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

07/25/06 - VCDL Update 7/24/06 - Part 2

area," the indictment says, "using straw purchasers and transporting them to New York, where they were selling the firearms on the streets for a significant profit." According to the indictment, Davis and Greene paid the buyers as much as $100 or as little as $20 or with a chunk of crack cocaine. The indictment does not say how much the guns were then sold for. The guns involved include 9 mm and .45-caliber semiautomatics, ..50-caliber revolvers and rifles. Those models typically sell for $200 or more and can garner double and triple the retail price on the street, according to law enforcement officials. Most were sold from Bob's Gun Shop on Granby Street in Norfolk and D&R Arms on Tyre Neck Road in Portsmouth, the indictment reads. Robert Marcus, who runs Bob's, said he tries to prevent straw purchases. He said he suspects a straw purchase when two people come into his store, and one provides cash while the other chooses a weapon. Marcus said he will show them the door. "If a straw purchase is attempted in front of a dealer and it can be recognized, then certainly a responsible dealer is not going to continue with that sale," he said. "People are going to do what they're going to do," Marcus said. "I want to stop as much of it as I can." Bob's has been a target of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the past. In 2002, that shop and 430 other dealers throughout the country were singled out because they each had sold 10 or more guns used in a crime within three years of purchase. Marcus disputed those figures. The bureau used that data to collect sales information from the store to help catch the criminals who used the guns. In the latest case, the bureau conducted an undercover operation with the New York City Police Department. New York City officials have complained for years about the large number of illegal guns traced to Virginia. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg earlier this year sued 15 gun dealers, including four in Virginia, for being the source of 500 crime guns recovered by police in that city. Bob's was not one of the dealers. Virginia tightened its gun-purchasing laws in the 1990s, which led to reductions in the number of illegal guns traced back to the state, according to figures from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Virginia in 1993 enacted a one-handgun-per-month sales limit per person. Since then, the number of guns originating in Virginia and ending up at crime scenes in the Northeast dropped from 38 percent to 16 percent, according to the Brady Campaign. Officials with the bureau and the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment until Tuesday's news conference. The other nine suspects charged are identified in the indictment as: Donnita Meshell Anthony; Leonard Karl Cuffee; Johnny Lydell Harris; Valorie Denise Taylor; Felicia Vaughan; Milton Larry Waddler Jr.; Nicole Yolanda Wilkerson; Donald Wilson; and Felicia Ann Woodson. Their ages and addresses were not available. ***************************************************** 14. Member reflects on close call with robbery ***************************************************** =46rom Justin Knighten: -- This is taken from www.dnronline.com I used to work there before I was 21 and armed. I had thought about going back part time this fall and wondered if concealed carry would be a problem...don't know if I'm going to even try to find out now. Just goes to show that "sleepy little Harrisonburg" might just not be such. I almost started shaking when i read the article, thinking of how I would have reacted had i been there, I've read of this stuff all the time, but it really hit home being at a former place of employment. -- An armed robbery at Chanello's Pizza Thursday night was the second in Harrisonburg in three weeks. While some circumstances are similar, police say they're investigating Thursday=EDs robbery and a prior one at the Valley Exxon on East Market Street on June 29, as separate incidents. When asked if the robberies are related, Lt. Kurt Boshart, the department=EDs spokesman said: "We're not saying it is, and we're not saying it's not." By investigating each crime individually, police avoid jumping to conclusions and possibly missing leads, Boshart has said. As part of any robbery investigation, police compare each crime to the city=EDs other unsolved robberies. "We go back a ways and pull up old cases," he said. "We take a look at ours. We also look at other areas." Recent Robberies At about 9:45 Thursday night, two men, faces concealed by bandanas, entered Chanello's at 425 N. Main Street and pulled a gun on a clerk, according to a police statement. They left on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspects are black men, in their early 20s, the statement says. One was about 5 feet 8 inches tall, the other was slightly taller than 6 feet, with "protruding eyes," the statement says. Not far away, on June 29, armed robbers, wearing ski masks, held up the Valley Exxon on East Market Street near Interstate 81. Almost a year ago, a Chanello's delivery driver was knocked down by a knife-wielding assailant and robbed. Back To Work Patrick Roberts, Chanello's owner, says the store=EDs employees chose to reopen after police finished investigating the crime. "I asked everybody how they felt about it, and they said they wanted to work," Roberts said. "We don't make money if we don't work." The clerk who was robbed returned to Chanello's Friday night, a little nervous, but ready to get back to a job she enjoys, she says. The employee is a James Madison University student and a summer intern at the Daily News-Record. The 21-year-old has delivered pizzas for two years to help pay for school. During deliveries, she says she=EDs aware of the risks, but the robbery in the brightly lit store caught her off guard. "When you're delivering, you feel you need to be more careful," said the clerk, who asked not to be named. "But when you're working inside, you tend to let your guard down. It =EDs a business where you don't think anything is going to happen." Taking Precautions Roberts, the owner, says Chanello's takes security precautions, but adds that he will review them to look for ways to improve. Still, he says, every job has risks. "You put in safeguards to minimize the likelihood of being robbed," Roberts said. "But if somebody is determined to come in and rob you, they're going to." The clerk who was held up says some of her friends and family have asked her to consider a new job. But she=EDs not so sure. "It =EDs a really great job, and I don't want to quit because I'm scared," she said. "It could happen anywhere." ***************************************************** 15. AMTRAK and firearms ***************************************************** VCDL member John Donald sent me the following email. It is a reminder not to use anti-gun AMTRAK: Philip, There was an incident last night of a man with a gun on an Amtrak train in Arlington. They stopped the train and called the Amtrak office in Union Station who in turn called Arlington police. They responded (in force I might add), took the man into custody and turned him over to the Amtrak police when they finally showed up. As a result, I sent an email to Amtrak asking about their policy regarding firearms on Amtrak trains. Below is the response I got. Just thought you might be interested. Would they be covered by the law of the state they are in at any point in time or are they federally protected, or what? [AMTRAK was created by an Act of Congress, so it is probably covered under Federal Law - PVC] Do they enjoy the same restrictions airlines have regarding firearms? [Their restrictions are worse than most airlines - PVC] Is TSA/Amtrak "policy" trumped by VA law or vice versa? [VA law is trumped - PVC] John Donald -- Dear John Donald, Thank you for your inquiry. Our policy is listed below. Firearms And Weapons On Board Trains =2E 1. It is Amtrak's policy that only qualified active law enforcement officers employed by a local, state, federal or railroad law enforcement agency on official business be permitted to carry handguns or small weapons (not exposed or needlessly displayed) aboard Amtrak trains. =2E 2. A "qualified active law enforcement officer" is defined as an employee of a government agency or railroad who: =2E - is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or the incarceration of any person for any violation of law, - has statutory powers of arrest, - is authorized by the agency to carry a firearm, - is not the subject of any disciplinary action by the agency, - Meets the standards, if any, established by the agency which require the employee to regularly qualify in the use of a firearm, - is not under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating or hallucinatory drug or substance, and - is not prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm. =2E 3. Under no circumstances is a non-law enforcement individual permitted to carry a firearm aboard Amtrak trains. =2E 4. Firearms, ammunition and/or other weapons, whether or not packaged, are prohibited in carry-on baggage or on the person at all times, even if the person has a permit to carry. There are no exceptions, other than as stated in sections 1 and 2. =2E 5. Firearms, ammunition and other weapons are never permitted in checked baggage or in Amtrak express. Sincerely, Arletta Amtrak Customer Service ***************************************************** 16. 12 year old stops FIVE armed home invaders with a gun ***************************************************** A gun is the great equalizer. In this case a 12 year old boy with a gun saves the day, even when greatly outnumbered. http://www.fox21.com/Global/story.asp?S=5134073&nav=menu149_2_1 Greenville, SC 12 Year Old Points Gun at Burglars; Group Takes Off July 20, 2006, 03:12 PM EDT An accused group of thugs were thwarted by a 12-year old with a gun. It happened in Greenville when police say five masked men stormed into a house and started beating up the child's father. FOX Carolina's Jamie Guirola reports, Try and picture it. A 12 year old walks into the living room, sees his mother frantically protecting the baby, and several strangers attacking his father. The 12 year old rushes out of the living room, but comes back pointing a gun at the five suspects. As of Monday night, all but one are in jail. These are the alleged home invaders without their masks. The youngest barely seventeen, the oldest just 20. George Dickert didn't have time to think about their ages when he tells us they broke into his home and tried to rob his family. George Dickert/Victim: "F*$# you! That's what I was thinking." Sunday night, George says, one of the suspects in the group followed him into his house after he smoked a cigarette. He tells us the man pulled out a gun, threatening him. When George reached for a different gun in self-defense, a fight broke out. George: "I work five days a week and my wife works six days a week. We're an honest couple. We do what we have to do to make a living and some idiot decided he wanted what I had." When the struggle started, police say, two other men came into the house and started beating on George. That's when George's 12 year old son made the move credited with scaring the accused thugs out of the house, and stopping the burglary without even firing the gun.' George: "He did what he had to do to protect his family last night. And a 12 year old child should never have to go through that. Even if he does know what to do, he should not have to do that." Police later found these four near George's home sweating and breathing heavily. Something George hopes they'll do again if they're convicted and sentenced to the max. George: "...And I will press and push and do whatever it takes to make sure every individual in it gets it." Police aren't releasing details about the fifth person they're looking for. George says he has five guns in the house. His taught his son how to use each of them. ***************************************************** 17. Sometimes logic and discussion are pointless ***************************************************** =46rom a frustrated EM Dave Van: -- I normally don't talk much about my work but this is one time where it just begs to see the light of day. Some of you know that I drive people for a living, high profile folks for the most part. The other night I drove a former Madam Secretary of State and her assistant to a very well known all news cable network (you can probably guess who and where). The story here is not Madam Secretary but her assistant whom I engaged in lively conversation on the topic of guns and gun control when we were in the car alone. This young lady, late 20's, early 30's touted herself as logical and pro-gun, pro-self defense. Good start I thought as she was in mid-sentence. Then she dropped the bomb shell (pun intended) in the latter half of the sentence, ".....except for those people who want to own 4,000 guns. You know arsenals. And those who want to own those nasty guns - AK-47's". I then asked her if she really considered herself to be logical. She replied "of course". I asked her why she would have any problem with law abiding citizens owning any amount of firearms. Her reply: (see Philip for duct tape) "because I don't think it's right and they have no use for them". I further asked her what right she had to say what any law abiding citizen collected and in what quantities, whether it be stamps or guns. Her reply: "because it's not right and if I could I'd change the law so they couldn't". This is a college educated woman who really does consider herself to be very logical and rationale! My closing statement as she left the car was "...please, please let me know if you ever decide to run for public office so I can head up the opposition party". Folks, I hope this young lady is not representative of what we're up against. If it is we might as well forget about open honest discussion and just concentrate on never, ever letting them get in office. Dave Van ***************************************************** 18. New York judges to be armed ***************************************************** Dennis O'Connor notes from the following story: The story says, "the committee warned that judges must 'be patient, dignified and courteous' to those appearing before the bench and behave in 'a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.' As if having a gun makes the judges impatient, undignified, discourteous, dangerous, without integrity, and partial. Even judges aren't immune to being treated like children by a bunch of bureaucrats: http://us.cnn.com/2006/LAW/07/15/armed.judges.ap/ Judges allowed to pack gun under robes New York judges still urged to be 'patient, dignified, courteous' NEW YORK (AP) -- It's one way to assure order in the court. The New York state Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics has ruled that it is permissible for judges to pack a pistol beneath their robes while on the bench. "From an ethical standpoint, there is no prohibition ... barring you from carrying a firearm while performing your duties on the bench," the committee said in a decision published in this week's New York Law Journal. Judges would have to comply with existing laws to bring a gun into court. The committee was asked by one of the state's 3,400 judges whether it was "ethically permissible" to carry a pistol into the courtroom. And though it ruled in favor of pistol-packing jurists, the committee warned that judges must "be patient, dignified and courteous" to those appearing before the bench and behave in "a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary." How to achieve that while armed? "This committee believes that keeping your firearm concealed and safeguarded on your person while you are on the bench is advisable," the ruling said. ***************************************************** 19. Former Congressman sues Bloomy (YES!) ***************************************************** HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Bloomberg says that Bob Barr is pulling a publicity stunt! That's rich coming from Bloomy! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/187048/4/ Former congressman sues NYC's mayor on behalf of gun dealer MARIETTA, Ga. -- Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr filed a $400 million lawsuit against New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday, claiming Bloomberg's attempt to crack down on gun dealers was "careless, willful and clearly illegal." The lawsuit, filed in Cobb County Superior Court, came in response to a federal lawsuit filed by Bloomberg in May alleging that 15 firearm brokers in five states, including Georgia, were "rogue gun dealers." Bloomberg ridiculed the lawsuit as a publicity stunt, telling reporters he was thrilled his name is associated with the other side of the fight: "Hopefully they get the spelling right." [That would be b-u-f-f-o-o-n - PVC] ***************************************************** 20. Article on generic gun ignorance ***************************************************** http://www.lewrockwell.com/reese/reese293.html Generic Ignorance by Charley Reese Some years ago, I was genuinely shocked when a young man, age 27, told me he had never even touched a firearm. To me, a Southerner, it seemed unimaginable that any male could attain the age of 27 without ever having handled a gun. But as I thought about it, I understood. In today's America, where there is no draft, most young men and women don't have any military experience. In the days of the draft, even draftees from big cities with gun-control laws like New York had been exposed to firearms. Furthermore, most Americans today grow up in urban areas where there is scant opportunity for recreational use of firearms. This absence of contact with firearms shows up as a sort of generic ignorance that one sees frequently in journalism and politics. I recently skimmed a book of satirical essays poking fun at the vice president's hunting accident, but one would-be humorist ruined his piece by constant references to buckshot. Dearly beloved, if the vice president had been using buckshot, his lawyer friend would be dead and missing a face, and any quail the veep had shot would be soup and feathers. As every bird hunter in the world knows, you use birdshot for quail. Double-ought buckshot are pellets the size of a ..22-caliber bullet. Buckshot is used on deer, hogs and humans. I was reading a mystery paperback once, and the author had his hero "slip the safety off his revolver." There is no safety on a revolver. Most semiautomatic pistols do have manual safeties, though not all of them these days. The generic ignorance really showed up in the hysteria about "assault weapons." A true assault weapon is either a fully automatic weapon or a weapon with a selector switch that allows it to be fired in either a semiautomatic or full automatic mode. Without that selector switch, no matter what it looks like, it's not an assault weapon. You can buy various versions of the AK-47 or the Uzi, but these civilian models only shoot semiautomatic. The great irony of the assault-weapon hysteria was that weapons that shoot fully automatic had been regulated since the 1930s. To buy one, you needed a special license from the Treasury Department. What Congress ended up doing was banning cosmetic features, like flash suppressors or bayonet lugs, that had nothing to do with the firing mechanism. A weapon that fires semiautomatically works just like a revolver - one shot per one pull of the trigger. An automatic keeps firing as long as you hold the trigger back. About the only people in America who bothered to buy fully automatic weapons since the 1930s, besides the police and the military, were wealthy collectors. Bullets today cost about 25 cents apiece, so you can imagine not many folks wish to shoot up quarters at the rate of 400 or more a minute. Furthermore, unless you are being charged by 50 or more people, a semiautomatic weapon or a shotgun will do just as well as a machine gun in a self-defense situation. I don't think any American civilian has been charged by a large group of men since the end of the Indian wars and the last lynching. There is no excuse for a journalist or a politician to be ignorant about firearms. Whatever you're going to write about or regulate, you ought to at least know what the object is, whether it's sewer pipes or firearms. If you've never handled a gun, visit your local gun shop and touch one. You'll find that it is an inanimate object exactly like the tools in a hardware store. It won't jump off the counter and bite you. As my friend Colonel Dan says, it is much better to have a gun and never need it than to need it and not have it. ***************************************************** 21. Carrot Control, Sarah Brady? ***************************************************** Bill Cowardin sent me this link and comments about an incident in CT brought about by Big Carrot: -- http://tinyurl.com/fmx3t "A 46-year-old man is accused of assaulting his wife with a carrot, causing her to lose sight in one eye," reports the Associated Press from Monroe, Conn.: Pamela Vecsey, 46, underwent six outs [sic] of surgery after being hit in the left eye with the vegetable Saturday night, but doctors were not able to restore her vision, prosecutor Stephanie Damiani said. The couple was arguing when Roderick Vecsey tossed the carrot, Damiani said= .." It is a scandal that thanks to the powerful Carrot Lobby (http://www.konky2000.com/Collections/Pen/100289/), Americans--even the mentally ill, convicted criminals and stalkers--are able to buy these dangerous weapons without so much as a license or background check. We need carrot control! It's the only way to deal with crime at its roots. Bill Cowardin ***************************************************** 22. DC wants to see victims murdered more clearly ***************************************************** Now the police can get nice photos of you being murdered in DC! Man, do I feel safe now! And these kind of cameras worked really well in stopping those bombings in London last year, too! Oh, that's right, the bombings went off without any hindrances... Well, here is more feel good, do nothing, phony security from Washington, D= C: http://tinyurl.com/ejxoc Council OKs neighborhood spy cameras By Amy Doolittle THE WASHINGTON TIMES July 20, 2006 The D.C. Council last night approved emergency legislation that authorizes surveillance cameras in neighborhoods, denies bail for armed-robbery suspects and institutes a 10 p.m. curfew for minors. The vote was 12-1 for the legislation. Those voting for the bill were Jim Graham, Ward 1 Democrat;Jack Evans, Ward 2 Democrat; Kathy Patterson, Ward 3 Democrat; Vincent B. Orange Sr., Ward 5 Democrat; Sharon Ambrose, Ward 6 Democrat; Vincent C. Gray, Ward 7 Democrat; Marion Barry, Ward 8 Democrat; Carol Schwartz, at-large Republican; David A. Catania, at-large independent; Kwame R. Brown, at-large Democrat; Phil Mendelson, at-large Democrat, and council Chairman Linda W. Cropp. Adrian M. Fenty, Ward 4 Democrat, voted against it. Mrs. Cropp called the legislature into a special session to act on Mayor Anthony A. Williams' emergency crime bill. "I've called the council back to a special emergency meeting because we have seen a recent spike in violent crime in the District .... that is not acceptable," said Mrs. Cropp, an at-large Democrat who is running for mayor. "We're here today to do something about it." The legislation would allow closed-circuit surveillance cameras to be placed in communities at the discretion of Metropolitan Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey. On Tuesday, the chief said his officers would not actively monitor the cameras and would refer to them only when investigating a crime. Officials said about 23 cameras would be installed around the city. City Administrator Robert C. Bobb said they cost between $35,000 and $45,000 each. Police officials will develop a camera deployment strategy in the next few days, Mr. Williams said. In 2002, the council voted 7-6 to allow the police department's 19 closed-circuit cameras to be activated only for special events, such as protests and marches on the Mall and downtown around federal sites. The legislation also moves the District's summer curfew for minors from midnight to 10 p.m. Mr. Fenty, who is running for mayor, criticized the measure, saying it would not do enough to prevent crime. -------------Page 2 below---------------------------- http://tinyurl.com/jtpj9 Council OKs neighborhood spy cameras By Amy Doolittle THE WASHINGTON TIMES July 20, 2006 "There is great pressure on this government to do something about crime right now," Mr. Fenty said before the vote. "The opportunity cost of voting for this measure without any serious proposal to address crime in the community is giving away our leverage. "At the end of the day we will have voted on ... no more officers on the street, no more innovative ways of dealing with crime, no more aggressive prosecution, just a few feel-good measures," he said. Last week, Chief Ramsey declared a citywide crime emergency in response to a recent spike in homicides, robberies and assaults. There have been 15 homicides in the city this month, including the stabbing of a British political activist in Georgetown during an attempted rape and robbery. In addition, two groups of tourists were robbed at gunpoint on the Mall last week. Mr. Williams, a Democrat who is not seeking re-election, made a rare appearance in the council chambers to listen to the legislative proceedings and answer questions from council members. Officials with Mr. Williams' office said he will sign the bill into law as soon as it is delivered to his office. The emergency bill would be in effect for 90 days from the time it is signed into law. If officials want the items in the emergency law to remain effective, the council would need to vote on a permanent version of the legislation after it returns from recess Sept. 15. ***************************************************** 23. Member gave up subscription due to misleading titles in Washington Post ***************************************************** Misleading headlines make subscribers angry. Member Mat Thexton sent me th= is: Philip, The reason I stopped subscribing to the Washington Post was because the headlines directly contradicted the substance of the articles! Perhaps if they had been consistent I would still be subscribing, but I am so glad to have the Washington Times,... even free Washington Posts don't tempt me! You may quote me. And, I wish I had saved examples, particularly the straw that broke this camel's back! Among your many endeavors, perhaps this would be worthwhile....how about a broadcast request for such examples; compiling same and doing press releases of Main Stream Media contradictions!! yours in liberty, -Mat ***************************************************** 24. New gun that can shoot around a corner ***************************************************** Pretty cool: http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/video-cornershot ***************************************************** 25. Who needs a gun when visiting friends? ***************************************************** =46rom EM Mike Stollenwerk: -- A quiet press item in the Springfield Connection shows just how suddenly your life can be threatened even in the City of Fairfax area in Fairfax County at 8:30 PM. It's not enough to have a gun ready at your own home for a home invasion - if you visit a friend and their home is invaded, you may need it there as well. All this fellow could do is run away from the home for his life as the criminals shot at his back - the man's elderly hosts were lucky to not have been executed for witnessing the shooting. News item follows: Shooting in Home Invasion The Springfield Connection 20 July 2006 [no URL available] Two Fairfax residents, a 68-year old man and his 70-year old wife, were the victims of a home invasion Friday, July 14. At approximately 8:30 p.m., the doorbell rang at the couple's home in the 3400 block of Beverly Drive in the Fairfax area of the County, according to a Fairfax County Police release. Three men forced their way into the home while brandishing a handgun. Inside the house the suspects threatened the victims and demanded money. The suspects were surprised by a 36-year old Franconia man, who stopped by the house to visit the couple. The visitor was shot in the back while trying to flee. He drove himself to the Inova Fairfax hospital for treatment. His injuries were non-life threatening, according to the release. The suspects fled the home after the shooting. One of the suspects was a teen while the others were adults. Anyone with information about the crime should call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477 or the Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131. And from the Fairfax County Police at http://tinyurl.com/pndbd: Fairfax County Police Department Public Information Office 4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030 703-246-2253. TTY 703-204-2264. Fax 703-246-4253 FCPD-PIO*fairfaxcounty.gov www.fairfaxcounty.gov News Release 06/192/2537/SB(4) July 15, 2006 Home Invasion Robbery in the Fairfax Area The residents of a home in the Fairfax area were the victims of a home invasion robbery last night. On Friday, July 14 around 8:30 p.m. the resident of a home in the 3400 block of Beverly Drive heard his doorbell ring. The 68-year-old man answered his front door and