Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL)

Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
PO. Box 513, Newington, VA 22122 • 804-639-0600 • 703-372-3285 • 757-271-3705 • 540-446-5783

10/20/09 - VCDL Freedom Rally Wrapup

Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Let's start with the bottom line: The 7th District GOP leadership obviously believes that its rank & file members won't donate to the Party without having lots of booze available to numb their minds and open up their wallets. Sorry, but principles matter. 1. 7TH DISTRICT FAITHFUL'S TALKING POINTS 2. VCDL PRE-EVENT COORDINATION WITH ALL PARTIES 3. THE RALLY - CANTOR AND COBB SNATCHING DEFEAT FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY 4. WHAT'S NEXT? - CANTOR AND COBB ARE DIGGING THEMSELVES IN DEEPER 5. THANKS TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE 6. MEDIA COVERAGE AND VIDEOS ******************************************************** 1. 7TH DISTRICT FAITHFUL'S TALKING POINTS ******************************************************** Here is a "talking points" memo that Linwood Cobb, 7th District Republican Party chairman, sent out to his volunteers a few days before the Republican Roundup. My comments are in square brackets: -- All: ....The VCDL is planning to protest the Roundup because the Innsbrook Owners have a no weapon policy. [PVC: No, VCDL is protesting the Republican leadership's choice of an anti-gun venue for their fund raiser.] Yes can you imagine they are protesting the very people that = support their 2nd Amendment rights. [PVC: Yeah, outstanding support at that gun-free Roundup.] The press will probably be there so here are some facts you can pass on if you are interviewed. 1. Congressman Cantor has an "A" rating from the NRA. [PVC: Which makes it all the more disgusting and confusing to gun owners that Cantor supports holding the Roundup at a location where gun owners are specifically made unwelcome with "no guns" signs posted = at the entrance. VCDL always has, and is again this year, mobilizing thousands of gun owners on behalf of pro-gun candidates. The VCDL-PAC = backs this up financially with postcard mailings and phone calls in key battleground races. The VCDL-PAC's endorsement of Bob McDonnell in the final stages of the = 2005 Attorney General race tipped the election to the Republican column.] 2. In 2007 Congressman Cantor put up an online petition, "SAVE THE SECOND.COM" This was in support of the Court ruling in Washington DC overturning the gun ban. [PVC: Why is he holding his Roundup at a place that Chuck Schumer would approve of and ignoring funding that would make a move to a gun- friendly venue painless?] 3. The 7th District Committee has supported financially the Statewide Candidates, McDonnell "A" rating, Bolling "A+" rating, Cuccinelli "A+" = rating. [PVC: That's fine - the protest was not aimed at any of them - only Cantor. In fact on the day of the Roundup the VCDL-PAC endorsed McDonnell, Bolling, and Cuccinelli! We are simply not aware that any of those three candidates have ever chosen to hold a major campaign event at such a blatantly anti-gun private venue.] 4. The 7th District Committee has supported financially candidates running for the House of Delegates, Todd Gilbert "A" rating, Danny Marshall "A" rating, Scott Garrett "A" rating, Ed Scott "A" rating, Barbara Comstock "A" rating, John Cox "A" rating, Tim Hugo "A" rating, = Dave Albo "B" rating, Jackson Miller "A" rating, Bill Janis "A+" rating, Ernesto Sampson "A" rating, John O'Bannon "A" rating, Michael Gage "A" rating, Rob Bell "A" rating, Chris Stolle "A" rating, Tom Gear "A" rating. [PVC: Again, so what? We did not protest any of them - only Cantor. = Now if any of the above candidates decide to start holding their fundraisers at anti-gun locations, then they could expect a similar protest.] 5. The Delegates that are elected in the 7th District, Todd Gilbert, Sam Nixon, Ed Scott, John Cox, Bill Janis, John O'Bannon, Manoli Loupassi, Jimmie Massie and Chris Peace, all have A or A+ ratings. [PVC: Yes, again that is irrelevant. One would have hoped that at least a few of them would have privately counseled Cantor and Cobb to move the event.] 6. The Committee Units that make up the 7th District all furnish grassroots volunteers that work to elect these Republicans who support = the 2nd Amendment. [PVC: Irrelevant.] Linwood M. Cobb III Chairman 7th District Republican Committee ******************************************************** 2. VCDL PRE-EVENT COORDINATION WITH ALL PARTIES ******************************************************** In order to help guarantee a peaceful and successful Freedom Rally and = to ensure that the private property rights of anti-gun Highwood Properties were respected, VCDL participated in a major security briefing the day before the Rally. Besides VCDL and Highwoods Properties, the attendees included the Henrico Police, Henrico Fire Department, Henrico Sheriff's Department, = the Secret Service, Homeland Security, Innsbrook Security, and Linwood = Cobb. Afraid that the size of the VCDL Freedom Rally protest might block too = much of the street, Highwoods Properties offered VCDL a large parking area near the event. VCDL accepted the offer. ******************************************************** 3. THE RALLY - CANTOR AND COBB SNATCHING DEFEAT FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY ******************************************************** 325 gun owners turned out for the VCDL Freedom Rally on Saturday. While doing some initial Rally setup, we learned that some anti- gunners had tried to pass some of their lies, er, literature out to a few stores and had been run off by mall management and security. The Innsbrook Shoppes manager, Sidney Gunst, made it clear that the only literature that would be handed out on his property was that offered by citizens carrying guns. ;-) The rally was to protest Congressman Eric Cantor holding the "Republican Roundup" at a gun-free zone each year. That is especially = irksome as Cantor is well aware that there are other nearby venues that are gun-friendly. Well before last year's Roundup, several Republican gun owners even offered donations for Cantor (via Linwood Cobb) to move the event to a gun-friendly venue, but that offer was ignored. The rally started with an orientation and distribution of a rally flyer with maps and a schedule of events. After the orientation, most of the crowd, including 25 Executive members in green safety vests holding two-way radios, moved to the street that leads into the SnagAJob Pavilion, where the Roundup was to = be held and which is owned by anti-gun Highwood Properties. Members lined both sides of the street, holding up signs that read "Guns Save Lives," "Vote Cantor Out," "Cantor Abandoned Gun Owners," = "Ban My Gun, Lose My Vote" and so forth. As attendees of the Roundup walked by the VCDL members, many accepted and wore VCDL's "Guns Save Lives" sticker. That sea of orange stickers should also have gotten Congressman Cantor's attention. Many people honked their horns in support of VCDL and gave the "thumbs = up" on their way into the Roundup. Dennis and I ran into one typical anti-gun coward, who didn't say a word as his car stopped at a stop sign next to us. Instead as soon as he had driven about 50 feet past us, rolled down his window and yell back "guns don't save lives!" and then sped off. As promised, George Washington, was there to support us and did a great job in talking to gun owners and educating them on the Constitution and our rights. One person said that they had learned more from President Washington during the few minutes they spent speaking to the President, than they had learned in all their extensive schooling. Amen to that. Ever resourceful member Ed Levine showed up with his vehicle plastered = with round orange magnetic "Guns Save Lives" signs and even his black lab sported an orange bandana adorned with a "Gun Save Lives" button. ;-) Jim Snyder's wife brought their miniature pinscher, who was wearing a doggie-coat with "Guns Save Lives" stickers on it. Just about the time that Linwood Cobb, who is the chairman of the Republican 7th District, started to speak at the Roundup a plane flew overhead trailing two large banners that said "Guns Save Lives" and "Cantor Sells Out." VCDL members broke out in loud applause and laughter at the sight! ;-) The plane continued to circle the Roundup for for about 45 minutes with everyone fighting back laughter for quite a while. VCDL also had = a hot-air balloon with "Guns Save Lives" on the sides, but it was too windy for it to launch. There are some great photos of the balloon, though, in some of the links later in this alert. (Don't worry, you will get a chance to see the balloon upfront and personal in the future.) We had a member inside the Roundup who was keeping me posted on what was going on. He estimated that there were about 500 people at the rally including staff and government agents, so our 325 was a very significant number. He also let me hear Linwood Cobb's comments to the Roundup, which due to the VCDL members lining the street and our airplane flying overhead, forced Lynwood to talk about why the event was being protested. What was really funny was that Cobb said on stage that Eric Cantor was = a strong supporter of the Second Amendment as he and Cantor were standing in a GUN-FREE ZONE surrounded by government agents with GUNS. That is just the opposite of what the Second Amendment is all about. Cantor, Cobb and those who clapped at that statement completely missed = the irony. Cobb tries to blame everything on the SnagAJob Pavilion's anti-gun policy. Mr. Cobb, private property owners can do as they like. It is = you and Congressman Cantor that are intentionally choosing that venue when you have other choices. No, Eric Cantor and you are to blame for = the policy in the end. VCDL respects private property rights and did not interfere in any way with access to the event. VCDL is disappointed in Highwoods anti-gun policy and simply wants Republicans = to stop spending their publicly donated funds to support this anti- freedom business. You can hear Cobb's excuses in this video. Notice that Senator Cuccinelli wasn't clapping when Linwood Cobb announced that the Roundup is going to be held at Innsbrook AGAIN next year (more on that = comment later): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI7y0HGFp8o -- The police were very impressed with VCDL's coordination, professionalism, and candidness with them. They said that had never had this level of cooperation and coordination with such an event before. They really liked that if there was any kind of a problem with our members (such as standing in the street), we would fix it ourselves without the police ever having to get directly involved. EM Ted Deeds is with the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA). = When Ted volunteer for the Freedom Rally I immediately realized that he would be the perfect liaison with the police and he did a great job! -- George Washington addressed the crowd in his usual eloquent fashion (although George claims to not be as good a public speaker as some of the other Founding Fathers). Doc Thompon, a talk show personality on WRVA in Richmond, was the keynote speaker. He asked the poignant question, "why would ANYONE not support the Second Amendment?" and took the restrictions on the Second Amendment and applied them to the First Amendment to show how absurd they really are. ******************************************************** 4. WHAT'S NEXT? - CANTOR AND COBB ARE DIGGING THEMSELVES IN DEEPER ******************************************************** VCDL leadership had originally thought that we would let the Cantor issue drop for a while and give Cantor time to reconsider his choice of Roundup venues for next year. But Cobb has already announced that next year's Roundup will be at the = anti-gun Innsbrook SnagAJob Pavilion again. :-( So we'll be pursuing addition options to pressure the 7th District GOP = leadership to hold their fundraiser at a more gun friendly venue. Next year is an election year for Congressman Cantor. ******************************************************** 5. THANKS TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE ******************************************************** VCDL owes a debt of gratitude to the many gun owners who spent a cold afternoon tirelessly waving flags and carrying signs in order to protect all of our rights! I would also like to thank the following Board members: Dennis O'Connor, John Fenter, Al Steed, Jr., Bruce Jackson, and Jim Snyder, = and the following Executive members: Matt Gottchalk (video), Dale Welch, Ron and Jean Hyson, Ron Lilly, Chip Fetrow (sound system), Leonard Harris, Bob Marcellus, Patricia Webb, Sandy Ferris, Andrew Amerine, Chuck Williamson, Susan Brush (communications), Hal Macklin, and Ted Deeds (law-enforcement liaison). Also thanks to member Dave Hicks (radio relay between the two Freedom Rally sites). Special thanks to Doc Thompson for his excellent keynote speech, Sidney Gunst, who so generously and patriotically let us use his InnsBrooks Shoppes mall as a key part of our Freedom Rally. Also to the stores, hotels, and restaurants that welcomed us: Marriot West, Hilton Garden Inn Richmond Innsbrook, Capital Ale House, Finn McCools, = Sharky's Billiards, Hondo's, Curry House, Mam Cucina, and Shoe Carnival. ******************************************************** 6. MEDIA COVERAGE AND VIDEOS ******************************************************** Here is Richmond CBS Channel 6 coverage, which includes Board member Dennis O'Connor being interviewed: http://tinyurl.com/yh6kx2a Some points of clarification and comments on the story: 1. The story implied that the NRA had something to do with the Freedom Rally. The NRA did NOT. 2. The story also implied that Bob McDonnell was also being protested. HE WAS NOT! In fact the VCDL-PAC has now endorsed McDonnell. 3. Creigh Deeds was clearly caught off guard on the issue, making a blanket statement about supporting the Second Amendment as he was walking around Richmond with every anti-gun Democratic Senator and Delegate in the area! -- Here is coverage, with some excellent photos, in Old Virginia News: http://news.oldva.org/blogroll/gunowners-tell-cantor-no-roundup-for-them/ -- More photos, videos, links, and general coverage here on OpenCarry.org: http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/31805-9.html -- Here is Matt Gottchalk's video of the Freedom Rally (includes partial speeches by George Washington and Doc Thompson): http://www.vimeo.com/7149690 Here is the complete video of President George Washington's excellent speech: http://www.vimeo.com/7150844 And the complete video of keynote speaker, Doc Thompson with WRVA in Richmond: http://www.vimeo.com/7150887 -- More coverage of the event from the Downtown Short Pump paper: http://tinyurl.com/yjvfbte State's Largest Gun Rights Group Protests Innsbrook Republican Rally October 18, 2009 - 2:24 pm By Trevor Dickerson On Saturday afternoon, Republican Whip and Short Pump resident Eric Cantor hosted the 2009 Republican Round-Up, an annual rally at the Innsbrook SnagAJob Pavilion. Outside the gates, several hundred members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), protested the event's venue choice. VCDL is the state's largest firearms rights group and has been successful in influencing legislation affecting gun owners' rights in = the past. The Innsbrook SnagAJob Pavilion is private property, separate from the = rest of the Innsbrook Corporate Center. The venue, home to popular Summer concert series Innsbrook After Hours, does not allow firearms at the concerts or any other event. ''Four years ago, a couple of our members showed up and were turned away because of their firearms,'' VCDL board member Bruce Jackson said. = ''We found [the Republican Round-Up] another location and they turned = that down and said, =91Well it's pro-gun but it doesn't allow alcohol,= ' and apparently drinking is more important than the Constitution to Eric Cantor.'' Jackson went on to explain that the organization then found another venue that was was both pro-gun and alcohol, as well as conveniently located, which was also turned down. ''The truth is they are just not = pro-gun,'' Jackson said. ''They are holding their event repeatedly at a= place that bans firearms. We're trying to prove to the Republican Party that firearms are important and need to be allowed in their events.'' VCDL claims to be a non-partisan group with members from all across the political spectrum, but many seemed to hold issue with the party as a whole solely for its decision to hold the Round-Up at the Innsbrook Pavilion. ''Part of the platform of the Republican Party is the protection of the = Second Amendment,'' VCDL President Philip Van Cleave said. ''Yet every = year, they pick this one anti-gun location where we can't do an open = carry. You either believe in the Second Amendment or you don't, and they're apparently trying to have a gun-free zone and we're protesting= that. We have people who are even willing to pay for a new location, but they are simply not willing to move.'' Van Cleave calls the party's actions ''hypocritical'' and says the grou= p will continue to protest with more members each year until their concerns are heard. ------------------------------------------- ***************************************************************************