1. Alexandria protest wrap up and Action Item
There were between 300 and 400 people at Saturday's protest in Alexandria. Nothing to sneeze at, but we could have, and should have, done better. Of course there was only about 2 days notice, and that didn't help. Hopefully future events will have more warning and will have a much larger crowd.
Speakers included Chuck Smith (running for Attorney General), Daniel Gade (running against Mark Warner), Thomas Speciale (also running against Mark Warner), Brian Sheaffer (VCDL Watch Team for Local Government team leader for Alexandria), EM and VCDL Social Media director Ed Levine, VCDL founder Paul Moog, and several others.
Lots of friendly, patriotic faces, well armed and completely peaceful, as one would expect.
ACTION ITEM
We still have time to contact the Alexandria Mayor and City Council to urge them to vote against agenda item #19 this Saturday. That proposed ordinance is a slap in the face to Virginia's two million gun owners.
The ordinance will make it impossible for gun owners to go to local businesses that are on a street that is adjacent to a permitted event, such as VCDL's protest last Saturday, no matter how far that business is away from the event! If you live or run a business on such a street, you won't be able to leave your house or business armed. Gun owners also won't be able to park in any city garages, visit city parks, or go into any local government building whatsoever. There is no exception even for CHP holders.
The City Council meeting is being held online in a Virtual Town Hall format at 09:30 am, Saturday June 20, 2020.
Member Mark Shinny called the City Clerk and confirmed there is no limit to the number of public speakers at the virtual town hall meeting. Citizens from outside of the City of Alexandria are welcome to speak. The talk duration is limited to three minutes per speaker.
The gun ordinance is docket item number 19 and you can sign up to speak using this form:
https://survey.alexandriava.gov/s3/VIRTUAL-City-Council-Speakers-Form
Send your e-mail messages and call the Mayor of the City of Alexandria. Be polite, but firm and professional:
Justin M. Wilson, Mayor
Alexandria City Council
Office: 703.746.4500
Home: 703.299.1576
justin.wilson@alexandriava.gov
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Press coverage:
I am quoted. Lots of comments at the end of this article. "Nanofuture" did a great job batting back the idiotic comments from gun-controllers.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/gun-owners-protest-proposed-ban-on-firearms-in-alexandria-parks-city-buildings/2020/06/13/2f7ea090-adaf-11ea-a9d9-a81c1a491c52_story.html
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Paul Moog and I are quoted in this one:
http://news2share.com/start/2020/06/13/armed-activists-protest-local-gun-control-proposal-in-alexandria-va/
2. Black pastor in Shenandoah County with CHP was falsely arrested
A black pastor in Shenandoah County, Leon McCray, was falsely arrested when he was threatened on his own property and drew a gun to stop an attack.
The pastor called 9-1-1 and gets arrested while his attackers were let go!
Sheriff Timothy Carter apologized to Pastor McCray and charges have been dropped. (The five people that allegedly attacked the pastor are now charged in that incident.)
I plan on contacting Sheriff Carter to make sure the arrest has been expunged from the pastor's record, since he was innocent of any crime. I will also urge the sheriff to better train his deputies in the lawful right of self-defense, including making sure they understand the laws on brandishing.
In Virginia it is lawful to bandish a firearm any time you could lawful shoot an attacker. The pastor was outnumbered 5 to 1 by people who were threatening to kill him. They were verbally and physically attacking him. That is called "disparity of force" and the pastor was within his legal rights to draw that gun to stop the attack. Luckily for the attackers he didn't pull the trigger, as he could have done so legally.
I will advise how my talk with the Sheriff goes. Here's an article about the incident:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/black-pastor-calls-911-alleged-200323783.html
3. U.S. Supreme Court chickens out on gun cases
The Supreme Court decided not to hear a single one of the TEN gun cases in front of it. Shameful. At least Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh had the fortitude to call out the other justices on "looking the other way":
https://www.breitbart.com/news/supreme-court-rejects-several-gun-rights-cases-for-next-term/
4. Articles on VCDL/GOA's lawsuit against One Handgun a Month law
Current story:
https://www.pilotonline.com/government/virginia/vp-nw-lawsuit-one-handgun-month-vcdl-20200615-5kiwsx7amffs3nhjz2ti7nqz6e-story.html
Looking back on the original law from an article written a year ago:
https://vpm.org/news/articles/3622/a-look-back-at-virginias-one-gun-a-month-law-as-democrats-work-to-revive-it
Another current story:
https://www.virginiamercury.com/2020/06/15/gun-groups-sue-to-block-virginias-new-one-handgun-a-month-law/
5. The Party that wants to defund the police also wants to disarm you
https://thefederalist.com/2020/06/15/dont-forget-the-party-that-wants-to-defund-the-police-also-wants-to-disarm-you/
6. Delegate Price's quotes in an interview reveal the extremist gun-control agenda of the Democrat party
In the Daily Press article, "Gun control decisions — at least some of them — are shifting to cities and counties", Delegate Marcia Price provides some "priceless" quotes that underline the Democrat leadership's extreme gun-control agenda. My comments are in blue: - "Though the legislation [firearms preemption weakening] didn't go as far as she wanted, Price says it's a move in the right direction." Don't ever believe that giving gun controller's what they ask for will satisfy them. Even with the vast damage Price has caused to Virginia's firearms preemption law and the innocent lives it is going to endanger, it was merely a "move in the right direction." Let's be clear: the "right direction" for Price is the complete disarmament of the American public.
- "I think it's a significant step forward to getting the localities the empowerment that they need in order to do what they need to do to keep their residents safe." Disarming peaceful people does NOT make them safe, Ms. Price. It enslaves them.
- "I definitely celebrate this as a win for not just gun violence prevention, but for the ability for us to be in spaces that are welcoming and inclusive to everyone." How is telling a major slice of the population (gun owners) that they are not welcome, being "welcoming and inclusive," Ms. Price?
- "Especially the public spaces where everyone's tax dollars go and where (government services) are rendered." It is particularly important that the entire Bill of Rights be honored in all areas open to the public, but controlled by government!
- "Price, for her part, said public places should be 'welcoming to all.'" "All" must mean, "everyone except Americans who own guns."
- "This idea that you should be able to walk wherever — in the library during story time with the kindergartners — and have a firearm on your side, that is spoken from a (narrow) perspective," Price said. "Are we going to start driving families out of libraries ... just to prove that you have the right to carry something?" I can't help but wonder how Ms. Price would have felt about Rosa Parks sitting in the front of the bus back in 1955. Would Ms. Price have said back then, "Are we going to start driving families away from taking buses ... just to prove that you have the right to sit any where you want?"
- "Most folks that roll up to City Hall, it's not because they're pleased with something," Price said. "There's an issue they have to work out ... If I (as a city worker) am trying to get to the root of their issue, why should I have to be intimidated with a firearm?" Another fantasy. When has that happened Ms. Price? And if someone brandishes a weapon, that is already a crime. Why should I give up my rights because YOU feel insecure?
- Price's father, Newport News Mayor McKinley Price had this gem: "You have people who come to the clerk's office when they're having financial difficulties, or they go to health and human services with their problems — and there is no protection," the mayor said. "I would definitely like some constructive conversation about making sure our staff is protected and feels safe." Disarming peaceful gun-owners will NOT make your staff any safer, Mr. Mayor. It will do just the opposite for both your staff and everyone else in the building.
https://www.dailypress.com/government/local/dp-nw-guns-city-property-20200608-inbrfjgynfhebmsfhb6yo75mwe-story.html?
7. Video: The case for gun control is dead
From ReasonTV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUF2kY24uFQ&feature=emb_logo
8. Thank you to volunteers for last week's envelope stuffing party
On June 13th 2020 the Virginia Citizens Defense League's fulfillment center had an envelope stuffing party.
The VCDL would like to thank the following individuals for their participation in this event!:
Fred Deady, Robert Weaver, Virginia Welch, Diane Forrest, Marcus White, Cathrine Geukguezian, Dave Eckart, Kim deBey, Mike Debay, Tom Gee, Dan Helm, Robt Allen, Leonard Hart, Pat Murphy, and Brendan Mooney.
In an approximately 5 hour time frame, 5,000 of the 10,000 envelopes were stuffed and mostly stamped. The volunteers ended up using 5,059 stamps. Which means we have 4,941 envelopes to go if anybody's interested in a do-over!
Note in the picture, below, the large boxes on top are the unfinished ones the small boxes underneath are ones that are finished and ready for membership to use.
The VCDL Leadership is committed to bringing our membership system up to par with the larger state organization VCDL has become. The almost 400% growth in membership has not left us without growing pains, but we are up to the challenge!
If you want to be part of a future "do-over," contact Bruce at: bruce@vcdl.org
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