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

08/18/09 - VCDL Update 8/17/09 - Part 3

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat, said 15 percent of the drug- fighting aid is contingent on the U.S. secretary of state reporting to = Congress that Mexico is meeting human rights requirements. "Those requirements have not been met, so it is premature to send the report to Congress," Mr. Leahy said in a statement. Meanwhile, Mr. Obama might also have to explain to Mr. Calderon why so = little progress has been made on CIFTA, whose name in English is the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials. Mr. Obama vowed in April to push the long-languishing CIFTA and shoulder some responsibility, calling small-arms trafficking "a source = of so many of the weapons used in this drug war." But since then, other than including CIFTA as one of 17 priority treaties on which the administration wants to see action in this Congress, the administration has not appeared to have pressed the issue on a reluctant Senate. Jonathan Winer, who was the chief negotiator for the U.S. on CIFTA, said it does not change U.S. laws governing firearms ownership. "It would provide further tools for the government to track and arrest = criminals involved in smuggling and other serious crimes involving firearms, like police killings and armed robbery. But it does not change domestic U.S. law," said Mr. Winer, who was deputy assistant secretary of state for international law enforcement. "It does not criminalize anything that is currently legal in the U.S." He said CIFTA would make other countries update their international gun-trafficking laws by bringing them in line with current U.S. standards. "We consulted with the National Rifle Association and its representatives throughout the negotiation of CIFTA. It is a fact that = there is language in CIFTA that was drafted by people working for the NRA," he said. For its part, the NRA says firearms manufactured in the U.S. are already heavily regulated, and said the treaty could have "serious impacts on recreation and hunting activities" and could affect those who hand-load ammunition at home. "The United States is already doing our part, and we shouldn't have our freedoms dumbed down to [the level of] other countries that haven't done theirs," Mr. Cox said. Mr. Obama does have allies in the two top members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has jurisdiction over the matter: Chairman John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, and Sen. Richard G. Lugar = of Indiana, the committee's ranking Republican. After Mr. Obama called for ratification, Mr. Kerry said he would "work = for its approval" in his committee. A spokesman for Mr. Kerry said last week the senator remains committed, but also pointed to a packed schedule and other major treaties and said it's unclear when CIFTA could happen. Mexico signed the treaty in 1997 and ratified it the next year. The U.S. also signed the treaty in 1997 and President Clinton submitted it = to the Senate in 1998, but it has languished since. Among the 33 signatories, all but four - Canada, Jamaica and the Caribbean island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as the U.S. - have ratified it. ************************************************** 21. Who says people won't rob you for your groceries! ************************************************** http://tinyurl.com/l5y7wr Steve Hargreaves - CNNmoney.com Thursday, August 13, 2009 <snip> DETROIT On a side street in an old industrial neighborhood, a delivery man stacks a dolly of goods outside a store. Ten feet away stands another man clad in military fatigues, combat boots and what appears to be a flak jacket. He looks straight out of Baghdad. But this isn't Iraq. It's southeast Detroit, and he's there to guard the groceries. "No pictures, put the camera down," he yells. My companion and I, on a = tour of how people in this city are using urban farms to grow their own food, speed off. In this recession-racked town, the lack of food is a serious problem. It's a theme that comes up again and again in conversations in Detroit. There isn't a single major non-discount chain supermarket in the city, forcing residents to buy food from corner stores or discount = chains. Often less healthy, less varied, or more expensive food. As the area's economy worsens --unemployment was over 16% in July -- food stamp applications and pantry visits have surged. Detroiters have responded to this crisis. Huge amounts of vacant land has led to a resurgence in urban farming. Volunteers at local food pantries have also increased. But the food crunch is intensifying, and spreading to people not used to dealing with hunger. As middle class workers lose their jobs, the same folks that used to donate to soup kitchens and pantries have become their fastest growing set of recipients. "We've seen about a third more people than before," said Jean Hagopian, a volunteer at the New Life food pantry, part of the New Life Assembly of God church in Roseville, a suburb some 20 miles northeast of Detroit. Hagopian said many of the new people seeking assistance are men, former breadwinners now in desperate need of a food basket. ************************************************** 22. Lexington City Council repeals unlawful gun ban ordinance ************************************************** I have a copy of an article from the Lexington News-Gazette, dated August 12, 2009. Page 2, section A has an article titled: "Lexington = Bows To State, Allows Loaded Firearms." I cannot find the article online. Lexington repealed an ordinance that had banned the carry of loaded guns in the City unless they were carried by a person with a CHP. However, unable to simply do the proper and legal thing, Councilman Jack Page voted against the repeal saying, unbelievably, "it was the city's duty to ensure the safety of it's citizens." Well, yes, Councilman. So why didn't you vote to repeal an ordinance that endangered the lives of innocent citizens? ************************************************** 23. Extra security at the Eric Cantor town hall meeting because of VCDL presence? ************************************************** At Congressman Eric Cantor's town hall meeting tonight, a police officer was overheard telling another police officer that the extra police presence was because VCDL was going to be there! For crying out loud - only the government would waste money worrying about a group whose members are well mannered, well spoken, and law abiding. I will point out that I open carried the whole time and the Chesterfield police, while noticing me, did not say a word about my gun. We've had very, very few incidents of Chesterfield PD harassing gun owners over such things and tonight was no exception. (I chose to = open carry because I wasn't sure if the reception was going to be held = in the hotel's restaurant or not. As it turned out, it wasn't.) The Guns Save Lives stickers that I brought with me were popular, as usual. I did have a chance to talk to a few of Eric Cantor's campaign workers = about the upcoming VCDL protest at the Republican Roundup (which is being held at anti-gun Innsbrook on Saturday, October 17th). EM Patricia Webb got to shake hands with Cantor and cornered him on the whole Innsbrook matter, too. He said he had no input as to where the Roundup was to be held, but Pat didn't let him off the hook with that far-fetched answer. Finally, Cantor said he would look into it and Pat politely let the issue drop. Keep October 17th on your calendar. We need a big turnout at that protest in the Richmond area (from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM). ------------------------------------------- ***************************************************************************