Vote for Delegate Lee Ware on November 3rd

Incumbant Delegate Lee Ware has been a strong supporter of our right to keep and bear arms. In the past he has sponsored legislation to repeal the ban on carrying firearms in restaurants like Applebees, Famous Daves, and others that serve alcohol in addition to food. Delegate Ware is being challenged this year by a candidate, Gary Reinhardt, who bills himself as "Independent," but according to gun owner who emailed me recently, he is no friend of gun owners. A big part of his campaign appears to be an attack on Delegate Ware for standing up for law abiding gun owners that want the opportunity to protect themselves and their families even when they go out to eat. Under the heading of "Community Safety" on his web site, Reinhardt states:

Our Founding Fathers regarded the citizenry's ability to arm itself paramount in gaining our liberty from the British and preserving it from other would-be tyrants. Our Constitution protects our rights to bear arms.

However, while gun ownership has a long, rich tradition in the Commonwealth, study after study confirms a correlation between violence and alcohol. Like driving and alcohol, guns and alcohol simply do not mix. I will oppose any legislation to allow concealed weapons into places that serve alcohol at any local establishment we visit with our families.

Reinhardt even has a side bar the side of his web site to "Alcohol and Violence" and includes a link to a story about a retired police lieutenant who shot himself and injured two other diners when a gun he had tucked in his waistband went off in a Danville restaurant. The brief article does not mention whether the restaurant serves alcohol but we are supposed to presume this is the case. Retired law enforcement officers gained the ability to carry concealed in restaurants that serve alcohol when Governor Kaines veto of SB877. The bill became law on July 1.

If you live in the 65th House District (which includes part of Chesterfield County and all of Powhatan County), please contact the Ware campaign and find out how you can help in these closing days of the campaign.