer.
Sincerely,
Shawn M. Charchan
**************************************************
12. Poll -- should police departments destroy confiscated firearms?
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/ygevw94
http://www.hamptonroads.com
**************************************************
13. VCDL Update 3/18/10, Item 8, #2
**************************************************
Daniel Kohler emailed me this about an item in a previous alert:
--
In Item 8, Sub-story 2, The Temple Student with a CHP arrested in
Philadelphia, it was not 1 on 1 as stated, it was FIVE ON 1. The
individual tried to evade but was pursued by the five, in an area of
Philly where there has been recent beating deaths:
http://tinyurl.com/ycwt2n8
**************************************************
14. God, guns, and gays
**************************************************
Bruce Jackson emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/y8bynzl
http://www.c-ville.com
God, guns and gays
Welcome to the culture wars
BY DAN CATALANO
<SNIP>
Now, it's no huge secret that the average Virginia lawmaker sits
comfortably to the right of the Old Dominion as a whole. But since,
outside of Richmond, the majority of tolerant lefty types are
generally exiled to the D.C. exurbs or Virginia's college campuses
(and, of course, the People's Republic of Charlottesville), it's
usually easy to overlook that fact.
But this jarring onslaught of values-voter invective might prove to be
more than even our jaded commonwealth can handle. Consider, for
instance, the sudden deluge of pro-gun proposals that flooded the
legislature this session. Now, you might have heard that our
legislative brain trust decided that allowing pistol-packing patrons
to bring firearms into bars was a great idea, but did you know that
other proposed laws would have repealed Virginia's sensible
one-gun-a-month law, allowed concealed carriers to bring loaded guns
into courthouses and churches, and exempted homemade guns from federal
law?
Unfortunately, the only thing keeping these wild west provisions
bottled up is a special, bill-killing subcommittee set up by senate
majority leader Dick Saslaw, which--mirroring a longstanding
anti-democratic practice in the house of delegates--strangles bills in
the crib before they can even think about becoming laws.
So this is where we stand: institutionalized prejudice in the
executive branch, and dysfunctional desperation in the Assembly. One
way or the other, it looks like we're all in for a hell of a bumpy
ride.
**************************************************
15. Letter: to all neo-liberals and neo-conservatives
**************************************************
Bruce Jackson emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/yj8njkp
http://www.kingmandailyminer.com
Letter: To all neo-liberals and neo-conservatives
I am tired; tired of patting your hand when you're scared of the
boogyman; tired of covering my firearm with my coat to help you
pretend you are not surrounded by guns in Arizona.
Perhaps you should try this simple technique that will actually be
much more effective than my coat is. Cover your eyes with your hands.
This way you cannot see our firearms, and we cannot see you, right?
You can pretend to your heart's content that there aren't any guns
here. You can feel safe that way. It worked for you as a child,
perhaps it still will.
If covering your eyes does not make you feel safer, maybe you could
run down and hide at the Mohave County Administrative campus. It is a
gun-free zone. Oh wait, Lord Walker and his minions, the BOS, said you
cannot come there unless you are on official business. Darn. Perhaps
you could move to Washington, D.C.! Nope, the Supreme Court overthrew
their handgun ban. Or how about your nearest national park? Sorry,
Obama signed a law permitting carrying of firearms there too. Maybe
you could all move back to California? Oh, that's right, there is a
rapidly growing movement of lawful open-carry there too.
It just seems lately that your government has really been slacking off
in their requirement to protect you from cradle to grave. But here is
the really scary news, according to the Arizona DPS Web site, they
have issued more than 152,000 concealed weapon permits, and more than
8,500 in Mohave County alone. That is one heck of a lot of scary guns
lurking out there! And it is just going to get harder for you because
it keeps being proven over and over that law-abiding citizens carrying
firearms reduce crime every time. (Another inconvenient truth, Al
Gore.)
Randy "Two-gun" Cone
Golden Valley
**************************************************
16. News release: 2nd Amendment March
**************************************************
For Immediate Release:
March 15, 2010
For Further Information Contact:
Chris Richardson, Coordinator State of Virginia 703.945.2588
Liz Foley, National Media Director 832-877-5263
The Virginia State Second Amendment March announced today the details
for the state event to be held in support of the National Second
Amendment March.
The Virginia State March will be held April 12th from 2PM - 3PM at the
Bell Tower, located on the State Capitol square in Richmond, VA. State
Coordinator Chris Richardson announced the following speakers: Ken
Cuccinelli, Virginia Attorney General; Phillip Van Cleave, President
of Virginia Citizens Defense League; Scott Lee of the Lee Brothers,
WRVA 1140; Leyla Myers, Board of Directors for the Second Amendment
March and former citizen of the Soviet Union; Pat Webb, Virginia
Coordinator of the Second Amendment Sisters and Ken Stanton, Founder
and Vice President of the Virginia Tech chapter of the Students for
Concealed Carry on Campus.
The Second Amendment March is a national event supported by satellite
marches to State Capitols and smaller cities across America. The March
will take place Monday, April 19, 2010 from 10am - 4pm on the grounds
of the Washington Monument.
Our nation's founders were specific and mindful of creating an
Amendment that provided "we the people" with the protections they
needed to defend their country, their freedom, their new government
and way of life. They understood far too well the grips of tyranny.
Thomas Jefferson said it best, "The strongest reason for the people to
retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort to protect
themselves against tyranny in government."
To take part in this landmark rally in support of your right to keep
and bear arms and to protect and defend the Second Amendment visit http://www.secondamendment.com
to R.S.V.P., volunteer or make a contribution.
Questions or to set up an interview: Contact Liz Foley, National Media
Director at media@secondamendmentmarch.com.
About Second Amendment March:
The mission of the Second Amendment March is to galvanize the courage
and resolve of Americans; to petition our elected officials against
establishing anti-gun legislation; and to remind America that the
Second Amendment is necessary to maintain our right to self defense.
Information about Second Amendment March is available at: http://www.secondamendmentmarch.com
**************************************************
17. Limit one per customer
**************************************************
Bruce Jackson emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/y8nj3o5
http://www.postchronicle.com
Limit One Per Customer
by Michael R. Shannon
Formerly Virginia was for lovers, but now it's the "limit
one-per-month, per customer" Commonwealth for guns and teeth.
The limitation on gun purchases was designed to stop the flow of guns
from Virginia to New York. This concept was shaky in practice because
studies show most guns sold on the street sell for less than list
price.
So what would be the advantage of paying retail for your Ruger? To
make any money the price in New York would have to be more than list
price in Virginia, which wipes out any competitive advantage based on
price.
Was there a market niche of NYC gangsters who wanted a valid receipt
with their roscoe, so they could get their money back if it misfired?
Purchase enforcement of the ban depends on electronic records. A
prospective buyer's name is checked using a database and if he's been
31-days without a purchase and he's conviction-free it's approved.
Isn't it strange how liberals have complete trust in electronic
background checks when it comes to buying deadly firearms, but
computer databases are too unreliable and dangerous when it comes to
checking a prospective employee's background to see if he is in the
country illegally?
I'm not in the gun market, but I've had dental problems lately, so the
one-tooth-per-month, per customer limit on teeth pulling came as news.
It seems VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community
Engagement) bussed a group to Richmond demanding "Dental Care Now."
Government is becoming ever more intrusive into our daily lives, but
is some fiendish bureaucrat preventing these good people from brushing
their teeth?
But no, government is the solution to this problem caused by an
unfortunate combination of some Virginian's lack of interest in
performing even rudimentary dental hygiene and taxpayer resistance to
paying more so the aforementioned group won't suffer the consequences
of their failure to floss.
For those of you unfamiliar with VOICE, this is a standard-issue
liberal "social justice" "faith-based" group that does not have time
for anti-abortion work - but takes no prisoners when it comes to the
war on tooth decay.
According to VOICE, our local free clinic limits patients to pulling
one tooth per month and that is an outrage.
**************************************************
18. 1 in 5 = 8,000 home invasions every day in North America
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/ygt63jy
http://www.enidnews.com
March 13, 2010
For whom the bell tolls ... in the middle of the night
By Jeff Mullin, Commentary
Enid News and Eagle
- Home invasions are serious business.
According to the Justice Department, one in every five homes will
experience a break-in or home invasion. There are more than 8,000 home
invasions every day in North America.
What is more scary, 38 percent of assaults and 60 percent of rapes
occur during home invasions.
Earlier this week in Palm Beach, Fla., a 23-year-old man was shot to
death during a home invasion.
Two people were hospitalized in Jenks Thursday after being injured in
a home invasion.
Even Susan Boyle, the shy Scottish lady whose appearance on "Britain's
Got Talent" rocketed her to worldwide singing fame, is not safe. Boyle
was returning from London Jan. 26, where she recorded a charity single
to help fund relief efforts in earthquake-torn Haiti, when she
surprised a 16-year-old boy who had broken into her home. He ran, but
was later arrested.
A home invasion had a happy ending in California recently when a 7-
year-old boy, identified only as Carlos, called 911 while hiding in a
bathroom with his little sister as armed men held his parents at
gunpoint.
The 911 call caught the sound of screaming as the intruders broke down
the bathroom door. When the armed men found out Carlos was on the
phone with 911, they fled.
Which leads us to the wee hours of last Sunday morning, the dead of
night ... OK, it was 1:21 a.m. But for someone my age, who normally
struggles to stay awake during the 10 p.m. news, it was pretty darn
late.
There I was, minding my own business, locked in the nightly life or
death struggle for the covers, dead to the world, deep in REM sleep
dreaming of who knows what, when the doorbell rang.
At first I wasn't sure whether or not the sound was part of my dream.
But the second time it rang there could be no doubt.
I lay there, thinking that whoever it was would get tired of ringing
the bell and go away. Wrong.
The bell rang again. I ignored it. And again, same response from me.
Finally our night visitor became impatient and began ringing the
doorbell incessantly, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong ... well, you
get the picture.
By that time my bride, who could sleep through a small explosion,
awoke, and I jumped out of bed.
"This better be good," I growled as I pulled on my robe.
Let us pause for a moment to consider just what our night visitor was
about to face. I am devastatingly plain on my best day, but in the
middle of the night I resemble one of the creatures from Maurice
Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," except not nearly so cute.
My hair looked like I had just stuck my finger in a light socket and
there was a trickle of drool drying on my chin.
As I stumbled to the front door I considered the possibilities.
Perhaps it was a neighbor in trouble, or a passerby needing help, or
maybe someone playing a joke.
Never once did I consider the possibility it might be someone planning
a home invasion.
Let us pause for another moment to consider that, when awake, I am a
relatively rational human being, not prone to bouts of recklessness,
who wouldn't dream of opening my door to a stranger in the middle of
the night.
So when I reached the door, naturally, I opened not only the wooden
door, but the glass storm door as well.
On my front walk stood a man probably in his 30s, wearing a ball cap.
To his credit he did not take a step back at my disheveled appearance,
but said "Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I've got the wrong house."
Let us pause for yet another moment to consider that, when awake, I
have been known to be able to put together cogent and occasionally
erudite sentences.
"You must, because I have no idea who you are," I managed to mumble.
Wow. I really told him.
"I'm sorry," he said again, and walked away.
I closed the door and stood for a moment. I thought I heard a car pull
away.
When I returned to our room I found my bride half out of bed. She
scolded me for opening the door.
"You could have been mass murdered, we could have been mass murdered,"
she said.
True enough. It was stupid.
Next time something similar happens, if there is a next time, I will
be prepared. I will not open the door. I will make sure I am armed
when I answer the bell.
Or I'll just stay in bed and make my bride deal with it.
**************************************************
19. New law permits guns on the Blue Ridge Parkway
**************************************************
Former park employee thinks stupid gun owners will overreact and shoot
animals
Doug Morris, an executive council member for the Coalition of National
Park Retirees, is a typical anti-self-defense type, who seems to think
that regular citizens are morons:
"'There is the concern that those who bring firearms into the park
might perceive a danger with animals and fire the gun,'" he said.
'Very rarely would that be a legitimate reaction, and it results from
a lack of knowledge of wildlife animals.'"
Here is what he pictures gun owners doing:
"Stop! What is that creature with those BIG front teeth?"
"I think it might be a, a, a, squirrel!!!!! I live in the city so I
can't be sure!"
"Uh oh! I've never seen one up close like this! Does it bite?!?
Could it eat us alive?!? Quick, draw your GUN! SHOOT BEFORE IT IS
TOO LATE!!"
Who is the real moron?
--
http://tinyurl.com/y9wt86m
http://www.thebluebanner.net
New law permits guns on the Blue Ridge Parkway
North Carolina allows loaded firearms with concealed carry permits
By Ashleigh Joyner / Assistant News Editor
Published: Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, March 17, 2010
As of Feb. 22 loaded guns are allowed on the Blue Ridge Parkway and in
other national parks, according to a new law.
"During the Reagan administration, firearms had to be packed away and
unloaded," said Steve Stinnett, chief ranger of the Blue Ridge
Parkway.
In North Carolina, loaded firearms are allowed on the parkway as long
as the person has a concealed carry permit, but the law depends on
what state visitors are in, Stinnett said.
"We recommend people go to the state and look up firearm laws,"
Stinnett said. "If they're in Virginia, they need to know the laws
because they are different for each state."
The new law was not passed by the park service but by Congress, said
Doug Morris, an executive council member for the Coalition of National
Park Retirees.
"This is the law," Stinnett said. "When the regulation from the Reagan
administration was put into practice, we administered the law, like we
will do with this law."
For those who support gun laws, the new law is next on the agenda for
furthering Second Amendment rights, Morris said.
"Those that support weapons think it's great," Morris said. "I think
the great majority of visitors are concerned because most people are
wary of people carrying guns."
Those who support the new law said it is merely for people to defend
themselves.
"Crime doesn't stop at park gates," said Vickie Cleplak, National
Rifle Association spokeswoman.
The probability of hunting could also increase, according to Morris.
"The law doesn't allow the use of firearms," Stinnett said. "Visitors
can't go out on the Blue Ridge Parkway and target shoot. They can only
carry firearms. Hunting is prohibited on the parkway."
Inexperienced firearm users could injure people or animals
unintentionally, Morris said.
"There is the concern that those who bring firearms into the park
might perceive a danger with animals and fire the gun," he said. "Very
rarely would that be a legitimate reaction, and it results from a lack
of knowledge of wildlife animals."
The parkway does offer a hunter access program, Stinnett said.
"No hunting is allowed on parkway lands, but with a special permit,
access to hunting on U.S. Forest Service lands is allowed from
designated places along the parkway," he said.
Morris said the new law causes concern for families visiting the
parkway.
"The great majority of park visitors would prefer to bring their
families to parks and not worry about firearms," he said. "I think
particularly foreign visitors are concerned because they are not used
to seeing guns on display in their country."
With guns present in the park, instances of violence will increase,
Morris said.
"The amount of gun violence inside a park is one in 100,000," he said.
"When you go outside a park, it is four or five times that. That's a
big part of our fear. Parks have always been one of the safest places
in America, and when people are allowed to have guns, violence will
increase."
However, Cleplak said national parks can be a haven for crime and
people should have the right to protect themselves.
"This is just simply a law where people can feel more comfortable and
can protect themselves from animals and criminals," she said.
The law doesn't allow other weapons in the park, only firearms,
Stinnett said.
"Visitors still can't carry a bow and arrow, slingshot, knife or other
deadly weapons," he said.
Firearms in national parks is not a new concept. The first
regulations were established nearly 100 years ago for Yellowstone
National Park, Morris said.
"In 1984, the park service passed a law that continued until the
Reagan administration," he said.
The new law includes an amendment placing restrictions on credit card
companies, Morris said.
"These two things are on the same bill even though they have nothing
to do with each other," he said. "Gun supporters have been trying to
get this law passed for some time."
Morris said he also urges those who bring firearms to the parkway to
conceal their weapons to make the experience more comfortable for
families.
"We want families to feel safe and welcome when they're in the parks,"
he said.
**************************************************
20. Maryland needs our help passing a CHP recognition bill
**************************************************
Maryland Shall Issue sent out this alert on Friday:
"Delegates Smigiel and Jennings are leading an effort to petition HB52
to the floor of the House of Delegates. This process is a little used
one that allows legislation to go around the committee and avoid being
trapped by either the possibility of an unfavorable vote or, in the
case of HB52, being 'desk drawered' by a committee chair."
As you might recall from an alert a few weeks ago, HB 52 is a bill
that would make Virginia CHPs good in Maryland!
To send a message to the entire Maryland House of Delegates:
1. Click here: http://www.ksconline.net/mga/mdhouse.html
2. Click on the first Delegate's name (Beitzel) and shift-click on
the last Delegate's name (Ramirez) to select all of the Delegates
3. For the subject line, put something like, "Please sign the
petition to bring HB 52 to the Floor for a vote"
4. For the message, use something like this: "Please sign the
petition to bring HB 52 to the Floor for a vote! This important bill
will encourage concealed handgun permit holders from surrounding
states to spend more time and money in Maryland. It will also expand
the states where Maryland permits are recognized."
***************************************************************************
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/]