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Saturday, April 30, 2011

LaPierre Calls for Holder's Resignation

One way to get the national media to cover a story they have otherwise ignored is to bring up the subject (ATF's Fast and Furious) while all of the national media is watching, then call for the resignation of the guy at the top of the food chain.
NRA chief wants Holder resignation - James Hohmann - POLITICO.com

Big Crowds for Day Two at the NRA Annual Meetings

The Exhibit Hall is packed and folks are waiting in line to shoot the air gun range.  Parking lots are full and the shuttles are running non-stop.



Friday, April 29, 2011

EVC Happy Hour

NRA-ILA hosted a happy hour at August Henry's City Saloon. Among the many VIPs were Dick Heller and gun writer Alan Korwin.


More From the NRA Annual Meetings

The exhibit hall us packed with people, guns and gear. Everyone is trying out the latest models.


Live at the NRA Annual Meetings

Brian Zins signing autographs at the Aimpoint Booth.


Monday, April 25, 2011

USA Today Laments "Guns Anywhere, Anytime"

USA Today's editorial page carries this opinion of the editors that is clearly not happy with the pro-rights community's progress restoring our rights at the state and local level.  After noting that Democrats on Capitol Hill have no stomach for advancing gun control, the editors apparently are horrified that the pro-rights community are not sitting on its laurels and happy with recent victories in the U.S. Supreme Court that make it clear the Constitution means what it says.

USA Today laments:
Gun rights activists have taken their national victories not as a reason to pat themselves on the back, but as reason to push forward with an agenda that ranges from radical to idiotic.
Proof of these "radical" and "idiotic" agenda items? Wyoming's recent move to what is becoming known as "Constitutional Carry," North Dakota's approval of "parking lot" legislation that makes it illegal for an employer to take away an employee's right to have his self-defense firearm in their car or truck, and Pennsylvania's move to join other states to enact “stand your ground” legislation.
What we are seeing is a systematic campaign for a doctrine of guns anywhere, anytime and in the hands of just about anyone, without consequence for irresponsible actions. When the gun lobby first started winning concealed carry laws about two decades ago, it said that vigorous background checks and permitting procedures should be maintained, and that some places should remain gun-free. Having won such laws in most states, it is now working to undo those parameters.
But it has been at the state and local level where most anti-rights legislation has been enacted over the years so it is only natural that they would become the focus of the pro-rights community and where the most vigorous action would occur.  Further, no one is advocating that those who are not supposed to possess firearms (criminals, those with mental disabilities) should now have access to them.   

USA Today thinks regaining our lost rights is bad for public safety and infringes on the rights of those who have no desire to own firearms.  Dr. John Lott has research that shows more guns equal less crime.  Maybe the USA today editors should ask those non-gun owning folks for which they think they speak if they prefer more crime.

NRA Annual Meeting This Weekend

The 140th Annual NRA Annual Meeting of Members starts this Thursday in Pittsburgh, PA.  It promises to be another record breaking event.  Last year's event drew upwards of 75,000 NRA Members from around the country.  The NRA Annual Meeting was last held in Pittsburgh in 2004 and then Vice President Dick Cheney was the featured speaker for the Members Banquet.  The banquet has been discarded for an evening event that can accomodate many more attendees.  For the second year, the Saturday night event is the Celebration of American Values Freedom Experience.  This year's event features Jeff Foxworthy, Keynote Speaker Former Governor Mike Huckabee, and Michael Reagan, who will present the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award.

In the past, the banquet could only accomodate up to about 5000 people, with the 2009 Annual Members Banquet in Phoenix being the largest event ever held in the city.  In 2010, NRA leadership decided to expand the Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum format where members gather in a large arena for a night of speeches and music.  Last year's event filled the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.

VSSA will once again have expanded access to this year's Annual Meeting as part of the Annual 2nd Amendment Blog Bash.  Check this Blog and VSSA's Twitter feed on Friday and Saturday for NRA Annual Meeting related posts.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Good Reason to Cut Up That Capital One Card

So, you have a Capital One credit card and you saw one of those obnoxious commercials that the bank runs about personalizing the card with a photo.  You just happen to have a digital photo of you with a great deer you killed last season so you figure what the heck, I'll go ahead and put it on my credit card.  Unfortunately, you can't use that photo. Capital One apparently considers hunting to fall under the category of "animal cruelty."  So reports NRA-ILA.

NRA-ILA :: OUTRAGE Of The Week: Capital One Rejects Hunting Photo for Image Card

You do have an alternative. Cut up that Capital One card and get an NRA Visa or a Cabelas Club Card Visa. Both offer the option to personalize the card and they accept hunting and shooting photos.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Shad Planking Report

There was a good crowd in Wakefield, VA, for the annual Shad Planking - an event that includes massive amounts of adult beverages, political talk, and boney fish.  Governor McDonnell spoke at 4:00 and did a great job giving some very funny remarks. It was also a great time to catch up with some great friends from NRA-ILA State and Local as well as VSSA's former lobbyist who retired in 2010.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Democratic Party Chair Wants Screening of All Firearm Transfers

Calling it outrageous that people can purchase firearms without a background check, new DNC Chairman Debbie Wasserman Shultz told a Miami anti-gun rally organized by Mayors Against Illegal Guns that she will push to screen all purchasers - commercial and private.

New DNC chief wants to screen all gun sales - TheHill.com

Hat tip to NRANews.com.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

The News Just Keeps Getting Worse for ATF

CBS reported earlier today that Senator Grassley now has emails from a Phoenix firearm dealer expressing concern to ATF that firearms they urged him to sell may end up in the wrong hands in Mexico.

Gun shop owner expressed concerns early on in "gunwalker" scandal - CBS News Investigates - CBS News

Hysteria Over Cuccinelli Cuccinelli Carry in Churches Opinion Borders on Ridiculous

And this Fredericksburg Free Lance Star blog post by editorial cartoonist Clay Jones is a perfect example.
I believe in the Second Amendment, but the gun worship in this country just goes overboard at times.
One reader comment posted in response had it right; all you have to do is Google "Church Shootings" to see why some would consider carrying their self-defense firearm to their place of worship.

Michael Paul Williams Misses the Point

Where do I start?  The below screed from Richmond Times Dispatch commentator (I refuse to refer to him as a reporter because most all of his articles are slanted to his point of view) Michael Paul Williams is so filled with hate toward gun owners and out right ignorance of the issue of self-defense,  I almost hesitate to include the video in the post.  But it is good to see and hear how our opponents view us and how they present themselves.



His disdain for gun owners and the NRA seeps out with every word. But his comment about anyone needing to carry a firearm to their church service for protection might want to consider finding another church illustrates just how ignorant he is. It's not that a person feels the need to defend himself against a member of his or her church, it's about protecting yourself and fellow congregation members from wackos like this and this.

In related news, anti-rights State Senator Don McEachin said yesterday that he would fix this with legislation next year.

McEachin says places of worship should not have to put up signs specifically banning weapons from their premises. He also suggests the Attorney General is ruling via "fiat," because the General Assembly refused to consider a bill that would have loosened the law regarding guns in church.
Sadly, the response of people like Williams and McEachin is predictable.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Typical Anti-Rights Drivel from the Daily Press

The Newport News Daily Press is no friend of gun owners.  They often pen editorials decrying Virginia's pro-rights approach to firearms ownership.  This editorial, Pistols in the Pews, offers little that is constructive and instead is a snarky response to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's opinion on self-defense in Virginia's house of worship.
Is it going to come to this: Will the ushers who pass the offering plates "pass the ammunition," too?
While decrying the opinion, they do pose one question that make's sense:
The carve-out of churches never made much sense. We allow guns practically everywhere on public property, including streets and libraries, parks and public buildings. The exception are obvious ones: schools, airport terminals and courthouses. On private property, the choice is up to the owners. So why were churches set aside as a special category of place?
But after this little glimpse of logic, they descend into the type of name calling we have come to expect from the anti-rights crowd. Discussing how the opinion came about - in response to Delegate Mark Cole's request after he could not get legislation expressly allowing self-defense in houses of worship they offer:
What is lamentable is that gun bills that addressed real needs also failed. Like legislation that would close the loophole that enables people who by law can't buy guns to do so, so long as they buy from private sellers at gun shows. Licensed dealers at the shows have to run purchasers through background checks, to weed out those who aren't allowed to have guns (like convicted felons and people who have protective orders against them). Private sellers don't have to vet their customers.

Never-give-an-inch gun rights activists insist there's no such loophole. There is. It helps make Virginia a leading exporter of illegal guns. Sloppy procedures at some guns shows and some dealers put into the wrong hands guns that cause a lot of carnage.
The Daily Press hates the fact that localities can't create a patch work of gun laws like. It probably was expecting too much for the paper to think logically about the AG's opinion,

Could ATF Agent Cooperation Bring Down ATF Leadership, Others?

On Sunday, Dave Workman, the Seattle Gun Rights Examiner wrote about how Phoenix Assistant Special Agent in Charge George Gillett was, through and in conjunction with his attorney, “cooperating with” Grassley’s investigation of ATF’s Project Gunrunner.  Gillett may be cooperating because he feared he was about to be "thrown under the bus" by ATF higher-ups.

Workman writes that Gillett's cooperation now is "steeped in hypocrisy."
It was Gillett’s name that surfaced early in Grassley’s investigation, in a Jan. 31 letter the senator wrote to Melson, posted here by my colleague, David Codrea. In that letter, Grassley wrote, “I understand that Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) George Gillette of the ATF’s Phoenix office questioned one of the individual agents who answered my staff’s questions about Project Gunrunner. ASAC Gillette allegedly accused the agent of misconduct related to his contacts with the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Workman continues now it is Gillett who is talking to the committee, and Grassley is covering him with the same whistleblower protection he gave the agent Gillett allegedly confronted. The irony is overwhelming.

Workman spoke with NRANews' Cam Edwards about the article on Monday night's Cam and Company program.




Without the hard work of Dave Workman, David Codrea and CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson none of this information would have seen the light of day.

Hat tip to Cam Edwards and NRANews

More on AG Cuccinelli Self Defense in Houses of Worship Opinion

A number of media outlets yesterday reported on Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's opinion that self-defense is sufficient cause for carrying a fiream in houses of worship during regular services.  Most of the outlets carried the AP report written by Bob Lewis.

Current law is somewhat unclear in that it prohibits carrying during regular services "without good and sufficient reason."  Unfortunately, the legislature did not define what constitutes good and sufficient reason.  In steps Delegate Mark Cole who asked the AG for clarification in the form of an AG Opinion.
Cole said he sought the opinion the one-paragraph provision in the state's criminal statutes after receiving inquiries from some churches in his district resulting from recent deadly shootings in churches.

Gunfire last month killed the pastor of an Illinois church and wounded two people in the congregation.
Cuccinelli wrote that the self-defense is at the heart of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right to keep and bear arms.
WAVY10 in Portsmouth ran this story on local reaction to the opinion.


The Brady Campaign reaction was typical.

Brian Malte, a spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said the opinion by the pro-gun Republican attorney general nudges Virginia closer toward making firearms more prevalent throughout society.

"Places of worship don't need loaded guns brought into them," Malte said. "The way Attorney General Cuccinelli states it, it looks like he's giving an opening to guns in churches, and we oppose that."
Rosalind S. Helderman somewhat parrots the Brady response when she wrote on the Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog:
The legal opinion comes in response to an inquiry from state Del. Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg), who had sponsored an unsuccessful bill in 2010 to make it legal for a concealed weapons permit holder to carry a handgun in a place of worship during religious services with the permission of a religious leader.

If widely followed, Cuccinelli’s ruling would have the same effect — opening places of worship to weapons unless they are barred by the religious institution.
The AG stated that places of worship can choose to restrict or bar weapons if they wish, indicating that churches, synagogues, mosques and other institutions have a private property right to set their own rules with regards to guns.  AG opinions are only advisory and do not carry the force of law.

Hopefully, the AG's opinion will not cause a mad rush by churches to post "no guns" signs. That is a sure way for someone wishing to cause harm in a church to pick easy victims, as we have seen with other self-defense free zones.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Brady Campaign Adds New Term to Anti-gun Lexicon

Figuring they had so much success in the '90s with "Assault Weapons," the anti-rights crowd has coined the term "Assault Clips" to describe what they previously referred to as "high capacity magazines."  The Brady Campaign has started running ads urging President Obama to be more engaged in the effort to ban the so-called "assault clips."

Obama's earlier effort to focus on gun control seems to have fizzled. In late March, Department of Justice staff met with gun control groups and representatives of various law enforcement groups, with both groups speaking from the same talking points. However the hoped-for meeting with pro-rights groups was never scheduled once the NRA publicly declined the invitation and a much touted meeting with retailers was abruptly cancelled and rescheduled for April 26th.

We shall see if "assault clips" is easily adopted by the anti-rights lap dogs in the media the way assault weapons was picked up.

Gun control group challenges Obama on clips - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

Monday, April 11, 2011

Grassley Questions If ATF Is Stalling Probe of "Fast and Furious"

It looks more and more like ATF told agents not to cooperate in the congressional probe of Operation Fast and Furious which allowed 1700 firearms from the U.S. to end up in the hands of the Mexican drug cartel.

AG Issues Opinion on Carry in Virginia Churches

Attorney General Cuccinelli has issued an opinion related to the carry of firearms in churches during regular services.  Delegate Mark Cole asked the question whether it is permissible for a citizen to carry his firearm into a place of worship for personal safety purposes under § 18.2-293, which requires a "good and sufficient reason" for carrying a firearm into "a place of worship while a meeting for religious purposes is being held at such place.  The AG responds:

It is my opinion that carrying a weapon for personal protection constitutes a good and sufficient reason under the statute to carry a weapon into a place of worship while a meeting for religious purposes is being held there. 
It is further my opinion that places of worship can restrict or ban firearms from their premises.
It should be noted that an AG's Opinion is just that, an opinion, and does not carry the force of law.

Bear Visits Virginia Beach Back Yard

Like the coyote population across Virginia, the growing Black Bear population has led to the siting of the animals in places not normally seen in the Commonwealth.  Wavy TV had the report.

Bear lowered from tree in harness: wavy.com

Friday, April 8, 2011

Obama favorable at 34% in Virginia

Which apparently is two points more than Tim Kane is currently polling against George Allen according to a new Roanoke College poll.

Poll: Obama's Approval Rating in Virginia Now 34% - National Review Online

Hat tip to Jim Geraghty.

Kaine Chooses Trusted Hands to Staff Campaign

Tim Kaine, who announced earlier this week that he would seek the Democratic nomination to run for Jim Webb's soon to be vacant U.S. Senate seat, has chosen folks he knows well to run his campaign.

This from RollCall Politics:
Some of them have experience running against former Sen. George Allen, who was defeated in 2006 and is heavily favored to win the GOP nomination and face Kaine in the general.
These trusted pols include Pete Brodnitz who will once again be Kaine’s polling director. Brodnitz has worked with Kaine since his successful 2001 lieutenant governor campaign, and he worked on the successful 2006 campaign of now Senator Jim Webb that upset then Senator George Allen.  David Eichenbaum and Karl Stuble will be be Kaine's media consultants.  They worked on both of Kaine’s previous statewide campaigns.  Mo Elleithee is back as a Senior Advisor to Kaine.  Elleithee served as communications director for Kaine in 2005 and press secretary for Senator Mark Warner’s 2001 gubernatorial campaign.  Elleithee also ran the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s independent expenditure effort against Allen in 2006.

Kaine will be a formidable candidate and he has assembled a campaign team that will give him an opportunity to win.  He has never lost an election, but unlike 2005, he now has an extensive record - first as governor and also as head of the DNC, pushing some of the most unpopular policies of President Obama. 

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Washington Post Has Candidate It Can Love in Tim Kaine

The Washington Post, the media outlet most responsible for making sure Virginians did not forget the word macaca in 2006, did not fail to bring it up again in this article on Tim Kaine's announcement.  And it took them all the way to the next to last paragraph to insert a half-hearted attempted at pointing out one issue that may cause Kaine trouble:
Kaine, meanwhile, left the governor’s office in January 2010 just as the state’s budget problems were becoming clear and before Democrats took an electoral drubbing fueled by a conservative movement strongly opposed to Obama’s signature policies on health care and climate change.
Kaine and the national Democrats would much rather this race not be a referendum on Obama's first term.  They believe the expected increased turnout of a presidential election year could help them hold the seat.  But unlike Webb, Kaine is no friend of gun owners so if Kaine holds the seat for Democrats in 2012, it will be a big loss for gun owners in Virginia, and nationally.  Gun owners need to be mobilized and ready to work to make sure Kaine remains in Richmond.

More on Tim Kaine's Senate Campaign Announcement

Roll Call weighs in this morning.
The announcement came one day after President Barack Obama, who appointed the former Virginia governor to lead the DNC in 2009, announced his re-election campaign for president. Kaine is scheduled to hold a media availability Wednesday morning in Richmond to discuss the race.
Roll Call pointed out that the National Republican Senatorial Committee has been working for weeks to tie Kaine to Obama and Congressional Democrats, who suffered significant losses in the 2010 cycle.  It should be noted that Kaine did not mention President Obama or mention his DNC job in his announcement video.   Nor did he mention his support for those policies that caused the problems to which he referred now grip Washington. Expect Republicans to remind Virginia voters of those close ties in Kaine's immediate past.

And look for VSSA to remind gun owners of Kaine's past support for gun control and his vetos of important pro-rights legislation while he was governor.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Anti-gun Kaine Formally Announces Campaign for Senate

The Richmond Times Dispatch reports this afternoon that former Governor Tim Kaine has officially announced his entry into Virginia’s 2012 U.S. Senate race.
The Democratic National Committee chairman and former governor tweeted “I’m running!” and included to a link to a video in which he makes it official.
Kaine had said for weeks that he would rather not seek elected office, say that “being a legislator is not the best way for me to serve others right now.”

President Obama met with Kaine and urged him to seek the seat, though (as Obama seems to do a lot) he said it was not his decision to make.  Kaine will likely have no opposition for the nomination which means he can begin raising money now and saving it for the general election.

Kaine is no friend to gun owners.  While he signed some legislation supported by gun owners when he was governor, he twice vetoed legislation to allow carrying concealed handguns in restaurants like Applebees and Olive Garden that serve alcohol in addition to food.  He also vetoed legislation that would have allowed a person who may lawfully possess a firearm to carry a handgun in a private motor vehicle or boat if the handgun is locked in a container or compartment.  Both pieces of legislation were signed into law by Governor McDonnell last year.

Kaine also vetoed legislation that would have allowed active duty service members of the United States Armed Forces or the Virginia National Guard to purchase more than one handgun within a 30-day period, legislation that would have required localities operating compensated confiscation schemes (so-called gun buy-backs) to sell by public auction, or sealed bids, to a person licensed as a dealer, any firearms acquired through the schemes.
 
Finally, Kaine vetoed legislation that made it clear that the training required to apply for a concealed handgun permit could be completed online or other electronic format.  Fortunately, the House and Senate overrode that veto.  

On the Republican side, former Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen must get by tea party activist and former Allen staff member Jamie Radtke and Hampton Roads attorney David McCormick with several other other conservatives circling in the water.  Those include Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and Delegate Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William.  Most observers believe that if Allen has more than one opponent for the Republican nomination, that the anti-Allen vote will be split and he will win the nomination.  Allen's pro-rights credentials are impeccable and he would be a reliable ally of gun owners and sportsmen.

You can watch Kaine's announcement below.

Volunteers Needed for NRA Annual Meeting

Do you plan to attend the 2011 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Pittsburgh April 27–May 1?  If you are attending and can spare a half-day or more while attending the Annual Meetings, you can assist the NRA staff in making this year’s event one of the best yet! Volunteers are needed in a wide variety of activities including the NRA Store, Membership Services, Airgun Range, Firearm Inspectors, and Exhibitor Registration. The store, in particular, requires lots of manpower; especially needed are volunteers who have cashier experience. Membership Services is a busy place as many members renew or upgrade their memberships. And they will need many NRA-certified instructors to assist young people at the air gun range. There are other opportunities as well.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Dennis Eggers, Volunteer Coordinator, at (270) 522-0909, or via e-mail at DEggers@nrahq.org. Additional information and a registration form are available at the Annual Meeting site: http://www.nraam.org/.

If you would like to volunteer your time, please complete the Volunteer Registration Form and forward it to Dennis Eggers, 203 Choctaw Drive, Cadiz, KY 42211, or to deggers@nrahq.org.

Firearms Industry Flies Into D.C.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) -- the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry -- will host its annual congressional "fly-in" for executives from industry companies tomorrow and Thursday. The executives will meet with key congressional leaders on issues important to the industry.

As part of the fly-in, NSSF is running ads in D.C. area publications reminding legislators of the firearm industry's economic impact on the nation's economy and the pivotal role excise taxes collected from the industry play in funding wildlife conservation throughout the United States.

In the sluggish economy of the last two years, the firearms industry has been a bright spot.  The most recent National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) numbers on background checks indicate that the industry continues to out perform other segments of the economy.  The March 2011 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 990,840 is an increase of 15 percent over the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 861,408 in March 2010.  While not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provide a more accurate picture of current market conditions.

The 2011 March numbers also represent an increase over the number of checks completed in March 2009 - a banner year for gun sales.  Could this be due to the renewed talk from the Obama administration of putting gun control back on the table?

Monday, April 4, 2011

GMU Joins Empty Holster Protest

George Mason University will be joining other colleges and universities in the annual Empty Holster Week to protest laws and university rules banning concealed carry on college campuses.
Empty Holster Week is the signature event of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus and runs from today through Friday.
Students Want Concealed Guns at Mason | NBC Washington

Anti-gun Editors Use Anniversary of Reagan Shooting to Promote Bradys

March 30th was the 30th anniversary of the attempt on the life of President Reagan outside of a Washington D.C. hotel as he left a lunch speaking engagement.  The Christian Science Monitor  used the opportunity to write a profile and promote the activities of two people impacted by that event as much, if not more that the target of the shooting - Jim and Sarah Brady, and the Miami Herald noted that 30 years after the shooting, prospects for tighter gun control is dim.

It started with this Washington Post Op/Ed pinned by Sarah Brady, marking the 30th anniversary that left her husband partially paralyzed.  But it is not just a recounting of the struggles they faced in their personal lives, it is an opportunity to take twist history a little to fit the narrative that she wishes to paint.
Reagan, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, believed in the Brady bill and the 1994 assault weapons ban, which helped stem the flow of those weapons of war to American streets. After the ban was allowed to expire in 2004, law enforcement reported a dramatic increase in seizures of guns using large-capacity assault magazines. It’s hard to believe that people who worship Reagan’s legacy would oppose policies he rightly understood would help save lives and dreams from the death and destruction of gun violence.
Yes, Ronald Reagan expressed support for the "Brady Bill" in 1991 when marking the 10th anniversary of the attempt on his life, and in 1994 he signed a letter along with Clinton and Former President Jimmy Carter in support of the so-called "assault weapons" ban.  But you would think the way the anti-rights groups cling to these two examples, that these two acts, done after he had left office, and just before he left the public eye, makes him a lifelong champion of gun control.

It is interesting that while he was still in office, and had a considerable amount of support from the American people, he never once pushed for such measures to be passed in Congress.  In fact, he told those assembled in Phoenix for the NRA Annual Meeting just two years after being shot that:

It's a nasty truth, but those who seek to inflict harm are not fazed by gun control laws. I happen to know this from personal experience.
That's right - gun control laws have no impact on criminals.  Reagan also praised the NRA and it's members for standing by their principles in supporting their rights.  But most importantly, he noted that the NRA is the true "gun safety" organization in America.  Anti-rights media types and politicians refer to the Brady Campaign and Mayors Against Illegal Guns as "gun safety" groups, even though they have not one "safety" program among them other than to restrict the purchase of firearms.  This is what Reagan said about the NRA and gun safety:
No group does more to promote gun safety and respect for the laws of this land than the NRA, and I thank you. Still, we've both heard the charge that supporting gun-owners rights encourages a violent, shoot-em-up society. But just a minute. Don't they understand that most violent crimes are not committed by decent, law-abiding citizens? They're committed by career criminals. Guns don't make criminals. Hard-core criminals use guns. And locking them up, the hard-core criminals up, and throwing away the key is the best gun-control law we could ever have.
Anti-rights groups have had little success using this year's shooting of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords  and others, to their advantage.  We now see them trying to use the anniversary of the Reagan shooting to push their agenda.

While anti-rights groups will use the two instances late in his life to try and paint Reagan has having a big impact for advancing gun control, looking at the whole of his political carrier, he was a true champion of the right to keep and bear arms.  Reagan was the first, and to date, only, sitting president to speak at an NRA Annual Meeting, and his remarks clearly illustrated his core support of the Second Amendment. He owned a firearm for personal protection, and even came to the aide of a woman once, without having to fire a shot (he later admitted he had no ammo so it was lucky the bluff worked).


Friday, April 1, 2011

Rappahannock Pistol and Rifle Club Women on Target Clinic

Rappahannock Pistol and Rifle Club will hold a Women on Target Clinic May 14, 2011. Click here for more information.

2011 Virginia Action Pistol Championship

The 2011 Action Pistol Championship will be held September 18, 2011, at the Bedford Rifle and Revolver Club, Bedford, VA.

What: 2011 Cardinal Cup - Virginia State Action Pistol Championship
Who May Enter: Open to All Shooters*
(*Non-Virginia residents do not have to a member of the state association, however, the state champion must be a Virginia Resident.)

For information and entries contact:Alan Strawn, Email: Alan550@Yahoo.com.

NRA-ILA Looking for Volunteers to Help with Nation's Gun Show

NRA-ILA is looking for volunteers to help with the NRA-ILA booth at The Nation’s Gun Show in Chantilly, VA April 16-17 (Saturday & Sunday). Volunteer shifts are usually morning or afternoon, but any amount of time you can give would be most appreciated.

Volunteers will get into the show for FREE and be able to see hundreds of tables!!!

If you are interested in assisting, click this link and enter you name and contact information as well as the times you are available and it will be forwarded to NRA-ILA.

Redistricting Takes Center Stage in Virginia

Virginia has fast tracted its redistricting process due to this year's state legislative races where all 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly (100 in the House of Delegates and 40 in the State Senate) are up for grabs. With the House controlled by the Republicans and the Senate by the Democrats, it promises to be a process worth watching as both sides attempt to protect their majorities. Forums are being held around the Commowealth to get reaction to the plans from the public. Neither the House or Senate plans were well received in Roanoke last night as the Roanoke Times reports.
Speaker after speaker during a Roanoke meeting of the General Assembly's Committee on Privileges and Elections complained that both House and Senate proposals split precincts, carved up communities of interest and generally redrew districts in a confusing manner. "I think what we have here is representatives picking their voters, not voters picking their representatives," said Brown Burton, a Roanoke County resident. In particular, Burton was concerned about the Virginia Senate proposal put forth by Democrats in that chamber: "When I opened it up this morning and looked at it, I said this looks like someone on drugs did this with an Etch A Sketch."
Roll Call Politics weighed in this morning on the redistricting efforts going on around the country and mentions Virginia as well.
George Mason University professor Michael McDonald, an adviser to the commission, said the division of power and Democrats' slim hold on the state Senate could cause further delay in agreement on a Congressional map. "What is likely to happen with these maps is the Democrats in the state Senate are going to hold the Congressional map hostage until they get a deal on the state legislative maps," he said. "That's their overall concern - we have a divided legislature, and they're worried they won't get a deal on the state Senate map," McDonald added. He confirmed the existence of a map proposal that would solidify the current 8-3 partisan breakdown of the Congressional delegation. That incumbent protection plan would especially help Rep. Gerry Connolly (D), he said, whose Northern Virginia district is the most competitive.
For the first time, Governor McDonnell also appointed a nonpartisan advisory commission to assist in the redistricting process. He tasked the commission to offer independent guidance to what is a decennially partisan process. Race is also playing a role in the Virginia map drawing. Currently, the 3rd congressional district is racially gerrymandered to insure that a minority-majority district where mostly black voters are crammed into one district.
Jim Dyke, a partner at McGuire Woods who sits on the advisory commission, said the third map increases the percentage of African-Americans in the majority-minority 3rd district of Rep. Bobby Scott (D). Meanwhile, there is a push by state Senate Democrats to increase the number of voting-age African-Americans in Republican Rep. Randy Forbes’ 4th district, which in its current form is already more than one-third African-American. With the state’s current black population at 20 percent, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus increased its push last week to add another Congressional district to at least come close to being majority-minority.
Minority-majority districts do two things - it all but insures the election of a minority representative, but it also removes the incentive for candidates in surrounding districts to reach out to minority voters because they have been removed to a more homgenious district. This might be good partisan politics in that it aruably helps elect more Republicans in surburban districts, it is bad for the county as it further Balkanizes the nation into racial groups where blacks represent blacks, whites represent whites, etc. And all of this affects gun owners. As districts are redrawn, there is a chance that two pro-rights legislators are put into one district - thus reducing the number of pro-rights legislators in the assembly. If for instance population changes result in rural districts losing numbers and anti-gun northern Virginia districts gaining population and legislators, it makes the job of VSSA even more important as it works to protect the rights of gun owners. Stay tuned as the process heats up next week when legislators return for the reconvened session and redistricting session.