Hundreds at Richmond rally to back pro-gun bills

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

someone tell me guns kill people, I ask them if they also believe pencils misspell words?

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.

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.

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.

& 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.

It is not necessarily where you go, it's where they come to do their deed. If you own or work in a small business, or work at a job where it is obvious you carry money or take your daily deposit to the bank they come to you, and they may not only want your money but may decide to eliminate witnesses. How many carry concealed permit holders have been convicted of a gun crime? Persons intent on using a gun to rob or kill don't open carry. Being afraid of or intimidated by open carry or concealed carry with a permit person is irrational. It shows who has the fear. Some may not be used to it, but it is no crime. As more people buy weapons and get permits, you will see more of it.

Well, sir I will admit that I have NO faith that LEO's from ANY department in Tidewater have the ability to "serve and protect" society unless you lived in a "neighborhood of make-believe". You obviously don't read the paper about the many muggings and murders of innocent people who were just out for the evening. Kelly Reilly was Christmas shopping in broad daylight at Hilltop and was gunned down. 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, and if you, Chris33 and Gertz had their way, they could have only defended themselves with marshmallows since they weren't at home. You take your own chances with yourself and your family twomiler2. It is not up to you to psycho-analyze why people choose how to legally protect themselves. BTW, it is irrelevant whether one has to pack heat when one goes out. It is a matter of the RIGHT to or not to do so at ones own descretion.

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.
A gun may or may not save your life. I have no problem with the right to own a gun, but I have huge issues on just where you feel you can carry that gun. 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. You can claim you are there to protect me. Well, please don't!
There needs to be controls on guns, even for those of you who still fear hitler, and I hope and pray the day will come when guns meet more strict regulations.

because I was required. I'm just a man. It's true I fear nothing or no one. That sir, is a matter of my faith. I realize each person has their own, if any. Yet I don't understand being so fearful of life that 1 feels a constant need to be armed. Would these persons feel the need to be armed in their places of worship? Enjoying movie night with their family? Game night at home with the kids? At their child's wedding or graduation? There is truth to the old wives's saying about what 1 fears most is more likely to happen. That's true because animals sense fear & people,(mammals), are animals.

Well gee wizz towmiler2, why did you even bother to carry a weapon as a NARC in law enforcement or even while serving in the military? To hear you talk, you are a reincarnated Superman. You tout that you are afraid of anything or anybody. That's fine sir. Just because no one has cleaned your clock doesn't mean that it may not happen to one of us. What happens when some one shows up with the cryptonite? Typical LEO rubbish. A LEO is minutes away when seconds count. Gun Control means to use both hands.

the shape of bullets? That, in & of itself, says a lot about many who feel a need to always be armed. I spent yrs upholding the law. I spent yrs defending our country. I grew up in the inner city. 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.

Charles85353: "Mr Obama, whom, by the way, has not made guns any type of priority"

I sincerely hope you're right. Only time will tell.

Charles845353: "But to allow guns in our schools is scary. Will this law apply only to adults, or will the students be allowed? Too many questions still?"

How typical. You don't even know what the proposed legislation would do, yet you oppose it? Shouldn't you educate yourself about the propoal before forming an opinion? It isn't hard...look the bills up on the Legislative Information System. The bills would only allow CHP holders to carry on school grounds. Since CHP holders have to be at least 21 and have passed exhaustive background checks, your fears are unfounded. That's why emotion, especially when combined with ignorance, is rarely a good basis for public policy.

The beauty of the 1st Amendment is that anyone can opine about any subject he wants regardless of how little he knows about it. The VCDL is focusing its efforts on concealed carry permits, which require a background check and proof of firearms training. In other words, Chris33's cutting and pasting of the same 'background checks' lines used in other gun control articles is not relevant to this particular discussion. Also, the VPC "approaches gun violence as a public health issue, advocating that firearms be subject to health and safety standards like those that apply to virtually all other consumer productst [sic]." How about using a non-partisan place for "facts" like the FBI's crime statistics.

"This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future."--Adolf Hitler 1935

Gun restrictions always work! Just look at the crime statistics when Hitler took all the guns away from the Jews! Wait, do exterminations count against the crime statistics? Nevertheless, think of how safe you'll be when a young professional, father of two, and proud holder of a concealed carry permit, is without his right to carry his firearm. I worry for this country, but it doesn't have anything to do with those who are thoughtful enough to learn how to carry and fire a weapon. Thugs don't care who they shoot, but a father of two doesn't want to go to jail. That is at the foundation of responsible ownership. Some will never get it, and THAT scares me.

If all of YOU gun owners were responsible people I wouldn't have too much to say, but you aren't. Some of you are totally scary, and reading some of your comments only proves my point.