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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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1. VCDL Meeting, Thursday, October 6th, 2011 in Charlottesville!
2. VCDL Pot Luck Picnic in Salem, Oct. 15
3. Guns stay off campus despite legal opinion
4. Who needs a gun on a college campus?
5. Virginia's Sunday hunting debate pits gun rights against sabbath
6. Murder charges dropped against WV CHP holder
7. Webb joins in legislation to make gun regs consistent on federal rec lands
8. Shenandoah County Sheriff supports concealed carry
9. Guns are good in Hampton
10. LTE: More guns equal less crime
11. Why do you need a gun while grocery shopping?
12. LTE: 'No guns' signs target wrong folks
13. Another Voice: Have gun permit, will travel
14. Who needs a gun in a casino, hospital, or an entire town in Nevada?
15. Love your gun?. Thank the Black Panthers, says new book
16. Save your money - skip the Virginia State Fair
17. Virginia reciprocity with Wisconsin/Iowa
18. Report of student with CHP arrested at UVA-Wise Campus
19. Uh oh. The anti-freedom crowd hates the Serbu .50 BMB give-away for VCDL
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1. VCDL Meeting, Thursday, October 6th, 2011 in Charlottesville!
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Our next meeting in Charlottesville will again be at the Rivanna Rifle and Pistol Club. RRPC has been a gracious host and we appreciate their continued hospitality!
Our own Executive Member and firearms attorney Mark Matthews will be our guest of honor. The topic this meeting will be Revocable Trusts for the purpose of owning NFA items. There are many advantages to setting up these trusts and Mr. Matthews has offered to demystify the process.
This should prove to be a very interesting meeting. We sincerely hope that you can join us. As always, you do not need to be a member of VCDL or RRPC to attend; in fact, we encourage you to bring your friends and neighbors. For those of you living in the area who are not members of RRPC this is an excellent opportunity for you to check out a very nice range. RRPC has been a valuable asset to the shooting sports community for many years and is very active in firearms education and safety.
We will begin at 6:30 PM with a pot luck dinner; the main course of corned beef and cabbage will be provided, as will beverages. Please bring a dish if you are able. If you can't bring something to share, please don't let that stop you from attending. We always have plenty! For food planning purposes, RSVP to
pat.webb@vcdl.org
and include the number *eating dinner* in the subject line (example: 10/6 VCDL meeting, 2 for dinner).
Meeting will follow the dinner, probably around 7:30 PM, and we should be done by 9:00 PM.
Directions, from I-64 take exit 120 SOUTH (5th Street exit). Turns into Old Lynchburg Road. Follow for just under 4 miles to range on right, there will be a sign on the right just before the driveway. Go through the entrance gate and up the hill to the clubhouse.
Address:
1570 Old Lynchburg Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
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2. VCDL Pot Luck Picnic in Salem, Oct. 15
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There will be a family pot luck picnic at:
Longwood Park
611 E Main St.
Salem VA 24153
The picnic is for all VCDL members, families and any guests who would like to attend on October 15. Early birds will start arriving at 10 AM, and food will be served at 11 AM. Please bring a food dish to share with others. VCDL will furnish plates, napkins, eating utensils, soft drinks and ice. A major company will furnish potato chips and related items for our pleasure.
Guest speaker to be anounced.
Please RSVP with numbers attending to Al Steed, Jr. at
SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org
so we can plan on having proper items available.
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3. Guns stay off campus despite legal opinion
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Board member Bruce Jackson emailed me this:
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From breezejmu.org: http://tinyurl.com/3df5lgz
By Elizabeth Dsurney
September 18, 2011
University officials are in the process of determining whether a new legal opinion by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli would let students carry guns on campus.
JMU's current policy prohibits any faculty, students or visitors from carrying a weapon, concealed or otherwise, on campus.
"[We're] reviewing the attorney general's opinion and how it may or may not impact our current weapons policy," university spokesman Don Egle said. "Then, once that review has concluded, we will be able to determine the actions necessary, but that will happen after our review is complete."
The review will be completed sometime this semester, but there is no certain date, Egle said.
Cuccinelli's opinion was in response to a University of Virginia policy that prohibited people from possessing a gun on campus without permission from the U. Va.'s chief of police.
"Because the university adopted a policy rather than a regulation, it has not 'otherwise prohibited by law' persons with a concealed carry permit from possessing a handgun," Cuccinelli said in his opinion. "The policies may not be used to prohibit persons with such a permit from carrying a concealed firearm."
Cuccinelli said U.Va. could not prohibit people from openly carrying weapons, but because it had a policy, which was enforced by the university.
A regulation, by contrast, is given the force of law through registration with the state government through the Virginia Register Act, which gives it the legal strength of a law.
George Mason University's regulation banning guns in campus buildings and during university events was upheld last January by the Supreme Court of Virginia, according to Inside HigherEd, a website for university news.
Gerald Bradner, a senior justice studies major, is the president of the JMU chapter of Students For Concealed Carry.
"We believe that just because you cross onto a campus doesn't mean you are any safer than you are anywhere else," Bradner said. "The Second Amendment rights that citizens enjoy everywhere else, we should be able to enjoy on campus, too."
A concealed carry permit is a document to carry a weapon that is kept hidden by the owner. In Virginia, a citizen must be 21 years or older and display competence to use a handgun, according to the Virginia State Police website.
Political science professor Hak-Seon Lee said people wouldn't be any safer if people with permits were able to carry concealed weapons on campus.
"Guns should only be used by trained professionals," Lee said. "Not all users are getting training. I mean you can go out to Wal-Mart and buy guns."
Robert Eells, a student at Temple University and advocate for concealed carry, was shot in his stomach in an attempted robbery. One of his attempted robbers shot him in the stomach, but Eells shot back and hit the robber in the leg and torso.
Eells said the experience didn't change his views on concealed carry.
"As long as they are responsible and mature, concealed carry on campus shouldn't cause a problem," Eells said.
Freshman Andrea Gonzalez said she would be concerned about campus safety if guns were allowed.
"It could turn bad in a conflict or a fight within the university," said Gonzalez, a nursing major. "If two people got in a fight, one may take out a gun and the other may take one out also and shoot."
In Virginia, the only college campus that allows students to carry guns is Blue Ridge Community College.
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4. Who needs a gun on a college campus?
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From WSET-TV Lynchburg: http://tinyurl.com/6db465q
Lynchburg, VA - Lynchburg Police say they have several persons of interest after attacks were reported on Lynchburg College's campus.
Investigators say they've questioned about 150 people in the case and have assigned two detectives to follow any leads. But they still don't have enough evidence to make an arrest.
Two female students were able to reportedly fight off the attacker after being grabbed from behind. The first assault and attempted abduction was reported on August 29. One assault happened on campus and the other just off campus. Another student reported seeing a man matching a composite sketch of the suspect.
"We believe that we have some people that can identify this person through photographs," said Lt. Jeff Bauserman. "We're building a case as we receive more information and we hope we're met with some success."
Anyone with information is asked to call the Crimestoppers at 888-798-5900.
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5. Virginia's Sunday hunting debate pits gun rights against sabbath
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VCDL got stuck in the middle of the debate last year on Sunday hunting. It seems there is a real split between hunters over this issue. VCDL has decided to stand neutral and let hunters sort this out for themselves.
From Huffington Post: http://tinyurl.com/3srrxsa
By Arin Greenwood
September 16, 2011
As you start loading your guns for the start of Virginia's deer-hunting season, you might wonder why it isn't legal to hunt on Sunday. Not too long ago, Mark Keam, a progressive Democrat who has represented part of suburban Fairfax County in Virginia's House of Delegates since 2009, was wondering the same thing.
Under section 29.1-521 of the Virginia Code, it is illegal to hunt or kill any animal, even a "nuisance" animal and even on private land, on Sundays, "a rest day for all species of wild bird and wild animal life, except raccoons, which may be hunted until 2:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings."
Virginia is one of 11 states with versions of this blue law still on the books. Some of these states, like Massachusetts and Delaware, prohibit Sunday hunting altogether; others, like West Virginia, Maryland and South Carolina, restrict Sunday hunting in various ways, like by only allowing bow hunting on private land.
After hearing from his constituents about the many problems of deer overpopulation -- Lyme disease, property damage, car accidents -- Keam looked for ways to address these problems, and came up with one answer: legalize Sunday hunting.
Keam, a lawyer, decided there were at least three good reasons to lift the restriction. First, to control the deer population: research convinced Keam that Sunday hunting was the only way to cull an expanding population. Second is a conflict he perceives between the Sunday ban and the Virginia constitution, which grants residents the right to hunt via a 2000 amendment that states "The people have a right to hunt, fish, and harvest game, subject to such regulations and restrictions as the General Assembly may prescribe by general law." (Keam does recognize that this doesn't actually require Sunday hunting to be allowed; Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli issued a legal opinion saying the same.) Third is that Sunday hunting might well be good for the economy, since hunters would be encouraged to spend their food and hotel money in state, rather than taking it to Maryland or other places that do allow at least some hunting on Sunday.
And so last winter, Keam introduced House Bill 2442, companion legislation to a Virginia Senate bill introduced by another Fairfax Democrat, Senator Chap Petersen, that would also have lifted the Sunday hunting ban. Petersen's bill died in the Senate's Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources. Keam's bill got a hearing but never made it out of the subcommittee.
"It turns out that the Sunday hunting issue has been around for decades," Keam says. "Every year it comes up, at least in recent memory. The subcommittee doesn't even bother to look at it."
Supporters of the ban include a motley crew with mixed interests. The Humane Society opposes lifting the ban on animal cruelty grounds. Hikers oppose lifting the ban because they'd like to hike on Sundays without worrying about being shot at. Some farmers, historically along with the Farm Bureau, want to keep the ban because a lot of hunting takes place on private land and they want one day a week to keep the land free of bullets. The Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance released a position paper in opposition to Sunday hunting for religious reasons: "The first and foremost reason is our faith. The Fourth Commandment is reason enough to oppose hunting on Sunday. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. We also recognize that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."
Bill Cochran, a former outdoor editor for the Roanoke Times, thinks none of these groups is standing in the way of Sunday hunting more than hunters themselves, who are, he says, "deeply divided" on the Sunday hunting issue for more than religious reason.
"Why would so many hunters be opposed to Sunday hunting? For one thing, they are Virginians!" Cochran says. "But I believe the number one reason is they don't want to upset the private landowners who weigh in heavily against it. Virginia has more than two million acres of public land where hunting is permitted, yet private land plays a major role in the sport. That's where most of the game is. Many hunters, especially those who use dogs, believe Sunday hunting would damage the amiable relationship they enjoy with landowners."
On the other side. Keam says, he discovered some surprises amongst his supporters. "Two years ago when I ran for office, I talked about how we can fight with the NRA on gun control laws, and the NRA went after me big time. Now we're working on the same side, inadvertently," he says. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell also signaled his support when the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries passed a resolution endorsing Sunday hunting. The Board's declared its support in June, by which time the Sunday hunting legislation was already dead; Cochran says he expects the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to play a major role when Sunday hunting legislation gets re-introduced -- as Cochran expects it will -- during the legislature's next term.
But Sunday hunting has not really become a campaign issue for Keam, at least not so far. Transportation, he says, is the big one, with the economy and education after that. Neither the NRA nor the Humane Society has said anything about his candidacy. Keam says he'll support Sunday hunting legislation if it's introduced again, but he's not even sure that he'll introduce another bill himself (Virginia delegates can only introduce 15 bills during short sessions). And though he went rabbit hunting as a child and as an adult sometimes goes skeet-shooting, Keam will be too busy this fall to do any shooting.
"I don't really have a dog in the fight. I don't really hunt. I'm not an avid outdoors-person," he says. "I'm a lawyer, I work in the corporate world, and I live in the middle of Vienna."
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6. Murder charges dropped against WV CHP holder
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Jim Mullins of the West Virginia Citizens Defense League emailed me this in reference to VCDL Update 9/5/11, item #11, "CHP holder faces murder charge after shooting fleeing robber".
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Re #11, the charges were dropped today.
From Charleston Daily Mail: http://tinyurl.com/3f64uyx
By Zack Harold
September 19, 2011
CHARLESTON, W.Va.-- Murder charges have been dropped against a Logan County man arrested last month for killing his alleged robber, though county prosecutors appear to be keeping their options open for future litigation.
In a motion filed Monday in Logan Magistrate Court, county prosecutor John Bennett and Chapmanville attorney Mark Hobbs requested the state of West Virginia dismiss charges against Jesus Canul.
Bennett requested the dismissal because "some aspects of the investigation have not been completed," according to court documents.
Magistrate Dwight Williamson approved the motion, including a note: "prosecutor to consider indictment."
Bennett was not available for comment Monday afternoon. Calls and messages left for Hobbs and Dwayne Adkins, Canul's court-appointed attorney, were not immediately returned.
Canul, 26, was released on $40,000 property or 10 percent cash bond earlier this month. He was set to appear in Logan Magistrate Court at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.
Prosecutors charged Canul with first-degree murder after he shot and killed David Abbott, 37, at the Logan Walmart on Aug. 22.
Police say Abbott watched Canul cash his paycheck inside the store and followed him outside, where put a "sharp object" to Canul's neck and took his wallet.
Logan Police Chief E.K. Harper said Abbott held keys, not a knife, to Canul's throat.
Canul, who has a concealed weapons permit, shot Abbott in the back as he was trying to flee back into the store, according to police. An autopsy found a lone bullet entered Abbot's upper left back and lodged in the left side of his chest.
Friends and supporters said Canul acted in self-defense.
Larry Rogers, president of the Omar Crime Watch, helped organize a few rallies at the Logan County Courthouse to support Canul.
"I think it's great," he said of the dismissal. "I think it's great for the law-abiding citizens. I knew all along this would probably be the outcome of it.
"I think they jumped the gun on this one."
Rogers said he talked to Canul and is convinced that he acted in self-defense.
He said he thinks investigators viewed security footage of the shooting and "either they saw something that wasn't quite right or it wasn't what they thought it would be." He said he has not seen the security footage, however.
Rogers and other Canul supporters set up a defense fund at the Logan Bank and Trust earlier this month.
He said the account will remain open, just in case prosecutors charge Canul again. At the moment, the fund only contains a few hundred dollars, he said.
"If it continues, we're going to have to get this thing going," he said.
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7. Webb joins in legislation to make gun regs consistent on federal rec lands
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From Augusta Free Press: http://tinyurl.com/3ssm6me
September 21, 2011
Sens. Jim Webb (D-VA) and John Boozman (R-AR) today introduced legislation to make gun regulations consistent across all federal recreational lands by bringing Army Corps of Engineers rules in line with other federal agencies. Last Congress, legislation was signed into law allowing individuals to possess firearms in the National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, provided they are not breaking state laws or otherwise prohibited from possessing the firearms. However, current regulations prohibit these same rights on many of the lands operated by the Army Corps.
"Gun owners need to know that they can exercise their Second Amendment rights when they are legally camping, hiking or fishing in our nation's parks and recreational lands," said Sen. Webb. "This bipartisan bill would provide consistent rules for all federal lands rather than the current patchwork of regulations where the Army Corps has different rules than the Parks Service."
"Gun owners must be allowed to defend themselves on federal lands. This is important to protecting our constitutional rights and we owe it to law abiding gun owners to address this national gun issue," said Sen. Boozman.
The Recreational Land Self -Defense Act would prohibit the Secretary of the Army from enforcing any regulation that keeps an individual from possessing firearms on Army Corps Water Resource Development projects or facilities. The legislation would not change the current legal prohibition of guns and dangerous weapons in federal facilities, such as the Corps Head Quarters, Engineering Research Facilities, and lock and dam buildings. The House of Representatives recently passed similar legislation as an amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill (H.R. 2354).
The Army Corps is the nation's largest federal provider of water-based recreation, overseeing 400 lakes and river projects, 90,000 campsites and 4,000 miles of trails. For a state-by-state listing of Corps-operated lands visit
http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/visitors.cfm.
Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Tom Coburn (R-OK) are original cosponsors of the legislation, which is strongly supported by the National Rifle Association.
The text of the bill is available here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/65785124/The-Recreational-Land-Self-Defense-Act.
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8. Shenandoah County Sheriff supports concealed carry
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Thomas H.E. Drinkwater emailed me this:
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PHILIP,
While this may be old news to some in Shenandoah County, KUDOs to Sheriff Ray Carter and his department for supporting concealled carry. Two weeks ago his department sponsored, free of charge, a concealed carry course through the county Parks & Recreation Department. It was 4 hours long and qualified for a VA CWP. It was taught by SGT J. Armatrout who did a great job for his first time teaching the course.
Another is being offered in October and is already booked full as this one was. Sheriff Carter made a cameo appearance and stated that he fully supports the Second Amendment and citizens' right to carry. It was refreshing to hear a local law enforcement officer make such a statment!!!. The class covered basic safety, different types of handguns, laws,etc. While very basic, and not the only training course a person should have who is going to carry concealed, it was a great start.
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9. Guns are good in Hampton
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From James River Journal: http://tinyurl.com/6jxbee7
By Cpl. Jason Price, Hampton Police
September 22, 2011
83 Year Old Disabled Hampton Man Fires at Burglar and Successfully Defends His Home
The Hampton Police Division is seeking the public's assistance with identifying the suspect involved in a burglary that occurred on September 21, 2011.
On September 21, 2011 at 4:08 a.m., Hampton Police Communications received an e911 call in reference to a burglary in the first block of West River Point Drive. Upon officers arrival they discovered the resident, an 83-year-old disabled Hampton man, awoke and discovered an intruder inside his home. The resident, fearing for his safety, displayed a firearm and shot at the suspect. The suspect was not injured by the round and fled from the scene on foot.
The investigation revealed that the suspect entered home through a rear sliding glass door which was possibly left unlocked. Once inside the residence the suspect took a firearm, an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency and jewelry.
The suspect description is being withheld at this time for investigative purposes.
Anyone with information that will assist police is encouraged to contact the Hampton Police Division at 727-6111 or Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. Crime Line callers remain anonymous and never appear in court. If a Crime Line call results in an arrest, the caller is eligible for a reward up to $1,000.00. You can also send an anonymous tip via text message to the Hampton Police Division by texting the keyword 757HPD and your tip to 847411 (tip411). (Please be advised that the anonymous texting is not affiliated with Crime Line).
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10. LTE: More guns equal less crime
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From Baltimore Sun: http://tinyurl.com/3gmnwj8
September 21, 2011
The most deadly terrorist attack on America since Sept. 11, 2011 was by Nadal Hassan, who killed 13 people. Unbelievably, this attack took place at an Army base where for safety reasons no one was allowed to protect themselves. The military police were supposed to do all the protecting. Shamefully, that's not quite how it worked out.
It happened that the only one with a gun was a female police officer who responded to a 911 call. Anyone with a gun could have stopped Mr. Hassan in Texas or Jared Lee Loughner in Arizona. Citizens did get involved in both cases and did save lives despite the lack of a weapon. A weapon in both cases could have saved more lives and maybe some money because sentences delivered then couldn't be reversed by any judge tomorrow.
Maryland and New York are begging for a Hassan-style murderous assault because we, Maryland, are being stupid. Cops are never where they are needed because while criminals are dumb most, will make sure that the coast is clear before they do stupid things. Does any one remember who has captured and restrained the most dangerous of air travelers? Citizens have done it more than law enforcement. Remember Flight 93?
The Sun's editorial board will witness a massacre one day and then they might get it. More guns equate to less crime. Why do they use police presence to reduce crime? More guns equate to less crime. When the governor of this state or Baltimore's mayor go anywhere, they are lead by several guys with guns. Why? More guns equal less crime.
Anyone remember the late Councilman Kenneth Harris? He didn't need a gun because he didn't carry a lot of money and the only thing he had to protect was a mortgage, a wife, and some kids. Cops and Maryland laws kept him real safe didn't they?
Bill Krehnbrink
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11. Why do you need a gun while grocery shopping?
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Board member Dennis O'Connor emailed me this:
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From Richmond Times-Dispatch: http://tinyurl.com/4x9ofrc
September 22, 2011
UPDATE: 2 stabbed in Martin's at Village Shopping Center
A Martin's grocery employee was stabbed and a co-worker police described as her alleged attacker then stabbed himself at the store at the Village Shopping Center early today, a Henrico Police spokesman said.
The woman had just arrived through the front of the store for her day shift shortly after 6 a.m. when she encountered the male employee who had worked the night shift and the two then argued, said Lt. Eric Owens.
The woman was stabbed several times before the man was chased to the rear of the store by another employee. The attacker then stabbed himself, Owens said.
The two were taken to Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. A Martin's official said they were in stable condition.
Owens said this afternoon that warrants have been obtained for Derek C. James, 29, of the 400 block of Wood Acres Road in Manakin Sabot, charging him with malicious wounding. The victim was not identified.
The attack took place just after the store's 6 a.m. opening, Owens said, but police do not believe any customers were inside. Owens said the stabbing was witnessed by employees.
Owens said an investigation was continuing and authorities could not immediately elaborate on any relationship or history between the two.
The store remained closed as police continued their investigation and reopened at 11:51 a.m., a company spokesman said.
Jim Scanlon, a regional vice president for Martin's, said there were between 40 and 50 employees in the store at the time of the attack but only a few witnessed the stabbing.
He said store officials did not know what precipitated the confrontation.
Beyond the two being co-workers, "I'm not aware that there was any relationship," he said.
"It's a mystery. Very unfortunate," Scanlon said.
Scanlon said workers who wished were allowed to go home after the attack, and counseling was being made available.
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12. LTE: 'No guns' signs target wrong folks
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From Wausau Daily Herald: http://tinyurl.com/3g5mqxj
September 20, 2011
EDITOR: Laws affect the law-abiding. The same goes for the proposed signs banning weapons in government buildings.
The estimate of law-abiding citizens carrying firearms is about 2 percent to 3 percent. Is the cost of posting every entrance to every building really worth it when those signs will not make the building any safer?
Consider the people who would legally carry in the buildings. They have a permit, are trained and have passed a background check. Can you vouch the same for all who pass through the entrances to the buildings? What are you really going to do to make the building safer -- upgrade to "airport security"?
If you deny me my right to self protection, then you have a duty to provide for my complete safety. Of the many things a criminal may think about when seeing a "No Weapons" sign, one is sure to be "I am safe here: No competition."
For examples of the effectiveness of Gun Free Zones, just look at Fort Hood, Virginia Tech, and all the other supposed GFZs where mass killings occurred. And we all know that violent crimes will never occur in parks.
So let's see if I have this right. You want to put up a sign, that you will not enforce, which criminals will ignore, while keeping law-abiding citizens from being able to protect themselves. Go to the parks, just not the bathrooms. Back to the bushes and trees?
Just peachy! (Bang head! Palm to forehead!)
Fred Yulga,
Marathon
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13. Another Voice: Have gun permit, will travel
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From chron.com: http://tinyurl.com/3hjhq9x
September 21, 2011
Forty-eight states - 49 in November, when Wisconsin joins the pack - allow their residents to carry concealed weapons. Illinois remains the only holdout.
Until now, states have been able to set their own rules for concealed-carry permits. New York, for instance, has fairly stringent standards that ban licenses to those convicted of certain misdemeanors, require individuals to demonstrate a legitimate need and mandate firearms training. Utah's is laxer, essentially issuing licenses to residents and nonresidents alike.
These differences would be obliterated by the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act, which was taken up by a House panel last week. The act would force states that allow concealed-carry to permit out-of-town visitors to tote hidden handguns if they have obtained a license elsewhere - regardless of the issuing state's standards. Advocates say that the law will allow law-abiding citizens to defend themselves wherever they are and to ensure that their right to travel - with gun handy - is not impeded by an obstinate state. This approach is bad policy and unnecessary law.
Many states already have agreements to recognize concealed-carry licenses from other jurisdictions. Virginia, for example, honors licenses from 27 other states that have similarly robust standards; Maryland, which strictly regulates concealed-carry, and the District of Columbia, which essentially prohibits it, do not recognize out-of-state licenses. These are legitimate choices that would be overridden by a federal legislature that too easily bends to the will of the gun lobby. Nevada, a strong gun-rights state, rescinded its agreement with Utah because Utah does not require live-fire training. Why should Congress overrule that judgment?
Allowing more guns on the streets and highways would also increase the risks to law enforcement officers, which explains why the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Major Cities Chiefs Association are among the organizations that oppose the measure.
The Supreme Court in 2008 recognized an individual right to keep and bear arms in the home for self-defense. But the Second Amendment, like every other constitutional provision, has its limits. "Nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on long-standing prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings," the majority concluded. Regulating who is allowed a concealed weapon should be left to the states.
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14. Who needs a gun in a casino, hospital, or an entire town in Nevada?
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Deborah Jane Anderson emailed me this:
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Who needs a gun in a casino, hospital, or an entire town in Nevada? Apparently, everyone living in Sparks, Nevada (a suburb of Reno).
First, a showdown by rival motorcycle gangs in Sparks leads to shots fired in a casino. A Hell's Angels leader is left dead and two others are wounded. The casino had to go on lockdown.
Then, after the incident ended at the casino, gang members showed up at the hospital, too, so the hospital also had to go on lockdown.
And, apparently, all that was followed by a drive-by shooting in town.
Probably fearing even more violence to erupt (BTW, there was a biker festival in town, after all), the mayor declares a state of emergency, which he hopes will speed the process of getting State help in case they need more law enforcement assistance to backup the local cops.
You need to read more than one article to get all the details, but suffice it to say that it was a really wild night in Sparks, Nevada -- or, as my husband just put it, "The sparks really flew tonight in Sparks."
One final comment, this series of events just led me to think about the "antis" and all their frivilous claims that we'd have "wild west shootouts" in VA once the restaurant ban ended. I think that what happened in Sparks, Nevada shows what can occur when a bunch of "bad guys" are armed -- not law-abiding citizens!
Blessings,
Deborah Jane Anderson
From FOX News: http://tinyurl.com/655tf83
Associated Press
September 24, 2011
The city canceled its part in an annual multi-city motorcycle festival on Saturday and neighboring Reno increased police patrol amid fears of retaliation over the shooting death of a prominent Hells Angels boss by a rival gang.
Jeffrey "Jethro" Pettigrew, the 51-year-old head of the motorcycle gang's San Jose chapter, was killed late Friday in a shootout that sent hotel guests and gamblers diving under tables at John Ascuaga's Nugget hotel-casino, police said. Two members of the Vagos gang also were wounded.
The gunfight apparently sparked a retaliatory drive-by shooting several hours after the casino gunfire, prompting Mayor Geno Martini to declare a formal state of emergency. A motorcyclist was injured after he was shot Saturday morning.
"We don't want to alarm our residents," he said. "The declaration merely provides some tools and tactics our city can and should use if it comes to that."
"We don't expect further violence, but we must be prepared," he added.
Martini said he also pulled the plug on the live entertainment and other festivities in Sparks related to Street Vibrations, an annual weekend-long event that has drawn tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to the area for 18 years.
Festival organizers had said they expected up to 30,000 visitors to this year's event, which began Thursday and was to run through Sunday in Reno, Sparks and Virginia City.
The man who was injured during the drive-by shooting had been riding a motorcycle near the public square where the festival was anchored.
Deputy Police Chief Brian Allen said investigators could not independently link the casino to the attack on the cyclist, which was carried out by a gunman in a black sedan with tinted windows.
But Martini told the Reno Gazette-Journal that it "definitely" was a case of retaliation.
"After the retaliation, it's just too tense of a situation," he said. "It's hard to say what's going to happen. It's just not worth the chance."
Security also was heightened at the Reno hospital where the two Vagos members were in stable condition. All doors were locked there, except the emergency entrance.
Allen said police arrested one Hells Angel member in connection with the casino shooting. He said officers made a number of other arrests but he provided no details.
Martini said he had been in contact with Gov. Brian Sandoval, who pledged support if the city needed more law enforcement resources.
Allen said law enforcement was monitoring traffic on I-80 and other main routes into Reno but had no indication any motorcycle clubs were attempting to marshal more forces in the area.
Reno police said they were increasing patrols but continuing the festival there, including downtown concerts on the main casino drag where the streets were closed to traffic. They also said they would request assistance from federal law enforcement if necessary.
Police said some hotel-casinos in Reno intended to staff their doors and allow entry only to registered guests Saturday night.
Witnesses to the casino shootout described chaos erupting after a group of Vagos club members was confronted by Hells Angels members at the Nugget. Daniel Sharp, of Stockton, Calif., told the Reno Gazette-Journal that within five minutes, shots rang out: "It was mayhem."
Joe Franco, of Reno, said he saw one Hells Angel member pull out a gun after he was knocked to the ground in a fistfight.
"He was down with the bloody nose, gets up and pulls out the gun, and that's the first shot" apparently at the man who punched him, Franco told the Gazette-Journal.
The casino was evacuated and put on lockdown around midnight. The Nugget said in a statement that the casino and all its restaurants had since reopened, but that in addition to its own "extensive security force," uniformed officers would patrol inside the casino for the rest of the weekend.
Authorities in Arizona arrested more than two dozen members of the two gangs in August 2010 after a shootout between them wounded five people but none seriously in the small community of Chino Valley, north of Prescott.
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15. Love your gun?. Thank the Black Panthers, says new book
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From Wall Street Journal: http://tinyurl.com/43u6pg7
By Barbara Chai
September 21, 2011
Last night, publisher and real-estate mogul Mort Zuckerman feted law professor Adam Winkler for the release of Winkler's new book, "Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America."
Guests (including actor Alan Alda, director Nora Ephron and others) were treated to a panoramic view of Central Park and the city skyline from Zuckerman's temporary apartment in New York (his own is undergoing renovations). One wall serving as a backdrop to the cocktail bar was in fact a large fish tank.
Zuckerman is a close family friend of Winkler (the author's father is Oscar-winning producer Irwin Winkler) and was supportive during his writing of the book. "He was very encouraging early on when I gave him some initial chapters, gave me some great advice about the book, and has been wonderful," Winkler said.
The book explores the centuries-long debate over gun control and the right to bear arms in the U.S. "I really wanted to write a book about guns that would be of interest to people who have no interest in guns," said Winkler, a constitutional law scholar and UCLA professor.
His academic research revealed remarkable stories that he wanted to share. He looked at not only the Founding Fathers but also the Wild West - which he said had the most restrictive gun-control laws in the nation. "The heart of America's gun control actually was cities like Tombstone and Deadwood, where you're not allowed to carry guns when you're in these cities. Our image of the Wild West is totally wrong."
In his research for "Gunfight," Winkler also noted a close intersection between guns and racism. "It was a constant pressure among white racists to keep guns out of the hands of African-Americans, because they would rise up and revolt." he said. "The KKK began as a gun-control organization. Before the Civil War, blacks were never allowed to own guns. During the Civil War, blacks kept guns for the first time - either they served in the Union army and they were allowed to keep their guns, or they buy guns on the open market where for the first time there's hundreds of thousands of guns flooding the marketplace after the war ends. So they arm up because they know who they're dealing with in the South. White racists do things like pass laws to disarm them, but that's not really going to work. So they form these racist posses all over the South to go out at night in large groups to terrorize blacks and take those guns away. If blacks were disarmed, they couldn't fight back."
Winkler also said that in the 1960s, laws passed by social conservatives to disarm black urban radicals like the Black Panthers in turn sparked a backlash that became the modern gun-rights movement. He wrote about it in an essay in this month's Atlantic.
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16. Save your money - skip the Virginia State Fair
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The State Fair is anti-gun. If you don't consent to being searched you don't get in.
No thanks - I've got better things to do with my money.
Thanks to Josh Wilberger for the reminder.
http://www.statefair.com/guest-services
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17. Virginia reciprocity with Wisconsin/Iowa
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To Lambert with the Virginia State Police told me that Virginia is working to get reciprocity with both Wisconsin and Iowa - two of the newest shall-issue states.
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18. Report of student with CHP arrested at UVA-Wise Campus
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A student being arrested was the original report to VCDL. However, EM John Pierce investigated and here is his report on what really happened from talking to the UVA-Wise Campus Police:
1) A student in the library see what they think is the grip of a handgun in the waistband of another student. They post this observation on Facebook.
2) A second student sees the post on Facebook and calls the Campus Life department on campus who subsequently call the campus police.
3) Campus police go to the library where they find the student who posted on Facebook. They then determine the name of the person who seemed to have a concealed firearm.
4) They pull the identified student out of class and ask him if he has a firearm on his person. He states that he does and produces his CHP.
5) They ask him to leave campus with the firearm.
6) There was no arrest nor are criminal charges pending. [PVC: THIS makes sense - an arrest would not have as no laws were broken, only a policy.]
7) He is however scheduled for a disciplinary hearing on-campus.
VCDL will keep an eye on this one.
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19. Uh oh. The anti-freedom crowd hates the Serbu .50 BMB give-away for VCDL
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Andrew Goddard, of the Million Mom March, is beside himself over the drawing for a lucky VCDL member to receive a Serbu .50 BMG rifle.
Andrew wrote this to his members:
"To be fair to the VCDL, this is a 'legal' weapon and they have every right to conduct raffles among their members. The winner will have to pass a background check in order to receive the gun from a licensed dealer, but what really bothers me is that an organization that supports second amendment rights would choose to give away such a ridiculous weapon and to do so in such an intimidating fashion. How can they expect average Virginians to take their actions seriously when they resort to such extremes? I can't imagine that our Founding Fathers would agree that such a weapon has any place in the hands of civilians."
Huh? Intimidating? What did we do that was intimidating? What is ridiculous about a .50 BMG rifle? They're fun to shoot and accurate. The Founding Fathers would have approved, big time! And the gun is going to be given to one of the good guys - so what is Goddard complaining about?
Of course, if we gave away a tiny .22 LR North American Arms mini-revolver, Andrew would do the same thing: acknowledge our right to give such a gun away and then be shocked that we would give away such a ridiculously tiny, inexpensive, and concealable gun! Truth is he is simply fundraising off our fundraising. Financially the anti-gun groups are not fairing very well.
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And for some more fun, here is a video of Lori Haas explaining to Senator Richard Saslaw and attendees at a meeting:
* How her group is responsible for stopping the evil gun lobby, killing dozens of gun bills in a single bound!
* How the "gun lobby cares more about profits than lives" and
* On the Castle Doctrine she says this, "imagine shooting someone at your mailbox and saying, 'Oh, he scared me!'" Since the Castle Doctrine only covers you inside your home, she must be talking about the "Mailbox Doctrine" ;-)
If you are a fiction fan, you'll love this fun-filled, but truth-challenged video! Lori will show you the power of lying while keeping a perfectly straight face and looking you straight in the eye at the same time! (Note to self: don't ever play poker with Lori!) Do duct tape your head before viewing this video - you've been warned:
http://tinyurl.com/3udno9y
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VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization
dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to
Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.
VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org [http://www.vcdl.org/]
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