The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
About 300 people rallied Monday at the Virginia Capitol to support the many pro-gun-rights bills that have been introduced this session.
Concern over those rights is especially high this year after the election of Barack Obama, perceived by some as a gun control proponent, said rally participant Sam Beatty, 30, a Marine veteran from Henrico County.
"The last several gun shows that I've been to, I've seen them just more packed than I've ever seen them in the past 10 years - people buying just cases upon cases of ammunition, firearms," Beatty said.
The Virginia Citizens Defense League has highlighted as priorities this year legislation that would allow people with concealed handgun permits to carry their concealed firearms into restaurants that serve alcohol, HB1821, and schools, HB1822.
Another bill, HB1655, would require a court to award attorney fees and costs to anyone who wins a case challenging a local gun control measure.
Dave Forster, (757) 222-5563, dave.forster@pilotonline.com
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JacamoRasputin
With respect sir, as a LEO, (if you are a Virginia LEO) no one who open carries in Virginia is required to produce a permit of any kind if the weapon carried lawfully in open view. If a person is bent on doing you harm, then they would not only have the weapon concealed, but would lie to you anyway. LEO's, restaurant owners, mall owners, Gertz, and twomiler2 have nothing to fear from those of us who choose to open carry or those who have CHP's. As I understand it, in VA, when the drivers license is run, it will tell you whether or not the driver holds a CHP. What has happened in Norfolk is that some LEO's don't know that it is perfectly legal to open carry in Virginia regardless of whether a LEO "thinks" that this person "doesn"t need" to carry it. The law in VA states where and when a person MAY NOT carry, not whether they need to or not.
Gertz Point
I'm a cop and when I interact with someone with a gun I am naturally cautious. Often on traffic stops, folks with concealed carry permits tell me that they are armed. I advise them to leave the weapon where it is and show me their permit. No problems, no worries. I then thank them for being a good citizen and exercising their Second Amendment right. Same goes for open carry.
People like Ms. Point just waste my time and the time of other law enforcement just because they have an agenda. Where I live, here in the country, it is perfectly normal to hear gunshots. It is also routine to observe folks with weapons. Again, no problems, no worries.
I missed it the first time too!
Gertz: "When I see an open carry, I call the police."
Knock yourself out.
Best Case: The police show up, realize that there is nothing illegal or threatening in my behavior and leave without causing a fuss...possibly even charging you with filing a false police report.
Worst Case: The Police show up, see me with a gun, freak out, throw me to the floor, put me in cuffs, haul me off to jail...followed shortly by my lawsuit which will inevitably be settled for thousands of dollars and you, dear Gertz...through your taxes...will finance a dramatic increase in my collection of firearms.
Heck, with 10 grand (what the last person harassed by Norfolk Police got) I could afford to add a machine gun to my collection...wouldn't that just make Gertz feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I don't know how I missed this.
Gertz wrote "When I see an open carry, I call the police. Why, because as far as I'm concerned you are a threat to my safety."
Well, hopefully someone will call the police the next time Gertz lights a cigarette in a restaurant. After all, she is a perceived threat to the lives of many non-smokers who could suffer serious illness due to her carless disregard for the public good.
Good for you
Twomiller: "I've never carried a gun outside of the time it was part of my job. Have never wanted to or felt the need. I go into any part of any city I wish."
Gertz: "I'm a white 65 year old woman who does not own a gun, will not own a gun and will not allow one in my home. I go where and when I want to, but I have enough sense to exercise caution. I don't fear going to the grocery store or run other errands that require my attention. I do not live in fear."
Good on both of you. You have freely chosen how to live your lives WRT defensive firearms.
Now, kindly, allow the rest of us to do the same.
PS. Twomiller: If a bullet is the shape (those things are pretty small) of your ... I can see why you would think some people may be compensating for something. Fortunately, most of us are not so cursed.
Sorry, not very mature of me. I couldn't pass that one up. Low hanging fruit and all that...
Everytime I hear
someone tell me guns kill people, I ask them if they also believe pencils misspell words?
re: twomiler2
keithh41833 wrote:
>>>Two Morman Missionaries were going door to door preaching in Chesapeake were "out for the evening". Both were shot and 1 of them died. No professionally trained, fearless LEO's magically appeared to protect them...<<<
Ironically, they were shot across the street from a police station.
Gertz:
Use some logic for once; criminals aren't going to open carry a gun. Calling the police is irrational. This segues me to...
Twomiler2:
You don't sound like an LEO, you sound like a security guard with a minimum amount of training. If you have no fear, I don't understand how you were in the military as they don't accept individuals with NAFOD, the basis of fear.
Irrational fear?
Why do you think it is irrational to want to protect yourself if you all of a sudden end up in the lions den like downtown Norfolk or broke down on a highway just for being out for the evening? Should I not have smoke detectors or a fire extingisher in my house simply because I don't smoke? And you are psycho-analyzing me? Give me a break sir. As for a pack of dogs, a 9 millimeter would take care of most of them. If it was one or two dog, I could probably take them since they can't shoot me. Sure, you understand crime exists, but since I am not a LEO or have had "professional training", I should just let it happen and suffer along and just take my chances that some LEO will show up and yell STOP! POLICE! Parish the thought sir. How can you assume one has such anxiety, let alone feel sorry for anyone you don't even know? You go ahead and assume your fearless Superman LEO role twomiler2. The rest of us can deal with our daily lives just fine.
Lock and Load
As a retired Navy Officer of the Deck I have had to disarm Military Foreign Nationals that entered our ship in foreign ports. As a shop owner I have had to not use my weapon even though I was confronting a robbery in an adjacent store and murder suspects. Lethal Force is a very scary possibility if you are carrying a gun and the consequences of using it correctly. Being a victim is a very scary possiblity if you are not. It is your choice as an American to carry a gun, have a gun and know how and when to use a gun. God Bless America.
I read the paper,
& since I spent a large part of my adult life in some part of law enforcement, I understand that crime exists. Still is no reason for irrational fear, such as portrayed by some posters. No one implied any such nonsense as magically appearing police. Yes, I am trained to do some analysis of a person's persona. It is 1 thing which helped me in my police work. 1 can be attacked & killed by a pack of dogs. Stories of that type appear regularly in the news also. So, do you have the same fear of dogs? I feel sorry for anyone who has such anxiety about everyday life.