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Not yet a VCDL member? Join VCDL at: http://www.vcdl.org/join.html
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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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1. FOIA Council Meeting on FOIA & criminal records - July 18
2. VCDL membership meeting in Annandale on July 21st
3. VCDL picnic on August 6 at the Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield
4. VCDL materials now available in a Halifax store
5. VCDL carry cards
6. Windsor weighs shooting ban
7. Taking a new person to shoot
8. Virginia's repeal of the restaurant gun ban has passed the test
9. Virginia Attorney General says UVA cannot ban gun carry
10. Some with histories of mental illness petition to get their gun rights back
11. Flash mobs
12. White House plans to release new gun control measures 'in the near future'
13. 43 weapons in Phoenix traffic stop linked to ATF's 'Fast and Furious'
14. Weapons linked to controversial ATF strategy found in Arizona crimes
15. Sources: BATFE chief met secretly with investigators so DOJ 'wouldn't know about it'
16. Issa, Grassley: DOJ obstructed Mexican guns probe
17. Gunrunner was in stimulus?
18. Explosive 'Fast and Furious' allegation: Taxpayer money may have been used; FBI, DEA implicated
19. SAF files for preliminary injunction against IL carry ban
20. Energized 2nd Amendment activists defend their civil rights in Sunnyvale, CA
21. Women help fuel demand for concealed gun permits
22. Who needs a gun in Yellowstone?
23. Who needs a gun at the store?
24. SAF beats Chicago . . . again!
25. Brady's Helmke takes a parting shot
26. Why gun permits should be rejected
27. Second Amendment discussion held by Virginia Senate Candidate Culipher
28. Virginia U.S. Senate candidate Jamie Radtke interviewed about the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
29. Brady Campaign "jumps the gun"
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1. FOIA Council Meeting on FOIA & criminal records - July 18
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On Monday, July 18, at 11 AM in House Room C at the General Assembly Building (9th and Broad in Richmond), the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Council will be holding a public hearing on SB 1467, a bill put in by Senator John Edwards (D). SB 1467, which is supported by VCDL, would make police criminal investigative files on cases that are NOT active or on-going, available to FOIA requests. VCDL is interested in this because if a gun owner is unlawfully detained or harassed by a police officer, records of that event could be obtained by a FOIA request to the police department.
If you are interested in speaking at this hearing in support of SB 1467, please do so! I will be there to speak on behalf of VCDL and if you just want to come to show support, that would be appreciated as well.
Thanks to EM Hal Macklin for bringing this hearing to my attention.
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2. VCDL membership meeting in Annandale on July 21st
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Tom Pike, Coach of the Nova Sharp Shooters and Mavericks Junior Air Rifle teams who testified at the recent Fairfax County Board of Supervisors hearing, will be the guest speaker at the July 21st VCDL membership meeting in Annandale.
After the hearing at the Fairfax County Government Center many VCDL members had questions for him about junior shooting. Tom will have a presentation on the state of junior rifle shooting in the northern Virginia area including the Potomac High School Rifle League and college scholarships for rifle shooting. He will also bring some junior shooters with their rifles and gear for you to see.
Let's show support for the future of the shooting sports and our right to keep and bear arms!
We will also have some candidates addressing the group.
Fellowship beings at 7:30 PM and the meeting is called to order at 8 PM. At 9:30 PM the group will adjourn and head to a local restaurant for continued fellowship.
As with all VCDL membership meetings the public is welcome to attend, so, bring friends, family, and co-workers.
Directions can be found at:
http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
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3. VCDL picnic on August 6 at the Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield
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Mark your calendars!
To celebrate Governor McDonnell's directive earlier this year to allow both open and concealed carry in State Parks, VCDL is having a picnic on Saturday, August 6, at the Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Pocahontas State Park is located at:
10301 State Park Road
Chesterfield, VA 23832
And don't forget that State Forests have been allowing carry since July 7th!
We are planning some guest speakers, who will be announced at a later date.
The picnic is open to the public and is free (there is a $5 parking fee that the parks charge for each vehicle entering the park, with exceptions for military and the disabled). If you are planning on attending, please RSVP to EMs Brandy Polanowski and Bob Sadtler at:
picnics@vcdl.org
Use a subject line that says "Attending" followed by the number in your party, like this, "Attending 3"
If you can help with set up and tear down, please indicate so in your email to picnics@vcdl.org
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4. VCDL materials now available in a Halifax store
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Abbott Farm Suppliers, Inc. in Halifax is the latest company to make VCDL membership materials available to customers:
Abbott Farm Suppliers, Inc.
S. Main Street
Halifax, Va. 24558
Besides carrying Southern States, Red Wing & Irish Setter Shoes, Volverine, Carhartt, Purina, wide selection of seed, fertilizers, mulch, insect controls, they also sell used and new long guns, pistols,
and ammunition.
Thanks to VCDL members Neil & Katie Yeakel for reaching out to Mr. Abbott.
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5. VCDL carry cards
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The 2011 updated VCDL Carry Card is now posted on our website at:
http://www.vcdl.org/pdf/VCDL_Carry_Card.pdf
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6. Windsor weighs shooting ban
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We need to keep an eye on Windsor, as they are looking at tightening their discharge laws.
Joseph Ferguson emailed me this:
--
From fwix.com: http://tinyurl.com/5uxd5yj
WINDSOR -- Gun enthusiasts shooting too close to their neighbors are making some Windsor residents sweat bullets. And they may have to go elsewhere to fire some weapons if the town council approves a new ordinance restricting the use of firearms within town limits.
The Windsor Town Council discussed citizens' complaints June 14 about some residents shooting guns too close to homes and businesses.
"I personally would not feel comfortable if I had a neighbor who was shooting off a rifle in the backyard," said Mayor Rita Richardson.
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7. Taking a new person to shoot
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Greg Trojan emailed me this:
--
Philip,
In the last alert Pat Web mentioned taking someone out to shoot. I have
done this two years in a row now and it has worked out great.
So many people do not have easy access to a place to shoot that you
could almost think there was some plan to make it that way, ( oh
wait....) but our second 4th of July learn to shoot turned into a two
day event by combining a camp out with it. ( a few first time campers
also) This weekend five women and two men 17 to mid 50's came out to
my backyard range to give it a try, none of them are regular shooters
and some had not touched a gun in 30 plus years.
After the safety rules are covered along with some history about the
British confiscating arms in 1775 Boston Mass, our shooters got a
short lesson on the different type of guns they would be firing. The
whole event is kept low key and easy going, with my daughter and I
doing most of the reloading so our new shooters can just concentrate
on having fun. Everyone started out with a 22 auto or revolver
Saturday evening and even the one woman that did not think she would
be able to hold a gun was putting rounds on target before long. We use
a mix of targets to keep it interesting and the "Shoot NC" targets
work well for the first timers as they get instant feed back on their
point of aim. Balloons, clay pigeons tin cans and paper targets round
out the selection. The braver ones moved up to 9mm, 40 S&W or 38 Special
before it was time to put up the tents.
Sunday morning after my daughter took her friends out berry picking we
continued with a review of the safety rules and the addition of rifles
in the mix. Five of our new shooters took to the AR15 like they were
in the Corp. until we ran out of .223. Throughout our time shooting, a
lot of questions were asked about the different types of guns and ammo
along with discussions on who can carry and why they should were
covered. I think everyone went away with a lot less fear of those
scary guns, a better understanding of the 2nd and all had some fun.
Hopefully seven more have been converted to supporters and will
remember their experience the next time they encounter the anti's baloney.
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8. Virginia's repeal of the restaurant gun ban has passed the test
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Mark Hile emailed me this:
--
From redstatevirginia.com: http://tinyurl.com/6dntwjn
Virginia's Repeal of the Restaurant Gun Ban has Passed the Test
Written by Dennis Gill
July 8, 2011
July 1 marks the one year anniversary of the repeal of Virginia's concealed carry restaurant ban. In a nut shell, open carry was allowed in restaurants that serve alcohol but not concealed carry. This was completely ridiculous and lacked all common sense but thankfully was repealed last year.
If we are to believe the anti-gunners, there should have been wide spread shootouts in restaurants across the state. Carnage should have been evident with women, children and minorities being hardest hit. Typically, they were wrong. The Brady Campaign has given Virginia a rating of 16 out of a 100. I say good for Virginia that we don't conform to the ideals of the crazies in the anti-gun lobby.
I live and work in the real world. As a police officer in Northern Virginia, I have seen the worst of the worst. What I have not seen is this out of control gun violence that we are told is at epidemic levels from sea to shining sea.
I work in a pretty typical county in Virginia. We have a diverse demographic in our county both economically and culturally. We have farmers and business people, Hispanics, whites, blacks and Asians. We have affluence and we have poverty. What we don't have is a rash of people shooting each other dead or themselves for that matter. And I can tell you that we have a lot of gun owners in my county. And maybe that's why we we don't see the gun violence that places like Washington DC experience just a few miles up the road. A place where gun ownership is practically nonexistent.
With more guns here than in DC, according to the anti-gun lobby, we should have more violence. We don't.
Let me relate to you a couple anecdotes to illustrate my point. I worked as a gang detective for the better part of a decade and was involved in numerous investigations to include some where crimes were committed by members of very high profile gangs. The vast majority of cases I was involved in in which violence occurred, guns were not the weapon of choice. The worst case I ever worked was that of a gang member stabbed 19 times with pocket knives and other legal cutting instruments. No guns! And what is the weapon of choice for a gangster? A good old 10 dollar machete available at your local hardware store.
I now investigate robberies. A significant number of robberies are of the strong arm variety meaning that force was used but not a weapon. Of the ones that are deemed as armed robberies, a large number of them are committed with pellet or BB guns, not real firearms.
And tell a suspect that you are charging him with a firearms offense and you will be in for the argument of a lifetime as they beg and plead with you not to place that charge. They know that when you add a firearms charge to the crime they just committed, that they are in for some serious jail time if convicted. Bad guys avoid gun charges like the plague. And that is how it should be. The laws in Virginia concerning crimes committed with firearms does in fact deter criminals from using or possessing guns.
To say that guns are a significant problem and the preferred instrument of bad guys everywhere simply is not true in my experience. There are places where this is true but not in most places around the country. Now the left would have you believe that guns are sooooo easy to get here in Virginia and as a result, crimes with guns must be significant. Not true. While it is true that for law abiding citizens, guns are readily available, it isn't true that criminals are getting access to those firearms in a legal manner. Most bad guys that do have guns obtained them by stealing them either out of cars or from peoples homes during a burglary.
No gun law or ban is going to stop criminals from doing what they do. It only serves to put those of us who choose to use a firearm to hunt, or target shoot, or collect or to protect ourselves and our families in danger from those who wish to do us harm. That my friends is unacceptable.
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9. Virginia Attorney General says UVA cannot ban gun carry
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From examiner.com: http://tinyurl.com/5wfzeq3
[SNIP]
On the heels of his recent opinion holding that "self-defense" is "good and sufficient reason" to carry a gun to church, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli now says that state colleges like the University of Virginia cannot ban the carriage of concealed handguns by proper license holders. The opinion was written in response to a question by Senator Emmett Hanger (R-Mount Solon).
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10. Some with histories of mental illness petition to get their gun rights back
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Board member Bruce Jackson emailed me this:
--
From the New York Times: http://tinyurl.com/3z44ckk
[SNIP]
PULASKI, Va. -- In May 2009, Sam French hit bottom, once again. A relative found him face down in his carport "talking gibberish," according to court records. He later told medical personnel that he had been conversing with a bear in his backyard and hearing voices. His family figured he had gone off his medication for bipolar disorder, and a judge ordered him involuntarily committed -- the fourth time in five years he had been hospitalized by court order.
When Mr. French's daughter discovered that her father's commitment meant it was illegal for him to have firearms, she and her husband removed his cache of 15 long guns and three handguns, and kept them after Mr. French was released in January 2010 on a new regime of mood-stabilizing drugs.
Ten months later, he appeared in General District Court -- the body that handles small claims and traffic infractions -- to ask a judge to restore his gun rights. After a brief hearing, in which Mr. French's lengthy history of relapses never came up, he walked out with an order reinstating his right to possess firearms.
The next day, Mr. French retrieved his guns.
"The judge didn't ask me a whole lot," said Mr. French, now 62. "He just said: 'How was I doing? Was I taking my medicine like I was supposed to?' I said, 'Yes, sir.' "
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11. Flash mobs
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More information on "flash mobs" in the Charlottesville area.
Charles Winkler emailed me this:
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Re: flash mobs (VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 7/1/11)
Recent incidents in Charlottesville; one of the perps was caught, confessed to belonging to a gang.
From nbc29.com: http://tinyurl.com/636xdot
Charlottesville Police Investigating Attacks near Downtown Mall
Posted: May 18, 2011
Updated: Jun 01, 2011
Charlottesville police are investigating a pair of attacks that happened in the downtown area. Investigators believe they are linked because of the suspects: a mob of teenagers. Now the police department is beefing up patrols to keep people safe.
The attacks happened on Friday night near the downtown mall in Charlottesville. The first involved a young man, the second a young woman.
The first attack was near McGuffey Park on Second Street about 9:00 p.m. A 19-year-old man says he was attacked by the group which he said had about 20 people in it. He sustained facial injuries
A 17-year-old woman was robbed moments later just down the street near the downtown mall. Police say the group made off with her iPod.
Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo says they will be adding additional officers on the mall this Friday to patrol. They will also bring the mobile command center back to the west end of the mall.
"We're going to be very aggressive that the behavior of young people on the mall is behavior that we would expect in the environment where so many families come down here to enjoy the many amenities that we have," Longo stated.
Police have a vague description of the group at this point. No one has been arrested.
If you can help the investigation, call CrimeStoppers at 434-977-4000.
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From nbc29.com: http://tinyurl.com/5r5hasl
New Gang in Town Revealed During Court Appearance
Posted: Jun 28, 2011
Updated: Jun 28, 2011
A new gang is roaming the streets of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. That news came out of the court appearance earlier Tuesday of two teenagers accused of attacking people at Charlottesville's McGuffy Park.
Charlottesville's chief of police says the beating that happened last month was not gang related. But he does say, one of the suspects involved claims to be associated with a newly formed gang.
Both 14-year-olds were in court Tuesday morning. The first had his case delayed while prosecutors negotiate a plea with him. The second pleaded guilty to two charges including attempted malicious wounding. Prosecutors said the second teen is part of a gang called ZOG, which stands for Zoo of Goons.
The group of about 10 is based in Albemarle and has been on the regional gang task force's radar for about six months.
Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo said, "The regional gang task force is well aware of who those individuals are, is monitoring their behavior. At least three or four of those people have been validated as known gang members."
The gang task force is gathering information about the group. At this point, Chief Tim Longo says he doesn't know if ZOG is involved in any criminal activity.
As for the beating last month, the victim is doing fine and was in court Tuesday. One teen will have a disposition - basically sentencing - in July. The other will have one in August.
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12. White House plans to release new gun control measures 'in the near future'
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A VA-ALERT reader emailed me this:
--
From theblaze.com: http://tinyurl.com/3e6sdd4
[SNIP]
WASHINGTON (The Blaze/AP) -- Six months after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot, the White House is preparing to propose some new steps on gun safety, though they're likely to fall short of the bold measures activists would like to see.
Spokesman Jay Carney said that the new steps would be made public "in the near future." He didn't offer details, but people involved in talks at the Justice Department to craft the new measures said they expected to see something in the next several weeks. Whatever is proposed is not expected to involve legislation or take on major issues, like banning assault weapons, but could include executive action to strengthen the background check system or other steps.
"The president directed the attorney general to form working groups with key stakeholders to identify common-sense measures that would improve American safety and security while fully respecting Second Amendment rights," Carney said Thursday. "That process is well under way at the Department of Justice, with stakeholders on all sides working through these complex issues, and we expect to have some more specific announcements in the near future."
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13. 43 weapons in Phoenix traffic stop linked to ATF's 'Fast and Furious'
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Government-supplied weapons that could have been used to murder U.S. citizens. Fast and Furious is dangerous, irresponsible, and criminal.
A VA-ALERT reader emailed me this:
--
From freerepublic.com: http://tinyurl.com/3eqd9a6
43 Weapons in Phoenix Traffic Stop Linked to ATF's 'Fast and Furious' (video)
ABC15/SWA (YouTube) | 07-07-2011 | Stand With Arizona
By montag813
The scope of Eric Holder's disastrous 'Fast and Furious" ATF operation just keeps expanding. Now a single traffic stop in Phoenix has revealed 43 weapons with serial numbers traceable to the the ATF scandal - taken from 4 illegal aliens arrested in the stop. How many guns has this Administration put in the hands of gangs throughout the U.S. How many children will die in drive-bys using weapons Holder GAVE to criminals? And with the ATF Director now saying the DoJ obstructing the investigation, the House GOP must not stop until all responsible are rotting in jail. And what did Obama know and when did he know it?
Video from youtube.com: http://tinyurl.com/659kgg9
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14. Weapons linked to controversial ATF strategy found in Arizona crimes
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Bruce Jackson emailed me this:
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From abc15.com: http://tinyurl.com/68a88wp
[SNIP]
PHOENIX - Weapons linked to a questionable government strategy are turning up in crimes in Valley neighborhoods.
For months the ABC15 Investigators have been searching through police reports and official government documents. We've discovered assault weapons linked to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' controversial "Fast and Furious" case strategy have turned up at crime scenes in Glendale and Phoenix communities.
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15. Sources: BATFE chief met secretly with investigators so DOJ 'wouldn't know about it'
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Dave Workman emailed me this:
--
From examiner.com: http://tinyurl.com/69rg5lt
[SNIP]
Kenneth Melson, acting director of the embattled Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, purposely asked for a July 4 meeting with Congressional investigators "because he did not want the Justice Department to know about it," Gun Rights Examiner has learned.
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16. Issa, Grassley: DOJ obstructed Mexican guns probe
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A VA-ALERT reader emailed me this:
--
From newsmax.com: http://tinyurl.com/6gx6ajo
Issa, Grassley: DOJ Obstructed Mexican Guns Probe
Wednesday, 06 Jul 2011 01:20 PM
By Martin Gould and Abigail Walls
The top man in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has turned sensationally against his Department of Justice bosses saying they were trying to stymie an investigation into the Operation Fast and Furious scandal.
Kenneth Melson, acting director of the ATF, gave a secret deposition to Congress on July 4, it was revealed today. He took his own lawyer instead of relying on one from the ATF.
The stunning move will increase pressure on Attorney General Eric Holder to resign over the operation that saw some 2,000 guns sold to straw buyers who then sold them to Mexican drug cartel leaders.
But Fast and Furious and its sister plan, Project Gunrunner, went disastrously wrong, and 80 percent of the weapons went missing. Two were found at the Arizona site where Border Agent Brian Terry was killed in December.
Republicans leading the investigation in both the House and Senate wrote a stinging letter to Holder yesterday informing him of Melson's move, calling it "extremely helpful to our investigation."
Rep. Darrell Issa and Sen. Charles Grassley wrote, "He was candid in admitting mistakes that his agency made and described various ways he says that he tried to remedy the problems."
Issa and Grassley said Melson claimed that ATF's senior leadership would have preferred to be more cooperative with the congressional probe.
"However, he said that Justice Department officials directed them not to respond and took full control of replying to briefing and document requests from Congress. The result is that Congress only got the parts of the story that the Department wanted us to hear," they wrote.
"If his account is accurate, then ATF leadership appears to have been effectively muzzled while the DoJ sent over false denials and buried its head in the sand."
Issa and Grassley also said that Melson claimed that the Justice Department falsely leaked stories to the press that he was about to resign over Fast and Furious. They warned Holder against firing him now. "It would be inappropriate for the Justice Department to take action against him that could have the effect of intimidating others who might want to provide additional information to the Committees.
"Knowing what we know so far, we believe it would be inappropriate to make Mr. Melson the fall guy in an attempt to prevent further congressional oversight," they concluded.
Just last week, Iowa Sen. Grassley told Newsmax.TV that he did not want to see Melson quit because one resignation would make it seem like the matter was over. "There are too many people involved in it for me to be satisfied with one resignation," he said at the time.
In their letter Grassley and California's Issa said Melson had been scheduled to give evidence on July 13 but brought the date forward when he realized he could take his own lawyer, Richard Cullen.
"We are disappointed that no one had previously informed him of that provision of the agreement," the two GOP members wrote.
"Instead, Justice Department officials sought to limit and control his communications with Congress. This is yet another example of why direct communications with Congress are so important and are protected by law."
The release of the letter came on the same day that Mexican officials said that any officer accused of supplying guns to the cartels should be tried in Mexico.
"I feel my country's sovereignty was violated," Sen. Rene Arce Islas, the chairman of Mexico's Commission for National Security, told Fox News. "They should be tried in the United States, and the Mexican government should also demand that they also be tried in Mexico since the incidents took place here. There should be trials in both places."
Operation Fast and Furious came to a head on Dec. 14, when Terry was killed in a scuffle along a smuggling route close to the Mexican border, and assault rifles found at the murder scene were traced back to Jaime Avila, who had bought them from a Phoenix gun shop.
Avila had been allowed to buy the assault weapons even though the ATF suspected he would sell them to the drug cartels. The plan was to trace the guns, with the hope of leading ATF agents to the drug kingpins.
Even before Terry's murder, ATF agents and senior managers had expressed fierce opposition to the policy. One agent called the strategy "insane."
Another said, "We were fully aware the guns would probably be moved across the border to drug cartels where they could be used to kill."
For months, ATF agents followed 50-caliber Barrett rifles and other guns believed headed for the Mexican border but were ordered to let these highly dangerous weapons go.
CBS reports that one distraught agent often was overheard on ATF radios begging and pleading to be allowed to intercept transports. The answer: "Negative. Stand down."
The Department of Justice, which oversees the ATF, claimed in a letter that the agency never knowingly permitted the sale of assault weapons to suspected gunrunners.
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17. Gunrunner was in stimulus?
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Todd Pegg emailed me this:
--
From freerepublic.com: http://tinyurl.com/3tnys8l
Operation Gunrunner was funded by the 2009 Stimulus Package
Posted on July 7, 2011
By Domandred
Something about Project Gunrunner (gunwalker, fast and furious) has been bugging me but I just couldn't put my finger on it.
This morning when I woke up I remember seeing Project Gunrunner in a bill that was discussed here. The original thread about it was a rumor thread that HR45 had been rolled into the stimulus package.
In that thread I scanned the text of H.R.1 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for gun, firearm, etc and came up with a hit.
I posted in the thread: "Only time "gun" or "firearm" appears is in the part that give $10,000,000 to the ATF for Project Gunrunner. That was H.R. 495, asking for 15,000,000 for Gunrunner".
H.R. 495 that I mentioned never made it out of committee, but it looks as it was to specifically fund Gunrunner.
Instead portions of it were rolled into the stimulus package a month later. That text found in H.R.1 is:
For an additional amount for 'State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance', $40,000,000, for competitive grants to provide assistance and equipment to local law enforcement along the Southern border and in High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas to combat criminal narcotics activity stemming from the Southern border, of which $10,000,000 shall be transferred to 'Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Salaries and Expenses' for the ATF Project Gunrunner.
Notice that's $40,000,000 for Southern border enforcement, $10,000,000 of which specifically for Project Gunrunner. What does $10 million pay for here? It didn't hire any new agents that I am aware of.
What this tells me is that several congressmen also had knowledge of what Gunrunner was going to entail. This isn't just the ATF and DOJ. This is all levels and areas of government. Even members of the House and Senate knew what Project Gunrunner was.
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18. Explosive 'Fast and Furious' allegation: Taxpayer money may have been used; FBI, DEA implicated
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Dave Workman emailed me this:
--
From examiner.com: http://tinyurl.com/3qygjwg
[SNIP]
During an appearance Monday before Congressional investigators, Kenneth Melson, acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alleged that the Department of Justice not only allowed criminals to smuggle guns to Mexico, but that "taxpayer dollars from other agencies may have financed those engaging in such activities."
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19. SAF files for preliminary injunction against IL carry ban
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The Second Amendment Foundation has been filing lawsuits across the county on behalf of gun owners. Hat's off, they are doing a great job!
From saf.org: http://tinyurl.com/6g2vo3v
SAF FILES FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION AGAINST ILLINOIS CARRY BAN
For Immediate Release: 7/7/2011
BELLEVUE, WA - Capitalizing on its federal appeals court victory Wednesday in Ezell v. City of Chicago, the Second Amendment Foundation today moved for a preliminary injunction against the State of Illinois to prevent further enforcement of that state's prohibitions on firearms carry in public by law-abiding citizens.
The motion was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois in Springfield. Joining SAF in this motion are Illinois Carry and four private citizens, Michael Moore, Charles Hooks, Peggy Fechter and Jon Maier. The underlying case is known as Moore v. Madigan.
Illinois is the only state in the nation with such prohibitions. The state neither allows open carry or concealed carry, which runs afoul of recent U.S. Supreme Court Second Amendment rulings, including last year's landmark ruling in McDonald v. City of Chicago, another SAF case. SAF was represented in McDonald and Ezell by attorney Alan Gura, who noted after yesterday's appeals court win - forcing a temporary injunction against the city's ban on gun ranges that the city immediately changed after the decision was announced - that "Even Chicago politicians must respect the people's fundamental civil rights...Gun rights are coming to Chicago. The only question is how much the city's intransigence will cost taxpayers along the way."
"Now that the Seventh Circuit has recognized that the deprivation of the right of armed self-defense is an inherently irreparable injury, it is clear that Illinois' law-abiding gun owners are entitled to a protective injunction," said attorney David Jensen of New York, who, along with Glen Ellyn, IL attorney David Sigale, is representing SAF and the other plaintiffs.
"Yesterday's win was a wake-up call to Chicago," said SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. "Today's motion is a signal to the Illinois Legislature that the state's total ban on carrying of firearms for personal protection is counter to both Supreme Court rulings on the Second Amendment, and yesterday's ruling by the Seventh Circuit appeals panel that shredded Chicago's gun ordinance. Our victory Wednesday and today's motion are key components of SAF's overall mission to win back firearms freedoms one lawsuit at a time."
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20. Energized 2nd Amendment activists defend their civil rights in Sunnyvale, CA
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Vern Waltman emailed me this:
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From examiner.com: http://tinyurl.com/66ju2yh
[SNIP]
Riding the wave of 2nd Amendment activism that is sweeping across the entire State of California, gun rights supporters showed up en masse to the City of Sunnyvale on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 to express their opposition to any possible proposals that might impose additional land use restrictions that would negatively impact law-abiding and tax-paying firearms retailers within city limits.
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21. Women help fuel demand for concealed gun permits
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A VA-ALERT reader emailed me this:
--
From mlive.com: http://tinyurl.com/3crd2bd
[SNIP]
Companies are making holsters designed for bras and skirts, and pistols small enough to go unnoticed. And where you live has a lot to do with how many might be in use.
About one in six concealed weapon holders in Michigan is a woman, according to state police records kept since a new law 10 years ago made it easier to carry concealed guns.
But just as a Booth Michigan analysis found there are wide differences among counties in the number of license holders per capita, so too are there disparities among the sexes.
In Wayne County, 22 percent of licensing actions involved women, the vast majority of those approvals. Barry County came in second at 19 percent
Ottawa and Presque Isle counties were at the opposite extreme, where just 11 percent of permit holders were likely to be women. The state average is 17 percent.
Wherever they are, the women's reasons for wanting concealed weapons are similar.
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22. Who needs a gun in Yellowstone?
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Chad Strum emailed me this:
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From daytondailynews.com: http://tinyurl.com/6h4f4fk
[SNIP]
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- A killer grizzly is roaming Yellowstone National Park's backcountry after mauling a man who apparently surprised the female bear and its cubs while hiking with his wife.
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23. Who needs a gun at the store?
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Permit holder shoots a bad guy who was trying to rob him.
John Oliver emailed me this:
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From carolinalive.com: http://tinyurl.com/65vtgrv
Police: Concealed Weapons Permit holder shoots would-be armed robber
by Allyson Floyd
Posted: 07.01.2011
Florence County sheriff's deputies say an armed robbery suspect fled the scene after being shot by the victim.
It happened just after 6:45 Thursday evening at the Dollar General on Howe Springs Road.
Captain Mike Nunn with the Florence County Sheriff's Office says the victim was sitting in his car in the store parking lot when a man with a gun tried to rob him. Nunn says the victim shot the robber, who then fled the scene wounded.
The suspect was later found at an area hospital. Investigators say his handgun was found at the scene.
The victim is a holder of a valid Concealed Weapons Permit and was not injured in the attack.
Police have not released the name of the suspect. His condition has also not been released.
No charges have been filed. The investigation into this case continues.
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24. SAF beats Chicago . . . again!
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Dave Workman emailed me this:
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From examiner.com: http://tinyurl.com/3qp6xsp
[SNIP]
In a stunning victory that puts cities on notice they cannot ignore the Supreme Court's Second Amendment rulings, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered a lower court to grant a preliminary injunction against the City of Chicago's gun range prohibition, in a case filed last year by the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation.
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25. Brady's Helmke takes a parting shot
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Stephen Wenger emailed me this:
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From journalgazette.net: http://tinyurl.com/3nz4jkq
[SNIP]
Paul Helmke has not been short of ammunition since he became the nation's highest-profile advocate of gun-control laws five years ago.
Oct. 2, 2006: A gunman kills five girls and himself and wounds five girls in a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pa.
April 16, 2007: A student gunman kills 32 people and himself and hurts 30 others on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.
Feb. 14, 2008: A gunman kills five students and himself and wounds 16 others in a geology class at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.
Jan. 8, 2011: A gunman kills six people and injures 13, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., as Giffords meets with constituents in Tucson.
Yet the nation's gun laws have, if anything, become looser since Helmke took over as president of the Brady Campaign and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a job he is leaving in the coming days - what he has described as an amicable split.
"I'm still optimistic that common sense is going to prevail," Helmke, 62, said last week. [PVC: It did, Paul. Hence your search for a new job.]
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26. Why gun permits should be rejected
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This article argues that gun owners should reject concealed handgun permits, since they are incompatible with something that is a right.
While I understand the logic and I am not in love with permits, I don't want to spend any time in jail, which I could if I decided to carry concealed without a permit. In the meantime, people need to be able to protect themselves, and if that takes getting a CHP, then so be it.
And it should be noted that it is precisely the permitting/licensing processes across the country that are responsible for the normalization and popularity of firearms carry. Emerging from a period not so long
ago when guns in society were generally demonized, novices to firearms and carry rights for the most part were comforted and perhaps coaxed in their baby steps by such government approval and authorization.
The country is slowly moving towards "Constitutional Carry" - THAT is the answer.
A VA-ALERT reader emailed me this:
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From examiner.com: http://tinyurl.com/43jc85u
[SNIP]
If you have to ask permission, it isn't a right. That is a centuries old legal axiom that somehow seems to have escaped advocates of what are commonly referred to as CCW permits or licenses.
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27. Second Amendment discussion held by Virginia Senate Candidate Culipher
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On Thursday, July 28th, from 7 to 9 PM, Robert L. Ord, the President of Falken Industries, who sued Washington, D.C. over its gun laws, will be speaking about the Second Amendment, and about gun rights in Washington DC and Virginia.
The event is hosted by Gerarda Culipher, a candidate for the 34th Senate District in Virginia. Gerarda spoke at a VCDL meeting recently about her candidacy.
The event is being held at:
2035 Madrillon Springs Court
Vienna, VA 22182
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28. Virginia U.S. Senate candidate Jamie Radtke interviewed about the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
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Jamie is running to fill the seat being vacated by Jim Webb.
http://tinyurl.com/3fpag9r
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29. Brady Campaign "jumps the gun"
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On the Brady Campaign's web site they were praising President Obama's illegal order directing the BATFE to collect information on multiple semi-automatic sales to individuals from states bordering Mexico.
The trouble for the Bradys is that a House committee quickly voted to defund the effort by amending an appropriations bill.
The Bradys have been predictably quiet on THAT breaking news.From examiner.com: http://tinyurl.com/69w4o6o
[SNIP]
House vote derails Obama administration gun reporting scheme
By a 25-16 vote today, House Republicans have derailed the Obama administration’s attempt to require gun dealers in four southwest states to report multiple long gun sales by removing funding for the new mandate.
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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/]