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Thought for the day: "I am a gun. I cannot drive to an elementary school, a crowded shopping mall, or a Hollywood movie premiere." From "I am a gun" by R.G. Yoho.
1. ACTION ITEM: US Conference of Catholic Bishops supports gun-control agenda
2. It's not just the Catholic Church that's anti-gun
3. Robo-calls errantly displayed a VCDL caller-ID number
4. Breaking: 14 stabbed at Texas school - time to ban guns or to embrace them?
5. Colorado Sheriffs call out Obama on gun control
6. Poet: "I do like to have a gun around"
7. RIP Second Amendment: Maryland passes horrific gun-control laws
8. Senator Tim Kaine says he will vote for AWB and magazine ban
9. President Obama pulling out the stops to push for gun control
10. New survey: police stand side-by-side with armed citizens
11. Leesburg restaurant's Open-Carry-Wednesdays discounts gets a lot of press!
12. Leesburg Police Chief has typical gun-hater reaction to restaurant
13. Two excellent defenses of the right to keep and bear arms
14. Hypocrite: Del. Morrissey hid his past, but wants gun owners to reveal their information
15. Winchester 5.56mm ammunition recall
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1. ACTION ITEM: US Conference of Catholic Bishops supports gun-control agenda
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From Board member Dennis O'Connor:
The Virginia Catholic Conference is the public policy advocacy organization representing Bishop Francis DiLorenzo, Diocese of Richmond, and Bishop Paul Loverde, Diocese of Arlington, on matters before the Virginia General Assembly. The conference is funded equally by both dioceses, and claims to represent all Catholics in both dioceses.
In response to one of our members, the conference claims that its gun-control agenda is "consistent with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ("USCCB") position," and vows that the Virginia dioceses "will continue to advocate closing the 'gun show' loophole."
BUT IT GETS EVEN WORSE: Since the Newtown massacre, the USCCB has joined a coalition of numerous other religious denominations across the country under the Brady Campaign called Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence: http://tinyurl.com/bmerkbe
From Feb. 2013 testimony submitted on behalf of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops before the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary:
"The Church has been a… strong advocate for the reasonable regulation of firearms. Simply put, guns are too easily accessible….USCCB was also a supporter of the Assault Weapons Ban…On January 15, Bishop Stephen E. Blaire, Chair of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development joined 46 other national religious leaders in signing the letter of Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence.
The letter urges Congress to support policies that
1. Require universal background checks for all gun purchases;
2. Limit civilian access to high-capacity weapons and ammunition magazines;
3. Make gun trafficking a federal crime…"
From usccb.org: http://tinyurl.com/cxnqgqg
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If you have not yet sent the message below to the Virginia Bishops, please do so RIGHT NOW!
ACTION ITEM: Cut and paste the below message (or write a respectful, but firm one of your own) and email to the appropriate diocese if you are Catholic (or to both if you are not). Please delete the "Catholic only" sentence if you are not Catholic.
Alternatively, you can cut and paste into a letter and mail to each Bishop. Phone numbers are provided as well, and personal contact is most effective. Let's roll!
For ****Richmond**** Diocese:
Most Reverend Francis X. DiLorenzo
7800 Carousel Lane
Richmond, VA 23294
(804) 359-5661
bishopdilorenzo@richmonddiocese.org
For ****Arlington**** Diocese:
Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde
200 North Glebe Road
Arlington, VA 22203
1-800-963-2505 or 1-703-841-2500
communications@arlingtondiocese.org
Your Excellency,
I am dismayed to note that the Virginia Catholic Conference has been duped by radical anti-rights activists into supporting mandatory background checks for private sellers at gun shows. There is NO "loophole" at gun shows. Nothing can be done legally at gun shows that can't be done anywhere else. The "loophole" sham was invented by gun prohibitionists for the purpose of damaging gun shows, because that is where lawful gun owners meet and network. Furthermore, it is a solution in search of a problem: The Justice Department reported that only 0.7 percent of guns involved in crime are purchased at gun shows, where there is typically a large presence of law enforcement officers.
Additionally, the private sales at gun shows background check scheme is a slippery slope towards the real anti-rights agenda of mandating checks for ALL private sales, even among family and friends. This would create a defacto gun registration of all lawful gun owners. Full registration has always preceded firearm confiscation by governments, most recently in this country in California and Illinois.
Your advocacy of such an agenda attacks my rights as an American, smears me as a potential criminal, and ultimately treats me like a sex offender needing to be registered just because I am a lawful gun owner. I am grievously offended, and expect better of the diocese.
************FOR CATHOLICS ONLY, add:
As a parishioner of (NAME YOUR CHURCH), I am compelled to re-consider my future contributions to the Bishop's Annual Appeal and various weekly special collections that I now realize are being used against me and my fellow parishioners.
************
I encourage you to research this issue from credible sources, and rescind your support for attacking the rights and liberties of Virginians in a misguided effort to affect crime.
Respectfully,
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2. It's not just the Catholic Church that's anti-gun
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VP Jim Snyder opined: "I wonder if we should ask churches if they would support universal background checks on any cleric before he/she would be allowed to preach?"
Has YOUR faith joined the gun-control coalition? How about United Methodists, Church of the Bretheren, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association/Samaritan's Purse, and the Southern Baptist Convention for starters?
Here are more links regarding the anti-gun lobby Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, whose member religious organizations purportedly represent 80 million of "us."
Check at the bottom to see if YOUR faith is now allied with the Brady Campaign in Faiths United. If so, we need volunteers to research contacts and draft action item letters similar to the one above.
"The Rev. J. Herbert Nelson II of the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Washington office said people of faith must…support "those of us who would challenge the false choice between guns and freedom."
http://www.pcusa.org/news/2013/1/16/religious-coalition-takes-gun-lobby/
"The coalition, Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, came to the United Methodist Building behind the Capitol on Tuesday to announce its proposals."
http://cnsmaryland.org/2013/01/15/faithsunitedguncontrol/
Faiths United crows that they have "penetrated the south" by getting the Southern Baptist Convention to join with them in support of universal background checks (at about 3:25 on the video).
http://current.com/shows/full-court-press/videos/bill-praises-president-obamas-latest-actions-on-gun-control/
Representatives on behalf of the following organizations had signed on to the initial Faiths United January 2013 gun control agenda:
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Alliance of Baptists
American Baptist Churches of the South
American Baptist Home Mission Societies
American Friends Service Committee
Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America
Catholic Charities USA
Catholic Health Association
Catholic Health Initiatives
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Catholics United
Church of the Brethren
Church Women United, Inc.
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Disciples Home Missions
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Dominican Sisters of Peace
Franciscan Action Network
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Health Ministries Association
Heeding God's Call
Hindu American Foundation
Islamic Society of North America
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Reconstructionist Movement
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Council of Churches
National Episcopal Health Ministries
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Pax Christi USA
PICO Network Lifelines to Healing
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness
Progressive National Baptist Convention
Rabbinical Assembly
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
Sikh Council on Religion and Education, USA
Sojourners
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Church of Christ
United Methodist Women
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Washington National Cathedral
Women of Reform Judaism
https://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50192/images/FUPGV-Generic-011513.pdf
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UNITED METHODISTS
United Methodists just sent this out to clergy:
Gun Violence - An Appeal to Virginia United Methodists from members of the Executive Committee of the Conference Board of Church and Society
Violence and, more particularly, violence to children and youths is a primary concern for all peoples of faith. In the national conversation in the media and in our homes we Christians must not be silent on this serious matter of the proliferation of weapons designed to take multiple human lives as well as the easy availability to obtain those weapons. While the proposed legislation will not address all the issues involved in gun violence it can be a step taken toward addressing this serious issue of violence against innocent persons which should make sense as important to the common good of all.
We ask that you prayerfully do two things:
1. Please read the following web link from the General Board of Church and Society which gives both history and context of the United Methodist's resolution on gun violence: http://umc-gbcs.org/faith-in-action/gun-violence
2. Please review this web link as an urgent appeal http://umc-gbcs.org/blog/safe-communities-safe-schools-ban-assault-weapons for the faithful to contact our Senators (2 phone calls) asking them to support S.150 (Assault Weapons Ban) and S.649 (Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act) before Tuesday April 9.
Sen. Mark Warner: 202-224-2023
Sen. Tim Kane: (202) 224-4024
Respectfully,
John Fair
Jaydee Hanson
Marilyn Heckstall
Hunter Mabry
Gretchen Nelson
Glenn Rowley
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FRANKLIN GRAHAM AND RICHARD LAND, TOO.
Shamefully, Franklin Graham and Richard Land want universal background checks, too. Churches should not be dabbling in taking away our rights and we need to let Graham, Land, and the others hear from us loud and clear.
From swampland.time.com: http://tinyurl.com/btekojz
Franklin Graham Backs Universal Background Checks
By Zeke J MillerMarch 13, 2013
Rev. Franklin Graham and other leading evangelical figures are publicly backing efforts to require background checks for all gun purchases, providing a shot in the arm to stalled congressional efforts to enact elements of President Barack Obama's gun control plan.
Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham and the president of Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse, and Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission told TIME they have agreed to back universal background check legislation put forward by the administration in the wake of last year's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
"As ministers, we agreed together that we could stand on a united front for universal background checks," Graham told TIME, noting he had many conversations with civil rights leader Rev. Amos Brown on the subject. "We think that's reasonable and responsible."
Land wrote a letter to Obama in January on behalf of his organization pledging support to background check legislation, but his organization opposes the Assault Weapons Ban.
The vocal support of the largely-Republican evangelical community could represent a watershed moment for universal background checks, a modest plank, yet the most likely to pass, of the administration's expansive gun control proposals. But their support may come at a cost for the White House — a commitment to taking on its political base in Hollywood over violence on the screen and in video games.
"There needs to be an all out effort to curtail the culture of violence that effects all of us," Graham said. In an interview with TIME, Land called for "a Sister Souljah moment" from Obama for the entertainment industry. "You could tax violence and that money can be used for a special fund to help people who are victims of gun violence."
And Land said the evangelical support for the background checks alone was tepid, and that to earn their help Obama would have to strengthen the mental health system and go after the entertainment industry.
"We're not going to oppose universal background checks —it's a nice idea but only law-abiding citizens follow that," he said. "The more the president can make this a multi-pronged the more support he's going to receive from evangelicals."
The evangelical support comes outside the legislative controversy surrounding a background check bill, which has hit a stalemate over record-keeping requirements. Democrats are calling for private sellers, who are currently not required to conduct background checks, to maintain records of the guns they sell — a sticking point that has caused Sen. Tom Coburn to walk away from talks with Sen. Chuck Schumer over concerns that it would never pass the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
Graham said he and Brown are hoping the White House will combine the two issues together by April 4, the 45th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
"There are millions of people that we can mobilize behind something like this, but it takes leadership from the White House," Graham said.
--
Contact into (thanks to Board member Bruce Jackson for compiling this one):
Franklin serves as president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the international relief and evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse
Rev. Franklin Graham
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
1 Billy Graham Parkway
Charlotte, NC 28201
Phone: (704) 401-2432
Phone
Toll-Free: 1-877-2GRAHAM (1-877-247-2426) Call Monday through Friday
8:30 am – 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Saturday 9:00 am - 11:00 pm Eastern
Time. Closed on Sundays.
No email, but there is a contact page....http://www.billygraham.org/contact.asp
Franklin Graham
Samaritan's Purse
P.O. Box 3000
Boone, NC 28607
Phone (828) 262-1980
Fax (828) 266-1056
--------------
http://www.drrichardland.com/about
Dr. Richard Land
901 Commerce St.
Suite #550
Nashville, TN 37203
Press
Elizabeth Bristow
press@drrichardland.com
615-782-8409
..
General
Sam Dahl
assistant@drrichardland.com
615-782-8405
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3. Robo-calls errantly displayed a VCDL caller-ID number
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Thursday, April 4th, at about 4 PM the VCDL line started ringing off the hook with Virginians calling to complain about robo-calls that had a VCDL phone number as the caller-ID. Since I was in Utah last week, Board member Bruce Jackson was monitoring messages being left on the VCDL voice mail.
Bruce double checked with me to confirm that VCDL was not running a robo-call campaign, then took the bull by the horns to find out who was making the calls and to get them to stop.
Bruce quickly found that the people who were getting the robo-calls were mostly getting a hang-up and no message.
The calls stopped around 9 PM, but, surprisingly started again on Friday, April 5th, about noon. This time the calls to us were coming from North Carolina, Arizona, and several other area codes! After doing some more investigation, Bruce finally found out who the robo-calls were from: the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR). It turned out to be a mistake by the company that NAGR used to do the robo-calls. I have since talked to that company and I was assured that the mistake will not be repeated. NAGR also apologized, even though it was not their mistake.
Let me take a minute to let you know that VCDL has contact information, including phone numbers, for members. Since we rarely use it and NEVER sell our membership contact info, rent it, or loan it out, we do not consider it a calling list.
If you get a call from us, it is important.
Please note: if you called and left a message this past weekend on another subject, it may have gotten lost in the deluge of messages. If you have not heard back yet, please give us another call.
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4. Breaking: 14 stabbed at Texas school - time to ban guns or to embrace them?
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Surely this can be blamed on guns by Dianne Feinstein and her fellow gun-grabbing extremists. After all, only guns can create mass casualties according to her philosophy.
How many might NOT have been stabbed if students and teachers in Texas could carry at universities and colleges?
Hats off, again, to Liberty University for their new student/faculty/staff/guest carry policy.
From foxnews.com: http://tinyurl.com/cmxhzvj
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5. Colorado Sheriffs call out Obama on gun control
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Compare these powerful statements about protecting our right to keep and bear arms with the statement by the Leesburg Chief of Police (item #12, below). Night and day.
From the denverpost.com: http://tinyurl.com/d8mv5nh [VIDEO]
From denver.cbslocal.com: http://tinyurl.com/c2fg73w [VIDEO]
Best for last:
From gunssavelives.net/blog: http://tinyurl.com/bnhzwsm [VIDEO]
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6. Poet: "I do like to have a gun around"
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From the washingtontimes.com: http://tinyurl.com/c5rwpms
Poet Maya Angelou: 'I do like to have guns around'
The Washington Times
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
In an interview with Time Magazine, famous poet and Obama supporter Maya Angelou recalled a time in her life when she fired a gun to scare off an intruder.
"I do like to have guns around," she told Time's Belinda Luscombe when asked if she shared her mother's fondness for firearms. "I don't like to carry them. But I like — if somebody is going to come into my house and I have not put out the welcome mat, I want to stop them."
"Have you ever fired a weapon?" the interviewer asked.
"Of course!" Ms. Angelou affirmed. "I was in my house in North Carolina. It was fall. I heard someone walking on the leaves. And somebody actually turned the knob. So I said, "Stand four feet back because I'm going to shoot now!" Boom! Boom! The police came by and said, 'Ms. Angelou, the shots came from inside the house.' I said, 'Well, I don't know how that happened.'"
[PVC: VCDL VP, Jim Snyder, noted: "What she did was really pretty dumb and goes against the gun safety rules 'be sure of your target' as well as firing warning shots. Dumb! We really don't want to encourage anyone to fire warning shots, whether they are poets or the Vice President's wife."]
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7. RIP Second Amendment: Maryland passes horrific gun-control laws
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From the washingtontimes.com: http://tinyurl.com/c8xkd7r
Maryland House passes gun-control package
By Meredith Somers
The Washington Times
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Maryland's House of Delegates on Wednesday passed a package of gun restrictions making its laws among the toughest in the country and reinforcing what analysts say is a trend toward states with strict gun regulations passing laws making them stricter.
The state joins California, Colorado and New York in adopting significant measures to regulate guns this year, even as Connecticut passes harsh new weapons restrictions of its own in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in December.
The bill passed the heavily Democratic House on a 78-61 vote without the support of any of the chamber's 43 Republicans, who voted in lockstep against the package. They were joined by 18 Democrats who broke ranks to oppose the measure. Two Democrats were absent for the vote.
The legislation preserves the major components of the proposal by Gov. Martin O'Malley that passed the Senate last month. It limits handgun magazines to no more than 10 rounds, prohibits 45 guns under an assault weapons ban, and requires residents to obtain a license for a gun. Prospective buyers will also have to submit their fingerprints as part of the application process.
"As states that have this show, when handgun purchasers have to get a fingerprint license through the state police, they are much less likely to buy guns for criminals," said Vincent DeMarco, president of the Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence. "These straw purchases are one of the main ways criminals get guns."Maryland joins Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey as the only states that have a fingerprint law.
The assault weapons ban provides a clause that grandfathers people who own or purchase their firearms before the law takes effect in October.
The House bill adds some changes from a bill that passed in the Senate last month, such as including a controversial requirement that a gun owner reports within 72 hours when a weapon is lost or stolen or face penalties. It also would ban gun possession for anyone sentenced to probation before judgment for a violent crime.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the Senate would accept the House changes. The chambers have until midnight Monday to iron out their differences before the end of the legislative session.
Despite cheers and applause after the vote was announced, the bill was not without its critics. House and Senate committee debates over the bill drew hundreds of protesters to Annapolis and created marathon hearings dominated by testimony from the bill's opponents.
Some view the legislation as unfairly painting guns as the problem, rather than the people who commit the crimes.
"We never blame cars for killing people when they're driven by drunk drivers or out-of-control pop stars," said Delegate Justin D. Ready, Carroll Republican. "Vehicles kill more people in this country than anything else, but no reasonable person would ever suggest that we should ban vehicles based on how they look, even when there are some that maybe have a higher propensity to, say, flip over."
Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat, announced the sweeping proposal in mid-January, about a month after 20-year-old Adam Lanza used a high-powered assault rifle to kill 20 first-graders and six adults at the Connecticut school. Even before the victims' funerals were scheduled, President Obama and members of Congress were calling for stricter gun laws. Despite the sense of urgency initially felt on Capitol Hill following the shootings, momentum has slowed at the federal level and stalled in many states amid fighting among gun-rights and gun-control advocates.
Analysts say the number of gun-related bills introduced into state legislatures in the four months since the Newtown shooting soared from previous years. During the first quarter of 2013, legislation proposed to strengthen firearms increased by 231 percent compared to all of last year, according to figures compiled by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Bills that would loosen gun laws also increased, but by 67 percent.
"I think it does reflect the public's mood," said the group's senior staff attorney Laura Cutilletta said. "The public has become much more mobilized about this issue. I think this is a long process. It would be wonderful to see a change in one legislative session, but I think it will take longer than that."
Last month, Colorado passed a law banning large capacity ammunition magazines and imposing background checks for private sales. The laws passed after a mass shooting in a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., in July in which a gunman killed 12 people and injured dozens more. The vote followed weeks of intense political wrangling and came after a flood of activists descended on the Capitol to protest the proposed bans.
New York also saw demonstrations before passing laws requiring owners to report lost and stolen guns and strengthening its assault weapons ban.
The Connecticut Senate on Wednesday approved a gun-control package that adds 100 new weapons to the state's banned list and establishes a dangerous weapons offender registry. The state's House of Representatives was also expected to pass the bill.
The state Senate in California, which according to a ranking by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, has the strongest gun control laws in the country, is considering strengthening its assault weapons ban by not allowing the sale or manufacture of semiautomatic guns with detachable magazines.
Maryland, California, Colorado, New York and Connecticut were already ranked in 2011 by the Brady Campaign among the 20 states with the most restrictive gun laws in the country.
By contrast, Wyoming passed a bill allowing judges to carry weapons in their courtrooms, and the Georgia House passed a bill that would permit guns in churches, bars, school buses and schools.
Both states were scored as having less restrictive existing laws.
Ms. Cutilletta said it wasn't surprising that states with strict or permissive laws continued in those directions at the legislative level. The same lawmakers are in office, she explained, and so are many of the same feelings on gun control."These are major changes to the regulatory schemes in those areas," Ms. Cutilletta said. "We are seeing a big change in states that already have stronger laws. But I think it will take longer for the states with weaker laws to catch up. [PVC: We have no intention to "catching up" with Maryland, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut, Ms. Cutilletta.]
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8. Senator Tim Kaine says he will vote for AWB and magazine ban
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This does NOT mean we should not contact Kaine and tell him we expect him to support our right to keep and bear arms. Such contact will help reduce the chance that Kaine will become another Schumer, who is a LEADER on the issue, not just someone who votes wrong.
From wdbj7.com: http://tinyurl.com/cy9qk6d
Kaine supports assault weapons ban
David Seidel Assignment Manager
8:33 a.m. EDT, April 9, 2013
WASHINGTON, DC—
Senator Tim Kaine says he will vote in favor of banning certain types of assault-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
In an editorial published Tuesday morning in the Norfolk Virginian Pilot newspaper, Kaine says he also supports expanded background checks.
Here is the full text of Kaine's statement:
Nearly four months after the horrific Newtown shootings, the Senate is poised to do something that hasn't been done for a long time in Congress - actually have a meaningful floor debate on reducing gun violence. Some senators and lobbyists are trying to make sure that no vote can take place. This should outrage the strong majority of American citizens who believe in reasonable gun rules to protect public safety.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and 11 other senators have promised to filibuster any discussion of gun safety rules. Instead of just voting against restrictions they don't like, they are trying to block any vote whatsoever. [PVC: Hypocrite Kaine. Democrats use filibusters, too.] Their plan inspired Sen. John McCain to say the following: "The purpose of the United States Senate is to debate and to vote and to let the people know where we stand. What are we afraid of?" [PVC: McCain should have retired a very long time ago.]
Like McCain, I'm not afraid of the debate. Since joining the Senate, I've heard from thousands of citizens by phone, email, letter and in person. A Virginian, James Madison, drafted the Bill of Rights, and we in the commonwealth believe strongly in the Second Amendment. But just as we know that the First Amendment's protection of free speech gives no protection to slander or child pornography, we also understand that the individual right to bear arms is tempered by a responsibility to society. [PVC: Jim Snyder noted this to me: "Does Kaine not understand that slander & child porn are NON-PASSIVE activities while possession of a firearm is a PASSIVE activity? Apples & oranges comparison."]
That's why - after extensive discussion with our citizens (many are gun-owners like me) - I'm prepared to vote.
We need a better background record check system. The horrible shooting at Virginia Tech happened after a dangerous young man illegally bought weapons due to a loophole in the records check system. When we fixed it, we made Virginia safer. But too many gaps still exist, and more than 40 percent of gun sales occur with no check to ensure that purchasers are legally able to possess weapons.
I'm also convinced that reasonable limits on gun trafficking across state lines, super-size magazines and certain combat-style weapons make sense, and I'll be pleased to vote in support of such measures. There is no piece of legislation that will eliminate violence. But if we take concrete steps, we can make our communities safer.
I don't want to have this opportunity and shrink from the responsibility. And I especially don't want a tiny minority of senators and powerful lobbyists to block the legislative branch from even considering and voting on these proposals.
There are those who believe the National Rifle Association and its allies are so powerful that no legislation will pass. But the power of the organization's leadership is vastly overrated. I've run three statewide races in the NRA's home state. Its leadership campaigned vigorously against me each time, spending nearly $800,000 against me in my 2012 Senate race. I won all my races anyway.
The NRA leadership's track record in other statewide races is equally lackluster because poll after poll shows that Americans believe in reasonable gun safety rules. When even an overwhelming majority of NRA members supports universal background checks, it shows just how out of touch the organization's leadership has become.
The issue before us is whether a passionate minority - of senators and special interests - will block the majority from full debate and votes on gun safety. That passionate minority is pulling out all the stops. I received a mailing at my house last weekend attacking the Senate proposals in extreme terms. The mailing failed to make clear that it was paid for by gun manufacturers whose pocketbooks benefit from lax laws.
The moment for decision is here. The minority is trying to block debate. It's time for the reasonable majority to step up and be heard. If we miss this opportunity, it will only be a matter of time before we're awakened again by the next gun tragedy to hit the evening news.
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9. President Obama pulling out the stops to push for gun control
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22075192
Obama in emotional plea for gun bill vote in Congress
Speaking in Connecticut where 26 people died in a December school massacre, Mr Obama said citizens must demand action.
Opinion polls have shown a majority of Americans support a ban on assault weapons and other gun control measures.
But gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association, have been lobbying politicians against the bill.
"The day Newtown happened was the toughest day of my presidency," Mr Obama said in his speech at Hartford, not far from Newtown, scene of the mass shooting four months ago.
"But I've got to tell you, if we don't respond to this, that'll be a tough day for me too."
Worth fighting for?
The Associated Press news agency reports there were tears in Mr Obama's eyes as he described Newtown parent Nicole Hockley, who has said every night she asks her six-year-old son Dylan to come to her in her dreams so she can see him again.
"If there's even one thing we can do to prevent a father from having to bury his child, isn't that worth fighting for?" Mr Obama asked, amid repeated standing ovations from the crowd. [PVC: YES! Make sure that good people can carry guns everywhere they go, including schools, to protect against more mass shootings!]
The Democratic president called for a vote on his three gun legislation priorities - strengthening background checks on gun buyers, limiting the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, and a ban on assault weapons. [PVC: None of which would prevent another father from having to bury his child.]
But the US Senate recently ditched the proposed ban on assault weapons and on high-capacity magazines, saying there was not enough support for the measure.
On Monday, the president said curbing gun violence was more important than partisan politics.
"Connecticut, this is not about me," Mr Obama said. "This is not about politics.
"This is about doing the right thing for all the families who are here that have been torn apart by gun violence." [PVC: No, I think it is actually about you and your agenda, Mr. President. Doing the right thing would be to abolish gun free zones that leave good people defenseless and soft targets for criminals, the insane, and terrorists.]
Eleven parents of young children who were killed in the Newtown school shooting returned to Washington DC with the president aboard his official plane, Air Force One. [PVC: with massive unemployment and a poor economy, how much did that political stunt cost us?]
They are due to lobby members of Congress who have not yet backed the gun control bill.
'Political stunts'
Mr Obama said: "Nothing's going to be more important in making sure that the Congress moves forward this week than hearing from them."
He criticised Republicans who have threatened to use a procedural tactic known as a filibuster to delay a vote on the gun bill.
Thirteen senators have said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid they would take such action, after Mr Reid brought the bill to the Senate floor for debate on Monday.
"Some back in Washington are already floating the idea that they may use political stunts to prevent votes on any of these reforms. Think about that," said Mr Obama.
"They're not just saying they'll vote 'no' on ideas that almost all Americans support.
"They're saying they'll do everything they can to even prevent any votes on these provisions. They're saying your opinion doesn't matter. And that's not right." [PVC: No, Mr. President, destroying our liberty is what is not right. The anti-liberty legislators in Congress ignore their oath to protect and defend the Constitution. As such, they deserve no vote on constitutional matters.]
Mr Obama's speech came a week after Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed sweeping gun-control measures into law.
Connecticut follows the states of Colorado and New York in passing tighter state gun laws.
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10. New survey: police stand side-by-side with armed citizens
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PoliceOne.com is an excellent police-related electronic newsletter. They publish unblinking articles - from those highlighting the bravery and sacrifice of our men and women in blue, to police being caught for breaking the law.
They surveyed their members and the results show a solid backing for armed citizens.
Thanks for EM Dave Hicks for the link.
From policeone.com: http://tinyurl.com/d9t58nx
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PoliceOne's Gun Control Survey: 11 key lessons from officers' perspectives
SNIP
1.) Virtually all respondents (95 percent) say that a federal ban on manufacture and sale of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds would not reduce violent crime.
2.) The majority of respondents — 71 percent — say a federal ban on the manufacture and sale of some semi-automatics would have no effect on reducing violent crime. However, more than 20 percent say any ban would actually have a negative effect on reducing violent crime. Just over 7 percent took the opposite stance, saying they believe a ban would have a moderate to significant effect.
3.) About 85 percent of officers say the passage of the White House's currently proposed legislation would have a zero or negative effect on their safety, with just over 10 percent saying it would have a moderate or significantly positive effect.
4.) Seventy percent of respondents say they have a favorable or very favorable opinion of some law enforcement leaders' public statements that they would not enforce more restrictive gun laws in their jurisdictions. Similarly, more than 61 percent said they would refuse to enforce such laws if they themselves were Chief or Sheriff.
5.) More than 28 percent of officers say having more permissive concealed carry policies for civilians would help most in preventing large scale shootings in public, followed by more aggressive institutionalization for mentally ill persons (about 19 percent) and more armed guards/paid security personnel (about 15 percent). See enlarged image
6.) The overwhelming majority (almost 90 percent) of officers believe that casualties would be decreased if armed citizens were present at the onset of an active-shooter incident.
7.) More than 80 percent of respondents support arming school teachers and administrators who willingly volunteer to train with firearms and carry one in the course of the job.
8.) More than four in five respondents (81 percent) say that gun-buyback programs are ineffective in reducing gun violence.
9.) More than half of respondents feel that increased punishment for obviously illegal gun sales could have a positive impact on reducing gun violence.
10.) When asked whether citizens should be required to complete a safety training class before being allowed to buy a gun, about 43 percent of officers say it should not be required. About 42 percent say it should be required for all weapons, with the remainder favoring training classes for certain weapons.
11.) While some officers say gun violence in the United States stems from violent movies and video games (14 percent), early release and short sentencing for violent offenders (14 percent) and poor identification/treatments of mentally-ill individuals (10 percent), the majority (38 percent) blame a decline in parenting and family values.
SNIP
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11. Leesburg restaurant's Open-Carry-Wednesdays discounts gets a lot of press!
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The Cajun Experience in Leesburg is another restaurant that stands with gun owners!
From leesburgtoday.com: http://tinyurl.com/c3x6cqs [Article with photo]
ABC - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI3-1dDZRcI [Video]
FOX - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huj7m7wrXTQ [Video]
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12. Leesburg Police Chief has typical gun-hater reaction to restaurant
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Leesburg Police Chief Joseph Price shows disdain for citizens carrying guns in restaurants (his comments start about 1 minutes, 15 seconds into the video). Well, Chief, where exactly is the problem? Gun owners have been carrying openly where alcohol is being served for decades and carrying concealed for almost 3 years now.
NBC - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y2F4sIIC8Q [Video]
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13. Two excellent defenses of the right to keep and bear arms
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Facebook access is required for the second video.
A 15-year-old girl understands and articulates clearly what many adults will never understand in their lifetimes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L_-N9_tnWBo
A fake presidential State of the Union address - one that a statesman would make. Not many statesmen around any more.
https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=4123638147897
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14. Hypocrite: Del. Morrissey hid his past, but wants gun owners to reveal their information
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Delegate "Finger-on-the-Trigger" Joe Morrissey hates that CHP holder information is going to be private starting on July 1st. However, he sure kept a lot about himself hidden away. His checkered past was eventually revealed, causing a lot of embarrassment in Australia.
Thanks to EM Hal Macklin for these links and comments:
What's hypocritical is Morrissey insisting on the need for transparency so folks can review the veracity of the permits to insure the applicants are qualified. Who is he to preach to others what he himself has refused to do?
Joe hid all the ugly stuff from his Virginia past when he went to Australia to teach law. He received glowing reviews and recommendations -- until a reporter got wind of Morrissey's unsavory past and wrote about it.
Busted:
http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/joe-morrissey-stirs-it-up-down-under/Content?oid=1362990
http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/more-on-morrissey-down-under/Content?oid=1367315
"Punch the defense"
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/secret-legal-tip-punch-the-defence/2005/08/24/1124562924779.html
"Red faces as court rejects silky-smooth lawyer"
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/04/26/1145861419459.html
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15. Winchester 5.56mm ammunition recall
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http://epictactical.com/winchester-recalls-5-56-ammo
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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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