Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- VA Gun Owners; The good news is that Castle Doctrine passed the Senate but Constitutional Carry is being killed by its bill sponsor Mark Cole.

Castle Doctrine moves to the House.

The Senate vote is below.

YEAS–Black, Blevins, Carrico, Garrett, Hanger, Martin, McDougle, McWaters, Newman, Norment, Northam, Obenshain, Petersen, Puckett, Reeves, Ruff, Smith, Stanley, Stosch, Stuart, Vogel, Wagner, Watkins–23.

NAYS–Barker, Colgan, Deeds, Ebbin, Edwards, Favola, Herring, Howell, Locke, Lucas, Marsden, Marsh, McEachin, Miller, J.C., Miller, Y.B., Puller, Saslaw–17.

Constitutional Carry was going to be carried by some freshman delegates who got elected with my support but they got talked out of it by Republican Party Boss William Howell.

He convinced them to let one of his trusted chairmen, Mark Cole, run the bill. Now where is HB 139? No where! Not even assigned to a committee for a vote.

Why because Howell can’t trust the Democrats to kill the bills he wants killed.

That’s right!

HB 1052 allowing carry at airport baggage claims and ticket counters passed out of the kill committee 3-2.

Why?
Because an anti-gun Democrat was tired of Republican Party Boss Howell’s game of sending a bill he wants killed to a tiny sub-committee of 5 to be killed by 2 pro-gun delegates and 3 anti-gun delegates.

Three cheers for the smart Democrat.

That is funny enough in and of itself but what is really hysterical and a story for the  - Political Museum of 2nd Amendment Absurdities - is Republican Party Boss lap dog Mark Cole’s explanation to VGOC members as to why he sponsored a bill he planned to kill by doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING – - nothing except insure that a new delegate did not run the bill and get a recoded vote.

Below is Cole’s explanation in BLACK w ith my interpretation in RED

———————————————————————————————————————————

From: Mark Cole [mailto:DelMCole@house.virginia.gov]
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 11:31 AM
To: Ron Browne
Subject: Re: HB 139 Constitutional Carry.

Thank you for contacting me regarding HB 139. First let me say that no gun group (you and all the other members of VGOC who contacted me don’t count) or organization has contacted me with a request to discharge the committee considering HB 139. Unfortunately, I do not expect HB 139 to get a hearing this session (Because I intend to do nothing). It has a negative fiscal impact on state revenues, and since the budget is tight, even if it were to pass the Militia and Police Committee it would be sent to Appropriations where it would die due to lack of funding.it (Actually it won’t require funds but might lose some revenue and obviously taxes are more important than constitutional rights.)

Also, some legislators who are normally pro-gun, and whose votes we need for passage, are not sure HB 139 is a good idea. (They like being able to access your name in a government data base to use at election time to get your vote or raise money talking about how pro-gun they are). Sometimes ideas need to simmer a while before people eventually come around. It took nearly a decade (Which involved much pressure to discharge and multiple mailings into Senator Hanger’s District exposing him for actually killing the bill several times to protect anti-gun Reublicans from voting on the record) to get enough people to come around to repeal the restaurant ban. (Please try to forget that we had to wait to get a Democrat Senate Majority so that Hanger could no longer protect his anti-gun Republicans thus giving him an opportunity to run the bill and clean his skirts) The same for repealing one-gun-a-month, but we are on the verge of passing it.

If we had pushed too hard like some lobbyists had demanded back then, all it would have done was harden the opposition (Please don’t get mad at me for trying to blame gun owners for wanting their gun rights restored) and we would not have gotten them passed at all. (Please believe me when I say that all of us down here vote for what’s right not what makes our party bosses happy by keeping them in office by keeping controversial votes off the record. And please don’t talk to those lobbyists who threatened Senator Hanger’s job and motivated him to run the bill to clean his skirts.)

In Proverbs 25:15 the Bible offers us some good advice on what it takes to sway people on issues like this, patience and gentle persuasion. (Please don’t notice that this is in reference to kings who cannot be voted out of office even though patience and a soft tongue actually do break the political backbones of politicians when they think their job is on the line. The judge in Luke 18 is instructive but please don’t read that. And please don’t walk softly and carry a big stick when you approach me. It scares me.) It will probably take several years to get HB 139 passed IF we approach it correctly. If not, then it will never pass. (Which is really my plan and please don’t ask me why I ran the bill. It would embarrass me.)

I am pleased to report that 3 of my 4 gun bills are moving forward in the House this year (HB 22, HB 25, and HB 26). (I love to sponsor minor bills that are not controversial.) As I mentioned before, the House has passed a repeal of one gun a month and two years ago we were successful in repealing e restaurant ban. 2nd Amendment rights are moving forward in the Commonwealth!

I guarantee you that NONE of that would have happened had pro-gun legislators bowed to pressure from some gun lobbyists to make futile attempts to discharge committees (Please believe this because it will help me continue to sponsor legislation that I have no intention of even getting a hearing on. It is critical that I continue to teach gun owners what my party boss wants them to do. Remember I represent the party boss not gun owners. And please don’t ask me why in the world I sponsor bills that don’t even get a committee hearing, it will make me look foolish.) and add non-germane floor amendments to other bills. (And of course please don’t remind me that what is germaine is what the Speaker rules to be germaine.) Not every gun lobbyist knows how to get legislation through. In fact, some do more harm than good. (Because they won’t play by the rules we use to screw them.)

Again, thank you for contacting me.

Mark L. Cole
Delegate, 88th District
Spotsylvania, Stafford, Fredericksburg, and Fauquier

ACTION ITEM: Email Mark Cole at DelMCole@house.virginia.gov the following:

Dear Mr. Cole,

Please don’t ever run Constitutional Carry again. We need someone who will use the rules to get recorded votes. We will never get controversial legislation passed if we never get votes on the record for use at election time. We hate losing but we would rather lose with a recorded vote than lose by sitting around waiting for ideas to “simmer”.

For Liberty,
Mike McHugh
President, VGOC

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- In yesterday’s Virginia elections the Senate became evenly split 20-20 between Dems and Repubs. It used to be controlled by the Dems.

Is that good news for gun owners?

Maybe, Maybe not.

When the Repubs had control of the Senate last time we could not even get a clean vote on repeal of the ban on concealed carry in restaurants because the Repub leadership did not want their anti-gun Repubs voting on controversial issues.

It was not until the Dems got control that we could cobble together a vote working with the pro-gun Dems. That is one reason I am glad that Dem John Edwards beat Repub Nutter. Edwards answered our survey when Nutter would not. Without Edwards we could not have repealed the restaurant ban when the Dems had control. Edwards has come out strong for Castle Doctrine and Constitutional Carry. Pro-gun Repub Carrico is now also in the Senate.

I expect there may be a recount in the Reeves/Houck race. Newcomer Republican Reeves beat longstanding incumbent and Dem Houck by only 86 votes.

I am disappointed that Jeff Frederick lost to anti-gun Puller but thrilled that pro-gun Dick Black is back in the legislature now as a Senator.

In the House I am thrilled that we have two new Delegates, Minchew and Webert who have both committed to Castle Doctrine and Constitutional Carry.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- Tuesday November 8th is the Senate election for the following towns:

• Woodbridge
• Triangle
• Stafford
• Manassas
• Lorton
• Fort Belvoir
• Dumfries
• Parts of Alexandria

The important question is, “Who is Pro-Gun”?

Jeff Frederick has answered the VGOC gun rights survey and has come out strong for Castle Doctrine and Constitutional Carry.

His opponent Toddy Puller has a long track record of anti-gun activism.

If you see Jeff at the polls congratulate him on his strong stand for gun rights.

If you see Toddy tell her to wake up and stop attacking the 2nd Amendment.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- Anti-Gun Senate Majority Leader, who was backed by the NRA, has nuked gun rights.

That’s right!

He has taken away the one tool that Senators Rand Paul and Jim DeMint have used countless times to save our bacon.

Reid nuked the filibuster rule.

You see, for years, Virginia Gun Owners Coalition has been opposed to what some call the “Nuclear Option” in the United State Senate.

You may remember a number of years back when the Republicans in the Senate, led by Bill Frist, threatened to use the “Nuclear Option” to confirm judges being held up by Democrats.

I was opposed to such a move then and am today, as well.

The “Nuclear Option” would allow bills to pass through the U.S. Senate with a simple majority, instead of having to get 60 votes to break a filibuster.

Such a radical step to do away with the filibuster should be opposed by EVERY gun rights activist and gun rights organization in this country.

Anti-gun Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) used the “nuclear option” late Thursday night, out of the eye of the public, thus, setting up rules in favor of the gun-grabbers in the Senate.

You may remember Senator Reid was reelected to the U.S. Senate in 2010.

Some “insiders” within the gun rights community in Washington got behind Senator Reid (he even received money from some of them) after they determined that by supporting Harry Reid they could avoid potentially “worse” Senate Majority Leaders.

Well, the “nuclear option” is the worst of the worst of policies. Our gun rights are now at greater risk than they were just days ago. Gun rights activists like you and me don’t have to settle for the “lesser of two evils.”

Anti-gun is anti-gun.
No amount of compromise or give-and-take in the backrooms of the U.S. Capitol will prevent VGOC and our sister gun organizations like the National Association for Gun Rights from opposing gun-grabbers wherever they exist.

You and I both know elections have consequences, but it appears both Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Obamacrats in the Senate don’t get that basic point.

Reid and the Obamacrats have now shredded the current Senate rules and silenced YOU and conservative Senators like Rand Paul and Jim DeMint.

They say that Senators like Jim DeMint and Rand Paul are “obstructing” the work of the “American people.”

Reid and his anti-gun cohorts in the Senate have removed the “filibuster rule” which requires 60 votes to override.

Conservative champions like Rand Paul have used the “filibuster rule” to great effect for gun owners, using it to stop all manner of outrageous legislation.

In reality, Paul and DeMint ARE DOING the work of the people, by fighting to protect our rights and threatening filibusters of dangerous legislation. Senator Reid has now stripped them of that opportunity.

The NRA in Washington, D.C. calculated wrong.

Senator Reid is as left-wing and anti-gun as almost any Senator in Washington.

He proved that with his decision to invoke the nuclear option, threatening our gun rights.

The truth is, the Founding Fathers wanted the Senate to be a deliberative body, and to ensure that the voice and rights of the minority were always heard.

You have my assurance that VGOC and all the other no-compromise state-level gun lobbies that beat the NRA sell out over the Clinton Gun Ban in 2004 will never compromise your gun rights by asking you to choose the “lesser of two evils.”

The fight is just beginning.

Please stay tuned and ready to contact your legislators.

For Liberty,

P.S. Can you please chip something in to help keep us in the fight by clicking the donate buttons at www.vgoc.org

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- Unfortunately the two candidates who had promised to force votes on Castle Doctrine and Constitutional Carry lost yesterday.

Both Jo Ann Chase and Scott Martin were defeated.

The heartbreak was Jo Ann Chase’s race.

David Imad Ramadan spent about a quarter million dollars and won by only a couple hundred votes.

She was outspent 20 – 1.

In other results some good people were elected to run in the general election for Senate.

Both Jeff Frederick and Dick Black were very dependable votes in the past when they were in the House of Delegates.

But leadership is defined by being willing to force votes and stand up to your party bosses.

Hopefully we can help strengthen their spines to provide leadership.

Michael Webert also won in the House of Delegates race for the new 18th District. He committed to VGOC to sponsor Castle and Constitutional Carry.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- HB 1699, Gun Owners Due Process Bill, now moves to Governor Bob McDonnell’s desk to be signed.

Delegate Athey’s HB 1699 provides a path to restoration of gun rights to those who believe they have been wrongly denied them because of a mental health observation or an unwarranted restraining order.

HB 1699 is also a good example of what happens when there is lots of political heat.

You see, anti-gun Senate Democrat leader Richard Saslaw from Northern Virginia came up to me in the hallway to tell me that he had voted for the bill.

I had reminded him the week before that “due process” was a fundamental right and that HB 1699 should be a bi-partisan issue.

Is that why the bill passed?

It might have helped a little but the real story is all the heat that Saslaw was taking for mimicking Republican Speaker of the House, Bill Howell.

You see, Bill Howell regularly sends bills to small sub-committees of hand picked delegates to kill the bills he does not want to have full recorded votes on.

Saslaw grew tired of this abuse of power and decided to fight fire with fire by doing the same in the Senate.

There has been an outcry of rage from lobby groups all across the political spectrum about how unfair this is.

So the real story is that Saslaw has been looking for bills that he can stomach that he would like to kill but needs to pass to provide credibility to the lie that he is being fair.

Usually gun owners end up on the the short end of the stick when it comes to these issues but this is one time we came out on top.

Next year we need to fight for full restoration of gun rights for anyone convicted of a non-violent crime who has done their time.

Call Governor McDonnell at 804 786 2211 and urge him to sign HB 1699, The Gun Owners Due Process Bill.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- THE GOOD NEWS: The good news is that I now have great hope that Senator Mark Obenshain will force a recorded vote on Castle Doctrine and Virginia Firearms Freedom.

He actually moved to suspend the rules and discharge a bill on Eminent Domain that Senator Saslaw had single-handedly bottled up in a sub-committee to die.

He has overcome his fear of Senator Saslaw.

The vote failed but there is now a recorded vote for use in November for those groups that fight for property rights.

For the what-it-is-worth department I support the right not to sell your property to a developer just because the government thinks it is a better use of your property.

Please cut copy and paste and email the message below to Senator Obenshain at district26@senate.virginia.gov

++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Senator Obenshain,

I commend you for moving to suspend the rules and trying to discharge the Eminent Domain bill.

Now please do the same on HB 1573, Castle Doctrine, and HB 1438, Firearms Freedom.

Please let me know when you will do this.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME HERE

++++++++++++++++++++++

THE BAD NEWS: The bad news is that the Republicans in Washington are selling out again in the House.

The Un-Patriotic and Un-American Act could be voted on in the House TODAY.

It continues the so-called Patriot Act that provides:

• Roving, warrantless wiretaps of virtually EVERY form of electronic communication used by U.S. citizens.
• Secret federal searches without warrants OR knowledge of the residents.
• Blanket warrants for the search and seizure of all library records, without naming individual suspects or providing probable cause.
• Judicial warrants replaced with “National Security Letters” signed by unaccountable Obama Administration bureaucrats and gag orders for those served with these letters which make it illegal to tell anyone about it — including your spouse and your priest!
• Drastic expansion of the definition of “domestic terrorism,” which is sure to include gun owners.
• Expands asset seizure to permit the taking of assets from anyone “suspected” of terrorism, even if that person is NEVER charged or sent to trial.
• Lone wolf provisions which allow the government to spy on ANYONE even if they’re not associated with a terrorist organization or foreign national, without due process or notification.

Virginians please call your congressman and tell them to vote “NO” on the Patriot Act at the numbers below:

• Rob Wittman 202 225 4261
• Scott Rigell 202 225 4215
• Randy Forbes 202 225 6365
• Robert Hurt 202 225 4711
• Robert Goodlatte 202 225 5431
• Eric Cantor 202 225 2815
• James Moran 202 225 4376
• Morgan Griffith 202 225 3861
• Frank Wolf 202 225 5136
• Gerry Conolly 202 225 1492

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- I have some bad news but I also have a plan that gives me hope.

First, Speaker Bill Howell has once again burned gun owners.

Howell allowed his staff to ignore Delegate Athey’s request to rewrite the HB 2069, The Constitutional Carry Bill eliminating the need for a permit to carry concealed.

The bill was flawed and Athey had to withdraw the bill but vowed to come back next year.

In more bad news, HB 1573, the Castle Doctrine Bill, and HB 1438, the Firearms Freedom Act, are languishing in the Senate after having passed in the House of Delegates.

The Castle Doctrine Bill prevents a gun owner from being sued by an aggressor that is injured while unlawfully entering your property and threatening you.

The Firearms Freedom Act not only exempts firearms but all goods made and kept in Virginia from federal control.

But I have hope.
That is because what happens in the next few weeks will depend upon how hard you and I work to take advantage of the opportunity this legislative session gives us in the upcoming elections for Virginia Senate this November.

To make progress, we need to get rid of some anti-gun Republican and Democrat Senators this November.

To do that you and I need to get them on the record.

That is why it is so important that you help me flood Senator Mark Obenshain’s office with phone calls urging him to STAND UP to anti-gun Senate Leader Richard Saslaw.

You see, Senator Saslaw has sent the Castle Doctrine and Firearm Freedom bills to a committee to die without even a recorded Senate Floor vote.

The solution is simple. There are Senate rules for times like this.

If Senator Obenshain would simply move to suspend the rules and discharge the bills from committee we will have our recorded votes for use this November.

Without a recorded vote we will have to wait another four years to hold senators accountable on these issues.

That is why it is so critical that Senator Obenshain STAND UP and be a leader. A “YES” vote on suspending the rules will be a vote to move our bills forward and “NO” will be a vote to kill them.

The process of restoring liberty is a long and hard one. If you and I want the Castle Doctrine and Virginia Firearms Freedom Act to become law we must fight for it TODAY!

It took me ten years to get the restaurant ban repealed. It happened because we fought every year.

So please. Help me fight TODAY!

Nothing will happen unless Senator Obenshain decides to be a leader and STAND UP to Saslaw by moving to suspend the rules on the Senate floor and discharging the bills from committee.

Why Senator Obenshain? Simple!
Mark Obenshain has motivation to do the right thing and he wants to run for Lt. Governor in 2013.

That means he will be open to pressure from gun owners all over the state – - not just his Senate district.

I have talked to Senator Obenshain and he is sitting on the fence. He wants to do something but he is fearful that Senator Saslaw will punish him by moving him to a committee he doesn’t like.

I have great hope that you and I can strengthen Senator Obenshain’s spine by flooding his office with emails and phone calls.

So please, call Mark Obenshain at 804 698 7526 or email him at district26@senate.virginia.gov and urge him to move to suspend the rules and discharge HB 1573 and 1438 from committee.

And please make a generous donation at www.vgoc.org to help me mobilize several thousand gun owners to send a loud and clear message to Senator Obenshain.

If you and I can convince Senator Obenshain that we are holding him accountable to be a leader he just might do the right thing and STAND UP to Senator Saslaw.

The legislature closes in three weeks. So please, let me hear from you today!

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- State level gun lobbies all over the country in league with the National Association for Gun Rights have been pounding the switchboards to stop sneak gun control efforts by the anti-gun Democrats.

Word is that Harry Reid is furious that the Republicans are trying to amend repeal of Obama Care onto other bills and that in payback he is allowing his anti-gun Dems to amend bills with gun control.

The rumors of a secret scheme to sneak Carolyn McCarthy’s Magazine Ban into law inside the Federal Aviation Administration Bill are more and more widespread.

Not only that, but now Senate staffers are claiming that none other than notorious anti-gun Senator Dick Durbin wants to sneak more than the magazine ban into law with this latest scheme.

If they succeed in amending the FAA bill with the Magazine Ban, word is they’ll do the exact same thing with a number of other unconstitutional gun control measures.

That’s why you and I need to CONTINUE to make our voices heard RIGHT NOW!

We need to let them know we’re watching them like a hawk!

Please call your Senators.

Make sure they know about this scheme and that they must oppose Carolyn McCarthy’s Magazine Ban, and all gun control for that matter, at every step of the way whether it’s attached as an amendment or not.

And make sure they know you’re STILL watching.

Thanks for joining the fight.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- As I sat in the Senate gallery last Thursday I watched an amazing thing.

Even Democrats rose to protest their anti-gun Dem Party boss Senator Richard Saslaw’s outrageous decision to send all controversial legislation to a Senate sub-committee to die without a full Senate recorded floor vote and generally not even a committee vote.

This growing frustration at Saslaw’s brazen willingness to trash Senate tradition and policy may give us an opening.

After meeting with a few conservative Republican Senators to plan strategy I now need you to start pressuring your Senators to force recorded floor votes.

Until the February 8th crossover date, the day the Senate can only hear House bills to the end of the session in March, our only focus is the Castle Doctrine bill.

After February 8th, we will need to focus on Constitutional Carry, Gun Owners Due Process, and Firearms 10th Amendment Freedom Act.

But right now if you do not know who your Senator is click the following link and find out.
www.conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

ACTION: Please send them the message below. Then call them and email them AND KEEP DOING IT ONCE A DAY UNTIL THEY give a decisive answer.

If they say “NO”, don’t take “NO” for an answer. Argue back that they have a duty to do the right thing.

Even if Senator Obenshain is not your Senator, please send him the message also.

You see, Senator Mark Obenshain wants to be your Lt. Governor in 2013 and will be VERY receptive to your effort to find out of he is a leader or just another party hack looking to move up.

Obenshain’s email is district26@senate.virginia.gov and his phone number is 804 698 7526 Obenshain is our best shot at getting this done, but he is sitting on the fence trying to guage the political winds.

If he thinks his state-wide election effort will be in jeopardy if he sits on the side lines, he will have motivation to lead.

Below is the message:

—————————–

Dear Senator NAME HERE

Gun owners need leaders in Richmond, not followers.

It is outrageous that one anti-gun Senator, Richard Saslaw, will not allow a full Senate floor vote on the Castle Doctrine Bill.

It is beyond contempt for the voters. How can we hold you accountable if you won’t even vote on the bill.

Please move to suspend the rules on the Senate floor and then move to discharge the Castle Doctrine Bill to provide a full Senate floor recorded vote.

A vote “NO” on suspending the rules, will be viewed as a vote to kill Castle Doctrine at election time.

YOUR NAME

—————————–

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- THE GOOD NEWS
U.S. Senate leaders agreed to adjourn the first legislative day of the 112th Congress, without a vote to change the rules to silence outspoken pro-gun advocates.

This effectively ended the chances for anti-gun Obamacrats to prevent conservative heroes like Senator Rand Paul from using the filibuster as a tool to fight for your right to keep and bear arms.

Your calls and emails made a difference. Thank YOU!

HB 1438 The 10th Amendment Freedom Act, exempting all goods (including Guns) from control by the feds via the interstate commerce clause, passed the House and is in the Virginia Senate. Stay tuned for action on this later as we anticipate anti-gun Democrat Leader Richard Saslaw to single-handedly kill this bill by refusing to bring it up for a vote.

I will keep you posted on needed action.

THE BAD NEWS
The Republicans in the Federal Congress, including Senator Tome Coburn, are taking a serious look at gun control because of the Arizona shootings. http://tiny.cc/2vye4

Please remember that Republicans cannot be trusted.

In fact, Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has record of voting for anti-gun legislation.

In 1993 as a Virginia state Delegate he voted to impose a one-gun-a-month gun purchase rationing scheme on Virginia’s gun owners.

That same year he also voted to ban self-defense shot guns.

Clearly Eric Cantor is eager to return to his former ways and curry favor with President Obama so he can spend more time at the White House in meetings with the powerful and connected. I will keep you posted for action.

Obama is making a new push for gun control. www.Newsweek.com/2011/01/27/white-house-to-push-gun-control.html

HJ 542, Virginia’s call for a Constitutional Convention passed the House.

Please cut copy and paste and email the below to your senator.

If you don’t know who your senator is, click “Contact Lawmakers” and follow the links at www.vgoc.org

————————

Dear Senator THEIR NAME HERE.

HJ 542, a resolution calling for a constitutional convention — a plan which could ultimately result in the repeal or the rewriting of our Constitution is a VERY BAD Idea.

The problem is that there’s no guarantee that a Constitutional Convention can be limited to just one issue — even supporters of a ConCon admit this. After all, the Founding Fathers held a Constitutional Convention in 1787 to revise and tweak the Articles of Confederation. What was produced, however, was a completely new document.

I greatly appreciate the desire of the state legislature to rein in federal abuses. But if Congress appoints the ConCon leaders — and they control all the proceedings and the amendments that can be offered — then how does that help us?

Virginia legislators, of all people, should know that there are other options for repealing ObamaCare and other unconstitutional federal laws. This is the state that enacted legislation to allow citizens to opt out of ObamaCare. And it’s this repudiation of Congress that is currently in the courts — and doing quite well!

Virginia has a long history of interposition, dating back to the Alien & Sedition Acts of 1798 when James Madison put the state on record in opposition to those laws. Likewise, the northern states nullified the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 by passing Personal Liberty Laws that actually prevented the forcible return of escaped slaves to their former owners.

There is plenty of precedent here to allow the Old Dominion to get out from under federal abuse. Virginia can veto unconstitutional federal laws within the border of this state; we don’t need to play Russian Roulette with our Second Amendment rights by calling for a Constitutional Convention.

For these reasons, please vote against HJ 542. Gun Owners of America will keep me informed. Thank you.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME HERE

———————–

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- The video above announces a major gun control move by Obama.

I will keep you posted as soon as Obama announces his plan for gun control.

BUT RIGHT NOW I NEED YOUR HELP IN RICHMOND.

Let me explain.

You wake up at 3:00 AM to the sound of breaking glass.

You are confronted by two large men in your living room.

As one of them lunges at your wife, you are able to squeeze off a round.

One intruder flees and the other is wounded.

Two months later the wounded intruder sues you for damages?

Is that fair?

Or is this fair?
To exercise your right to carry and bear arms you must to submit to tests, pay fees, and have your name in a government data base.

That’s right!

Unlike the First Amendment right to free speech, your Second Amendment right to carry and bear arms is not free.

And, in fact, the concealed carry list in Virginia also has two dirty little secrets attached to it.

Liberals like it so that they know whose guns to confiscate.

Conservatives love it so that they can know who to ask for money at election time.

The above two outrages are why VGOC is pushing to pass HB 2069, Constitutional Carry, and HB 1573, the Castle Doctrine Bill.

HB 2069, Constitutional Carry, allows you to get a permit for out-of-state carry but eliminates the requirement for law-abiding Virginians in Virginia.

HB 1573 codifies existing common law and takes the right to defend yourself in your home out of the hands of judges with an agenda. It protects you from civil suits for defending your home.

The good news is that both these bills, along with HB 1438, which exempts all goods made and kept in Virginia (including guns) from the federal interstate commerce clause and HB 1699, the Gun Owners Due Process Bill, providing a path to restoration of gun rights for those who have been stripped of their gun rights, are all moving through the House of Delegates.

Our problem is in the Senate.
The good news in the Senate is that it appears that we will be able to stop all the anti-gun bills this year.

But the bad news is that Senate Democrats, who in the past have helped us pass repeal of the restaurant ban and concealed car carry for those without permits, have voted against the Senate version of the Castle Doctrine Bill, SB 876.

You see, anti-gun Senate Democrat Leader and political boss, Richard Saslaw, is furious that we passed repeal of the restaurant ban and concealed car carry last year.

Saslaw has put out the order to his subordinate Democrats to kill all pro-gun legislation.

Normally, pro-gun Democrats Deeds, Puckett, Peterson, Reynolds, and Edwards are with us. Without them we cannot get anything through the Senate.

The only way to overcome an order from a political boss like Saslaw is to take advantage of this year’s senate election.

After November we won’t have senate elections for another four years.

That is why it is critical that we mobilize voters in the districts of these Senate Democrats RIGHT NOW!

Here is my plan.

At a minimum we need recorded floor votes, even if we lose, for use at election time. I am asking a number of Senators to use the rules to force a full Senate floor vote.

However, if you and I can mobilize enough voters in the districts of these pro-gun Democrats we should be able to push through to victory this year.

That is why it is critical that you you go to www.vgoc.org and register.

I have the names and address of thousands of gun owners in the districts of these Democrats who lean pro-gun.

My consultant has handed me a modest budget of $13,542 to mobilize 30,000 gun owners in these five key districts.

We need to make our pro-gun Democrat friends realize that they will be held accountable and that their jobs are on the line this November.

This is a critical year and a critical fight. It will affect our gun rights for the next four years.

P.S. Anti-gun Democrat leader and political boss Richard Saslaw has put out the order to kill all pro-gun bills this year.

That means that the pro-gun Democrats who are normally with us are running scared.

To overcome this outrage, read above about my plan to use this year’s Senate elections to make this pro-gun Democrats realize that their jobs are on the line.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- It is no surprise that there will be a renewed effort to shove gun control down our throats as a result of the recent massacre in Arizona.

See the link below: www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47338.html

You see, gun grabbers like McCarthy always see the solution as less freedom NOT more freedom.

Gun grabbers always want to collectively punish NOT punish the bad guys.

That is why you and I must be ready to fight both on the state and federal level. We need to especially keep an eye on Virgina’s  Governor McDonnell.

Until Governor McDonnell ran for Governor he had one of the worst gun control records of any politician in Virginia.

• He voted for the one gun-a-month gun rationing scheme.
• He voted against repealing it.
• He voted for the restaurant ban and against repealing it.
• He even voted against the hunting and fishing amendment.

I simply do not trust him.

Bob McDonnell will be very susceptible to media pressure to pass gun control.

VGOC needs to your support to fight not only on offense but now on defense.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- Will Greg Habeeb sell out gun owners just like the NRA managers have sold us out?

You and I need to lobby the politicians at the polls on Tuesday Jan 11th in the Special election to replace Morgan Griffith.

In the 8th House of Delegate race to replace Morgan Griffith, Greg Habeeb has insulted No-More-Excuses gun owners by refusing to put his views on gun rights in writing so that he can be held accountable.

Is he hiding behind his NRA endorsement?

Will Greg Habeeb sell out gun owners like the NRA managers have?

Does Greg Habeeb support the renewal of the Clinton Gun Ban, the Veterans Disarmament Act, and the Disclose Gun Owner Lists Act just because the NRA did?

Will Greg Habeeb be an establishment puppet of the NRA?

Remember, if a politician does not fear you then he does not respect you. You see, on controversial issues like guns the stick motivates a politician far more than a carrot.

So Please call Mr. Habeeb at 540 915 2962 and Tell him we don’t need anymore establishment politicians.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- First, let me give you the facts.

8th District House Race
In the 8th District House of Delegate race to replace Morgan Griffith, both Greg Habeeb and Ginger Mumpower have insulted gun owners by refusing to put their views on gun rights and political leadership to protect gun rights in writing.

They were given the survey requests in mid December with a deadline of December 30th. Unlike the Senate candidates below they have yet to respond – - even though follow up calls have been made to remind them.

There is no greater insult to gun owners than to refuse to put your views in writing.

Call Greg Habeeb at 540 915 2962 and Ginger Mumpower at 540 580 7599 and tell them to come clean, answer the VGOC gun rights survey and fax it to 484 694 9587.

19th District Senate Race
In the 19th District Senate race to replace Robert Hurt, Both Hank Davis and Bill Stanley have answered the VGOC gun rights survey.

Both have scored 100% on the issues but not the leadership question.

Let me explain.

A 100% policy position is useless unless someone provides leadership by sponsoring a bill and forcing a vote – - often against the objections of the political bosses in both parties.

That is why it is critical that gun owners find leaders.

Hank Davis has promised to provide leadership by forcing recorded votes. Bill Stanley has said he will not provide leadership.

Call Hank Davis at 434 432 0717 and congratulate him on promising to be a leader.

After talking to Hank Davis I found out he not only owns a lot of guns but has a concealed carry permit.

Call Bill Stanley at 540 243 0834 and tell him we need leaders who will stand up to their political bosses and honor the reasons they were elected.

Tell him we don’t need anymore establishment politicians.

YOUR ACTION NEEDED

Please call the candidates above and lobby them by letting them know what you think.

And please make as generous a donation TODAY at www.vgoc.org as possible to help me mobilize the thousands of voting gun owner names that I have in the districts.

I have enough money to drop about half the post cards needed on Friday.

Please be as generous as you can TODAY!

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Without free speech our 2nd Amendment rights will perish.

But groups all over America are joining the fight to stop the NRA and their union buddies from silencing everyone but them.

Even the liberal Sierra club has joined the fight.

Listen at the video above as the NRA tries but fails to do damage control on public radio.

By the way, it is not even true that “the NRA” is protecting the free speech of its members by cutting this deal on the Disclose Act. It is only protecting the “right” of the NRA corporate management to exercise “its”
free speech. Their deal does nothing to protect single NRA members or collections of NRA members (organized outside of NRA management funding and control) making speech outside of the NRA managements control and authorization.

Our pressure is working. It appears the momentum behind the anti-free speech DISCLOSE Act may be losing steam. Grassroots outrage over the NRA’s sickening attempt to cozy up to anti-gun Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi is slowing down the bill.

But the fight is far from over.

• Call your Congressman at 202 224 3121 and urge them to oppose the anti-free speech Disclose Act H.R. 5175
• Call Senator Webb at 202 224 4024 and Call Senator Warner at 202 224 2023 and urge them to filibuster the anti-free speech Disclose Act H.R. 5175
• Call the NRA at 800 672 3888 and tell them to stop trying to appease liberals.

And please make a generous donation at www.vgoc.org to keep us in the fight.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- True blue Second Amendment friends are very rare. That is why it is always sad when someone we hoped would be true blue starts the all-too-familiar process of betraying gun owners.

Such is the case with AG Ken Cuccinelli. If you and I stand by and say nothing we will legitimize his betrayal and enable him to do more of it.

Here are the facts.

Mr. Cuccinelli said that the George Mason University gun ban had no legal authority when he was campaigning for our vote. He said that someone ought to test it in court.

Now that Mr. DiGiacinto in DiGiacinto v. The Rector and Visitors of George Mason University has taken him up on his offer he says that he must defend the University because:

1. The University is his clients
2. The University position is NOT repugnant to the constitution.

You can verify this duplicity below in Mr. Cuccinelli’s written response to a VGOC member.

The truth is however, that those of us who elected him are his clients and the gun ban IS REPUGNANT to the constitution.

What is even more disturbing is that because Mr. Cuccinelli finds the new Virginia Law banning protest at the funerals of soldiers to be repugnant to the constitution he refuses to defend it.

I may or may not agree with him but only wish he would be consistent in his so-called love of the constitution.

Please read the Cuccinelli excuses below and call Mr. Cuccinelli at 804 786 2071 and tell him to oppose the gun ban and defend the constitution.

I assure you that if Mr. Cuccinelli hears an outpouring of outrage he will think twice before betraying us again. In fact, when he was a Senator he was going to sponsor a bill bringing civil liability upon innocent gun owners whose stolen guns were used in crimes. But he changed his mind after an outpouring of anger from gun owners.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Mr. Cuccinellie Writes:

Dear friend:

My office recently filed a brief in DiGiacinto v. The Rector and Visitors of George Mason University, a case that has been ongoing since November 2008. My friends at the Virginia Citizens Defense League and other Second Amendment supporters have taken issue with that brief and – based on the language used in it – have challenged my longstanding commitment to the right to keep and bear arms.

The Office of the Attorney General files briefs like this on a regular basis, defending our clients (agencies, colleges, and universities of the commonwealth) in litigation in both state and federal courts. As a matter of process, I don’t wordsmith each and every brief filed by my staff, nor did I in this case. However, I have reviewed the brief and the legal arguments contained therein, and acknowledge that the OAG is zealously representing our client, George Mason University. So long as a Virginia law is validly enacted and not apparently repugnant to the Constitution, I have a duty to defend it.

If the 2005 pre-emption law that I had strongly supported as a state senator had been applicable to state government entities (as I incorrectly recalled in 2008) and not merely to local government entities, then there would be no DiGiacinto case. I understand how my misstatement about the pre-emption law created expectations inconsistent with any regulation of firearms whatsoever other than by the General Assembly.

I, and the Office of the Attorney General, defend the rule of law. In this case, we are defending a validly enacted regulation, and we must do so zealously with every legal argument available to us. While I may not always agree with a particular policy position, I will defend Virginia laws and regulations as well as the constitutions of Virginia and the United States. To do otherwise would validate my opponent’s accusations during the campaign that I would bend the law to suit my personal views. I have not. I have issued legal opinions that are contrary to my policy views because they are based on the law as it is and not the law as I might like it to be. Laws, and not politics, dictate legal outcomes.

As much as I might wish to discuss the present case and its policy implications for future legislation in some level of detail, I cannot at this time because the lawsuit is still ongoing. However, at the conclusion of the case, I look forward to the opportunity to address its policy implications and those of the anticipated ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court in the McDonald case with the VCDL and other Second Amendment supporters.

Sincerely, Ken

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Please call Mr. Cuccinelli at 804 786 2071 and tell him to oppose the gun ban and defend the constitution.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- It is always painful to report the painful truth about our so-called friends.

In this case, it is even more painful because it appears that a former friend of the 2nd Amendment has begun the all-too-familiar process of selling out and trying to get votes for future races from both sides of the fence.

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli submitted a brief to the Supreme Court of Virginia in Rudolph Digiacinto vs. George Mason University defending the Universities ban on carrying a firearm inside buildings such as the campus library.

However, when Mr. Cuccinelli ran for Attorney General he told gun owners that the university lacked the legal authority to issue such firearms bans. He even went so far as to suggest that the way to challenge the ban was in court.

Now that Mr. Digiacinto has taken Mr. Cuccinelli up on his suggestion, Mr. Cuccinelli turns around and stabs him in the back.

Mr. Cuccinelli has not only stabbed the defendant in the back but all those gun owners who voted for him.

Am I saddened by this? YES! Am I surprised? NO!

A few years back VGOC was the ONLY gun lobby to publicly challenge Mr. Cuccninelli’s distorted notion that innocent gun owners should be held liable in civil court for crimes committed with guns that had been stolen from them.

Mr. Cuccinelli backed down in that case but did not apologize. He handed his Blame-Innocent-Gunowners Bill off to an anti-gun radical in the Virginia Senate.

Will Mr. Cuccinelli back down this time and withdraw his brief? We won’t know unless we ask him.

What is even more important is that Mr. Cuccinelli hear loud and clear that gun owners are aware of his betrayal and will remember it when he runs for office next time.

If Mr. Cuccinelli gets away with this without a large outcry from gun owners it will only embolden him to sell out even more.

Please call Mr. Cuccinelli at 804 786 2071 and urge him to WITHDRAW his brief defending the GMU campus gun ban and resubmit it along the lines of his campaign statements.

As always please make a donation at www.vgoc.org to help keep us in the fight for the 2nd Amendment.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- President Barack Obama is about to appoint the most anti-gun Supreme Court Justice ever to sit on the bench.

That is why I need you to take immediate action.

You see, Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan, is violently opposed to your Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Going back to her time as a Supreme Court clerk in 1987, Kagan supported gun licensing and registration.

As a lawyer in the gun grabbing Clinton Administration, Kagan personally drafted an executive order for Bill Clinton that would ban the importation of semi-automatic firearms.

During her recent confirmation hearings as Solicitor General, Kagan dismissed the notion that the Second Amendment deserved “unlimited protection against governmental regulation.”

Anti Gun Kagan dismissed the notion that the Second Amendment deserved “unlimited protection against governmental regulation.”

The appointment of Kagan could reverse the recent gains we’ve worked hard to achieve to protect our Second Amendment rights.

The appointment of Kagan could jeopardize our most recent victory at the Court, D.C. v. Heller, where the Court properly held the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is an individual right.

Remember, D.C. v. Heller was a 5-4 victory.

If we have more appointees like President Obama’s first nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, any ground we have gained in protecting our Second Amendment rights will be lost – maybe FOREVER.

If Kagan is confirmed, she could be that critical liberal vote for the anti-gun lobby and their allies.

That is why I need you to act now. There is no time to wait and see.

Cases involving the Second Amendment and an individual’s Right to Keep and Bear Arms are making their way through the appellate process and will be coming to the Supreme Court.

That is why I need you to call Senators Webb and Warner and urge them to filibuster the Kagan nomination.

Call Senator Warner at 202 224 2023 and Senator Webb at 202 224 4024 and urge them to filibuster the Kagan nomination.

Obama’s anti-gun buddies are already spending MILLIONS of dollars to get Kagan appointed to the Supreme Court.

Please make a donation at www.vgoc.org to keep VGOC in the fight.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Now that President Obama is no longer preoccupied with his anti-gun Obama Care bill, he is free to deliver on his promises to the gun control lobby.

You and I have done everything we can to urge Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to protect our gun rights on a state level.

After the April 21st Veto Session in Richmond, there is very little that we can do until next year in Virginia.

But right now, President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are pushing for passage of the United Nations Treaty on Small Arms.

If Obama and Clinton get their way, Americans could see an international gun control treaty imposing licensing restrictions, bans on most semi-automatic firearms, an end to private sales of guns, and much more.

That is why I hope you will call Senator Jim Webb at 202 224 4024 and urge him to filibuster the U.N. Small Arms Treaty.

And please make as generous a donation as possible at www.vgoc.org to help me mobilize gun owners all across Virginia.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Forum

Virginia Gun Owners Forum

Virginia - -(AmmoLand.com)- March 1st, 2010 marked the one year anniversary of Virginia Gun Owners Forum (VGOF), an online forum community at www.VaGunForum.net.

After the 2008 elections and the democrat controlled senate many gun owners feared that their ability to purchase and own firearms would be legislatively restricted, so Rick Sandlin began work on VGOF – with the vision of creating a one stop shop for all information relating to firearm ownership in Virginia.

Over 1200 individual users frequent VGOF, a bulletin board based forum to discuss anything from the latest Bushmaster rifle to state & national gun politics. As you browse through the forums you’ll find a general discussion section, range & gunsmith reviews, as well as eager young marksmen looking for advice and war veterans eager to give it. As a user you can profit from many experts in gun law, gun safety, reloading, and general gun knowledge.

Most of the information is pertinent to gun owners local to Virginia and VGOF even includes a calendar of local gun shows and gun-related events.

VGOF also serves as a first rate warning center for any infringement on your gun rights under the Second Amendment. Members will report in warnings from the National Rifle Association (NRA), the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), and from main stream media outlets. In any given day at the VGOF, several articles will be posted, digested and discussed amongst the members.

The members are what really makes the VGOF community something special. There are members from all walks of life; democrats, independents, republicans, veterans, soldiers, gun store owners, gunsmiths, safety instructors, business owners and individuals. These members band together to create a place to grow their knowledge base and share experiences regarding firearms and firearm ownership.

Finally, if you were thinking this was just an online community you would be quite mistaken. VGOF features a healthy roster of community events, such as meet & greets, open carry picnics, and other outings for members and their friends. Additionally, the online marketplace allows for members to connect with each other to buy sell & trade firearms through the sites marketplace.

So consider stopping by www.VaGunForum.net and saying hello to Rick & the members, diving into the generous amount of online content, and learning a few new tricks from the fellow gun owners on the site.

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Lt. Governor Bill Bolling confirms that Senators Saslaw and Marsh broke the rules of the Senate. And, worse, they will get away with it.

What hypocrisy. THEY break the rules, but expect US to obey them!

That is intolerable. The Virginia Senate needs new leadership. Period.

Unless the Senate votes in some new leadership, the elections of 2011 is where gun owners and other like minded Virginians will fix the problem.

The anger at what Saslaw and Marsh did to betray the public’s trust is palpable. Not since the Roanoke Times published the list of CHP holders have I seen this many furious emails!

With many Democrats already looking nervously over their shoulders as election day draws ever nearer, this move by the Senate Leadership is a form of political Darwinism for their Party – pouring gasoline on a fire.

Anti-Freedom Virginia Senator Marsh (D)

That’s too bad, as there are some very good pro-gun Democratic Senators who are being dragged down a path they probably would not go down on their own. But, they chose their leaders and, clearly, chose poorly.

For us, let’s not get angry – that accomplishes nothing. Instead let’s channel that energy into fixing the Senate.

Saslaw and Marsh have just awoken a sleeping giant who will make the Senate Leadership’s treachery a rallying cry.

We will come out as a huge voting block to remind the Senate Leadership that they serve at OUR pleasure. And we expect WHOEVER is in leadership to obey the rules and to honor and protect our right to self–defense.

Here is Freddie Kunkle’s article in the Washington Post:

http://tinyurl.com/ydpwxcw

Lt. Gov. Bolling: Anti-gun bill panel creation broke Senate rules Yes, Democratic leaders in Virginia’s Senate broke the rules when they killed a bunch of gun rights bills in a specially formed subcommittee. And, no, there’s not a thing anybody can do about it.

That’s the upshot of a ruling that came down Friday from Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R), who is president of the Senate.

The controversy began when Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Fairfax) and Courts of Justice Chairman Henry Marsh (D-Richmond) created a special subcommittee to consider several gun bills passed by the Republican-controlled House, including an attempt to repeal Virginia’s ban on buying more than one handgun a month.

Almost all of the gun bills, except those that were similar to measures adopted by the Senate, died there last week on party-line votes. Among the dead was Del. Scott Lingamfelter’s (R-Prince William) closely watched attempt to repeal the gun-a-month law….read more here. http://tinyurl.com/ydpwxcw

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 Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Yesterday, Senator Mark Obenshain tried to get a committee vote on HB 69, the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act, that declares guns made and possessed in VA to be free of federal control under the interstate commerce clause.

Chairman Marsh was so flustered that his political boss Senator Saslaw took over the committee and ruled all Senator Obenshain’s motions out of order.

Senator Obenshain then challenged the rule of the chair and lost 12-3. All Senators except, Hurt, McDougle, and Obenshain voted wrong. Senator Saslaw then tried to get the clerk not to record the vote.

Clearly the anti-gun forces are running scared and fear the recorded vote on such a popular issue.

There is only one option left and that is to use the rarely used Senate floor procedures to put the HB 69 on the Senator floor for a recorded vote.

Senator Jill Vogel has agreed to do this.

She has asked me not to say, for now, exactly how she will do it but she agrees with me that it is critical that you contact your Senator and urge them to support her efforts to get a vote on HB 69 on the Senator Floor.

The biggest excuse against doing this will be that is violates precedent.

However, I don’t care about historical precedent. I care about my liberties. It is outrageous that Senator Saslaw and Marsh have conspired to deprive us of a vote by breaking Senate rules.

That’s right!
The Senate rules say that the sub committee that Senator Marsh created to kill HB 69 can only make recommendations on bills NOT kill a bill.

You can also tell your senator that the rules exist for such a time as this. If not for this situation, then when would they be used?

Please email Senator Vogel at district27@senate.virginia.gov the following message.

————————————————————-

Dear Senator Vogel,

I understand from Mike McHugh that you are going to try to get HB 69 to the Senate floor. Thank you. I am urging my senator to support you.

YOUR NAME HERE

————————————————————-

If you don’t know your senator’s email please go to www.vgoc.org and click contact lawmakers to find out.

Please email your Senator the following message:

————————————————————-

Dear Senator THEIR NAME HERE

It is outrageous that Senator Saslaw and Marsh have conspired to break the Senate rules by not even allowing a vote on HB 69 which overwhelmingly passed the House.

Senator Vogel is trying to get HB 69 to the Senate floor.

Whatever motions she makes are appropriate for such a time as this.

I urge you not to disregard my sacred liberties. Please stand up to the federal government and protect me.

Please stop the tyranny of Senator Saslaw and Senator Marsh.

Please support Senator Vogel’s efforts to get HB 69 to the Senate floor.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME HERE

————————————————————-

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Republican Majority Leader Morgan Griffith is up to his old tricks of hiding behind procedure to avoid having to fight for our liberties.

He claims he cannot substitute the HB 69, the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act, for SB501 because “it is not germane”.

Don’t be fooled! It is germane if the Speaker says it is germaine.

Both bills deal with the same Code of Virginia and are about firearms.

Last year when Delegate Athey tried to amend a bill exempting military personnel from the one gun-a-month rule by making the exemption apply to all law abiding citizens Morgan Griffith supported the Speaker in ruling Athey’s amendment not to be germaine.

But the treachery does not end there.

When Morgan Griffith and Speaker Howell wanted to attack our liberties they are willing to find all sorts of things to be germane

In fact, the abomination transportation bill of 2007 called HB 3202 clearly violated the single object rule of the Virginia Constitution. It had everything in it from land use, VDOT reform, retroactive abuser fees, establishment of regional transportation authorities to tax us without representation and more. Morgan Griffith supported Speaker Howell in call this “germane” under the single object rule because it all fell under the umbrella of transportation.

All you and I are trying to do is amend a bill that deals with firearms out of the exact same section of the Virginia Code. This is not a stretch at all.

HB 69 is clearly germane to SB 501.

It is time that gun owners started telling the politicians what is germane not letting them tell us what is germane.

Why is it that when anti-gun Democrats want to fight to destroy liberty they are willing to flagrantly violate the Senate rule that says sub-committees cannot kill legislation but can only recommend actions to the full committee.

It is because they have spine for their beliefs.  You and I need politicians with spine for our beliefs.

Please email Morgan Griffith AGAIN at DelMGriffith@house.virginia.gov.

It is critical that we continue to build the pressure.

And please consider a donation.  This required a special trip on my part to Richmond and that cost money.

And, it will cost money to continue to mobilize.

Sample Letter to cut and paste: ————————————————————————

Dear Republican Majority Leader Morgan Griffith,

After reviewing your actions as to what is germane in regard to HB 3202 in 2007 and the one gun-a-month bill in 2009 I am even more convinced that what is germane is what the Speaker rules to be germane.

You are the Majority Leader and running for Congress.

It is time to stand up and be a leader.

If you cannot stand up to the federal government in the state legislature, how do you expect anyone in the 9th district to think you will stand up for our liberties as a congressman?

Please amend SB 501 with HB 69.

Please tell me what you intend to do.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME HERE

————————————————————————

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)-  Anti gun Democrat Chairman Senator Marsh has single-handedly killed a number of gun bills passed by the House of Delegates, including the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act and the Castle Doctrine Bill.

Marsh was outraged by the pro gun Democrats who voted to send the restaurant ban repeal bill and Alaska car carry bill over to the House.

Both those bills have passed the House today and are headed to the Governor’s desk.

But to prevent any further losses for the anti gun lobby Senator Marsh has created an anti gun sub committee to hear all gun bills.

The members of that sub-committee are:

• Senator Linda T. Puller (D) anti-gun
• Senator Janet D. Howell (D) anti-gun
• Senator L. Louise Lucas (D) anti-gun
• Senator Henry L. Marsh III (D) anti-gun
• Senator Frederick M. Quayle (R) mixed gun record.

Our best move right now is to ask the Republican Majority Leader in the House, Morgan Griffith, to amend SB 501 with the Virginia Freedom Firearms Act and SB 580 with the Castle Doctrine Bill.

Both SB 501 and 580 are low priority gun bills from the Senate dealing with minor issues.

If the bills are amended and passed in the House they will be sent back to the Senate for a concurrence vote and NOT send to the anti gun sub committee.

Morgan Griffith fixed a gun bill last year by amending it. This year he is running for Congress. Gun owners will be eternally grateful if Mr. Griffith will do it again.

It is the only way to stop one rabid anti gun Senator from thwarting the will of the people.

Please make a donation online at www.vgoc.org because this is going to take mobilization, money, and muscle to make this happen. We only have 3 weeks left to do it.

Please send the following message to Mr. Griffith at DelMGriffith@house.virginia.gov

————————————————————

Dear Mr. Griffith,

I understand from Virginia Gun Owners Coalition that last year you saved the bacon of gun owners by amending a gun bill on the House Floor. I also understand you are running for Congress.

I will be very grateful if you will thwart the tyrannical actions of Senator Marsh, who created a sub committee to kill House pro-gun bills.

Please Amend SB 501 with the HB 69, the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act and SB 580 with HB 854, the Castle Doctrine Bill.

Your actions will allow these bills to be sent back to the Senate for a concurrence vote without having to go to Senator Marsh’s anti gun sub committee.

Please advise me as to what you will do.

Thank you,

Your NAME HERE

————————————————————

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- The two gun bills that passed the House but face serious challenges in the Senate are HB 69 and HB 854.

HB 69 is the VA Firearms Freedom Act exempting guns made and possessed in VA from federal oversight.

HB 884 is the Castle Doctrine Bill acknowledging your God-given right to protect yourself from intruders into your home.

Both bills are in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee.

If any Senator below is your senator please contact them and urge them to vote YES on both these bills.

You can access their email by clicking their names.

If you don’t know who your Senator is please fill out the information at http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

Senator Henry L. Marsh III (D) – Chairman
Senator Richard L. Saslaw (D)
Senator Frederick M. Quayle (R)
Senator Thomas K. Norment, Jr. (R)
Senator Janet D. Howell (D)
Senator L. Louise Lucas (D)
Senator John S. Edwards (D)
Senator W. Roscoe Reynolds (D)
Senator Linda T. Puller (D)
Senator Mark D. Obenshain (R)
Senator Ryan T. McDougle (R)
Senator R. Creigh Deeds (D)
Senator Robert Hurt (R) – Co-patron
Senator A. Donald McEachin (D)
Senator J. Chapman Petersen (D)

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia - -(AmmoLand.com)- Turnout was low last night from our side in the Militia, Police, and Public Safety subcommittee #3 (Death Star), creating a pretty much even match between pro and anti-gun citizens for the first time in a long time.

Being heard were two bills: HB 32, Delegate Bob Marshall’s bill to allow professors to carry at universities, and HB 72, Delegate Carrico’s bill to reduced the charge for someone inadvertently carrying a firearm on K-12 school property from a Class 6 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor.

I had predicted that both bills would most likely die by a vote of 2 to 3, along party lines.

And, sadly, I was 100% correct. In fact I had my twitter message already typed up and ready to go before the votes were taken. I only had to hit “send” after each vote.

Democratic Delegates Paula Miller and Roslyn Tyler both proclaimed to the audience that contrary to what VCDL alerts were saying, they were “pro-gun.” They then proved it to everyone by voting against both bills.

Gee, I’m sure glad they’re “pro-gun,” aren’t you?

Of course Democratic Delegate Jim Scott also voted against both bills, but he doesn’t even pretend to be pro-gun.

Two members did understand the importance of self-defense: Republican Delegates Bill Carrico and Donald Merricks voted in support of both bills.

On our way out, who should step in the elevator, but Speaker Bill Howell! (The Speaker, among other things, creates and populates all committees and subcommittees in the House and determines which bills the committees and subcommittees hear.)

He casually asked “how things were going.”

Bad timing on his part.

I said, “Well, subcommittee #3 of Militia, Police, and Public Safety did their assigned job and killed two excellent pro-gun bills.”

An awkward silence followed for a few seconds, before someone changed the subject.

Channel 8 in Richmond (ABC) covered the hearing and interviewed me. Coverage should be on at 11 PM and possibly Tuesday morning.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- The Militia, Police, and Public Safety subcommittee #3 (Death Star) will meet at 5 PM, TOMORROW, Monday, February 8th. It will meet in the 8th Floor West Conference room.

It would be good to flood this room with people wearing GSL stickers!

Here are the two gun bills scheduled to be heard:

HB 72, Delegate Carrico, reduces the penalty from a Class 6 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor for someone inadvertently carrying a firearm on K-12 school property – STRONGLY SUPPORT

HB 32, Delegate Bob Marshall, allows faculty at a public higher- educational institution to be able to carry concealed on campus with a CHP – SUPPORT

The fate of the above two bills is bleak in this subcommittee. The subcommittee consists of two Republicans (Carrico and Merricks) and three Democrats (Jim Scott, Tyler, Paula Miller).

I would expect both Republicans to support the two bills and I would expect both Tyler and Scott to oppose the bills. That leaves the swing vote on guns in that subcommittee, Paula Miller, as the determining factor.

HB 72 brings the school weapons law back to where all laws should be: felonies should always involve actual harm or intent to harm – not mere possession of an otherwise lawful item.

Will Miller see the significance of that for all of Virginia law-abiding citizens? We’ll know on Friday.

Meanwhile, if you are a constituent of Paula Miller (Norfolk area), give her a call at 804-698-1087 and encourage her to support HB 72 when she votes on it on Monday afternoon. If she supports that bill, it will head to the full committee.

Also the full Militia, Police, and Public Safety committee, which was canceled Friday, will meet at 7 AM on Tuesday to consider all the bills that have passed out of subcommittees the last two weeks. The meeting will be in House Room C on the ground floor of the General Assembly Building, SE corner of 9th and Broad in Richmond.

If you can make this meeting, please do so.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Delegate Athey’s HB 886, the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act was combined with Delegate Carrico’s HB 69, which is an identical bill.

The bills passed sub committee in a 4 -1 vote.

The bill establishes that guns and ammunition made in VA and possessed in VA are exempt from federal control via the 10th Amendment.

It was a party vote with the 4 Republicans in favor and the lone Democrat opposed.

There was much opposition testimony by those who believe that guns kill.

Please call your delegate and ask them to support HB 69.

If you don’t know who your delegate is please type your information in at

http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Ben Loyola, who is running for Congress in the 2nd District of Virginia has received an A rating from Virginia Gun Owners Coalition.

A + is reserved for elected officials with a proven track record of 2nd Amendment leadership.

Ben He is the only candidate to contact VGOC in the 2nd District asking to fill out our survey.

You can learn more about Ben Loyola at http://www.benloyola.com/

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Pro-gun Jeff McWaters won the special election in District 8 by 79% to 21% over anti-gun Bill Fleming

VGOC spent no resources in that fight because we knew it was a slam dunk.

The bad news is that pro-gun Steve Hunt lost to anti-gun carpet bagger Dave Marsden by 50.64% to 49.26%.

Out of 23,602 votes cast Steve lost by 327 votes.

This is a radically liberal district in Fairfax and becoming more liberal all the time. Four years ago, Ken Cuccinelli only won by 92 votes.

The turn out of gun owners is what made it close. Thank you to all who invested in mobilizing gun owners.

We now have our work cut out in the Virginia legislative session. It just got harder.

The anti-gun lobby will be energized by this pick up of an extra anti-gun vote. We will face some stiff anti-gun efforts.

So please, if you have not made a membership donation for 2010, please do so today at www.vgoc.org

If you have recently donated, anything extra that you can throw into the fight it will gratefully received and carefully used. Many on this list have never donated.

Please do so today either at www.vgoc.org or by sending a check to VGOC, PO Box 1599, Front Royal, VA 22630.

It costs a lot of time and money to run a gun lobby and we desperately need your help.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes.

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Thanks to the generosity of some on this list I will be fully funding a mailing to over 1700 gun owners in the 37th District special election to replace Senator Ken Cuccinelli between pro-gun Steve Hunt and anti-gun Dave Marsden.

My challenge is to now fully fund our 2010 Membership Drive.

We are still about 5 thousand dollars short.

Anything you can do to help fill the void will be appreciated.

But right now, please contact all your family and friends in Fairfax County, Virginia.

There is a good chance that they are in District 37.

If they don’t know they can find out by putting their address in the search engine at http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

Please do all that you can to make sure that everyone you know who can vote, does vote on Tuesday January 12th in the special election to replace Senator Ken Cuccinelli.

Every vote will count. Senator Cuccinelli won his seat last time by only 92 votes.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)-  We are pleased to announce that Feda Morton, a Republican Primary Candidate for the VA 5th Congressional District, has received an A rating on her Virginia Gun Rights Survey from Virginia Gun Owners Coalition.

VA Candidate Feda Morton

A + is reserved for candidates with proven voting records who have also demonstrated leadership.

However, at this point Feda gets special recognition for being the ONLY candidate in next year’s 2010 primary to contact VGOC asking for our survey.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- I recently wrote a post exposing some of the NRA’s outrageous sell-outs on the national level.

What about the state level?

No better example exists than the current fight by Iowa gun owners with the NRA not to sell-out Iowa concealed carry.

Believe it or not, under the NRA proposal, anyone ever arrested – but not convicted – on a felony charge would be barred from concealed carry.

The original proposal even barred people investigated, but not convicted, of child abuse by social services. As you know, false reports of child abuse are a standard tactic of vengeance in domestic disputes.

You can follow the story at the link below at Open Carry.

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum23/34992.html

There is also an Open Letter to the NRA by an NRA supporter at Ammo Land.

http://www.ammoland.com/2009/12/16/an-open-letter-to-the-national-rifle-association/

If you know gun owners in Iowa have them contact VGOC’s sister organization at Iowa Gun Owners. – www.iowagunowners.org

Again, VGOC is attempting to renew membership and gain new members at this time. So take time to join VGOC.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

VGOC is a NO-MORE-EXUSES gun lobby representing gun owners to politicians NOT politicians to gun owners.

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- The NRA is frequently not a friend of gun owners but you would never know it from the anti-gun media.

Many of you know the truth of that statement, but it is critical to review it for new members while encouraging those of you who know that truth to remind your friends of the facts.

As more gun owners become convinced of that truth, the smaller principled gun lobbies will be more effective in holding the NRA accountable and prodding them into doing the right thing.

Unfortunately, the media often give the NRA credit it does not deserve. The link below credits the progress in the restoration of 2nd Amendment rights to the NRA.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/12/states-ease-restrictions-gun-laws/?test=latestnews

In my opinion, the media knows that the NRA has opposition from principled gun lobbies but gives them the credit in an attempt to marginalize the real freedom fighters, like you.

The fact is that the heavy lifting has been done by state level groups like VGOC and other state level gun lobbies that banned together in 2003 to fight the NRA’s compromises and outright sell-outs.

You can read about one such fight at

http://virginiagun.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/vgoc-sept04.pdf

Larry Pratt’s GOA on Capitol Hill at the time was the ONLY federal level gun lobby that worked with us.

Since then, the coalition has also supported the formation of a new federal gun lobby called NAGR, National Association for Gun Rights. NAGR pulls no punches in exposing the NRA.

That coalition of state-level gun lobbies on a state-level and federal level have made progress in the face of either NRA neutrality (doing nothing) or NRA opposition.

At other times the NRA will come in to water a bill down or support a bill at the last minute that others have actually worked to pass and take credit.

NRA sellouts on the state-level are too numerous to count.

The most memorable NRA sell outs on the national level are:

1. The unsuccessful NRA effort to trade the renewal of the hated Clinton Gun Ban in 2004 for the Manufacturer’s liability bill.
2. The successful NRA sell out of veterans who now lose their gun rights without any due process by having their name put in a data base by a psychiatrist.

What can you do to help?

Many of you on this list have never donated to VGOC.

Please, if you find this work important and appreciate it, will you make a donation at www.vgoc.org?

It takes money to run an operation like VGOC. We have a special election coming up on January 12th and I am trying to raise the funds to mobilize 1850 gun owners in the 37th Senate District. I need to raise a quick 1500 dollars to contact those gun owners in a timely manner.

It also takes money to pay the light, heat, and utility bills. We cannot run VGOC for free.

So please, be as generous as you can.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Yes! And Election Day is a great time to lobby the politicians because it is dangerous to have Senators in Richmond who are afraid to be specific about what supporting the 2nd Amendment means.

Even anti-gun politicians will tell you they support the 2nd Amendment.

What can you do?

Lobby the politicians in the Senate District 37 primary to replace Senator Cuccinelli on Tuesday December 1st from 6PM to 10PM at Centreville High School (Media Center) at 6001 Union Road, Clifton, VA 20124. You walk in and vote during those hours just like you would at any polling center.

If you do not live in Fairfax County but know gun owners who do, please forward this to them and urge them to vote on Tuesday December 1st. If you do live in Fairfax, please vote and urge others to vote. Low turn outs in special elections are great opportunities for gun owners. It is how Ken Cuccinelli was elected the first time.

Both Will Nance and Marianne Horinko have insulted gun owners by refusing to answer the VGOC gun rights survey.

However, the good news is that Steve Hunt not only turned in a strong pro-gun survey, without hesitation, but followed up with a phone call to see if VGOC had any questions.

If you see Steve Hunt at the polls congratulate him on his integrity and strong survey. If you see Will Nance or Marianne Horinko tell them to come clean, answer the survey, and stop hiding from gun owners.

Every donation at www.vgoc.org in the next few days will be spent mobilizing gun owners in this race on the phones and by post card.

So please make a special donation and ask your family and friends to do the same.

Time is short, so please be as generous as you can.

At VGOC, we represent gun owners to politicians, NOT politicians to gun owners.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes.

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Please don’t forget to get on the phone and get all your family and friends to vote pro-gun tomorrow, Tuesday November 3rd.

In some districts and races there may not be a candidate with a specific pro-gun policy promise. In that case, not voting is a way to invest your vote and send a message to the politicians for the future. It is called keeping your vote “in-play”.

Let’s continue to make the politicians understand that they cannot take our vote for granted.

Let’s make the politicians prove their 2nd Amendment credentials with specific pro-gun action promises.

So please, help VGOC continue to change the 2nd Amendment political landscape by making sure your vote is “in-play”.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes.

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- Right now, gun grabbing politicians are salivating to take over the Virginia House of Delegates so that they can control redistricting in 2010.

And their buddies in the anti-gun lobby are pouring huge amounts of cash into several local House of Delegate races.

If they succeed in getting control of changing district lines in 2010 it will affect our 2nd Amendment rights for the next 10 years.

So please, get on the phone starting today to make sure that all your friends plan to vote pro-gun on Tuesday November 3rd.

It is the easiest way to multiply the pro-gun vote because many gun owners for varying reasons will fail to vote.

If your friends won’t be in town, then ask them to vote by absentee ballot at their local town government center.

To help get this message out donations made at www.vgoc.org will be used for state-wide phone banks up until Election Day.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes.

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- The Virginia Gun Owners Coalition has just paid to update and secure a list of over 100 thousand gun owners in Virginia with designations by district number.

This allows VGOC to do targeted mailings to educate and mobilize gun owners about what the November candidates for office have done or not done in the actual districts where gun owners live.

VGOC uses a combination of voting records, discussions with candidates, and survey questionnaires to compile this information.

The Virginia Gun Owners Coalition has enough in our war chest to do a few selected districts but NOT near enough to do all that we would like to do.

Every donation that comes in online at www.vgoc.org in the next 72 hours will be designated 100% to this project.

Please be as generous as you can.

For Liberty,

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes.

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- At first glance, the two issues might seem unrelated, which is why some VGOC supporters have been asking me, “Why are gun owners getting into the health care debate?”

My friend Paul Valone at the Charlotte Gun Rights Examiner gives one of the best answers I have seen.

He points out that the British Medical Association is working with police to “tag” medical records of gun licensees. The same thing will happen here in America if Obama Care in the form of HR 3200 becomes law.

You see, HR 2640, the latest NRA sellout that disarmed thousands of veterans in 2007, ”Created the mechanism for centralizing mental health records.” So, for Americans, the process has already begun.

The Obama Care Bill in the form of HR 3200 would enable the government to use medical data however it pleases, including barring from gun ownership tens of thousands of people treated for anger management, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and other ailments.

Please read Paul Valone’s article at this link.

http://bit.ly/HealthCareImpactsGunRights

ACTION: Virginia residents please forward this article to all your family and friends asking them to email Senator Webb at Trevor_Moe@webb.senate.gov with a copy to president@vgoc.org

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Senator Webb,

Please be advised that I will consider a vote for HR 3200 or any other form of Health Care that will give the government access to my health records as an anti-gun vote.

I don’t want the government disarming me, like it has our veterans, without even the due process of a contested court hearing, just because of a doctor’s diagnosis.

YOUR NAME HERE

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes.