Alerts

From Philip Van Cleave

Table of Contents

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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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VCDL Update 7/27/10

1.  Reminder: VCDL meeting August 5 in Richmond area
2.  VCDL booth at Lynchburg gun show on August 7 and 8 - help needed
3.  Va. Tech families asking Congress for gun show checks
4.  I think I'll skip the Caroline County Fair this year
5.  Man hurt in another shooting at IHOP
6.  Anti-gun restaurant in Blacksburg goes out of business
7.  Articles from the D.C. Gun Rights Examiner
8.  Right to bear arms still not absolute
9.  Man who shot fiancee in hunting accident sentenced to four months in jail
10. Gun rights groups out-donate gun control groups
11. The NRA protects a potential serial killer
12. Must see video!
13. Clarence Thomas, gun control and the case for black self-defense
14. SAF sues in New York over 'good cause' requirement
15. Gun seekers must be patient for permit
16. Arizona Republican Pamela Gorman fires guns in ad
17. New gun store and shooting range in Lynchburg

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From Philip Van Cleave

Table of Contents

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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. There is NO VCDL meeting scheduled tonight in Annandale!
2.  Time for VCDL meeting in Richmond on August 5th
3.  Help still needed for the VCDL booth at the Chantilly gun show next weekend
4.  VCDL to have a booth at the Louisa County Agricultural Fair next weekend
5.  Gun show coordinator update
6.  Gun shows and events

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From Philip Van Cleave

Table of Contents

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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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VCDL Update 7/21/10

1. Reminder: VCDL meeting August 5 in Richmond area
2. The new VCDL carry cards are available! (The 7/10 to 6/11 edition)
3. Video from VCDL celebration in Richmond, July 1
4. Catholic Virginian: No need for guns in restaurants that serve alcohol (mentions VCDL)
5. Who needs a gun in their own house in a rural community like the Eastern Shore?
6. RT LTE: Guns and alcohol make customers apprehensive
7. Sentara Port Warwick shooting was possible self-defense against knife attack
8. Facts and law aside, gun control advocates are right
9. Lawmakers: High Court decision on guns shouldn't affect Va. [Video]
10. RT LTE: Gun permit holders are less likely to misuse right
11. Demand for Va. gun permits drops (VCDL quoted)

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From Philip Van Cleave

Table of Contents

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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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12. Who needs a gun in Prince William County?
13. VCDL member hassled for open carrying at Virginia Beach hotel, but with a good ending
14. More items prohibited at Music for Americans
15. Roanoke Times cartoon
16. VA-ALERT reader defends right to carry in restaurants that serve alcohol
17. VA-ALERT reader: firearm myths
18. VA-ALERT reader: more on the Coriolis effect
19. VA-ALERT reader: German rail guns did have to compensate
20. Man hurt in another shooting at Va. IHOP
21. Columnist: VCDL makes the NRA look 'moderate', Justice Thomas is like Malcolm X on guns
22. Eugene Volokh discusses Firearms Owners' Protection Act. -- using Virginia in his example
23. Individual choices at stake as laws take effect
24. Debate continues over U.S. gun laws [Video]

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From Philip Van Cleave

Table of Contents

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VCDL's meeting schedule:  http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT:  http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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25. Applications for concealed-gun permits from Utah hit record levels
26. Utah's gun permit popular with nonresidents
27. Judge blasts Iowa sheriff for denying gun permit to man considered 'weird'
28. Thomas' principled jurisprudence in arms case
29. Vendor (not customers) has a negligent discharge at a gun show
30. Time Magazine web site photos on OC
31. Police shoot Army veteran at Las Vegas Costco
32. How the McDonald decision shows that activism works
33. Why liberals should love the Second Amendment
34. Tell me again how taking away all our guns would make us safe

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From Philip Van Cleave

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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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Last night the York County Board of Supervisors voted to repeal their discharge bans and let state law rule!

The only fly in the ointment was that they did decide to keep a ban on discharging rifles that are greater than .22 caliber.

The York County Sheriff, Danny Diggs, did a fantastic job in standing up for gun owners in front of the Board of Supervisors and deserves the lion's share of credit for this victory.

Around 30 gun owners showed up and around 4 antis.  Significantly, no one from a Home Owners Association was there.

The vote was broken into two parts:  repealing the ban on discharge of rifles that are greater than .22 caliber and repealing all other discharge bans, including discharging a gun in and around a subdivision (state law would prevail and there would be no issue if such discharge was done safely).

Here is my impression of the Board members in this matter:

Walter Zaremba - voted wrong both times and fell flat when he tried to use logic to lay down the groundwork for his anti-gun vote

Sheila Noll - knew she couldn't stop the .22 caliber rifle restriction from being lifted if it was voted on in conjunction with lifting the other restrictions, so she pushed for the TWO votes .  As gun owners talked, she bobbed her head up and down like she understood what they were saying, but at the end of the day she voted wrong on both items.  I am now thinking she was just working a kink out in her neck

Donald Wiggins (chairman) - voted correctly on both items.  Some of his comments originally made me uncomfortable as to how he was going to vote, but he came through in the end.  He also voted to NOT have a separate vote on the .22 caliber rifle limitation

George Hrichak - the quietest one on the Board, but the one who really understands freedom.  He pushed to not have a separate vote on the .22 caliber rifle limitation, too

Thomas Sheppard Jr - I thought he might support both repeals, but in the end voted wrong on the .22 caliber rifle limitation.  He pushed with Ms. Noll to have the two votes, instead of just one.

What was really frustrating is that NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN CHARGED with violating the .22 caliber rifle restriction, but three of the five board members voted to keep it any how.  The three votes to keep that restriction were politics at its worst:  keeping up an illusion that they were still doing "something" to "protect" their constituents, while actually oppressing those who are law abiding.

Anyway, this was still an important victory for York County - we can come back to get rid of that .22 caliber rifle restriction later.

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From Philip Van Cleave

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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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York County and nearby members:

We need as big a turnout as we can get on Tuesday, July 20th at 6 PM as that is when the York County Board of Supervisors is going to get public input and then debate and vote on a REPEAL to all of their discharge ordinances - letting state law prevail!

Living in Chesterfield County, I am envious of what will be a big improvement for York County.

**I fully expect that this will bring out various Home Owner's Associations and other anti-gunners, so we NEED to be there in large numbers to counter them.**

EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN YORK COUNTY, come out to help support those that do.  Part of our strength is that we stand together shoulder-to-shoulder.

I hope this is the beginning of a trend that will give us much better discharge laws throughout the state.

Last time our turnout was OK, but we must do better this time - the opposition will be there.  If you can't get there at 6 PM, it looks like you can still be in time for the debate if you get there as late at 7 PM.

Here is the information on the repeal:

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BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
COUNTY OF YORK
YORKTOWN, VIRGINIA

Agenda

Regular Meeting
July 20, 2010

Board Room
York Hall
6:00 p.m.

...

   7:00 p.m.     PUBLIC HEARINGS.

...

2     Repeal of York County Firearms Ordinance. Consider adoption of proposed Ordinance No. 10-13 to repeal Section 16-7, Discharging Firearms within Certain Areas Prohibited, and Section 16-37, Discharge of High Powered Rifles Prohibited, of the York County Code.

a.     Memorandum from County Administrator.

 http://www.yorkcounty.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=fDJxIbPniFw%3d&tabid=1900

b.     Section 16-7, Discharging firearms within certain areas prohibited.

http://www.yorkcounty.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=hHR4xA575zI%3d&tabid=1900

c.     Section 16-37, Discharge of high-powered rifles prohibited.

http://www.yorkcounty.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=bV7kvCIL6zQ%3d&tabid=1900

d.     Proposed Ordinance No. 10-13.

http://www.yorkcounty.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=RgD7DiACIw0%3d&tabid=1900

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Here is the address:

York Hall
301 Main Street
(old historic Yorktown)

Carry is OK.

**I'll be there around 5:45PM with GSL stickers for everyone.**

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From Philip Van Cleave

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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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Elana Kagan, the nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, has made statements that she does not support our Constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms.  We need to make sure that all nominees are clearly pro-gun, pro-liberty, and will honor the Constitution, not change it.

As such, we need to contact our Senators - Mark Warner and Jim Webb - and urge them to opposer Kagan's nomination!

Jim Webb is taking a poll on Kagan.  To let his office know of your opposition, call 804-771-2221.

Also, let's send a webmail to each of them with our opposition to Kagan (HOWEVER, call the number for Webb, TOO):

Warner:          http://warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact

Webb:             http://webb.senate.gov/contact.cfm

For the topic or subject, choose "Supreme Court Nominee" for Warner and "Judiciary issues" for Webb

Suggested message:

I urge you to OPPOSE the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.  Based on statements made by Ms. Kagan, she does not support our right to keep and bear arms.  With our gun rights hanging by a 5 to 4 thread in the Supreme Court, we do not need another activist, anti-liberty judge on the highest court in the land.

Please let me know what you are going to do.

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From Philip Van Cleave

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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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Back in May, I took several force-on-force classes at Practical Firearms Training in West Virginia. To make the training scenarios as real as possible, the instruction included "live fire" with Airsoft and paintball guns and simunitions. In this third scenario, our instructor once again placed us in a simulated convenience store. The room was sparse, but spacious. There was a small table at the front and some shelves with a smattering of grocery store items in the back, furthest from the door. Our task: clear the room. Or, alternatively, avoid discovery. It was "hide and go seek"---with guns.

One student was charged with "clearing" the room of a hidden bad guy. The other student hid, defending himself from an invader coming through the doorway. Once the scenario had run, the students would switch parts and the scenario would run again.

The room has only one door. A series of three closets runs along the wall on your immediate left, one-after-the-other, with hardly any gap between them. The closets stick out about a foot or so beyond the wall.

I was told to clear the room.  I waited out of sight as the other student hid himself somewhere in the room.

I drew my gun from my holster. Keeping myself about an arm's length from the outside wall of the doorway, I peeked into the room. Carefully.

Hollywood always shows the good guy hugging the wall as he enters a dangerous space. Wrong. You don't want to "crowd" your cover or concealment; you need to be able to move freely. You're protected equally well whether you're right up against the cover or a short distance away from it. When you're "off the wall," you have more flexibility.

I kept the gun in front of me, close to my face.

You don't want your gun to pop into the room before the rest of you appears. If the bad guy sees your weapon, he'll know exactly where you are. Even worse, you aren't in a position to see him. He can shoot you where you stand. If he's close to your position, he could also grab your gun.

I began "slicing-the-pie." I slowly peeked into the room, starting from the most easily seen area, progressively scanning the room until I could see the entire area. It is critical that a minimum part of your head, your body, or your gun be visibly exposed to any part of the room that you have not yet scanned.

There's a reason doorways and entryways are called the "kill funnel". The bad guy can focus his attention (and firepower) on that area. You have no idea where HE is and must scan the room looking for him, all the while knowing that a hail of bullets could come flying at any exposed part of your body at any time.

As I started slicing the pie, I saw a small table, almost straight ahead through the doorway. There was no place for the bad guy to hide near it. So I kept slicing to the left very slowly.

As i slowly edged around the left side of the doorway, I notice that the closet door nearest to me was open. The door blocked my view into all of the closets.  I couldn't see anything along the left of the wall, or much at the back of the room.

I figured I could peek through the gap by the door's hinge to look fort the bad guy. But it dawned on me that he might be able to fire though that same gap. I glanced quickly through the gap and quickly moved forward about a foot, so I wouldn't be visible any more through that gap.

I was now past the main doorway. I was using the open closet door as concealment, so I could slice-the-pie for the remaining left and rear of the room. The bad guy was either in one of the three closets, in front of the closets, or possibly further back in the far left -side of the room.

Even with a small part of my head sticking out around concealment, there was a palpable feeling of vulnerability. My heart rate increased dramatically. I knew I was now only seconds from confrontation. My next move could be my last.

I slowly and quietly sliced to my left. The closet door was my safety shield.

Suddenly I spotted him. Actually, I caught only a glimpse of my opponent: his foot and part of his leg. He was about five feet away on the other side of the door, just in front of one of the other closets.

Great. Now that I know where he is, now what?

Do I rush him, firing, risking running straight into a volley of bullets? Do I run into the room at an angle and open fire? While I would be harder to hit while moving, it would be harder for me to hit the bad guy, too.

Do I step forward past the door for a clear shot and open fire, trying to stay behind that door as much as possible? That seemed my safest option, even though it left me relatively stationary with partially obscured vision.

Whatever I was going to do, I knew I had to act quickly. If he'd spotted me, there was nothing to keep him from jumping out from behind that door and blasting me as I was considering my options.

I stepped out from behind concealment to get a clean shot, still trying to stay somewhat behind the closet door.

When I had him in sight, I opened fire. So did he.

The exchange had just begun when I saw an explosion of blue in front of my right eye (remember I am wearing a protective face mast). It was over for me. I took my face mask off in disgust. Had that been a real scenario, I would have been be lying on the floor, dead.

Equally sobering: I hadn't hit the bad guy even once.

Later, I replayed that last few seconds over and over. Should I have kicked the closet door shut, startling the bad guy, opening fire as the door was slamming? While the slamming door would be a distraction and I would have a clear shot, I would also have lost my concealment. Ugh.

What if I'd gotten down low to the floor and had shot around the closet? The low position would probably not be expected and might give me the edge by getting in a few good shots before the bad guy could react. Perhaps that might have worked.

As it was, I handled the situation badly and paid the price.

During this drill, fellow classmate Dennis O'Connor also lucked out. He was slicing the pie and completely missed the bad guy standing behind a box on the shelving in the back of the room. The items on the shelving were scarce and the bad guy's legs and lower torso were clearly visible. Dennis never saw them. The bad guy blasted him as soon as he stepped out to go around the closet door.

The experience highlighted an important principle of visual stealth: you can elude detection by embedding yourself amongst three-dimensional relief patterns of varying colors, textures and sizes. In Dennis' case, an otherwise exposed target blended in so well with the various items on the storage shelves that Dennis missed the bad guy entirely during his scan.

My main lesson from this exercise: do NOT clear a house unless you absolutely have to, especially alone. The police are paid to do that and will do so with enough people to property cover each area. If there is someone in your house, assume a defensive position and call 911.

One of our members was recently burglarized. Returning home, seeing an open side door, he cleared his house by himself. If he had performed this exercise in PFT's force-on-force training,he might have reconsidered.

The issue is simple: the person sequestered in the house has the tactical edge. He knows exactly where you have to enter the room. He's ready for you. BUT it's not a guarantee that he will prevail. As we will see in Part Four.

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From Philip Van Cleave

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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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I am scheduled to be on a round table with an anti-gun bartender on NBC 12 News "First at 4" in Richmond around 4:15 PM next Wednesday.

This particular 26-year-old bartender named, Jack Lauterback, who writes a bi-weekly column in Style Weekly titled "Punch Drink," has been fuming over the new law that allows CHP holders to carry in restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages for on-premise consumption.

He posted a blog entry that really angered gun owners.

He has since redacted his original post, but I already had a copy.  He continues to add posts that are just as bad, though.

I have xxxx'ed out the plethora of expletives he uses (and overuses).  All I can find in any of his posts are a lot of personal attacks against gun owners and no "meat" as to why CHP holders shouldn't carry in a restaurant.  It makes me think of a creme puff, which is mostly air:

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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Guns and Alcohol

The top story in today's Richmond Times Dispatch was titled 'Gun Owners Celebrate Law'.

The story described how a handful of gun owners met in bars across the state to salute the recent passage of a law that allows people with concealed-handgun permits to bring hidden firearms into restaurants that serve alcohol.

If the past two sentences didn't adequately describe how fxxxxx stupid some people are (including our Governor who signed the law), then I'll tell you how fxxxxx moronic these retards are in the following bullet points:

- 80 fxxxx stupid axxhxxxx met at O'Charleys Bar in Richmond today to celebrate the fact that they can bring a hidden gun into a bar. It's still illegal to drink when carrying a gun, but these fxxxxx complete wastes of life can still meet at a bar and drink Sprite with their guns. Fxxxx hooray!

- If these fxxxx piles of diarrhea need a gun for their protection while they scarf down their fried bxxxxsxxxx then they're a bunch of pussies. I say fried bxxxsxxx because they are no doubt redneck idiots who are extremely overweight.

- I'm honestly thinking about getting a concealed weapons permit with my spotless record and then going to these people's places of work and seeing how they feel about someone that they have never met, walking into their front door with a handgun. Finding these fat-loads will be easy because most of these idiots are the people fixing the power lines in front of my place or they're the ones constantly being late to fix my fxxxxx cable. Although more than a few will be tough to track down...Mostly because those few are poor and unemployed.

- Hide behind your 2nd amendment you uneducated axxhxxxx. When the Brits come back and try to re-colonize us, then you can tell me that I was wrong and that we need to bear arms. Until then...You're a fxxxxxx idiot.

- 'We all use safety when handling and discharging our weapons.'

- Yeah so did that NRA member before he caught his wife cheating and in a drunken rage blew her fxxxxxx head off.

- From the RTD: 'Phillip Bogenberger, a spokesman for the department (VABC), said a violation of the law is not an ABC violation. The responsibility to refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages rests with the permit holder'

- Of course Virginia's Alcoholic Beverage Control wouldn't touch this one. They're the ones raping the bars for our money. They don't actually have to deal with drunk patrons who may or may not be carrying firearms.

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Wow - look at all that profanity - Mr. Lauterback is a really impressive prose writer!

Anyway, he posted this recently:

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Thursday, July 8, 2010

Gun Debate Update

I've just been informed that a gun debate roundtable is tentatively scheduled for the NBC 12 'First At Four' feature next Wednesday, featuring yours truly. I'm not sure if they're going to find some gun nut for me to make look stupid, or if I have to find one, either way, it's going down.

Who wants to bring it live on TV in front of thousands of people??? I'm waiting...

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I've notified him via email that I'm the "gun nut" he's "going to make look stupid."

I'm looking forward to it.

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I DO NOT RECOMMEND visiting Mr. Lauterback's blog site, as the added hits of 14,000 gun owners looking at his tasteless rantings would give him unjustified credibility.

However, it is not my job to serve as a censor.  But be warned:  If profanity, references to illegal drug use, and sexually explicit material bothers you, don't visit his blog. Otherwise go there at your own risk (duct taping your head is suggested, though).  He's clearly hoping to goad gun owners into responding in kind to his insults, threats, and bullying.  ***Don't fall for it.***

Also, he's been rewriting what he has said earlier, trying to tone it down.  Things come and go on his blog.  He throws out an attack and then withdraws it like it never existed:  for a little while he had an entry equating me to a hillbilly and saying that debating me would be a cakewalk.  An hour later, POOF, it's gone.

Believe it or not, with all his backpedalling, his blog is actually tame compared to what it was just a few days ago:

http://jackgoesforth.blogspot.com/

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From Philip Van Cleave

Table of Contents

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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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VCDL Update 7/8/10

1.  Reminder:  VCDL picnic in Newport News quickly approaching!
2.  Reminder: VCDL meeting August 5 in Richmond area
3.  Virginia CHP form SP-248 revision
4.  Concealed guns allowed in bars, restaurants
5.  High court strikes down Chicago handgun ban
6.  Anti-gun hysteria follows landmark ruling in Chicago gun ban case
7.  Statements from NY on McDonald decision
8.  VCDL quoted in Washington Post
9. Cuccinelli applauds the Supreme Court's 2nd Amendment decision despite backing GMU gun ban
10. Chicago announces new gun control law
11. The Heritage Foundation on McDonald
12. Wisconsin District Attorney says he will NOT prosecute a lot of Wisconsin's gun laws in light of McDonald!
13. Great editorial cartoon about the supreme court ruling
14. Why would anyone need a gun at the Mall?
15 Florida's first open carry event
16. Another gun owner unfriendly store
17. "Don't be a victim" airing on Spike TV
18. Video: 2A today for the U.S.A.

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From Philip Van Cleave

Table of Contents

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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.  Urgent need for Richmond gun show coordinators!
2.  Gun shows and events!

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Click the Continue Reading link below to read this VA-ALERT in its entirety.

From Philip Van Cleave

Table of Contents

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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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Happy 4th!

1. TV stations declare: "Guns in bars!" July 1st (Oh, please)
2. Newspaper: Restaurants brace for armed patrons! (sheesh)
3. How does the earth's rotation affect the path of a bullet?
4. Who needs a gun in a Chesterfield restaurant?
5. Who needs a gun in Va. Beach?
6. Who needs a gun on the VCU Campus?
7. Suffolk widow, 66, describes violent home invasion
8. Girls with guns (including in Va.)
9. Wash. Times editorial on CHP
10. Lungren: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is an affront to the Constitution . . . " (Disclose Act)
11. John Stossel: Guns save lives
12. Who needs a gun on a busy highway?
13. More from his-dis-honor King Daley of Chicago
14. Criminal murders mother of 2, NY Daily News blames gun manufacturers
15. Perdue gun bill actions show sport shooters are not necessarily full Second Amendment supporters.
16. In debate over gun-carry laws, critics are quick to shoot down the facts
17. Number of concealed weapons holders in Brevard, Fla. soars
18. Sheriff urges Texicans to arm themselves in absence of state,federal protection
19. Man charged in Pa. stabbing rampage that killed 4

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From Philip Van Cleave

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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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Thought for today:  "Freedom doesn't have a 4 year shelf life" - Mark in Woodbridge

All reports I have seen from the various VCDL celebrations are that they were a resounding success, with everyone having a good time.  The establishments all welcomed us back any time.

The Reston and Richmond locations had the most reporters present.

While the largest cake was delivered by Board member John Fenter to the Norfolk location, Board member Dennis O'Connor delivered a smaller cake to 2nd place Richmond and I delivered cakes to 3rd and 4th place Woodbridge and Reston.  Board member Al Steed Jr. brought one and some door prizes to the Vinton location.

I truly wish I could have attend all of the celebrations

Anyway, here is coverage and some pictures:

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VCDL Blog has lots of good stuff, including pictures of the cakes:

http://blog.vcdl.org/index.php?/archives/992-Restaurant-Ban-Repeal-Celebration-Pix-and-Coverage.html

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EM Ed Levine on Fox 5 DC:

http://tinyurl.com/edonfox0701

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Reston pictures c/o EM Ed Levine:

http://picasaweb.google.com/102704483493882092481/VCDLRestaurantConcealedCarryBanRepealCelebrationDinner

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Richmond Times-Dispatch (some weird statements, like Dennis having two CARTRIDGES on his hip - instead of two MAGAZINES):

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2010/jul/01/GUNSGAT01-ar-262007/

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Channel 12 in Richmond:

http://www.nbc12.com/Global/story.asp?S=12745586&Call=Email&Format=Text

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Dennis O'Connor does a great job in this Time-Dispatch video:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2010/jul/02/guns02-ar-262143/

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From Tidewaternews.com (restaurant owner who likes new law interviewed):

http://www.tidewaternews.com/news/2010/jul/02/concealed-guns-allowed-bars-restaurants/

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Last, but not last, a good job by Freddie Kunkle with the Washington Post (he spent quite a bit of time in Reston covering the event):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/02/AR2010070202929.html

Virginia gun-rights enthusiasts celebrate Va. law on firearms in bars
Virginians cheer (but don't toast) law allowing guns in bars
By Fredrick Kunkle
Saturday, July 3, 2010

When Anthony Dahm visited Champps Americana restaurant and bar Thursday, his menu of options had doubled: Thanks to a change in Virginia's gun laws, he could carry a semiautomatic handgun hidden behind the pouch holding his children's allergy medicine -- as well as the one worn openly on his hip -- without fear of committing a crime.

That was cause enough for Dahm to celebrate at the Reston restaurant with about 80 other members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun-rights organization that had long pushed for the new law, which allows people with concealed-weapon permits to go armed in places that serve alcohol as long as they don't imbibe.

Dahm, 44, a stay-at-home father from Vienna, said he seldom drinks and would rather run from a confrontation than shoot, yet the law gives him peace of mind that he can pack a friend in restaurants such as Champps.

The measure, popularly known as "guns-in-bars," took effect Thursday. After years of trying, the VCDL pushed the bill through the General Assembly this year and onto the desk of Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R), who signed it. Similar measures were vetoed twice by his predecessor, Timothy M. Kaine, a Democrat whose grimmest days in office followed the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007.

The new law marks another step toward the normalization of carrying guns just about anywhere in Virginia. It also comes as gun-rights advocates are savoring Monday's Supreme Court decision that the Second Amendment right of individuals to keep and bear arms cannot be infringed by state or local laws.

Building on the landmark 2008 Heller ruling that overturned the District's handgun ban, the Supreme Court's McDonald v. Chicago decision all but struck down laws that effectively banned handgun ownership. The ruling also opens the way to legal challenges against gun laws at every level of government. Among the more likely targets is Maryland, which regulates firearms more strictly than Virginia does.

James Purtilo, an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Maryland who writes the gun-rights blog Tripwire, said gun-rights advocates would welcome the opportunity to attack Maryland laws limiting handgun purchases to one a month or Maryland State Police handgun-licensing requirements that require applicants to open up their health records to prove that they are not mentally ill.

"Obviously, it opens the door," said John H. Josselyn, legislative vice president for the Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore. "It also slams the door in the face of all those who said for years and years that [the Second Amendment] doesn't apply to the states."

But Casey Anderson, a spokesman for CeaseFire Maryland, said gun-control groups were heartened by language in both Supreme Court rulings emphasizing that Second Amendment rights are not absolute and can endure reasonable regulations, such as by prohibiting felons and the mentally ill from having guns or keeping weapons out of places such as schools. Regulations imposed by the D.C. Council after the Heller decision have already withstood a federal court challenge.

But, for the most part, the Supreme Court and Virginia's new gun-friendly governor have put gun-rights folks in a mood to party -- even if, at Champps, the average diner might not have known anything special was going on. Except for the unusual number of people openly toting guns and wearing blaze-orange "Guns Save Lives" stickers, members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League celebrated quietly, carving steaks, sipping iced tea and talking guns. Altogether more than 450 VCDL members celebrated in Reston and at similar parties in Norfolk, Richmond, Woodbridge, Vinton, Yorktown and Charlottesville.

Danyelle and Craig Davis -- he with a holstered Glock 9mm, she with a slightly smaller Glock of the same caliber -- took along their 10-month-old, Cathleen, to help celebrate. (It also happened to be Danyelle's 33rd birthday.)

The couple, who work with computers and live in Winchester, said Virginia's lenient gun laws played a part in their decision to relocate from Baltimore. Craig Davis, 32, likes being able to, say, go downtown, armed, to run errands without a fuss.

"If I was to do that in Maryland, I'd be arrested," he said.

A cheer rose from a couple of tables when Philip Van Cleave, the group's president, unveiled a chocolate-and-vanilla sheet cake with the VCDL logo and the words: "Rights Restored, Ban Repealed." He decided against a speech because the restaurant was noisy and crowded with many non-gun-toting customers glued to the soccer and baseball games on giant TV screens.

"Gun rights have been moving strongly in favor of less control. For us, this is a big step," Van Cleave said. He said his group has its sights on renewing efforts to repeal Virginia's law prohibiting the purchase of more than one handgun in a 30-day period and opening more places to unrestricted carrying of weapons.

"Honestly, the likelihood of using it is very slim," said Bill Clark, 34, of Springfield, who was discreetly carrying his Sig Sauer .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun tucked under his shirt. "But I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it."

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From Philip Van Cleave

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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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448 and counting!  There is going to be a lot of gun owners at those seven restaurants statewide!

On behalf of myself, the VCDL Board of Directors, and VCDL's 61 Executive members, I would like to say this:

Our legislative agenda this year was dedicated to VCDL Board member and treasurer, Mack Elliott, who passed away late last year.  :-(

I know that Mack would have been proud of VCDL's legislative successes this year.  I think he knew that this would be the year for the restaurant ban repeal, but I still wish he could be here to attend one of the dinners on Thursday.

I take solace in knowing that Mack will absolutely be there in spirit.

I hope that as all of you are celebrating, you will take a minute to think of Mack and say a prayer for a good man and a friend.

Be sure to shake the hand of our hard-working Board members (Jim Snyder, Dennis O'Connor, Bruce Jackson, Al Steed Jr.,  John Fenter,  and Dale Welch) and all of our Executive members - without the Board and Executive members none of what VCDL has accomplished would have been possible.

And I, personally, want to thank the most important people of all in the fight for our liberty here in Virginia: the 5,000 VCDL members and 14,000 VA-ALERT subscribers who, working as a HUGE voting and activism block, have made our organization one to be reckoned with!

Good job, VCDL - now let's celebrate!

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There is a lot of media coverage of our celebration.  I will  be on channel 6 (CBS) news in Richmond tonight at 11 PM and probably in the morning.  Jim Snyder will be on television in Northern Virginia tonight, too.

The Richmond Times Dispatch, the Daily Press, and the Washington Post are also covering the celebration.

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