Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- ACTION ITEM: Last night Delegate Scott Lingamfelter’s bill HB 929 passed out of subcommittee.

VCDL opposes this bill because it lets RETIRED Commonwealth Attorneys carry concealed handguns everywhere they go, including places that a concealed handgun permit holder can’t carry, such as on K-12 school grounds! Also their names, addresses and other personal information can’t be given out by a Circuit Court Clerk like it can for a CHP holder.

HB 929 creates an unacceptable double standard. Lawyers who retire from the Commonwealth, and who have no firearms training, are given extraordinary concealed carry privileges, that are denied to CHP holders who have had firearms training!

The government loves to arm itself while denying the same level of protection to the citizens it is supposed to be serving. I, for one, am tired of it.

It’s not that we want retired Commonwealth Attorneys disarmed. Quite the contrary, they absolutely should be allowed to carry a gun for self-defense and a CHP will do the job nicely. Their lives are not less valuable than your life or mine, BUT their lives are also NOT MORE valuable than your life or mine.

Delegate Lingamfelter is usually good on guns, but this bill is simply wrong.

Let’s tell our Delegates to OPPOSE HB 929. Click on the link below: http://tinyurl.com/8ykl56f

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
On Thursday morning the following bill passed out of the Militia, Police, and Public Safety subcommittee #2:

• HB 237, Delegate Cosgrove, moves long gun background checks from the Virginia State Police to the federal National Instant Check System.
• Also on Thursday evening the following bills passed out of the Militia, Police, and Public Safety subcommittee #1:
• HB 25, Delegate Cole, protects concealed handgun permit info from dissemination by Circuit Court Clerks. VCDL strongly supports this bill
• HB 754, Delegate Cline, removes fingerprinting as local option for getting a CHP. VCDL strongly supports this bill
• HB 929, Delegate Lingamfelter, gives RETIRED Commonwealth Attorneys the special carry privileges of an off-duty police officer. VCDL opposes this bill

This bill was carried over until next year:

• HB 592, Delegate Merricks, exempts permit holders from a state background check on the purchase of a firearm.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- ACTION ITEM: We need to make sure our Senators AND Delegates understand that they MUST fix the current situation with firearm background checks.

Either take the State Police out of the loop and use the FREE federal NICS system OR fund the State Police check and require that such funding must only be used to hire people to do the background checks.

AND the State Police computer system must have redundancy so that it does NOT go down for more than a few minutes a YEAR, just like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express computers.

• To send an email to your Senator, click here: http://tinyurl.com/7m2fxbj
• To send an email to your Delegate, click here: http://tinyurl.com/7sx9w6q

LET’S ROLL!

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The following gun bills passed the House today and head to the Senate:

• HB 20, Delegate Wilt, protects the right to carry and transport firearms during an emergency (the matching Senate bill, SB 245, Senator Obenshain, has already passed the Senate)
• HB 22, Delegate Cole, provides that a locality must have an ordinance for gun buy-ups before they and do buy-ups and that such guns should be sold to dealers if possible
• HB 26, Delegate Cole, provides a civil for of $25 (instead of the current Class 1 misdemeanor) if a CHP holder does not have their permit with them while carrying concealed
• HB 940, Delegate Lingamfelter, repeals One Handgun a Month

On Wednesday in the Senate Courts of Justice committee, anti-gun Senator McEachin’s SB 379, which outlaws privates sales of handguns unless they go through a dealer, was killed by an 8 to 6 vote!

Senator McEachin’s other anti-gun bill, SB 648, which adds yet another penalty on a gun owner for being in possession of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol, failed to report by a tie 7 to 7 vote. WE ARE WATCHING THIS BILL AS IT COULD BE RESURRECTED. The original vote killed the bill outright, but then there was some shenanigans behind the scenes and a few votes were changed to make the count 7 to 7 (the committee chair, Senator Norment, was one of the changed votes). The significance is that the vote could be reconsidered in the near future and the bill could potentially pass out of committee.

Also, Senator McDougle has a bill, SB 435, that our attorney does NOT like. It changes the language on the law against making a false statement on the handgun purchase forms. The bill throws a wider net and that is not a good thing. Watch for more on this bill soon.

On Thursday, February 2, the House Militia, Police and Public Safety subcommittees #2 and #1 will meet and consider gun bills.

Subcommittee #2 meets at 7:30 AM in the 4th Floor West Conference Room and will consider HB 237, Delegate Cosgrove’s HB 237, which will allow long guns background checks to be run through the federal NICS system to take the load off the Virginia State Police. SEE ACTION ITEM BELOW.

Subcommittee #1 meets at 5 PM in the 4th Floor West Conference Room and will consider the following bills:

• HB 25, Delegate Cole, protects concealed handgun permit info from dissemination by Circuit Court Clerks. VCDL strongly supports this bill
• HB 592, Delegate Merricks, exempts permit holders from a state background check on the purchase of a firearm. VCDL supports this bill, but considers Delegate Gilbert’s HB 859 to be a superior bill
• HB 754, Delegate Cline, removes fingerprinting as local option for getting a CHP. VCDL strongly supports this bill
• HB 929, Delegate Lingamfelter, gives RETIRED Commonwealth Attorneys the special carry privileges of an off-duty police officer. VCDL opposes this bill – a CHP would work just fine for retirees. If there is some concern that the retirees can’t protect themselves EVERYWHERE they go with a CHP, THEN LET’S FIX CHPs SO THAT THEY ARE GOOD EVERYWHERE!

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Senate Goofs Up - Gun Bills To Be Reheard

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- All the gun bills considered in the Senate Courts of Justice last Wednesday will have to be **reheard/revoted on** again!

There is both danger and opportunity in this. A couple of bad bills got through that I would like to try killing again. And, of course, the pro-gun bills could be put in jeopardy.

Senator Mark Obenshain sent this alert out:

“An inadvertent breach of Senate Rules basically nullified everything the Courts of Justice Committee took up in a six hour marathon meeting on Wednesday, and we’re still trying to sort out the carnage.

The bills have to be taken up again, and some hard-fought victories will be revisited. One of those now-jeopardized victories dealt with repealing Virginia’s constitutionally suspect “one gun a month” law, which interferes with the right of law-abiding citizens to purchase firearms.

I certainly hope that, when we take the bill up again, we’ll get another favorable committee vote – but I’d certainly rather not be doing this all over again. Plenty of people are upset right now, and understandably so. But that’s life in the Senate of Virginia: never a dull moment.”

I will keep everyone posted as this mess works its way through the systems. This is the first time I’ve seen this happen.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Yesterday the Senate Courts of Justice Committee heard a bunch of gun bills and some important ones, like the repeal of One Handgun a Month and repeal of Fingerprinting for CHP applicants, passed out of committee.

Unfortunately, a few bad bills passed out, too, and a few good bills were moved to next year:

• SB 4, Senator Stuart, Castle Doctrine – Passed out of committee by 8 to 7!
• SB 64, Senator Stanley, Castle Doctrine – Rolled into SB 4, above.
• SB 67, Senator Stanley, removes option for localities to fingerprint first time CHP applicants – Passed out of committee by 8 to 6!
• SB 224, Senator Herring, makes it easier to disarm someone for LIFE who is convicted of MISDEMEANOR domestic violence – Passed out of committee. We will have to kill this bill on the Floor.
• SB 323, Senator Carrico, repeals One Handgun a Month – Passed out of committee by 8 to 6!
• SB 324, Senator Carrico, state agency preemption – Carried over to next year
• SB 379, Senator McEachin, makes private firearm sales illegal – passed by for the day.
• SB 429, Senator Ruff, streamlines the Virginia form used for purchasing firearms – passed by for the day.
• SB 554, Senator Favola, disarms someone with an emergency protection order without due process – Passed out of committee 9 to 6. We will have to kill this bill on the Floor.
• SB 563, Senator Ruff, cleans up some minor issues in the concealed weapon code – Passed by for the day.
• SB 612, Senator Black, moves long gun to the federal NICS system from the Virginia Instant Check system to improve the amount of time needed to run background checks – Carried over to next year.
• SB 648, Senator McEachin, adds yet another penalty to a gun owner who is in possession of a gun while intoxicated – passed by for the day
• SB 670, Senator Garrett, removes option for localities to fingerprint first time CHP applicants – Rolled into HB 67, above

7 GUN BILLS TO BE HEARD TODAY, Thursday, JANUARY 26!

Thursday, January 26, at 5 PM in the 4th Floor West Conference Room in the General Assembly, the House Militia, Police, and Public Safety subcommittee #1 is going to hear several gun bills and I will be there to speak on them. If you can make it to the committee hearing to show support (and put on a “Guns Save Lives” sticker), that would be great!

• HB 20, Delegate Wilt, protects the right of citizens to carry and transport firearms during a declared emergency (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• HB 22, Delegate Cole, requires localities to try to sell guns they are in possession of instead of just destroying them (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• HB 26, Delegate Cole, provides a $25 civil fine for failure to produce a CHP if demanded by a law enforcement officer (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• HB 364, Delegate McClellan, perennial “gun show loophole” bill (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• HB 375, Delegate Pogge, allows local government employees to be able to store their guns in their personal vehicles while at work (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• HB 458, Delegate BaCote, allows localities to ban guns in libraries (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• HB 940, Delegate Lingamfelter, repeals Virginia’s One Handgun a Month law (VCDL Strongly Supports)

URGENT ACTION ITEMS!
Here are a bunch of automatic emails that you need to send ASAP in support of key bills that are on the move. Click on the link below each bill to send a message (that you can customize if you wish) to your Delegate. The system figures out who your legislator is based on your address and zip code.

HOUSE BILLS

• Support for pro-gun bills (above), HB 20, HB 22, HB 26, HB 940: http://tinyurl.com/6mhstjr
• Support for pro-gun bill to allow employees of localities to store guns in their private vehicles while at work: http://tinyurl.com/78z6qor
• Opposition to anti-gun bills (above), HB 364 and HB 458: http://tinyurl.com/7bh2fgg

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Wednesday, January 25 2012, 1/2 hour after the Senate adjourns, the Senate Courts of Justice is going to hear a bunch of gun bills and I will be there to speak on them.

If you can make it to the committee hearing to show support (and put on a “Guns Save Lives” sticker), that would be great!

The committee meets in Senate Room B on the ground floor of the General Assembly Building.

• SB 4, Senator Stuart, Castle Doctrine (VCDL is neutral)
• SB 64, Senator Stanley, Castle Doctrine (VCDL is neutral)
• SB 67, Senator Stanley, removes option for localities to fingerprint first time CHP applicants (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• SB 224, Senator Herring, makes it easier to disarm someone for LIFE who is convicted of MISDEMEANOR domestic violence (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• SB 323, Senator Carrico, repeals One Handgun a Month (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• SB 379, Senator McEachin, makes private firearm sales illegal (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• SB 429, Senator Ruff, streamlines the Virginia form used for purchasing firearms (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• SB 554, Senator Favola, disarms someone with an emergency protection order without due process (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• SB 563, Senator Ruff, cleans up some minor issues in the concealed weapon code (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• SB 612, Senator Black, moves long gun to the federal NICS system from the Virginia Instant Check system to improve the amount of time needed to run background checks (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• SB 648, Senator McEachin, adds yet another penalty to a gun owner who is in possession of a gun while intoxicated (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• SB 670, Senator Garrett, removes option for localities to fingerprint first time CHP applicants (VCDL Strongly Supports)

URGENT ACTION ITEMS!

Here are a bunch of automatic emails that you need to send ASAP in support of key bills that are on the move.  Click on the link below each bill to send a message (that you can customize if you wish) to your Senator or Delegate, as appropriate.  The system figures out who your legislator is based on your address and zip code.

SENATE BILLS
SB 67 and SB 670, Senators Stanley and Garrett, removes option for localities to fingerprint first time CHP applicants:
http://tinyurl.com/8xxq5pk

-

SB 324, Senator Carrico, state-agency preemption that makes gun laws across the Commonwealth consistent, a concept supported by Attorney General Cuccinelli:
http://tinyurl.com/6rprvr5

-

SB 224, Senator Herring, makes it easier to disarm someone for LIFE who is convicted of MISDEMEANOR domestic violence (VCDL Strongly Opposes):
http://tinyurl.com/7259e3c

-

SB 323, Senator Carrico, repeals One Handgun a Month:

http://tinyurl.com/7zwj3t8

-

SB 379, SB 554, and SB 648, Senators McEachin and Favola, makes private gun sales illegal, disarms person with emergency protection order in residence of victim, and makes open carry while intoxicated yet another crime, respectively:
http://tinyurl.com/73g8snv

-

SB 612, Senator Black, requires that background checks for long guns be done by the federal NICS instead of the Virginia Instant Check System.  This helps fix the extremely slow firearms background checks that gun owners in Virginia have been experiencing for the last several years:
http://tinyurl.com/8yyppbd

HOUSE BILL
Let’s let our Delegates know that we want to protect shooting ranges.  Click on the link below to send a message to your Delegate about supporting HB 1114:
http://tinyurl.com/89z4bke

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- ACTION ITEM: We need to act on the following bills:

SB 245, Senator Obenshain’s bill that provides that nothing in the Emergency Services and Disaster Law shall be interpreted to limit or prohibit the possession, carrying, transportation, sale, or transfer of firearms, is going to be heard in the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee on Monday, January 23, 45 minutes after the Senate adjourns.

To send an email to YOUR Senator automatically, click on the link below: http://tinyurl.com/7gnhykx

HB 139, Delegate Cole’s Constitutional Carry bill – allows concealed carry without a permit in most places. Permits will continue to be available.

To send an email to YOUR Delegate automatically, click on the link below:

http://tinyurl.com/7c9ptfj

NEW BILLS – ANTI-FREEDOM

• HB 1179, Delegate McClellan, makes it a crime if the theft or loss of a firearm isn’t reported within 48 hours of when the victim notices his gun is stolen. As if the victim hasn’t been punished enough by having his gun lost or stolen, the State would pile on by charging him with a crime!
• HB 1226, Delegate Torian, gives public universities and colleges the power to ban firearms, including those carried by Concealed Handgun Permit holders. This will only encourage more attacks like Virginia Tech experienced in 2007. We need to allow those with permits to be able to defend themselves, not make them more helpless.
• HB 1257, Delegate Sickles, creates a new crime for someone openly carrying a handgun in a public place who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is already a crime to be in a public place while intoxicated. This is just another attempt to give gun owners “special treatment.”
• SB 648, Senator McEachin, creates a new crime for someone openly carrying a handgun in a public place who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is already a crime to be in a public place while intoxicated. This is just another attempt to give gun owners “special treatment.”
• HB 1275, Delegate Kory, requires that a training course for a concealed handgun permit be a handgun course. Safety training for long guns is applicable to handguns, too. Also, hunter safety training is acceptable and that usually involves long guns. The training requirement should be kept broad.

NEW BILLS – PRO-FREEDOM

• SB 563, Senator Ruff, a cleanup bill that makes some technical and minor changes to the concealed carry code. Drafted by VCDL.
• SB 612, Senator Black, long guns background checks are to run through the federal NICS system, bypassing the Virginia State Police. Handguns checks continue to be run through the State Police. There are a series of bills to take away background check from the State Police due to recent dismal performance caused by understaffing.
• HB 1223, Delegate Hope, allows concealed carry with a permit and **open carry without a permit** at GAB, but no other weapons as defined in the concealed carry laws (nun-chucks, switchblades, etc.)

CASTLE DOCTRINE UPDATE
On Wednesday evening a subcommittee of the House Courts of Justice heard Delegate Habeeb’s HB 14, a Castle Doctrine bill that provides civil immunity (but not criminal) if someone unlawfully enters another’s dwelling and makes an overt act towards a person lawfully in that dwelling. The bill was modified to make the Commonwealth Attorneys happy – it made it clear that the civil immunity would not become part of the jury’s instructions and that it would clarify that it would have no bearing on criminal aspects of the case.

The bill was passed by for now as the subcommittee lost its quorum when one member had to go to testify on a bill in another committee.

HB 14 (and three other Castle Doctrine bills: HB 47, HB 48, HB 925) will be heard on Monday in the Criminal subcommittee of the House Courts of Justice 1/2 hour after the House adjourns. VCDL continues to stand NEUTRAL on the Castle Doctrine bills.

For VCDL’s analysis of Castle Doctrine in Virginia, see: http://tiny.cc/b6snt

For a listing of all gun bills and VCDL’s position on them, see our legislative tracking tools at: http://www.vcdl.org/static/2012leg.html

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Armed American Radio

Atlanta GA --(Ammoland.com)- Armed American Radio and host Mark Walters will be kicking off the 2012 broadcast year by welcoming leaders of some of the most respected states rights, grassroots organizations in America this Sunday, January, 1st 2012 on the first national broadcast of the year.

Syndicated host Mark Walters said, “Armed American Radio is an avid supporter of the individual states, pro-gun, grassroots organizations and I’m excited to be bringing the leaders of some of them to the program this week to kick off this most important election year.

In addition to the state groups, the NRA will tee up the first segment of the program to remind the national audience of the freedoms at stake this year. Some of my guests this week include, Kevin Starrett from Oregon Firearms Federation, Nik Clark of Wisconsin Carry.org, Gene Hoffman of Cal-Guns, Jeff Burkett of Iowa Carry, Philip Van Cleave of the Virginia Citizens Defense League among others. It promises to be a great program”.

Adding affiliate stations at an unprecedented pace since its syndication two years ago, AAR now airs in dozens of markets across America from Florida to Alaska every Sunday evening from 8-11pm ET, 5-8 pm PT and is the fastest growing nationally syndicated, pro-gun radio broadcast in America dedicated entirely to the right to carry a firearm.

As Salem Radio syndicated talk host Mike Gallagher says, “Mark Walters and the Armed American Radio Network are redefining weekend talk radio”.

For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Armed American Radio is syndicated on the Salem Radio Network. For media kit information, please visit www.srnonline.com/talk/talk-walters.shtml

About:
Armed American Radio is the most free-thinking, politically incorrect radio station in the U.S.A. We discuss liberty, self-defense, weapons, family, friends, and life. Visit: www.Armedamericanradio.org

MKS Rhino Revolver 20D

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Here is my personal experience with the Chiappa Rhino snubby (I have two – one with a black finish and one with a brushed nickel finish). Your mileage may vary.

I’m normally not much of a revolver guy, but I was intrigued by the concept of the Chiappa Rhino revolver, which was even more interesting after I watched a video of the gun being shot. I held one in my hand at the last NRA convention in Pittsburg, PA and really liked how it felt and pointed.

What’s unique about the Rhino is that it fires from the BOTTOM cylinder. That means the barrel is much lower on the frame and more exactly in line with your hand. The net effect is that the recoil comes straight back and is not leveraged by being above your hand, like other revolvers. Consequently the muzzle flip is miniscule, even with full power .357 magnums fired with one hand!

The felt recoil is also mild, thanks to the angle of the grips and the direction of the recoil.

The gun is unexpectedly light. Virtually everyone who has picked up one of my 2 inch Rhino snubbies is visible surprised at its weight, or lack thereof, actually.

The grips are very comfortable and the gun comes up to a natural point-of-aim, unlike many revolvers I’ve shot. To keep the gun slender, the cylinder has flattened sides where each chamber is located.

The double-action trigger is smooth, but long and a little heavy. I would prefer a much lighter double-action trigger, but it is workable and the single-action trigger is excellent.

There is no visible hammer on the gun. Where you would expect to find a hammer, there is a hammer-like “cocking lever.” All it does is cock the gun and then returns to its forward position. To remind the shooter that the gun is cocked and has a light trigger, an orange rod pops up slightly above the frame, near the cocking lever. The trigger is also placed in a tell-tale rearward position.

Pushing down on the cylinder latch opens the cylinder. It is a very natural and comfortable motion.

Because the gun shoots out of the lower cylinder, there are a couple of important things to keep in mind:

• You should NOT do a “thumb forward hold ” (weak hand thumb in front of the strong-hand thumb) on the gun as you do NOT want any part of your hand to be next to the cylinder gap. The blast sideways from a revolver can be powerful and the blast from the Rhino is guaranteed to get your attention. I always use a grip where both thumbs are side-by-side or one-over-the-other.
• If you want to fire a single round out of the gun, it should be placed at the 5 O’clock position and not 11 O’clock (as for a conventional revolver with a clockwise turning cylinder).

The Rhino holds six-shots of either .357 Magnum or .38 Special (.40 S&W and 9mm will be available in the future) and comes with a 2, 4, 5, or 6 inch barrel. The barrels all have a tall rib to make up for the low position of the barrel on the frame.

The cylinder, barrel insert, and the part of the frame directly behind the cylinder are all made of steel, while the frame is an aluminum alloy. The steel behind the cylinder is unusual and should give the revolver a longer life than other light-frame revolvers.

The snubby comes with a pancake holster and there is a leather inside-the-waistband and a Kydex paddle/belt holster available from Chiappa. Other holster manufacturers are also making holsters for it.

Some think the gun is ugly, but others, like me, think it looks pretty cool and futuristic.

The Rhino has either a black or a brushed nickel finish (called a White Rhino). The Rhino snubby is not inexpensive with a street value of around $700-$800, but it is an excellent gun for those who like the reliability of a revolver for self-defense and/or want a fun gun for a day at the range.

• Here’s the Rhino 200DS page on Chiappa’s web site: http://chiappafirearms.com/product/725
• White Rhino 200DS: http://chiappafirearms.com/product/726
• Here is a video of someone shooting the Rhino: http://tinyurl.com/7yybr5k

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Kahr P380 Pistol Black

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- This is the first of a series of three handgun reviews based on some guns that I purchased most recently. (Your mileage could vary, of course.)

My previous experiences with pocket .380 ACP handguns was not good in the recoil category. After purchasing a Kel-tec .380 some years ago, I quickly realized that to break in that gun without my trigger finger killing me due to the sharp snap of that very light and small handgun, I would need the help of others.

I went to the range with 150 rounds of ammo and would tell other shooters, “Hey – this is my new Kel-tec .380 – want to try it out?” Then I would provide them with as much ammo as they wanted and would let THEM deal with the snappy recoil! After an hour or so my gun was broken in and, just as importantly, I was none the worse for wear.

So when I went to the range with my brand new Kahr P380, I brought along my 150 rounds of ammo and was prepared to let everyone at the range “try” my gun. I figured I would fire a few shots just to see how bad it was going to be for everyone else.

BAM! BAM! BAM!
Much to my total surprise, although the gun was extremely light and small, the recoil was totally tamed – tamed to the point that the gun was actually FUN TO SHOOT! I selfishly put all 150 rounds through the gun without sharing it. And I could have kept going had I brought more ammunition!

The accuracy was superb and, unlike many other small .380s, the gun had real sights on it. You can even get night sights for it.

Kahr P380 Handgun

I own quite a few Kahrs and I know that the polymer ones need a few hundred rounds to break them in due to tight tolerances. The P380 was no exception. There were occasional jams during the break-in period, but those are but faint memories now. During the break-in, the Kahr seemed to have a preference for Magtech ammo.

The P380 works exactly like its bigger brothers, including the slide locking back on the last shot, a slide release, a drop safety, a fully supported chamber, and a Browning-type lockup. Oh, and it has a fantastic trigger, especially for a gun that size. Magazine capacity is 6 + 1.

The gun disappears in my pocket and is so light I can easily forget that I am carrying it. I don’t carry a .380 very often, except when either I must carry light and/or extremely discretely or if I want to carry a backup gun. The Kahr P380 is my clear choice for such times.

Here is a link to the Kahr web page for the P380: www.kahr.com/Pistols/Kahr-P380.asp

Up next: Sig-Sauer P250

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- The James Madison University protest was the next day, Thursday.

The skies were clear, but it was colder, though not extremely so. We had around twenty people at the peak, the occupiers had three.

(As usual the occupiers had no table and no student group to sponsor them.)

We handed out around 800 brochures and even more stickers. The event started slow, but picked up considerably as the day wore on. Chris Kichnko, the Vice-President of the JMU Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, VCDL EM Patricia Webb, and I spoke around noon.

Hats off to JMU Chief of Police, Lee Shifflett. He was very professional and truly couldn’t have been nicer or easier to work with.

Thanks also go to the JMU Students for Concealed Carry on Campus for sponsoring us!

MEDIA COVERAGE

From WSVA.com: http://tinyurl.com/7atdqut

At the same time news was swirling about the shooting at Virginia Tech, students were out on the campus of JMU lobbying for gun rights.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League and JMU’s Students for Concealed Carry on Campus rallied, saying that bans in place on college campuses preventing students from carrying guns is a violation of the second amendment.

JMU’s policy does not allow students, faculty or staff to carry a gun on campus. The VCDL is urging pro-gun alumni to withhold any financial gifts until the policy is changed.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League Radford University Protest

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- The Radford University protest on Wednesday was a success, even if the weather didn’t really cooperate.

Despite the rain and the fact that we could not hand out our brochures and stickers unsolicited, we still handed out 500 brochures and even more stickers.

Eryn Bartholomew (Vice-President of the Radford College Republicans), VCDL EM Dave Knight, and I spoke at the event.

We met with the police and student event staff early so they could go over the rules with us for our protest. We also paid for our tables, which we were required to stay near during the protest so as not to block students passing by.

The “occupiers” showed up – all two of them (vs 18 of us). They, of course, did not follow any of the rules that we had to follow. They were standing right in front of the doors to the student center, in the way of those coming and going. They also had not rented a table and were soliciting people to take their stickers and handouts.

While I don’t mind them exercising their First Amendment rights, I am sick and tired of them breaking the rules while we are expected to follow them. I called the Radford University Chief of Police (we had swapped phone numbers before the event) and advised her of what was happening. A little while later the anti-freedom crowd, which had swelled to four for about twenty minutes, was told to stop handing out materials and to move away from the doors.

We were told that a debate class had a topic of “campus carry” and that our side was well represented by a young lady. Other classes also had considerable discussion of the issue, including one where a woman wearing a “No guns on campus” sticker, took it off and accepted a “Guns Save Lives” sticker after hearing a few minutes of a discussion on campus carry!

The occupiers could not find any student groups to sponsor them (just like the rest of the venues except one). The Young Democrats at Radford University refused, understanding that gun control is a losing proposition.

Thanks, again, to the Radford College Republicans for sponsoring us!

Great stuff!

MEDIA COVERAGE

From WSLS.com: http://tinyurl.com/79ozglh

Pro-gun rally held at Radford University

The Virginia Citizen’s Defense League held a rally near the student center Wednesday at Radford University.

They’ve recently held a rally at Virginia Tech, to share their message about why they think guns should be allowed on campus.

Meanwhile, Collin Goddard, who was shot in the 2007 tragedy at Virginia Tech was at Radford, along with the brother of another victim. They protested in opposition to the rally.

From WDBJ7.com: http://tinyurl.com/84pjfbu

Pro-Gun protest held at Radford University

About a dozen people showed up for the protest

RADFORD; Va. —

Another pro-gun protest; this time at Radford University. This is the fifth protest on a state college campus by the Virginia Citizen’s Defense League in the past month.
The grassroots, pro-gun organization is pushing for a change in policy to allow those with a concealed weapons permit to carry guns inside campus buildings.

Organizers say now is the time for university’s to change their view on guns and safety.

“The push now is because we’ve gotten impatient,” said VCDL President Philip Van Cleave. “We feel the universities and colleges aren’t getting the message. In fact, some are getting the opposite message from what happened. They’re trying to increase no-gun policies, which do nothing but endanger everybody. So the time came where we finally said ‘enough is enough’!”

The VCDL will protest at James Madison University Thursday.

The group is also gearing up for a legislative battle. VCDL organizers say they’re working with state senators on generating legislation that would require state universities to allow guns inside campus buildings.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Holster Arms for Concealed Carry Safety

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- This past week a Spotsylvania County, VA CHP holder fatally shot himself in the hip in front of his four children.

This tragic accident was entirely preventable. Investigators report that it appears the man had placed the gun in the waistband of his pants and accidentally pulled the trigger while trying to adjust his seat-belt.

In light of this, let’s all take a few moments to reflect on safe ways to carry a firearm. There are a few simple things we can do to enhance safety. Holsters should be used and all equipment should be regularly inspected for signs of wear. In addition, not all holsters are created equal and some are safer than others.

Here are a few key features to look for:

• The mouth of the holster should be reinforced so that it stays open when the gun is not in the holster. This allows for one-handed holstering and prevents pointed a loaded gun at your hand.
• The holster should hold the gun securely and should be used as intended; you would not want your gun to fall out while you are going about your daily activities.
• Use a holster that is made for the gun you are carrying. This will insure that the gun fits properly, helping to prevent accidental discharge while holstering. It will also help prevent accidental loss of the firearm during activities.
• Make sure the holster stays firmly attached when you draw your firearm. If the holster stays on your gun instead of on your belt it could cost you your life! If using a belt clip type holster, make sure the clip has a turned-under piece at the bottom that makes a positive attachment to your belt or waistband.
• If you carry your gun in your pocket, use a pocket holster. Do not put anything else in the pocket! You would not want your keys to accidentally trigger a discharge. Nor would you want any obstructions to lodge in the barrel or the action, causing malfunction and possible injury.
• If you carry in a purse, use a specially made holster-purse or attach a holster to the inside of your purse. Make sure it doesn’t move around and, again, don’t put anything in the compartment with the gun. Personally, I dislike carrying in a purse because they get stolen too easily, but sometimes it is unavoidable.
• Inspect the holster for signs of wear. Folds in worn leather can accidentally depress the trigger when holstering.

While it is true that good holsters can be expensive, there are some reasonably priced models out there as well.

What is comfortable is a personal choice, as is whether you carry inside the waist (IWB), strong side, cross draw, shoulder holster, pocket holster, ankle holster and so on. The important thing is to be safe, and these simple guidelines should help us do just that.

Resources:  www.crossbreedholsters.com

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- In an effort to better serve our members, we are implementing a program to share information useful to the firearms community.

If you want to access information on gun shows, shooting matches, VCDL meetings and special events, simply go to www.vcdl.org/static/calendar.html or from any page on the VCDL web site (www.vcdl.org) click on the VCDL Calendar link on the right hand side of the page.

Once on the calendar, you can click on an entry for more details including maps, times, contact information, links to web sites with coupons or entry forms, and other pertinent items.

You can also copy individual events to your personal calendar.

We are asking for your assistance with this project. If you belong to a club and would like your events posted on the VCDL calendar, all we ask is that you make our membership applications available to those attending your event. If you do not organize the event personally, please talk to the person who does and ask them to consider participating. We will ship you everything you need, including a holder, brochures and current CHP law wallet card. These displays come with a sticker containing instructions on replenishing supplies.

The goal of this project is to establish a central location where VCDL members can access information important to them and stay on top of current events. We hope you find this useful and informative, and that you will actively participate by sending notices of your club/range functions. Thanks to each of you for all you do. VCDL is truly a grass roots organization and is made strong and effective by the individual efforts of all our members!

Send details of your events to Pat.Webb@vcdl.org and be sure to include the shipping address so we can send you our membership display!

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Liberty University Vastly Improves Gun Policies

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Liberty University (LU) has just changed their firearms policies to be more in line with the University’s name.

Not perfect by any means but most definitely a whole lot better!

The timing is interesting: VCDL is in the middle of its Operation Campus Safety campaign AND I will be speaking at the University on December 5th (I’ll be speaking at the new College Constitutional Conservative Christian Coalition club meeting).

Probably a coincidence, but interesting nonetheless.

Liberty is a private university and is not bound by the recent Supreme Court decision nor the Attorney General Cuccinelli opinion on CHP carry on university property.

The new policy allows guests with CHPs to store guns in their vehicles or to have them outside buildings, but not carry them into the buildings. Faculty, staff, and students can seek permission from the LU PD to do the same. LU PD can also authorize certain faculty and staff to have guns inside buildings and stored in a secured container in their office.

Also, students, faculty, and staff with or without CHPs will now be able to store their guns with the LU PD.

Here is the announcement. I see one possible mistake: in the list of universities that allow students and others with CHPs on campus – University of Virginia doesn’t fit that mold exactly. If they are referring to just “others” with CHPs carrying outside of buildings, then UVA is valid, as would be any public university or college in Virginia. Currently CHP holders who are guests can carry inside the buildings of most public universities and colleges in Virginia, regardless of any school policies to the contrary. The exceptions are VCU and GMU.

VCDL applauds this important step forward by LU. That stands in stark contrast to UVA and some other universities, which are rushing to take a step backwards.

www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?pid=4153

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- A reminder: Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is going to speak at the monthly VCDL membership meeting in Annandale on Thursday, November 17th!

If you are not attending the VCDL protest at Virginia Tech on November 17th, please come to this membership meeting and bring family and friends. It would be great if we could pack the room for this.

The Attorney General will be speaking about his support for the GMU gun ban, when he originally told VCDL members, as a candidate for Attorney General, that the ban wasn’t valid.

Here is the video of statement above or at this link: http://youtu.be/3bx1ZIusXiU?t=5m17s

I expect that the Attorney General will take some questions from those attending.

VCDL vice-president Jim Snyder will be running the meeting. As with all VCDL membership meetings, it is open to the public.

Fellowship starts at 7:30 PM and the meeting will be called to order at 8 PM and run until 9:30 PM. Afterwards, the group will adjourn to a local restaurant for continued fellowship.

Senator Houck concedes – power has now shifted to the Republican Party in Senate
Senator Houck has conceded his race against Bryce Reeves, turning control of the Senate over to the Republicans. The anti-gun Senate leadership has now had their power stripped from them. And, of course, Senator Marsh will no longer be chairman of the Senate Courts of justice committee! Be still my beating heart!

Gee, I wonder if Mayor Michael Bloomberg is happy with his $150,000 investment in making Virginia less gun-friendly?

The public has spoken, now to see if the Republican leadership was listening.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- VCDL Successful GMU Protest: We had a turnout similar to our ODU protest last week.

Over 20 VCDL members participated in the protest at GMU and we handed out 800 brochures to students. We were busy the entire time. Many made a point of thanking us for holding the protest and said they appreciated our efforts.

As things wound down, you could still see students going to their classes holding our brochures and wearing our “Guns Save Lives” and “No guns? NO FUNDS!” stickers. Very gratifying, indeed! We educated a lot of students today.

Some antis showed up and rudely “occupied” our protest, standing right in the middle of the area reserved for us, holding up their “No guns on campus” signs.

Oh, can you imagine the squealing if WE did that at one of THEIR events?

I don’t care that they were there – they have a right to their ideas and, besides that, they always make us look good.

Just as at ODU, we had the lion’s share of the activity and interest.

Again, I want to thank the GMU Students for Concealed Carry on Campus and Mason Liberty for sponsoring the event. The antis had no sponsors.

I was interviewed by 6 different reporters. Here is video coverage by two of the local TV stations:

• From WJLA: http://tinyurl.com/7ep5nnv
• From NBCWashington.com: http://tinyurl.com/7q92686

Virginia Election Wrap Up
If the election results hold up, the Democrats and Republicans will share power equally in the Senate. That will pretty much defang the Democratic anti-gun leadership. They won’t be able to pull the same shenanigans, like creating a special anti-gun subcommittee just to kill pro-gun bills. For that to happen, the Republicans would have to agree – not likely to happen.

Every committee will be chaired by BOTH a Republican and a Democrat, keeping Senators Marsh and Saslaw at bay. We had a situation just like this some years ago.

I had warned everyone that elections have been razor thin and, indeed, there were two races determined by less than 90 votes and one of them determines if we get 4 more years of anti-gun Democratic leadership in the Senate or not. Turnout can make all the difference in the world, hopefully all of you made it to the polls.

I believe we have approximately a 5-vote pro-gun edge in the Senate now and a huge pro-gun edge in the House!

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Please vote and bring friends and family with you. DO NOT SIT THIS ONE OUT!

We MUST have a better Senate in Virginia, or it will be FOUR more years of lost chances and wasted efforts.

The nation will be watching Virginia as a harbinger of next year’s national elections. Will Virginia shrug or will we stand strong and change course – making Virginia a bright beacon of freedom and support for the Second Amendment for the rest of the country to follow?

VCDL has done all that it can to provide you with the information you need to make good decisions at the polls and now it is your time to act.

In the past years we have seen razor thin margins at the polls – candidates winning by a fraction of a percent. We must be sure that that fraction is in our favor.

Godspeed ladies and gentlemen, we have a duty to perform. If we do our part today, when we wake up on Wednesday morning the reign of the current anti-gun Senate leadership will be effectively over.

–

For those in Blacksburg, the article below has four candidates for Blacksburg City Council (Leslie Hager-Smith, Michael Sutphin, Paul Lancaster, and John Bush) who would prohibit even the otherwise safe discharge of an air gun on private property, like in your backyard or basement.

From the Collegiate Times: http://tinyurl.com/3s7apmw

Town Council candidates speak on the issues: weapons
With Election Day coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 8, the Collegiate Times caught up with the candidates running for seats in the Blacksburg Town Council to hear their thoughts on local issues.

The seven members of the Council serve staggered four-year terms and are the legislative body of the local government. The Council passes new ordinances, makes rules about land use and long-term planning, and sets all tax rates.

This year, five candidates are running for three open spots — John Bush, Leslie Hager-Smith, Melvyn Jay “Mel” Huber, Paul Lancaster and Michael Sutphin.

Each day this week, the CT will feature one question posed to all candidates, so readers can compare their answers and learn more about them. Today’s question deals with a law that allows pneumatic weapons on private property:

The state issued a mandate saying that cities and towns can no longer restrict the use of pneumatic weapons as long as they are used on private property. Do you think the law should have been put it place or repealed?
Leslie Hager-Smith:

The real issue there is that Virginia is a Dillon Rule State. What it means is that localities cannot presume to have any authority unless the state allows them to have it. So everything from what color to paint police cars to how to handle derelict properties and whether or not we’re going to have BB guns, all of that is out of our hands unless we are given specific permissions at the state level. It’s sort of like mother may I, it’s a constant frustration and it’s costly. Whether or not we want to do something with BB guns is beside the point, we’re stuck in this system that doesn’t serve us well.

Michael Sutphin:

I know every member of the town council voted to repeal the thing but they did that not because they wanted to, but because they begrudgingly supported it as required by state law. Virginia is a Dillon Rule State, so the relationship between municipalities like Blacksburg and the state government in Richmond is such that we can only do things the General Assembly agrees we can do. So I would have voted the same way as the town council, to allow pneumatic weapons, but I personally wouldn’t have done what the General Assembly did about them.

Paul Lancaster:

I think it should be repealed. I think it should be up to the locality. That’s one thing the General Assembly likes to do, to pass a law that may be great for one locality but they think it will apply to everybody. To a person, when the current council voted on that, the town attorney made changes in the town code to accommodate that. They all voted ‘aye’ because they had to, it’s state law, but they all complained that they didn’t want to do it. This is not a town that needs a pellet gun being run around. I can see someone driving around town late at night shooting up windows. It just doesn’t make any sense to me to have it in Blacksburg.

John Bush:

Right now, I would have to say that it should be repealed and left to the localities. It’s interesting to me that we have basically a Republican-led General Assembly — that’s the same party that talks about local rules and local government and states being able to say what they need and what works best for them when they talk about the federal government. But we’re a Dillon Rule state, and what the Dillon Rule essentially means is that localities cannot pass their own laws if it isn’t something the General Assembly has already allowed to happen. When they passed the law that says pneumatic guns can be used in town limits, we didn’t have a choice. We had to pass it. Personally, for this town, I don’t think it’s a good idea.

Melvyn Huber:

Melvyn Jay “Mel” Huber was unavailable to comment.

He worked as a lawyer for 56 years with the Wagner & Huber law firm in Blacksburg.

Huber has served on the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, the Republican County Committee and the Rotary Club.

He served in the Marine Corps Reserve from 1947-58 and was on active duty during the Korean War.

For more information on Huber, go to HuberForBlacksburg.net

VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- As firearms have become more and more mainstream, many gun stores are using radio ads to promote self-defense with firearms.

Dennis Golden with Ashby Arms emailed these hard-hitting advertisements that they are running in the Harrisonburg area.

Listen to their ads above and below and let us know what you think in the comments below?

• http://www.youtube.com/user/AshbyArms#p/u/4/mreuMvtl8Fk
• http://www.youtube.com/user/AshbyArms#p/u/5/6M73ns2DUuQ

About Ashby Arms:
Ashby Arms is the only public Class 3 dealer in Rockingham County, VA. We stock many different brands of silencers, short barreled rifles and other Class 3 items. Visit: www.ashbyarms.com

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Nikki Goeser Featured In NRA Freedom Magazine

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Nikki Goeser suffered a horrendous loss when her husband was murdered right in front of her by her stalker.

Nikki was disarmed because of a Tennessee law at the time that prohibited having a gun, either openly or concealed, where alcohol is served.

From the NRA’s First Freedom Magazine: http://tinyurl.com/3eqquq2

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Finally – we have a date and time for Operation Campus Safety at Virginia Tech!

**Mark your calendars, this is going to be big and you’re going to want to be part of it!**

We have approval for the protest from 8 AM to 4 PM on Thursday, November 17th. While some of us will be there early, the main protest will start at 11:30 AM and run until 4 PM. Speakers will start at 12 Noon and continue until 1:30 PM. We will need lots of people to carry signs, pass out literature, and answer questions.

This should be an excellent day to be on campus as it is a game day (UNC vs VT), allowing us maximum visibility. We are also looking at having a presence in nearby Blacksburg.

The protest will be held in front of the Squires Student Center (College Ave./Otey Street side), not far from the town of Blacksburg or the VT Drillfield.

More details will follow, including parking information and possible carpooling from area localities.

A very special thanks to Eric Smith, President of the Libertarians at Virginia Tech. The Libertarians are hosting the protest and Eric is working hard to make the protest a success, patiently working his way through the VT bureaucracy to get the event approved.

Another powerful force in bringing everything together is John Wilburn, a VT alumni. He has been doing all kinds of coordination behind the scenes and he, too, has made it a personal mission to make the protest a huge success.

This is a mission to save lives and that drives both Eric and John, just like it drives all of VCDL’s membership.

There is no way this would have come together so well without Eric and John!

Oh, and as if John isn’t doing enough already, besides running his own business (Hokie Real Estate, Inc.), he is a firearms instructor and will be giving away free CHP classes to two lucky attendees!

Thanks also to EMs Dave Hicks and Dave Knight, who are helping with both the VT and the Radford protests.

Radford and JMU students – come to Virginia Tech on November 17th and stand with Virginia Tech students in support of freedom and liberty. VCDL will ask the VT students to do the same when we announce the Radford and JMU protests in the near future.

Wild horses couldn’t keep me away – see you there!

No guns? NO FUNDS! (Remember: Donations for Virginia Tech can be sent to Blue Ridge Community College instead. )

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)-  John Pepper emailed me this item which discusses how to improve your time to draw you gun in an emergency.

John knows his stuff (“Pepper Poppers” that you have shot at in matches were the brain-child of John). I thought some of you might find this interesting.

Beating the Bandit
Practice and drill so you can get your pistol into action within one fifth of a second well within the reaction time of the bandit.

From concealment having to brush aside outer garment it takes much longer to get into action than the fifth of a second plus adding ones longer reaction time.

However if one has any warning due to their being “alert “, the first Principle Of Defense, they can reach under their outer garment to grasp the pistol grip yet still have it concealed so not brandishing as not drawn yet. Turning ones gun side away from threat aside from distancing the gun from threat somewhat hides the move. With the right rig on ones belt the pistol is still concealed. From this position already grasping the grip ones draw to firing is inside the one fifth of a second. For this desperation move the pistol starts firing as soon as it clears the holster at just above waist level continuing upwards as firing to get to alignment of either sights or point shooting. Effective at arms length to a few yards range. Very effective if close enough that muzzle is against the assailant as bonus of muzzle blast gas entering wound increasing cavity. Messy with muzzle against as you will be spattered with blood and matter. Most of a lifetime ago had this experience during a night encounter. Desperation would have one continuing to fire rapidly until assailant down and out of fight.

The above has to be practiced with much dry then once confident of moves live fire.

Economy Of Motion
Getting into action quickly practice consists of economy of motion. At intervals while practicing intentionally duplicate your moves in slow motion looking for unnecessary movement. It really helps if one has a buddy watching who may detect unnecessary movement then corrections made to eliminate them. Vice versa if your buddy is also improving his or her into action time. Done much as economy of motion improves muscle memory kicks in so under pressure one does as they conditioned via repeated self training drills. No buddy try a large mirror studying your movement from holster to firing.

Done right this is strenuous so after several drills a short break or switch over to buddies drills while you watch him or her for corrections.

One Fifth Of A Second
To determine the one fifth of a second is fairly simple. A bit of math gives answer as follows.

Needed is a block of wood about one inch by one inch by five or six inches long.

Grasp the pistol grip under your outer garment simultaneously pinning the block of wood against the side of the holster with your extended trigger finger in what is called the index position. As soon as your hand starts motion to draw the block of wood will fall to the floor making a thump sound when it hits the floor. If the hammer or striker mechanism of the pistol goes click before the thump of the wooden block the time is less than one fifth of a second. Practice strives toward,” Click – - Thump.”

Now the math. A falling weighty object falls approximately 32 feet the first second of decent so convert into inches. Measure from your waist holster to the floor in inches. Divide this into one second. The answer will be close to one fifth of a second, a slight variation depending on ones height.

A drill for the younger who haven’t yet suffered the ravages of age of being slower. – - – - Do not recommend this as live fire except for the highly experienced pistoleer.

The Desperation Drill
For a title I always called this: ” The Desperation Drill.”

Done right it is very strenuous so after about six or seven attempts stop and take a brief break. It is only practical to do this from open carry. As follows.

Extend your gun hand out flat back of hand upwards at waist level. place a weighty block of wood on back of hand large enough it will make an audible thump when it hits the floor. Snatch your hand out from under the block, draw and fire. If your hear Click before the Thump of the block hitting the floor you are well within the reaction time of an adversary at less than a fifth of a second. Importantly no matter how you have grasped the grip of the pistol there is no time for adjusting or improving your grasp as you must accept any variations and continue the draw and firing. Many do a fractions of second time loss grip improvement as they draw which for this drill will not work. However your hand happens to grasp the grip is what you have to go ahead with.

Expect to not always beat the drop of the block thump, but strive for it sometimes having a simultaneous click and thump or thump click.

As previous the pistol has to fire as soon as it clears the holster as no time to raise it to alignment level. At arms length or so defense one should get a hit. Of course in actual fight continuing fire alignment is achieved.

For those who are always concealed carry this open carry drill would only serve as a confidence builder.

Repeat. Recommend this only be done dry fire unless highly experienced shooting many thousands of practice rounds each year for a lengthy duration of years before trying this live fire. – - – Even at that some hazard exists.

Vigorous Movement Test
All of the above is predicated on an open holster without any retaining strap or flap.

Shape and fit of holster that has no strap or flap should retain the pistol firmly yet as soon as about a quarter of an inch or less movement break free for a smooth draw. A test we used here has one kneel on a mat then do a somersault forward. If the pistol falls out during this test the holster is unsatisfactory. Likewise for magazine or loader pouches on belt. Some holsters have an adjustable tension device that squeezes the holster which can correct the retention. As holster wears over time an adjustment of this device keeps it correct.

Another holster test some use is running and jumping yet not holding the pistol in the holster so it is hands free. If the pistol falls out it fails the retention test. Likewise for pouches on belt.

Either is usually called,” The Vigorous Movement Test.”

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- This might be of interest to the entire VCDL group who have children.

My 12 year old son and I attended the gun show yesterday at the Showplace in Mechanicsville.

One firearm’s dealer asked me to pick up and hand guns to my son first, before allowing him to handle guns at the show, since the ATF would be all over him in his words if the parent didn’t hand the child the gun.

I will comment that my children are always under my direct supervision when handling firearms no matter where we are.

I politely asked the firearm’s dealer to show me the written legislation in the 2nd amendment that prevents persons under the age of 18 from handling a firearm at a gunshow.

Then he switched his statement claiming that it’s Virginia law for children under age 16. I asked to see the Virginia law in writing since I’ve never heard of it. He was polite and stated that he saw it my way but he needed to comply with the ATF and VA laws. Additionally, the gun show did not have a sign at the entrance stating that children under age 16 are prohibited from handling firearms without a parent picking up the subject gun first and handing it the child.

It seems like everywhere I go, people are running their mouths and quoting laws, codes and/or ordinances to me that directly interfere with the constitution and my constitutional rights, but are unable to show me where they’re written or who authorized them. I can’t even get Eric Cantor, my elected official in the 7th District, to provide me with the written legislation that authorized the Census Bureau in 2010 to request more than the three questions that the constitution clearly dictates when conducting the 10 year census.

I would appreciate your providing clarification for me and VCDL members who have children in the updates.

Are there federal or state laws that prohibit children under the age of 16 from picking up or handling firearms at a gun show, with or without direct parent supervision?

Incidently, my son had quite a wish list by the time we left, but I doubt that would have been the case if he hadn’t handled the merchandise first!

As always, thank you for all of your hard work in running the VCDL and helping the membership with our questions and concerns.

Jim Dinger

Federal law is one problem: 18 USC 922 (x) prohibits a person under 18 years of age to possess a handgun without the prior written permission of the parent or guardian. With the parent handing the gun to the child and not the dealer, that changes the situation. Although, technically, the parent should have a written note giving themselves permission to hand the gun to the child. Hey, gun laws are mostly stupid and this is another one.

State law requires the child must be in the presence of an adult while the child is in possession of a handgun. This one is kind of sticky, too, as gun shows are not specifically listed in the exemption – just shooting ranges and firearms education class. Code section is 18.2-308.7.

Thanks to Mike Stollenwerk for his guidance on the federal code section.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Renewal Season is in full swing and the Second Notices were in the mail the week of October 10.

***The information for the renewal had to go to the printers the week before so if you renewed anytime after 9/30, you may get a second notice.***

FYI, the Membership Processing Center closes for Thanksgiving Week (the Membership Director, Jacque Blundell, goes to visit her mother) and then shuts down for Christmas on Dec 14 (the Membership Director transforms to a Christmas elf).

If you need your membership card for those early in the year CMP purchases, renew NOW! Paypal renewals take appx 4 weeks, check/money order renewals take approximately 6 weeks and credit card renewals take approximately 8 weeks so the deadlines are getting close!

ALSO, don’t forget that to qualify for the Serbu .50 BMG gun giveaway that EM Ed Levine has organized, you must be a member of record by midnight, December 1st, 2011. Oh, and we have gun dealers stepping forward to do the transfer FOR FREE to the lucky member! More on that later.

Here are the rules: http://ed.cx/vcdl/
and the gun: http://serbu.com/top/bfg50.php

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- The Board of Directors of Virginia Citizens Defense League has decided that enough is enough when it comes to the safety of the students, faculty, staff, and guests at Virginia public universities and colleges.

Higher-education “no gun” policies do not make the innocent any safer. Instead such policies enable people like Cho to wantonly massacre, rape, and rob.

Those policies disarm students, faculty and staff not only on campus, but going to and from campus. ODU, for example, is not situated in the best part of town and unarmed students pay the price.

What’s even more egregious is that concealed handgun permit holders, who are at least 21 years old, have clean records, have had training, are not illegal drug users or habitual drunkards, and carry virtually everywhere else they go, are purposely left helpless.

There simply is no excuse for that. Just one armed permit holder in one of those classrooms under attack at Virginia Tech on that fateful day in 2007 could have stopped Cho.

Just who exactly do those who live in the Ivory Towers think they are to dictate what your life or mine is worth? Where do they get the authority to do so? Gun laws are strictly controlled by the General Assembly and there is NO enabling legislation giving higher-ed the authority to have gun-control on campus.

Too many of those in the Ivory Towers are so lost in the alternate world of academia, they become isolated from reality.

The thought of being expelled from Virginia Tech, something that I’m sure the University considers right up there with the death penalty, didn’t even slow Cho down from his dark mission. And after the massacre, the University completely missed the real-world lesson that was so painfully taught them. Instead they decided to double-down on a failed and dangerous policy that only works on a blackboard.

The universities know that the Virginia Attorney General Cuccinelli has stated that they are not responsible for ensuring the safety of students, yet those same universities demand that students nonetheless delegate their safety to the university and its police officers (who by the way have a Supreme Court ruling that says that THEY are not responsible for the safety of any one individual, only the public generally)!

Nothing against campus police, but the same unfortunate reality applies to them as it does all other police officers – when seconds count between life and death, the police are only minutes away.

Speaking of that, when Virginia Tech was under attack by Cho, guess where a contingency of police went immediately? You guessed it – to protect those in the Ivory Towers! Those in the Ivory Towers should not get any more protection than anyone else – after all, it is their dangerous policies of making people FEEL safe that only end up aiding someone like Cho in his mission of murder.

A SOLUTION – VCDL WILL BE PROTESTING AT A SCHOOL NEAR YOU!
If higher-education won’t do the right thing on their own, then VCDL and gun owners statewide need to “nudge” them onto the right path.

How do we do that?

Simple. We hit them where it hurts – right in the wallet. With the economy in the dumps, higher-ed is probably not getting the level of donations they are used to and we plan on squeezing them even more.

To that effect, VCDL is preparing a series of campus protests over the next few months. We are having signs, brochures, and stickers made as I write this. We will be on campus educating students and we will be reaching out to alumni to stop donations to the school until they change their policies, however long that takes.

Those protests will be starting in a few weeks.

ALUMNI AND PROSPECTIVE PARENTS – WE NEED SOME QUOTES FROM YOU!
If you are an alumni of the following schools, or are considering sending your son or daughter to one of them, and don’t mind your name being published in the pamphlets, email me (president@vcdl.org) a one or two sentence quote that we can use in the brochures that we will be handing out on campus:

• College of William & Mary
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• George Mason University
• Virginia Tech
• James Madison University
• Radford University

Include in the quote, which university or college you attended. Something like, “As an alumni of XYZ University, I cannot and will not support a school that mindlessly disarms students, faculty, staff, and guests with concealed handgun permits.” Please use your own wording.

I will be announcing each protest a week or so before it is held here on VA-ALERT so that we can get a good turnout at each one. We will need people holding signs, handing out brochures, and talking to those with questions. Someone from VCDL leadership will be interfacing with the press.

In the meantime, spread the word far and near. When a university or college asks for money, tell them: NO GUNS? NO FUNDS!

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- For those who couldn’t make it last night, you missed an extremely informative meeting.

VCDL Executive Member and firearms attorney Mark Matthews spoke to us about setting up revocable trusts for the purpose of owning NFA items.

We discussed what items are covered by the National Firearms Act (NFA), what the trust can do and how this is an advantage to the person or people setting up the trust and to their heirs.

Once these details were explained we had a Q & A session where we delved deeper into the subject of trusts, firearms laws and, maybe most importantly, the amount of misinformation floating around out there.

The truth is, there are many people who just don’t know or comprehend the myriad of firearms laws. We were also fortunate to have a couple of FFL holders in the audience who deal in NFA items and could give us first-hand accounts of their experiences with BATFE.

They, too, fielded questions and offered valuable insight. We explored the tangible differences between a trust you would set up to leave assets to your heirs and an NFA trust, and why you want an attorney that understands the nuances of both.

In short, a lot of information was exchanged and should Mr. Matthews speak at future events I strongly encourage you to consider attending.you will not be disappointed! VCDL is extremely privileged to have such a valuable asset as Mr. Matthews, who has made it his mission to dissect and understand these regulations.

We appreciate the time he devotes to the organization and the firearms community. Likewise, we are grateful to RRPC for continuing to host the VCDL membership meetings by providing a comfortable venue, and for their dedication to educating the public about shooting sports and firearms safety.

[PVC: Based on a lot of requests, I tried to audio tape the session, but the audio isn't good enough to post, unfortunately.]

RRPC Fun Day a success
Pat Webb also filed this:

On Saturday, September 24th Rivanna Rifle and Pistol Club (RRPC) held their annual Fun Day. This is an event where members can bring their family and friends to the range to enjoy hands-on demonstrations of many different shooting sports. Participants were even able to shoot machine guns!

In addition to the shooting activities there were hot dogs and barbeques and there was even a mini-gun show. VCDL was invited to set up a booth and we were proud to participate again this year. VCDL members Gene Harrison, Brian Weidman, John Pulliam, Al Shank and Franz Bailey offered to help man the table. We enjoyed meeting many new people and seeing many familiar faces. A good time was had by all.

RRPC has been, and continues to be, a valuable ally to VCDL. They have provided a comfortable venue for VCDL to hold membership meetings in the Charlottesville area. Our thanks go out to the RRPC members and Board of Directors for their continued support. Please feel free to visit their web site at www.rrpc.org.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Our next meeting in Charlottesville will again be at the Rivanna Rifle and Pistol Club. RRPC has been a gracious host and we appreciate their continued hospitality!

Our own Executive Member and firearms attorney Mark Matthews will be our guest of honor. The topic this meeting will be Revocable Trusts for the purpose of owning NFA items. There are many advantages to setting up these trusts and Mr. Matthews has offered to demystify the process.

This should prove to be a very interesting meeting. We sincerely hope that you can join us. As always, you do not need to be a member of VCDL or RRPC to attend; in fact, we encourage you to bring your friends and neighbors.

For those of you living in the area who are not members of RRPC this is an excellent opportunity for you to check out a very nice range. RRPC has been a valuable asset to the shooting sports community for many years and is very active in firearms education and safety.

We will begin at 6:30 PM with a pot luck dinner; the main course of corned beef and cabbage will be provided, as will beverages. Please bring a dish if you are able. If you can’t bring something to share, please don’t let that stop you from attending. We always have plenty! For food planning purposes, RSVP to pat.webb@vcdl.org and include the number *eating dinner* in the subject line (example: 10/6 VCDL meeting, 2 for dinner).

Meeting will follow the dinner, probably around 7:30 PM, and we should be done by 9:00 PM.

Directions, from I-64 take exit 120 SOUTH (5th Street exit). Turns into Old Lynchburg Road. Follow for just under 4 miles to range on right, there will be a sign on the right just before the driveway. Go through the entrance gate and up the hill to the clubhouse.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Apparently the College of William & Mary is now planning on banning guns in its buildings by creating a regulation!

More reckless endangerment – why would any university or college want to create another Cho-friendly environment?

Usually when they want to put their power and egos ahead of your safety. W&M needs to be reminded that there will be a price for doing this: NO GUNS, NO FUNDS!

Here is an article on the subject: From the Virginia Gazette:

W&M unholsters policy against guns. Prohibited in buildings and at events
By Susan Robertson

WILLIAMSBURG — A glaring hole in weapons regulations at the College of William & Mary has prompted the administration to tighten up.

Ever since the Virgina Tech shootings, administrators have been edgy about guns.

A weapons policy for the college had been cobbled together from the Code of Virginia and college handbooks, but amazingly no cohesive regulation existed. A proposed rule went before the Board of Visitors this week.

Guns and other weapons would be prohibited in buildings or at campus events, but otherwise they aren’t expressly prohibited on the grounds. Everyone is covered, including visitors…

View this link for the complete article: http://tinyurl.com/4xjbmgv

ACTION ITEMS: Action item #1 is for non-alumni, while Action Item #2 is for alumni-only.

ACTION ITEM #1

Tell the William & Mary President (W. Taylor Reveley III), Board of Visitors Administrative Assistant (Sandra J. Wilms), and the Fiscal Manager (Inez Burnett) that the proposed gun ban is unacceptable.

Email addresses: taylor@wm.edu, sjwilm@wm.edu, aiburn@wm.edu

Suggested subject: Do not further endanger students, visitors, and faculty!

Suggested message:

Concealed handgun permit holders should be able to protect themselves while at W&M! Permit holders, who must be at least 21-years-old, are among the most law-abiding citizens, believing in law-and-order to the extent that they get the training and pass a background check to get a permit. A citizen who has a drinking or a drug problem, or who has shown himself or herself to be a violent person is not qualified to get a permit.

Permit holders can already carry a handgun virtually everywhere they go, including the General Assembly, banks, restaurants, malls, state and local government buildings, festivals, and libraries. Some states, such as Utah, allow permit holders to carry in universities and colleges and have had no negative consequences. Quite the contrary, Utah universities and colleges would be a very inhospitable place for criminals to strike.

The police simply cannot be everywhere at once. Even a delay of one or two minutes for a police response could make the difference between life and death for someone. On top of that, a victim getting to a call box or making a call on their cell phone while in the middle of a violent criminal attack is usually impossible.

The College should not be making disarmed victims of citizens who the General Assembly and the circuit courts have specifically authorized as safe and competent to carry arms in their own defense.

I urge the College to allow concealed handgun permit holders to carry a concealed handgun on campus for self-defense.

ACTION ITEM #2 - for W&M alumni only

Tell the William & Mary President (W. Taylor Reveley III), Board of Visitors Administrative Assistant (Sandra J. Wilms), and the Fiscal Manager (Inez Burnett) that the proposed gun ban is unacceptable and that you will not contribute ANY more money to the College if they proceed with the ban.

Email addresses: taylor@wm.edu, sjwilm@wm.edu, aiburn@wm.edu

Suggested subject: No more donations to W&M!

Suggested message:

I cannot in good conscience make any more donations to W&M if the College proceeds with the proposed regulation that would disarm law-abiding concealed handgun permit holders. I will also be contacting other alumni to ask that they not donate to the College either.

Concealed handgun permit holders should be able to protect themselves while at W&M! Permit holders, who must be at least 21-years-old, are among the most law-abiding citizens, believing in law-and-order to the extent that they get the training and pass a background check to get a permit. A citizen who has a drinking or a drug problem, or who has shown himself or herself to be a violent person is not qualified to get a permit.

Permit holders can already carry a handgun virtually everywhere they go, including the General Assembly, banks, restaurants, malls, state and local government buildings, festivals, and libraries. Some states, such as Utah, allow permit holders to carry in universities and colleges and have had no negative consequences. Quite the contrary, Utah universities and colleges would be a very inhospitable place for criminals to strike.

The police simply cannot be everywhere at once. Even a delay of one or two minutes for a police response could make the difference between life and death for someone. On top of that, a victim getting to a call box or making a call on their cell phone while in the middle of a violent criminal attack is usually impossible.

The College should not be forcing a permit holder to render himself defenseless just to enter campus grounds and it is wrong of the College to ask them to do so.

I urge the College to allow concealed handgun permit holders to carry a concealed handgun on campus for self-defense. In the meantime, my checkbook is closed.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

What does the targeted murder of a political figure have to do with gun safety?

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Apparently the final curriculum for an optional class on firearms safety to be taught in Virginia public schools has been approved and it has some serious flaws.

I would give it at most a grade of D.

For starters in talking about firearms safety, it talks about the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr.!!

What does the targeted murder of a political figure have to do with gun safety?

That would be like a driver’s education class talking about how car bombs are used by terrorists to blow up innocent men, women, and children!

For kindergarten, the curriculum talks about people who legitimately have guns, “Helpers who carry a gun as part of their job.” Police, military, and park rangers. Fine and dandy, but NOTHING about mommy and daddy having a gun for protecting the family. Nope, just me being a radical, I guess. How silly of me. Of course only “government officials” have guns for a good purpose!

In higher grades, it becomes “People who use guns to protect.” You guessed it, ONLY government officials are shown. No way a parent would have a gun to protect. They do acknowledge that someone might own a gun for hunting, target shooting, or if an actor in a movie.

This true/false question is asked as part of the curriculum:

“4. Hunting and sport shooting are responsible reasons for an adult to have a gun. True False”

There is no mention of self-defense as a responsible reason for having a gun in the curriculum. How are these children going to look at their parents if they own guns, but don’t hunt or target shoot? Sounds like the answer is “irresponsible.”

The company that developed the publication is RJK and Associates – a company that deals with COMMUNITY VIOLENCE (http://www.rjkandassociates.com/about-us/). What does a firm that deals with community crime and violence reduction know about gun safety? Probably as much as they know of the mating habits of tuna fish. What credentials or experience does RJK and Associates have in firearms safety training? Why didn’t Virginia Department of Education go to an actual Virginia-based authority on gun safety – the NRA - to draft this curriculum?

Looking at other sources used for the curriculum, many are either hostile towards civilian gun ownership, discourage gun ownership, or they deal with unrelated issues like crime and violence.

Some examples:

• The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health [PVC: Bloomberg? You know you just can't make this stuff up!]
• The Center for Disease Control
• Virginia Department of Education: Discipline, Crime, and Violence Annual Report
• University of Michigan Health System

The NRA’s wording of the main rules is superior, especially when dealing with children – short non-verbose and direct commands, like:

Don’t touch vs. Leave it alone

and

Tell an adult vs. Let an adult know

THIS CURRICULUM IS UNACCEPTABLE. As written it is as much government indoctrination as it is firearms safety.

I will be contacting the Governor’s Office about this on Monday and I will let you know what actions they plan on taking to fix this flawed curriculum.

If you would like to send an email to Dr. Patricia Wright, the Superintendent of Public Education for the Virginia Department of Education, here is her email:

Patricia.Wright@doe.virginia.gov

You should be polite, but firm, saying that you oppose this curriculum for its skewed, unbalanced agenda, and for implying that murders and assassinations are somehow connected with “gun safety.” Ask why parents aren’t listed as people who use guns to protect instead of just government employees? Ask why a firm which specializes in community violence was chosen to create a curriculum on gun safety, something that is totally unrelated to community violence. Since the curriculum was supposed to be centered around the NRA’s Eddie Eagle program, ask why the NRA was not asked to write the curriculum instead.

Thanks to Alan W. Rose for bringing this to VCDL’s attention.

Here is a link to the curriculum:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/boe/meetings/2011/09_sep/agenda_items/item_b.pdf

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Old Dominion University (ODU), which is situated in an area where crime is fairly high, is planning to use a regulation to ban guns, including those carried by CHP holders, from University buildings and special events.

While the University cannot prohibit those who are NOT students, faculty or staff from carrying OUTSIDE of ODU buildings and special events, they can prohibit self-defense in all other areas, which will make ODU more dangerous since gun bans only disarm the law-abiding.

It is worth remembering that in the two years leading up to the Virginia Tech (VT) massacre, VCDL had bills put in that would have allowed campus carry by ALL concealed handgun permit holders.

Each bill was aggressively opposed by VT. Applauding the defeat of one of those bills prior to the massacre, Associate Vice President Larry Hinckler said Virginia Tech’s strict gun control policy made students, faculty, staff, and visitors “feel” safer. Hinckler didn’t say anyone WAS safer and shortly thereafter the University’s dangerous gun-free-zone policy provided Cho a building full of helpless victims to do with as he pleased for ten horrendous minutes.

ODU is using the regulation approach because the Attorney General has said that university “policies” are meaningless when it come to CHP holders. Cuccinelli also said that students and employees can be expelled or fired, respectively, if they don’t obey a university’s gun ban policies.

What can we do to protect the students, faculty, staff, and guests of ODU so that we don’t get a repeat of the VT massacre?

First, we need to get the word out to all alumni of ODU to NOT give the university one penny in donations until they eliminate their gun bans against all CHP holders. It is important that ODU hears from alumni on this issue.

Second, we need to flood ODU with emails and calls saying that banning the carry of guns by CHP holders only makes the university more dangerous, putting citizens who could otherwise legally protect themselves at unnecessary risk from criminals.

BTW, James Mason University and Virginia Tech are also looking at doing the same thing as ODU, so expect this battle to expand.

Action items and prewritten emails are at the end of this alert.

Here is the story from the Virginian-Pilot: http://tinyurl.com/69y2aal

ODU moves to tighten campus firearms ban

By Bill Sizemore

Reacting to an opinion from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli that holders of concealed-weapon permits may bring their guns into university buildings, Old Dominion University is moving to prohibit them from doing so.

The ODU administration has drafted a regulation for consideration by the university’s governing Board of Visitors at its December meeting that would explicitly ban all guns, except those carried by police officers, from campus buildings and sports events.

In a July opinion requested by a state lawmaker, Cuccinelli said a University of Virginia policy banning guns from campus does not apply to holders of concealed-weapon permits.

ODU has a similar policy, as do most Virginia state colleges and universities.

University policies do not override a concealed-weapon permit holder’s right to carry his or her gun, Cuccinelli said in his opinion.

However, the attorney general left open an avenue for universities to ban those guns if they wish.

Click Here to read complete article: http://hamptonroads.com/2011/09/odu-moves-tighten-campus-firearms-ban-0

ACTION ITEM #1: Take the Virginian-Pilot poll: http://tinyurl.com/3e6z594

ACTION ITEM #2: Tell the ODU President, Board of Visitors, and the Administrative and Finance Vice President that the proposed gun ban is unacceptable.

Email addresses: president@odu.edu, dmeeks@odu.edu, rfenning@odu.edu

Suggested subject: Do not further endanger students, visitors, and faculty!

Suggested message:

Concealed handgun permit holders should be able to protect themselves while at ODU, a campus which is in proximity to areas with a higher crime-rate. Permit holders, who must be at least 21-years-old, are among the most law-abiding citizens, believing in law-and-order to the extent that they get the training and pass a background check to get a permit. A citizen who has a drinking or a drug problem, or who has shown himself or herself to be a violent person is not qualified to get a permit.

Permit holders can already carry a handgun virtually everywhere they go, including the General Assembly, banks, restaurants, malls, state and local government buildings, festivals, and libraries. Some states, such as Utah, allow permit holders to carry in universities and have had no negative consequences. Quite the contrary, Utah universities would be a very inhospitable place for criminals to strike.

The police simply cannot be everywhere at once. Even a delay of one or two minutes for a police response could make the difference between life and death for someone. On top of that, a victim getting to a call box or making a call on their cell phone while in the middle of a violent criminal attack is usually impossible.

The University should not be forcing a permit holder to put his or her life on the line simply to get an education and it is wrong of the University to ask them to do so.

I urge the University to allow concealed handgun permit holders to carry a concealed handgun on campus for self-defense.

ACTION ITEM #3 – for ODU alumni only: Tell the ODU President, Board of Visitors, and the Administrative and Finance Vice President that the proposed gun ban is unacceptable and that you will not contribute any more money to the University if they proceed with the ban.

Email addresses: president@odu.edu, dmeeks@odu.edu, rfenning@odu.edu

Suggested subject: No more donations to ODU!

Suggested message:

I cannot in good conscience make any more donations to ODU if the University proceeds with the proposed regulation that would disarm law-abiding concealed handgun permit holders. I will also be contacting other alumni to ask that they not donate to the University either.

Concealed handgun permit holders should be able to protect themselves while at ODU, a campus which is in proximity to areas with a higher crime-rate. Permit holders, who must be at least 21-years-old, are among the most law-abiding citizens, believing in law-and-order to the extent that they get the training and pass a background check to get a permit. A citizen who has a drinking or a drug problem, or who has shown himself or herself to be a violent person is not qualified to get a permit.

Permit holders can already carry a handgun virtually everywhere they go, including the General Assembly, banks, restaurants, malls, state and local government buildings, festivals, and libraries. Some states, such as Utah, allow permit holders to carry in universities and have had no negative consequences. Quite the contrary, Utah universities would be a very inhospitable place for criminals to strike.

The police simply cannot be everywhere at once. Even a delay of one or two minutes for a police response could make the difference between life and death for someone. On top of that, a victim getting to a call box or making a call on their cell phone while in the middle of a violent criminal attack is usually impossible.

The University should not be forcing a permit holder to put his or her life on the line simply to get an education and it is wrong of the University to ask them to do so.

I urge the University to allow concealed handgun permit holders to carry a concealed handgun on campus for self-defense. In the meantime, my checkbook is closed.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- It is with a very heavy heart that I must report the passing of Jim Kadison, a wonderful friend and previous VCDL Board of Directors member.

Jim was diagnosed with a serious illness in late 2008 and stepped down from the Board of Directors in April of 2009 so that he could concentrate on his health.

Jim was a quiet, private, religious, moral, and very humble man who was passionate about protecting ALL of our rights. His small stature belied his giant spirit, a spirit that was unyielding when it came to speaking and defending the truth.

I’m sure that most VCDL members don’t know all the important contributions Jim has made over the years in protecting the right to keep and bear arms in Virginia, so I’ll share a few items with you.

A retired lawyer, Jim provided important legal advice and sage counsel to VCDL, keeping the organization on track and focused. Board member Bruce Jackson said this about Jim in an email to VCDL’s Executive members today, “Jim was a huge voice of reason on the Board. He could be counted on to completely change the outcome of a vote with insight and logic that, while obvious to him, could be elusive for the rest of us at times.”

Indeed, I turned to Jim more times than I can count to get clarity and guidance on one issue or another. Jim always stood ready and happy to help.

And it wasn’t just words of advice that Jim offered. Whenever anything came up that might require funds to achieve, be it a court battle or some miscellaneous VCDL project, Jim was right there offering financial support. Jim’s generous donations to pro-gun politicians kept many doors open for VCDL.

Board member Dennis O’Connor, in a list of things he emailed me about Jim, noted this:

“Jim was always the consummate gentleman. In most board meetings, and especially when debate became contentious, all of us at one time or another would speak out of turn or interject our points randomly. Never Jim – I can still see him sitting there for minutes at a time patiently waiting to speak while bursting at the seams to do so. He would hold up his hand up and wait to be acknowledged. He would never, ever interrupt even the interrupters.”

Finally, one of Jim’s major rolls in VCDL was being my right-hand man during the General Assembly session from January to March each year. He was often at the General Assembly Building when I couldn’t be because of my job. He would keep his eyes and ears open and notify me immediately should anything significant arise. Jim provided critical and timely legal guidance to me when bills were being modified on the fly in a subcommittee. (Often when that happens I have only a minute or two to decide on VCDL’s position on the modified bill – Jim sure made that job a whole lot easier!)

Jim’s funeral will be at 11 AM Wednesday at:

Jim was a kind soul and he will be greatly missed by all that got to know him. Rest in Peace my friend.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League Gun Shows And Events

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- The Virginia Citizens Defense League thanks the following member-activists who generously gave of their time to advance and help defend the rights of their fellow gun owners by working our recruiting and information booths at gun shows and events around the state.

Roanoke, August 20-21 Sherrill Smith, Philip Honaker, Edward French, Bill Noell, Ken Modica, Don Beheler, and Al Steed Jr.

As an all volunteer organization, VCDL depends on YOU to volunteer your time at our area events, where we recruit new activists and keep gun owners informed. No experience necessary; if it’s your first time we’ll pair you with a veteran volunteer. To find out more about helping at our gun show tables, go to:

http://www2.vcdl.org/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/vcdl/gs.html

and click on any of the blue links, or contact the coordinator for the show/event listed below with which you are interested in helping. Here are the upcoming events with which we need YOUR help:

a. HILLSVILLE http://www.vfw1115fleamarketgunshow.com, September 2-5

• Friday, September 2 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Saturday, September 3 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday, September 4 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Monday, September 5 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

VCDL is going to have a table at the massive Labor Day gun show and flea market in Hillsville. We need lots of volunteers for this giant event!

Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help
in Hillsville.

b. SALEM http://www.cegunshows.com, September 10-11

• Saturday, September 10 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, September 11 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Salem.

c. FREDERICKSBURG http://www.guns-knives.com, September 17-18

• Saturday, September 17 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, September 18 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Robert Herron at Fredericksburggunshows@vcdl.org to help in Fredericksburg.

d. CHARLOTTESVILLE, RRPC annual fun day http://rrpc.org, September 24

• Saturday, September 24 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Rivanna Rifle and Pistol Club in Charlottesville is having its annual Fun Day on Sept. 24. This event is open to club members, their families and guests. VCDL has been invited to set up a table and educate folks on what we do.

We need some volunteers to help man the booth. Please help out if you can. Contact Pat Webb at pat.webb@vcdl.org to help.

e. FISHERSVILLE http://www.showmasters.us, September 24-25

• Saturday, September 24 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, September 25 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Bob Schmidt at Shenandoahgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Fishersville.

f. HAMPTON http://www.guns-knives.com, September 24-25

• Saturday, September 24 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, September 25 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Ron Lilly at HamptonRoadsgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Hampton.

g. WASHINGTON COUNTY, October 1-2

• Saturday, October 1 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 2 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

VCDL will again have a table at the gun show held at the Washington County Fairgrounds, 17046 Fairground Dr, Abingdon VA 24212, near Exit 14, I-81.

Helpers are needed for this event, so plan on coming out to support VCDL! Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to volunteer.

h. CHANTILLY http://www.cegunshows.com, October 7-9

• Friday, October 7 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, October 8 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 9 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please contact Danny Paulson at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Chantilly.

i. RICHMOND http://www.cegunshows.com, October 15-16

• Saturday, October 15 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 16 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please contact David Crosby at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the Showplace in Mechanicsville.

j. VIRGINIA BEACH http://www.guns-knives.com, October 22-23

• Saturday, October 22 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 23 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Gary Moeller at VBgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Virginia Beach.

k. ROANOKE http://www.showmasters.us, October 22-23

• Saturday, October 22 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 23 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Roanoke.

l. NORFOLK http://www.showmasters.us, November 5-6

• Saturday, November 5 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, November 6 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please contact our coordinator at Norfolkgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the Norfolk Scope.

m. DALE CITY http://www.olddominionshows.com, November 5-6

• Saturday, November 5 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, November 6 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Michael Burnham at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Dale City.

n. RICHMOND http://www.showmasters.us, November 12-13

• Saturday, November 12 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, November 13 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact David Crosby at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the Richmond Raceway Complex.

o. CHANTILLY http://www.cegunshows.com, November 18-20

• Friday, November 18 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, November 19 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, November 20 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please contact Danny Paulson at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Chantilly.

p. HAMPTON http://www.guns-knives.com, November 26-27

• Saturday, November 26 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, November 27 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Ron Lilly at HamptonRoadsgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Hampton.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- On Tuesday night I addressed the Martinsville City Council on their unlawful gun ban that covers their entire municipal building.

Up until last year, they had their metal detectors only in the access points for their court-related areas. Then, at the request of the Sheriff, the judge declared the whole building a courthouse! The metal detectors were moved to the only public entrance, providing a complete gun ban.

I started by telling City Council that VCDL prefers to work its way up the ladder to see if a problem can be solved amicably rather than resorting to a lawsuit right out of the box.

I advised them that their ban on guns in the entire Municipal Building was unlawful under Virginia law and needed to be rescinded.

Since City Council was expecting my comments, they had a prepared rebuttal, which was read by a council member and also provided to me in written form:

“The policy banning weapons possession in this building was set out by a court order. The order was requested by the Sheriff, who is a state constitutional officer. The order was entered by a state circuit court judge. The judge found that this entire building is a courthouse–there is no reasonable way to separate the local and court functions. State law says that no weapons are allowed in courthouses. Until there is a court order directing otherwise, the ban will remain in effect.”

They also threw in that under DC vs Heller, a government building is a “sensitive place” that can ban guns.

I told City Council that:

1. The judge did not have the authority to declare that entire building a courthouse, when only part of it was used by the courts. So that particular order isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.
2. Up until two years ago Martinsville had separated the security for the courts from the local government areas quite nicely – so the argument that there is no reasonable way to do so is specious.
3. The fact that the Sheriff is a constitutional officer is true, but has nothing to do with the issue at hand. The Sheriff and the judge cannot ban guns in the parts of the municipal building that are not directly court-related.
4. While the DC vs Heller decision said that government COULD ban guns in government buildings without violating the Second Amendment (don’t get me going on this), THIS IS VIRGINIA and the General Assembly made a conscious decision NOT TO DO SO!

Martinsville is showing the same bad governmental choices that we are seeing elsewhere in the country. During the City Council meeting there was a lot of hand-wringing over how they were going to come up with the money to fix their aging buildings and schools. Yet they seem ready and willing to waste a lot of that same money defending against a lawsuit that they are intentionally bringing upon themselves and one that they will surely lose.

The VCDL Board of Directors will now decide its next move. The two main options that come to mind are

1. To bring a lawsuit against Martinsville City Council (they signaled they want to play hardball, we would simply grant their wish)
2. Have a legislative remedy introduced in the General Assembly in January.

I will let you know what path we are going to take in a future alert.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- VCDL will have a family “pot luck” picnic on September 24 at the Settlers Museum of Southwest Virginia (www.settlersmuseum.com). It’s address is 1322 Rocky Hollow Road, Atkins VA 24311 (about ten miles south-west of Wytheville, just off of I-81 at exit 54). Lunch will start at about 11 AM—with speakers and the VCDL meeting to follow. Early birds will start arriving about 10 AM to set up for the event–all helpers appreciated. This event is expected to end before 3 PM at the latest.

A “POT LUCK” event means please bring FOOD to SHARE with others. VCDL will furnish soft drinks; plates & eating utensils; napkins and such. We do NOT plan on cooking anything except possibly hot dogs for the kids—IF you want to cook items, please bring your grill since there are none at the shelter. There are limited electric outlets available.

Anyone having extra tables and chairs should bring them since there are only 8 bench type tables at the shelter. Horseshoes would be nice to have also!!!

Please note, this is a FAMILY event for all VCDL members, their families and any guests who want to come! As usual, VCDL does not dictate legal open or concealed carry–or any carry at all at our events–your choice.

SPEAKERS will be announced prior to the picnic–we do expect Philip Van Cleave, President of VCDL to attend, and probably a political speaker or two for brief remarks.

VCDL has been wanting some type of events in this area for quite awhile—many members and guests have been asking for such a meeting–so please mark this date, bring your friends and attend. There is NO charge for parking or entry at the picnic. There IS a charge of $5.00 if you want to enter the Settlers Museum nearby.

We will need a RSVP for numbers of attendees so we will have enough supplies to cover the event. QUESTIONS may be directed to Al Steed Jr. at 540-890-0970 or by email to alsteedjr@aol.com.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- On the morning of July 28 I was northbound on US route 15 just north of Leesburg where the road starts to narrow to two lanes.

It seemed appropriate for me at the time to accelerate and go around the car next to me.

As I did this from the side of the road a Leesburg Police Officer aimed a radar gun at me. As I passed him in my mirror I saw him enter his car, turn on his lights and start driving. As he pulled behind me I turned on my flashers and pulled to a safe section of the shoulder.

I shut off my engine, rolled down the windows and put my hands on the steering wheel. The officer approached and politely informed me that he “clocked” me at 61 mph in a 45 mph zone. He asked for my driver’s license and registration. I told him the license was in my wallet in my back pocket and the registration was in my glove box.

After deliberately and slowing providing both documents the officer asked, “Are you carrying a handgun?” My response was, “Yes, I am, in a holster on my belt.” He said he noticed a magazine pouch on my belt when I lifted my polo shirt to reach my wallet in my back pocket.

He asked if I had a CHP to which I responded in the affirmative. After checking my permit he thanked me and went back to his car to process the rest of the stop.

I wish I had made note of his name so that I could pay him a personal complement for his professionalism and calm handling of the situation. I feel that his reaction was the result of proper training and maybe even VCDL getting the word out to departments across the state.

In the end I thanked the officer for his service and bid him to stay safe. [PVC: Good for this member! That showed real class, acknowledging that the officer is just doing his job of enforcing the law.]

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- The Primaries and Convention are rapidly approaching.

One party nomination process is taking place tomorrow, Saturday, August 13 (a party-run Convention in House District 59). All the rest are taking place on Tuesday, August 23.

Not all candidates in the upcoming party nomination process have answered the VCDL 2011 Candidate Survey. For candidate contact info and to see who has answered the Survey, go to: http://tinyurl.com/3gqv9tr

Please contact *all* the candidates in *YOUR* District by BOTH email AND phone: — THANK the candidates who answered the VCDL Candidate survey for responding. Politely, but firmly, urge those candidates who have not answered to answer the VCDL Survey

Don’t accept vague generalizations such as “the candidate supports the 2nd Amendment”. Remember, anti-gun zealot Chuck Schumer says he supports the 2nd Amendment, but his view is that it does NOT apply to you.

Not sure what District you’re in? Your district may have changed due to redistricting. (Mine did!) You can find out at: http://tinyurl.com/bksx4 (Only your address info is required on this form.) Your current (old) district and the *new* one resulting from redistricting will also be displayed.

If any of the candidates are afraid to take a public stand on these issues now, before the election, then they are unlikely to be very responsive to your views after the election. There is absolutely NO reason why they should not answer this survey!

Failure to return a completed survey frequently indicates indifference, if not outright hostility, toward the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Find out what their real positions are by politely and firmly insisting that they complete the VCDL survey and send it in immediately. If they have misplaced their survey, have them contact me at vp@vcdl.org and I’ll email them another copy.

Once the dust settles from the Primaries, I’ll put out another list of ALL the candidates in the November General Election with contact info and who has/has not answered the Survey.

Thanks for your help!

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Charlottesville area membership meeting this Thursday! As with all VCDL membership meetings, it is open to the public.

This should be a very interesting meeting and a great chance to ask a firearms attorney some questions. It will also give you a chance to see the Rivannah Rifle and Pistol Club facilities if you have not done so before.

Have you or a family member ever been arrested? Have you gone to court and had the charges dismissed and thought they would be wiped off your record? Have you had false charges filed against you or a temporary restraining order put out on you? How about your adult children; have they had a minor brush with the law? If so, you may have a blot on your record and don’t even realize it. This can come back to haunt you when you apply for a security clearance or a background check to purchase a gun or get a permit to carry.

This coming Thursday we will discuss how to clear these things off your record, what to look for and why it matters. Our own Executive Member Mark Matthews will be leading the discussion and answering questions.

The meeting will be held at Rivanna Rifle and Pistol Club in Charlottesville, VA. We will begin at 6:30 with a pot luck dinner. The main course and beverages will be supplied; bring a side dish if you can. If you are not able to bring a dish, don’t sweat it, just bring yourself…there will be plenty! We encourage you to bring guests as well.

Please RSVP to Pat.Webb@VCDL.org so we have an idea of how many people we are feeding. In the subject line put the number of people attending the dinner portion of the meeting; example: 8/4 VCDL meeting-4 for dinner.

Directions:
Rivanna Rifle and Pistol Club
www.RRPC.org
Route 631
Charlottesville, VA 22903

• From Interstate 64, take exit #120 South (5th Street)
• Follow to the range on the right. There will be a sign just before the driveway.
• Follow the driveway straight up the hill to the clubhouse.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- I have just fired off the letter below to the Martinsville City Council on an illegal gun ban that covers Martinsville’s entire municipal building.

They are using the guise that just because a few rooms in the building are courtrooms, that makes the whole building a courthouse.

Not so. VCDL wants the policy changed to only ban guns in rooms used by the Court.

If you live in the Martinsville area, VCDL is going to be on the Martinsville City Council’s agenda for Tuesday, August 23rd, at 7:30 PM to address this issue. The more gun owners we have at that meeting to show support for VCDL’s position, the better. I will send a reminder as the date draws near.

Here is the email to City Council:

Dear Martinsville City Council, City Council Clerk, and City Attorney,

As the President of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun-rights organization with 5,000 members and another 15,000 email alert subscribers, an issue has been brought to my attention dealing with a gun ban that covers Martinsville’s entire municipal building.

The sign on the door of the Municipal Building says in part, “Attention Court Participants. The following are prohibited in the COURTROOM of the Juvenile Domestic Relations of the City of Martinsville…It is unlawful to carry any weapon of any kind into the COURTROOM including a pocket knife…” (emphasis on “courtroom” is mine).

We have no issues with the sign or its wording. As written it is correct. HOWEVER, how the City is implementing that gun ban (applying it to the entire Municipal Building) is not legal for 2 reasons:

1. Just because a building has a few courtrooms in it does not make the entire building a courthouse. The Courts have already ruled so: “Only that part of the courthouse building necessary for the use and occupancy of the circuit court constituted the courthouse . . . .” Bd. of Supervisors v. Com. of Accounts, 215 Va. 722, 724, 214 S.E.2d 137, ___ (1975)

2. Except for the rooms used by the Court, the City is preempted from banning firearms in the rest of the building by Virginia Code 15.2-915 in part:

Ҥ 15.2-915. Control of firearms; applicability to authorities and local governmental agencies.

A. No locality shall adopt or enforce any ordinance, resolution or motion, as permitted by § 15.2-1425, and no agent of such locality shall take any administrative action, governing the purchase, possession, transfer, ownership, carrying, storage or transporting of firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof other than those expressly authorized by statute. For purposes of this section, a statute that does not refer to firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof, shall not be construed to provide express authorization.

…

C. In addition to any other relief provided, the court may award reasonable attorney fees, expenses, and court costs to any person, group, or entity that prevails in an action challenging (i) an ordinance, resolution, or motion as being in conflict with this section or (ii) an administrative action taken in bad faith as being in conflict with this section.”

Please conform the Municipal Building ban on the otherwise lawful carry of firearms to comply with state law as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Philip Van Cleave
President
Virginia Citizens Defense League

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- The VCDL 2011 Candidate Survey was mailed to all the candidates for Virginia Senate and House of Delegates in the upcoming Party nominating processes (Primary, Mass Meeting, Convention, etc) to be held over the next month.

Please contact *all* the candidates in *YOUR* District by BOTH email AND phone:

THANK the candidates who answered the VCDL Candidate survey for responding (those with a double asterisk (**) before their name) – Politely, but firmly, urge those candidates who have not answered to answer the VCDL Survey

Don’t accept vague generalizations such as “the candidate supports the 2nd Amendment”. Remember, anti-gun zealot Chuck Schumer says he supports the 2nd Amendment, but his view is that it does NOT apply to you.

Not sure what District you’re in? Your district may have changed due to redistricting. (Mine did!) You can find out at: http://tinyurl.com/bksx4 (Only your address info is required on this form.)

If any of the candidates are afraid to take a public stand on these issues now, before the election, then they are unlikely to be very responsive to your views after the election. There is absolutely NO reason why they should not answer this survey!

Failure to return a completed survey frequently indicates indifference, if not outright hostility, toward the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Find out what their real positions are by politely and firmly insisting that they complete the VCDL survey and send it in immediately. If they have misplaced their survey, have them contact me at vp@vcdl.org and I’ll email them another copy.

Thanks for your help!

Below is the contact information I have for the candidates. Those with a asterisk (**) before their name have already answered the VCDL candidate survey.

If you live in one of the districts below, please contact the campaigns of each candidate in your district by BOTH email AND phone. Urge those candidates who haven’t responded to answer the VCDL Candidate survey.

———————————-
CANDIDATES FOR THE VIRGINIA SENATE
———————————-

District
& Party Candidate Phone Email
—— ——————- ————- ——————————-
03-R ** Mark Frechette 804-684-1870 contactme@frechette4senate.com
03-R Tommy Norment 757-259-7810 info@senatornorment.com
13-R ** Dick Black 703-406-2951 delegateblack@comcast.net
13-R ** Bob FitzSimmonds 703-851-2990 jp@vote4bob.org
13-R ** John Stirrup 571-248-2666 votestirrup@comcast.net
21-R Tripp Godsey 540-397-1051 Mail@TrippGodseyforSenate.com
21-R Dave Nutter 540-382-7731 DelDNutter@house.virginia.gov
22-R Brian Bates 434-547-9670 brian@brianbates.us
22-R ** Tom Garrett 540-223-3295 garrettforsenate@gmail.com
22-R Mark Peake campaign@peakeforsenate.com
22-R Bryan Rhode 804-310-2086 info@rhodeforsenate.com
22-R Claudia Tucker 434-277-5059 claudia@claudiatucker.com
30-D Adam Ebbin 703-739-4330 info@ebbinforvirginia.com
30-D Elizabeth Garvey 571-312-7260 info@libbyforsenate.com
30-D Rob Krupicka 571-228-8314 jordan@krupicka.com
31-D Jaime Areizaga-Soto 571-306-1438 info@jaimeforsenate.com
31-D Barbara Favola favolaforsenate@gmail.com
36-R ** Jeff Frederick 571-210-2036 senate@votejeff.com
36-R Tito Muñoz 571-316-5565 tito@votetito.com
37-R ** Steve Hunt 703-502-0633 steve@stevehunt.org
37-R Jason Flanary 703-493-0484
39-R Miller Baker 571-455-3055 millerbaker@verizon.net
39-R ** Scott Martin 703-627-4719 scott@scottmartin4senate.com
39-R Andre Muange 571-318-1623 andre@andreforsenate.com

———————————————-
CANDIDATES FOR THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES
———————————————-

District
& Party Candidate Phone Email
—— —————- ———— ——————————-
10-R ** Randy Minchew 703-929-4857 randy@minchewfordelegate.com
10-R ** Cara Townsend 703-347-2611 ctconcepts@yahoo.com
10-R ** John Whitbeck 703-477-8476 john@johnwhitbeck.com
18-R ** Kevin Kelley 703-283-3548 kelley4delegate@gmail.com
18-R ** Michael Webert 703-906-4667 michaelwebertfordelegate@gmail.com
49-D Stephanie Clifford 703-920-2517 SDC@stephanieclifford.org
49-D Alfonso Lopez 571-241-5840 alfonsofordelegate@gmail.com
59-D Connie Brennan 434-263-4690 connie@cstone.net
59-D Jasper Hendricks 434-632-8683 campaign@hendricksforvirginia.com
59-R Matt Fariss 434-660-0606 Mattfariss1@Verizon.net
59-R Evans Thomas 434-610-3221 info@evansthomasfordelegate.com
64-R Richard Morris 757-291-0217 rickmorris@morrisfordelegate.com
64-R Joseph Waymack 804-720-1987 joseph@waymackfordelegate.com
87-R ** Jo-Ann Chase 571-258-7468 joachase@aol.com
87-R ** David Ramadan 703-945-1741 davidramadan@usa.net
90-D Algie Howell DelAHowell@house.virginia.gov
90-D Rick James
98-R Sherwood Bowditch 804-832-5860 info@sherwoodbowditch.com
98-R Ken Gibson 804-684-0760 GibsonForDelegate@gmail.com
98-R Keith Hodges 804-694-5815 information@votekeithhodges.com
98-R ** Catesby Jones 804-695-1314 x222 catesby@mindspring.com
99-R John Lampmann 804-366-4445 john@lampmannfordelegate.com
99-R Margaret Ransone 804-493-8484 margaret@margaretransone.com
99-R Dean Sumner http://deansumnerfordelegate.com/contactdean.html

———–

Party Designators: D = Democrat R = Republican

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- So many people do not have easy access to a place to shoot that you could almost think there was some plan to make it that way, oh wait.

Our second 4th of July learn to shoot turned into a two day event by combining a camp out with shooting ( a few first time campers also).

This weekend five women and two men 17 to mid 50′s came out to my backyard range to give it a try, none of them are regular shooters and some had not touched a gun in 30 plus years.

After the safety rules are covered along with some history about the British confiscating arms in 1775 Boston Mass, our shooters got a short lesson on the different type of guns they would be firing. The whole event is kept low key and easy going, with my daughter and I doing most of the reloading so our new shooters can just concentrate on having fun.

Everyone started out with a 22 auto or revolver Saturday evening and even the one woman that did not think she would be able to hold a gun was putting rounds on target before long.

We use a mix of targets to keep it interesting and the “Shoot NC” targets work well for the first timers as they get instant feed back on their point of aim. Balloons, clay pigeons tin cans and paper targets round out the selection. The braver ones moved up to 9mm, 40 S&W or 38 Special before it was time to put up the tents.

Sunday morning after my daughter took her friends out berry picking we continued with a review of the safety rules and the addition of rifles in the mix. Five of our new shooters took to the AR15 like they were in the Corp. until we ran out of .223.

Throughout our time shooting, a lot of questions were asked about the different types of guns and ammo along with discussions on who can carry and why they should were covered. I think everyone went away with a lot less fear of those scary guns, a better understanding of the 2nd and all had some fun.

Hopefully seven more have been converted to supporters and will remember their experience the next time they encounter the anti’s baloney.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

July 4Th Week - Teach A Friend To Shoot Week

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Our own Executive member Patricia Webb, who is also the Virginia Coordinator for the Second Amendment Sisters, is starting an annual campaign for every July 4th week to “Teach a friend to shoot” week.

This is an excellent idea and a way to expand the ranks of gun owners significantly. Once exposed to the fun of shooting, your friends will be hooked for life!

BBBWWAAAHAAHAAHAA! (Evil laugh for the benefit of the antis, who are recoiling in horror at the thought of this campaign.)

Here is Pat’s thoughts – let’s turn them into action!

I am proposing a campaign to make July National Firearms Heritage Month and the first week of July “Teach A Friend To Shoot” week.

The concept behind this is that July 4th is Independence Day and the birth of our country would have been impossible if the RKBA did not exist.

This right is still important today to keep us safe as a Nation and to preserve our form of government and the unique liberties we enjoy as a nation of free men and women. Over the years I have found, as many of you have, that the best cure for fear of firearms is a day at the range. In addition, it is highly evident that college students and women in particular are a voting demographic who’s knowledge of guns and the shooting sports is limited to what they see on TV, movies and the evening news. In addition, students are often influenced by teachers and professors who are rabidly against self defense. Not a flattering view at all.

If each of the grassroots RKBA organizations launches a program to promote this idea we could have a positive impact on the general public’s view of gun owners. It would mean a coordinated effort in contacting gun stores, ranges and general memberships. The ranges and gun stores could offer promotions at their discretion and individuals could teach friends to shoot or introduce them to their favorite shooting sport by taking them to a match.

Private ranges could have a “Welcome Day” where they invite the community in to see what shooting sports are all about or offer firearms safety courses, concealed carry courses, etc. It would be up to each range, store, or person exactly how to celebrate, but they should all be encouraged to report back about the events and the responses.

Individuals can and will play an instrumental role in the promotion of this by encouraging their local gun stores and clubs to participate and pointing out that it will mean increased sales and a greater voting base when new firearms laws are proposed. Education is always the key, in so many ways. Safety is paramount and a firearms safety course is the perfect place to start.

Public perception is our biggest friend and also our biggest enemy. This would offer a viable and inexpensive way to positively effect that perception.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org