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

04/21/10 - VCDL Update 4/21/10 - Part 2

faculty to carry concealed weapons as a deterrent and as a means of protection in situations such as the Virginia Tech shooting, in which a student with a history of mental illness went on an extended rampage against fellow students and faculty before shooting himself. Gun control advocates respond that allowing students to carry concealed weapons would create more violence, not less. Since the Virginia Tech tragedy, states have voted down legislation to expand conceal-and-carry rights on college campuses 34 times, The Wall Street Journal reported in July 2009. No laws allowing conceal and carry on campuses have passed since then, says Mr. Pelosi. Last year, Texas, Tennessee, and Louisiana each voted on measures similar to Utah's. The votes in Texas and Tennessee were close, but the bills failed. Louisiana voted the measure down 86 to 18. 'Texas was a huge win, but we knew they'd be back,' says Pelosi, referring to gun rights groups and their allies in the legislature. Students who support broad gun rights are mobilizing. Last week, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus reported holding 'Empty Holster Protest' events at dozens of college campuses. Participants wore empty holsters to show they are legal gun owners forbidden to carry concealed firearms at their schools. 'We call gun-free zones 'disarmed victim zones,' ' Steve Khemthong, a participant in the Empty Holster Protest and a student at Central Connecticut State University, told the New Britain Herald. Mr. Khemthong's gun club hosted 'NRA University,' a two-hour seminar discussing US gun laws and the work of the National Rifle Association. During the seminar, the NRA's Seth Waugh encouraged various forms of pro-gun activism, such as communicating with state legislators and volunteering for a campaign, the Herald reported. Despite legislative setbacks, gun rights advocates have achieved some success in the courts. On Thursday, a Colorado appellate court ruled in favor of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, finding that the University of Colorado's rule prohibiting conceal and carry violates the state's 2003 Concealed Carry Act. The university is considering appealing to the Colorado Supreme Court, spokesman Ken McConnellogue told the Associated Press. If the school does not appeal, gun-control proponents in the legislature are expected to try to rewrite the law in question - the Concealed Carry Act of 2003. ************************************************** 11. Brady Campaign: Sad Week Ahead for Those Supporting Sensible Gun Laws ************************************************** Bruce Jackson emailed me this: -- http://tinyurl.com/y43xced www.opposingviews.com Sad Week Ahead for Those Supporting Sensible Gun Laws Opinion by Brady Campaign (1 Hour Ago) in Society / Guns By Paul Helmke To those of us who think we make it too easy for dangerous people to get dangerous guns, this is a somber week ahead. Friday marks the third anniversary of the massacre at Virginia Tech. Thirty-two innocent lives were taken by a dangerous young man who had easy access to guns. Four days later, Tuesday, April 20 marks the 11th anniversary of the deaths of 13 at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, because two young men had easy access to guns. Sandwiched between these painful anniversaries, two gun lobby gatherings are planned in the Washington D.C. area on Monday, April 19 - on the anniversaries of the battles of Lexington and Concord, the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building and the conflagration of the Branch Davidian complex in Waco, Texas. Organizers say they're fighting to restore gun rights in America. At this time in our history, gun toters can go into a Starbucks in more than 40 states with a loaded firearm. Brady background check records must be immediately destroyed. Congress is poised to eviscerate all of the gun laws in our nation's Capital. Gun victims' access to the courts has been curtailed. And Wayne LaPierre, the president of the NRA, says 'the guys with the guns make the rules.' Nevertheless, the gun extremists say that gun rights in the United States are facing tremendous threats. It's hard to consider this paranoia about gun privileges being at risk with a straight face. We need civility in our gun policy debate in America, and I make a concerted effort to be polite and open to those who disagree with sensible gun laws every day. But in America, the guys with the guns don't make the rules - and that, whether Wayne LaPierre likes it or not, is one of the foundations of our democracy. Gun privileges at risk? Lori Haas helped nurse her daughter, Emily, back to health after she was wounded at Virginia Tech. Does Lori think gun rights are at risk in America? 'Are you serious?' Lori responded. 'When firearms sales have skyrocketed in the last 18 months? There is absolutely nothing that prevents law abiding citizens from purchasing firearms. There is no threat. On the contrary - they, along with criminals, the mentally ill and others who are legally ineligible from purchasing firearms can walk into any gun show in most states and buy all the firearms they want - no questions asked. I can't quite fathom those so-called law abiding citizens wanting people the law has deemed unsuitable to be able to purchase firearms. It makes no sense.' The organizers of the 'Second Amendment March,' near the Washington Monument in Washington and the armed 'Restore the Constitution Rally' make a point of assuring us that they don't intend to use their events as a springboard to a violent assault on the U.S., Government. 'If we planned to overthrow the government,' wrote one of the organizers of the Virginia event, Daniel Almond, 'we wouldn't invite so many of them to join us here on the lawn, we wouldn't announce our intention beforehand, and we wouldn't meet up on the wrong side of the river.' If you want to simplify this issue, read these names. Friday is the anniversary of the deaths of Ross Abdallah Alameddine, Ryan Clark, Daniel Perez Cueva, Caitlin Hammaren, Emily Jane Hilscher, Matt La Porte, Jarrett Lane, Henry Lee, Juan Ortiz, Mary Karen Read, Reema Samaha, Leslie Sherman, Maxine Turner, Erin Peterson , Jeremy Herbstritt, Daniel O'Neil, Brian Bluhm, Michael Pohle, Austin Cloyd, Waleed Shaalan, Julia Pryde, Matthew Gwaltney , Nicole White, Rachael Hill, Lauren McCain, Partahi Lombantoruan, Minal Panchal, Christopher James Bishop, Dr. Kevin P. Granata, G.V. Loganathan, Dr. Liviu Librescu and Jocelyne Couture-Nowak. Tuesday is the anniversary of the deaths of Rachel Scott, Daniel Rohrbough, William David Sanders, Cassie Bernall, Steven Curnow, Corey DePooter, Kelly Fleming, Matthew Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Isaiah Shoels, John Tomlin, Lauren Townsend and Kyle Velasquez. I urge everyone to remember Virginia Tech and Columbine. One of the reasons all the victims died was our lack of sensible gun laws to keep dangerous people from getting dangerous weapons. ************************************************** 12. Daily Press hit piece on background checks ************************************************** Jonathan Evans emailed me this: -- http://tinyurl.com/y6pmzhm www.dailypress.com Gun buyers will have to pay a little more if they want faster background checks April 13, 2010 Maybe you can have your cake and eat it, too. But in this economy, you cannot have your low-level user fees and your high-level user service. Not if what you're looking for is a fast transaction when it comes to buying a gun. In Virginia, some gun buyers are experiencing delays. One of the consequences of the General Assembly's wringing billions of dollars out of the state budget is that it wrung out some jobs. Some were in unit at the State Police that processes background checks on gun purchasers. This is the centerpiece of Virginia's attempt to keep guns out of the wrong hands. It goes only so far because the criminals know the 'street market' doesn't do background checks. And it's always possible to take advantage of the loophole for unlicensed sellers at legitimate gun shows. The background check requires consulting several databases in order to weed out the people prohibited by law from purchasing guns. That list includes those who have been convicted of or are under indictment for a felony or convicted of some serious misdemeanors; are subject to a protective order for harassing, stalking or threatening an 'intimate partner' or child; have been found by a court to be incompetent or mentally incapacitated or involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital; were dishonorably discharged from the armed forces; are illegal immigrants; or have, within 36 months, been convicted twice of possession of marijuana or a controlled substance (once is no barrier). The public, understandably, would agree that none of these people should have guns. Gun buyers, understandably, would like their applications processed quickly, so they can finish their purchases and be on their way. As law-abiding citizens, they should expect good service. But recently, it has been taking longer. That's due to a combination of greater demand -- the number of checks in 2009 was up 7 percent from 2008, itself a record year -- and less supply on the checking end. The number of staff to do background checks is down from 28 to 17. But gun buyers, collectively, had a choice about this. The 2009 General Assembly considered a bill to raise the background check fee from $2 to $5, which the State Police says would be sufficient to staff the unit. You have to wonder how someone who found the extra $3 onerous could afford a gun and ammunition. But pro-gun groups worked to defeat the bill. So some gun buyers are delayed, and gun dealers say the delays are costing them sales. Those are the consequences. But there's no way to justify taking general tax money to subsidize this process when the money is needed for law enforcement and other critical services. This basic lesson about getting what you pay for had one winning moment. Philip Van Cleave of the activist Virginia Citizens Defense League wins the 'Over The Top, 'Round The Bend And Back Hyperbole Award' for this statement: 'A person experiencing a death threat and who is denied a lawful gun purchase overnight would be left helpless at the hands of an assailant.' More than 287,000 background checks were run in Virginia last year. If the scenario Van Cleave laid out is anything but a rarity, if many of those 287,000 involve death threats, then we need to call up the National Guard, mobilize the militia, bar the doors and hide the women and children. Here's a fun fact: The State Police in 2008 denied about 1 percent of the requests because the applicants were disqualified from owning a gun. And in the process of conducting background checks, 78 people who were wanted on criminal charges were identified and arrested. The process works. And it was worth $5. ************************************************** 13. LTE: Gun Group Misses The Obvious Point ************************************************** http://tinyurl.com/y4nugnu www.timesdispatch.com Letters To The Editor By STAFF REPORTS Published: April 12, 2010 Gun Group Misses The Obvious Point Editor, Times-Dispatch: Philip Van Cleave of the Viginia Citizens Defense League finds it 'not acceptable' to wait four hours for a clearance for a gun purchase. His seeming lack of comprehension that this hourly decrease was brought on by a 40 percent reduction in staff that handles these transactions -- and the refusal of his group to increase the fee from $2 to $5, which would enable the hiring of personnel to expedite transactions -- suggests the mental acuity of that group. Walter Zadan. Williamsburg. ************************************************** 14. Daily Show open carry spoof ************************************************** EMs John Pierce and Mike Stollenwerk, as well as Board member Dennis O'Connor appear in a spoof on open carry on the John Daly show. The antis, true to form, are having cows, taking the whole thing seriously. The laugh was on both side of the issue, but Brady's president Helmke played right into Daily's hand with his attack on gun owners: -- http://tinyurl.com/y6uwl23 www.snowflakesinhell.com ************************************************** 15. Jim Crow: Guns, Too? ************************************************** Mack emailed me this: -- Gee, look -- somebody actually gets it and makes exactly the same argument I've been making for years: http://tinyurl.com/y2jgmgj www.timesdispatch.com Jim Crow: Guns, Too? By STAFF REPORTS Published: April 16, 2010 Critics equate Bob McDonnell's approach to the restoration of voting rights for felons to Jim Crow. There is more to the story. In a piece for National Review, Hans von Spakovsky reports that felons forfeit more than the right to vote. The details may vary by state, but felons generally lose the right to serve on juries, to hold public office, or to work in certain professions. Perhaps the most explosive instance relates to the right to own firearms. Felons cannot own guns. Now, if the serving of time settles a felon's debt to society and if the restoration of voting rights is to occur automatically upon completion of sentence, then restoration must apply to all other lost rights as well. Should a felon convicted of armed robbery be able to buy a weapon immediately after release? Supporters of gun control probably would say no. Yet as long as gun-ownership remains legal -- as long as the Second Amendment remains in place -- then those who blast McDonnell on voting rights need to decry the loss of gun rights as similarly reflective of Jim Crow. ***Although, absent a full gubernatorial pardon, a felon should lose his Second Amendment rights, it also is absolute demagogy to blast McDonnell on voting rights while ignoring a felon's permanently lost right to own firearms.*** [emphasis added] .. . . Speaking of African-Americans and firearms: In its Dred Scott decision that upheld the Fugitive Slave Act, the Supreme Court concluded that if the 'persons of the negro race' had the 'privileges and immunities of citizenship' they would enjoy the right 'to keep and carry arms wherever they went.' Roger Taney and his concurring colleagues said slaves lacked these rights when the court affirmed the constitutionality of a statute that effectively nationalized slavery. Gun-ownership by blacks clearly was something to be feared. Is the denial of gun rights to felons an example not only of Jim Crow but of slavery itself? We think not, and we suspect those maligning McDonnell would agree. The point is that history can be messy, and that allegations of Jim Crow can invite unflattering precedents. -------- http://tinyurl.com/y3q4rnr www.nationalreview.com APRIL 15, 2010 The Washington Post's Disgrace Playing the race card for felons. By Hans A. Von Spakovsky [SNIP] The real disgrace is the newspaper's shameful racial demagoguery. The Post unfairly calls McDonnell's proposal and Virginia's individualized review of every felon's application 'Jim Crow by another name.' Interestingly, however, while the Post talks about 'the terrible legacy of people being excluded from the voting booth,' its editorial writers are silent on the 'terrible legacy of people being excluded' from owning a gun, serving on a jury, or freely practicing whatever profession they want. Why should anyone automatically and always trust felons to vote but never to own a gun or serve as a teacher in a public school? Perhaps they are just interested in expected liberal votes, not the actual and complete rehabilitation of felons? -------- http://tinyurl.com/y34sbpn www.heritage.org Restoring Voting Rights of Convicted Felons and H.R. 3335 Published on March 23, 2010 by Hans von Spakovsky [SNIP] Thank you for the invitation to testify before the Subcommittee on the subject of felons and the rights of states to prevent convicted criminals from voting. I am Hans A. von Spakovsky, a Senior Legal Fellow and Manager of the Civil Justice Reform Initiative in the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation (www.heritage.org). I was a Commissioner on the Federal Election Commission for two years and, of particular relevance to the subject of this hearing, I am a former career Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice. I am also a former member of the Board of Advisors of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission as well as the Registration and Election Board of Fulton County, Georgia. I currently serve on the Electoral Board of Fairfax County, Virginia, and on the Virginia Advisory Board to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. All of the views and opinions I express in my testimony are my own and should not be construed as representing any official position of the Heritage Foundation or any other organization. Various consequences attach to a criminal felony conviction. First, there may be (and usually are) prison or jail sentences. Second, there are other direct penalties such as fines, court costs, restitution, and possible probation and parole requirements. Finally, there are various disabilities such as the inability to own a gun, to work as a police officer, to serve in certain elected offices or to serve on a jury. In short, the initial time in prison is not, and has never been, the only way a felon pays his debt to society for breaking the law and endangering his fellow citizens and the public. ************************************************** 16. See Mayor Bloomberg....no gunshow loophole ************************************************** http://tinyurl.com/y28amf5 http://news.oldva.org See Bloomberg....NO GUNSHOW LOOPHOLE A big pat on the back for the Administration of Showmasters Gunshow and the gun owners in Virginia. At yesterdays show at the Raceway, two people from New York came into the show. They went to several vendors and at least one private seller, trying to buy a gun. They were turned away each time. One private seller went to the show manager and asked if it was legal to sell to them. When he was told no, he returned to the people and said no way. After the man had been turned down by Dark Sun, the woman tried to buy a gun from them. By that time the police had been notified and they questioned the couple. Apparently there wasn't enough to charge them, at least yet. I understand a third New York car came in after the episode and left rather quickly. Were these Bloombergers or just Carpetbaggers ?....whatever they were, they found out there isn't a loophole and buying illegal guns is hard in Virginia. There was an announcement on the PA about this and and the whole place applauded. April 11th, 2010 | Category: Blogroll, Firearms & Personal Safety ************************************************** 17. NFS in NC = gun trap ************************************************** National forests are not national parks when it comes to gun rights Carla and Dave Hicks emailed me this: -- You might want to post this for folks traveling to NC. http://tinyurl.com/y5jon7g www.ncwildlife.org [SNIP] news releases CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT FOR FIREARMS PROMPTS QUESTIONS RALEIGH, N.C. (April 14, 2010) - A change in federal law that allows firearms in many national parks does not include state parks and forests or other state recreational areas, including game lands. According to the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of Interior, people who can legally possess firearms under federal and state law can now possess those firearms in the national parks in that state. This pertains to anyone with a concealed carry permit. National parks should not be confused with national forests. In North Carolina, the Nantahala, Pisgah, Uwharrie and Croatan national forests are also designated as game lands. 'Concealed carry permits do not supersede the other regulations that apply,' said Maj. Keith Templeton, with the Law Enforcement Division of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. 'It is up to the individual with a valid concealed carry permit to know the law and obey it.' Under game land regulations, it is unlawful to possess a firearm or bow and arrow on a game land at any time, except: ************************************************** 18. Gov't report sees increase in campus violence ************************************************** Bruce Jackson emailed me this: -- http://tinyurl.com/yyjtmcb www.google.com Gov't report sees increase in campus violence By PETE YOST (AP) - 15 hours ago WASHINGTON -- Targeted college campus violence, from serious assaults to the mass shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007, is up sharply over the last two decades. The number of cases rose from 40 during the 1980s to 79 in the 1990s and 83 since 2000, says a study issued Friday by the FBI, Secret Service and Education Department. The cause of the increase is unknown, though the report noted a dramatic rise in college student enrollment in the past 20 years. Violence on or near college campuses is hardly new. The report cited, for example, a murder-suicide in 1909. In that incident 101 years ago, a man shot and killed a student on her college campus and then killed himself, reportedly after the student rejected his marriage proposals. 'For years, colleges and universities have worked to address this challenge -- to create safe campuses where academic and personal growth can flourish,' says the study, 'Campus Attacks.' 'In the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, many universities were confronted with the troubling reality that one person can, in a few brief moments, devastate a college community through an act of targeted violence.' The report was released on the third anniversary of the shooting rampage by Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho, who killed 32 students and faculty members and took his own life. The report comes as a result of recommendations from a federal panel that studied that tragedy. In the 272 incidents of targeted violence studied for the report, 281 people were killed 247 injured. Of those deaths, at least 190 were students and at least 72 were employees. Targeted violence is defined as cases where attackers select a victim beforehand or randomly choose victims because they fit some predetermined profile or relationship. It excludes violence that breaks out spontaneously, such as during an argument. The study found that: _Factors relating to an intimate relationship were a motivating or triggering factor in a third of attacks and academic stress or failure was a factor in one out of 10 attacks. _Sixty percent of those who engaged in targeted campus violence were current or former students at the school where the violence took place. _Firearms were used in more than half the incidents and knives or weapons with a blade were used in over 20 percent. _Over 90 percent of those who committed such attacks were male. In nearly three-quarters of the incidents studied, the attacker appeared to have targeted one or more specifically named individuals. But sometimes it appeared that random people were targeted along with specific victims. Understanding what motivates an attacker to go solely after random victims 'remains a complex and difficult challenge,' the report said. The report included 52 acts of violence in areas surrounding college campuses, saying that to exclude nearby locations would neglect the role of campus safety departments and campus threat assessment teams in securing the general area. The report is a preliminary step in gaining a better understanding of targeted campus violence. The next phase of the work -- a collaboration between the FBI and the Education Department -- will examine case files and investigative records from campus attacks, with a focus on factors such as past behavior and mental illness by those who carry out such crimes. The research is expected to help threat assessment teams made up of professionals from a wide range of campus departments. The teams created in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech killings identify individuals whose behavior causes concern or is disruptive and assess whether the person has the intent or ability to carry out an attack. ************************************************** 19. Two things my kids know about guns ************************************************** Bob Johnson emailed me this: -- http://tinyurl.com/y4fvp3g http://thesurvivalmom.com Two Things My Kids Know About Guns We took the kids to the shooting range again yesterday, along with a reporter and photographer from the Arizona Republic, and once more I felt so grateful that my kids are confident, yet cautious, around guns. Just the day before, a 10 year-old boy in our city accidentally shot himself with his stepfather's handgun and died. I don't know the family, nor do I have any details about the tragic incident, but I have to wonder if the young man had ever been educated in gun safety or if he had ever had the chance to learn to shoot. From the beginning, my husband and I wanted our kids to know two very important things about guns. #1 A gun is no big deal. Remember the scene in, 'The Sixth Sense', when a boy says to the main character, 'Wanna see my dad's gun?' He turns toward the bedroom and you see a huge gunshot wound in the side of his head. In our home, we don't want guns to be mysterious forbidden fruit. After all, what is more alluring to a child? Something they're not allowed to see and touch or something so ordinary that it's no big deal? I am not precluding the possibility of either of our children doing something stupid someday while around a firearm, but if they do, it certainly won't be because they view a gun as something exciting and glamorous. Any parent who thinks their kids don't watch and plan for an opportune time to do something sneaky behind their backs isn't living in the same world as me! The last thing I want my kids to do is wait until we are gone from home and then seek out a hidden gun to, 'play with.' So, our kids have been taught how to shoot. Both have shot a thousand rounds or more from their .22 rifles. Daughter is sniper material. Son just loves using his trigger finger and hits the target on occasion and both are happy to leave our firearms alone once we get home. In fact, both have been known to groan and roll their eyes when they see Dad loading up the truck for another trip to the range. The NRA is a great resource for materials to teach your child gun safety, and their Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program is available to individuals, schools, and groups and priced affordably. Eddie Eagle's four basic rules for kids to remember if they ever see a gun are: Stop! Don't touch! Leave the area. Tell an adult! In addition to training and practice, our guns are kept secured in a safe place away from the kids. We believe in layers of security, and education is just one layer. The second thing our kids have learned about guns is, #2 A gun is a huge deal! A gun can take a life. That's a huge deal, the biggest, really, and it makes owning a firearm a serious responsibility. Our kids have been taught to never put their finger on the trigger until they are ready to shoot. They know to always keep the barrel of the gun pointed in a safe direction, which is never at another person, and guns remain unloaded until we are actually at the range. A challenge parents face in this process is helping kids understand the difference between the glorified gun fights they see on TV and in the movies and what a real gun can do to a person. When a person is shot, there is no, 'Take two!' The injured person doesn't pop up so they can appear in the next scene. Gunshot injuries are real, painful, and can cause massive injuries and death. Sooner or later, most kids will encounter a real, live gun somewhere. The gun may or may not be supervised by an adult. It may or may not be loaded, and my kids may or may not be inclined to use the common sense God gave them. As parents, we increase the chances our kids will do the smart thing and stay safe when there's a gun around when we train, educate and remind, remind, remind. ************************************************** 20. Charlton Heston's 'A Torch With No Flame' ************************************************** http://tinyurl.com/yyoz6rz [VIDEO] http://la-gun.com ------------------------------------------- ***************************************************************************