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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Bloomberg Backlash

S.E. Cupp has the story here.  Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg made a big splash shortly before the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits, announcing he was consolidating two groups, Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, under one umbrella group called Everytown for Gun Safety, and was going to put $50 million into the campaign to out muscle the NRA. He named an advisory board that included former Republican Governor of Pennsylvania and former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge.  But news came yesterday that Ridge was parting ways with the group after only 10 days:
“When I signed on as an adviser to Everytown,” Ridge said, “I looked forward to a thoughtful and provocative discussion about the toll gun violence takes on Americans. After consultation with Everytown, I have decided that I am uncomfortable with their expected electoral work.”
That comes on top of the comments of numerous mayors who had joined MAIG then quit after they learned Bloomberg's real agenda:
Rockford, Ill., Mayor Larry Morrissey: “The reason why I joined the group in the first place is because I took the name for what it said: against ‘illegal’ guns. The focus should not be against law-abiding citizens. We should be focusing our enforcement on folks who have no right to carry a gun, concealed or otherwise."

Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Mayor John Tkazyik: “It did not take long to realize that MAIG’s agenda was much more than ridding felons of illegal guns . . . MAIG intended to promote confiscation of guns from law-abiding citizens.”

Sioux City, Ia., Mayor Bob Scott: “They’re not just against illegal guns, they’re against all guns.”

Danbury, Ct., Mayor Mark Boughton: “I joined because I believe enforcement of existing gun laws is preferable to creating new gun laws. It is clear in recent months, however, that Bloomberg’s mission has changed from law enforcement to simply increasing gun regulations.”
Finally, while it was no surprise that the NRA was not going to take Bloomberg's challenge lying down, they unveiled a very smart response at the Annual Meeting last weekend.

John Lott Takes Apart Violence Policy Center's "Concealed Carry Killers"

It's been a claim by the gun ban lobby without facts to back it up for the last several years that people who have concealed carry permits are dangerous to society.  The Violence Policy Center has come out with some new numbers that John Lott effectively picks apart over on National Review's web site.
It seems the Violence Policy Center piles on any numbers that it can get hold of, anything that can be related to concealed-carry holders. For instance, it counts legitimate self-defense cases in which no charges were filed or the permit holder was charged and later exonerated.

All in all, the VPC has managed to triple-count claimed cases of permit holders killing people, and the vast majority of cases it includes in its list — such as legitimate self-defense shootings or suicides not related to permitted concealed handguns — shouldn’t be counted to begin with.
It's nothing new for the gun ban lobby to cook the numbers.  It's nice to have Dr. Lott to provide the factual information to help refute the lies.  To help counter the bogus numbers that people like VPC and Bloomberg put out. Dr. Lott and other researchers are setting up the Crime Prevention Research Center to uncover and counter the misleading claims.

Slide Fire "Bump Fire" Stock

I saw this product at the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits this weekend and it had to be one of the neatest things I saw, mainly because it is a product that allows those who can't afford to own an National Firearms Act (NFA) class firearm (i.e. fully automatic rifle) the ability to come about as close as possible to owning and shooting one.  It is manufactured by Slide Fire and the way it was explained to me, uses "Slide Stock" technology to provide shooters the ability to "Bump Fire" the rifle.  The shooter must push forward to discharge each round.

I don't know how I have missed this at previous NRA shows.  If you are wondering if this is just a gimmick, here is a review of the product from 2012.

It's also approved by the ATF as a "firearm part" and not a firearms under the Gun Control Act or National Firearms Act.

Sussex County Attorney Comments Infer Noise Ordinance Shooting Restrictions Aimed at Sunday Hunting

Yesterday this blog inferred that the new Sunday shooting restrictions in Sussex County's new noise ordinance was aimed at Sunday Hunting.  It appears from an article on the proposed ordinance in the April 9th Sussex Surry Dispatch (SSD) that at least one person may have had that in mind.  When asked by the reporter whether the shooting restrictions were a way for the County to get around the Sunday Hunting law, County Attorney Michael Packer said that he did not see the ordinance conflicting with it because state law governs hunting.  He then followed up with this comment:
The folks that feel they have a need to hunt on Sunday would have to figure out a way to do it in a way that does not bother other people, from a noise point-of-view," Packer commented.

Now, as a county attorney, he should know that the county does have some limited powers that allow them to place some restrictions on hunting, like, the kind of firearm that can be used.  But, his comment gives the hint that he helped craft an ordinance that would make it all but impossible to hunt on Sunday, unless of course people used a bow. The SSD article also mentioned that the Board had previously passed a resolution opposing Sunday hunting.

The last time the issue of shooting restrictions for noise came up in Sussex was 2012.  At that time the Board heard from gun owners that the proposed restrictions were not acceptable and the Board sent the proposal back to the Planning Commission.  It never came back up, until now, and the Board was able to slip it through with little notice from gun owners and gun rights groups on April 17th.  A backlash has now ensued.  Board Chairman Eric Fly is holding his quarterly constituents meeting tonight at 7 PM at the Sussex County Courthouse.  He is likely to get an earful.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Sussex County Board of Supervisors Effectively Ban Shooting on Private Property on Sundays

On April 17th, the Sussex County Board of Supervisors passed a new noise ordinance aimed at banning shooting on private property on Sundays.  The Sussex-Surry Dispatch has confirmed that Board Chairman Eric Fly will hold a meeting with gun owners on April 30th. 
The meeting will be held at the Sussex County Court House and will begin at 7 PM.  The part of the new ordinance affecting gun owners is:
This appears to be a direct attack at the new Sunday Hunting law passed this year by the Virginia General Assembly and in doing so stepped over the line by effectively banning all target shooting on private property, and almost assuredly killing any chances for new shooting ranges in the county.  Sussex has been a battleground for noise ordinances since 2009.  We finally put the issue to rest but now it appears opponents of Sunday hunting have reopened the issue.  If you live in Sussex County, please plan on attending the meeting tomorrow night.  If you can't attend, you can email the Chairman of the Board, Eric Fly, at seamcorp@gmail.com or call at 757-647-8190.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Target Shooting Will Never Be The Same

That's the tag line for TARGETVISION, one of the products I saw today at the NRA Annual Meetings.  TargetVision is a fixed lens, portable, battery powered, wireless target camera that can be viewed from a phone, tablet or laptop.  With a range of one mile and a run time of 16 + hours.  TargetVision lititature states:
TARGETVISION is the perfect companion for long range shooters, competitive shooters, and people who are looking for a more interactive and entertaining shooting experience.  This unit is able to clearly see .17 caliber bullet holes and larger at any distance up to a mile.  TARGETVISION consists of two pieces, the transmitter/camera and the receiver.  The transmitter sits down range about 10-15 feet from the target and can be moved within that range to adjust the field of view.  The receiver is built into the carrying case and sits next to the shooter while shooting.
It isn't inexpensive at $1295.00 but serious competitors might consider the price a good investment.

Bloomberg has $50 Million but We Are Millions with $25

That banner greeted attendees when they entered the Indiana Convention Center this morning.

Wayne LaPierre introduced this video as part of his remarks during the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum.

The message, an active grassroots will beat big money everytime.

New Products at NRA Annual Meetings, The GunBox

I spoke with Ryan Hyde and Tim Rush at the GunBox booth a few moments ago.  Ryan is the inventor of the GunBox.  Today is the launch of The GunBox version 2.0 and, according to the press release, "includes new features to further enhance secure storage and rapid access to a handgun."  They are also developing a model for long guns.

The new features include:
  • A bidirectional locking mechanism to resist shock
  • New RF ring access capabilities (customized rings with an RFID chip embedded)
  • Additional options for Mounting The GunBox in any orientation such as upside-down below a desk, or vertically behind a nightstand.
The GunBox CEO Ryan Hyde told me the product is designed to defend our freedoms while protecting our children.  The product is offered in three versions: 1)RF, which provides access through the RFID bracelet, sticker or ring, 2)Biometric adds and additional layer of security with biometric fingerprint technology to open the GunBox, and 3)Premier adds GPS tracking and 24/7 monitoring, tracking and alert notifications (with a yearly subscription fee).  You can find out more about why Ryan developed this product here.



Thursday, April 24, 2014

VSSA Partnering to Offer Training for Teachers

Silver Eagle Group and VSSA are teaming up to provide free training for Virginia teachers who are interested in obtaining a concealed handgun permits. VSSA has offered free concealed handgun training for teachers for quite a while but this new partnership offers a high level of training at a significant discount.  Teachers interested in taking advantage of this should contact VSSA's teacher training coordinator, Tom Ciarula (Tom-C@Cox.net) or David Dendinger (dendingerd@silvereaglegroup.com) at Silver Eagle Group.

Clive Bundy Becomes Less Sympathic With Comments About Blacks

Last week, one of the articles included in the VSSA eBullet suggested reasons why people should be sympathetic to the plight of Clive Bundy.  That article was shared not because VSSA was taking a position one way or the other on the Bundy plight, but because the overarching issue in that case, government overreach, is something that a number of gun owners can understand, especially those in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, to name a few.  In the only post on this blog that mentioned Clive Bundy, I stated his case was "complicated" and took no position as to whether he was in the right.

But, his comments as recently reported in the New York Times should be enough to make anyone rethink their sympathy for Bundy the individual, even if they are still concerned about the fact that an overly armed band of federal agents descended on Bundy's property and confiscated his cattle, simply because they grazed on what is considered "Federal Land", which by the way 89% of Nevada meets this classification.

VSSA does not condone the comments Mr. Bundy is reported to have made related to Blacks and slavery.  The article shared in the weekly news brief expressed the opinion of the author.  It is up to the reader to decide if they agree with it or not.

Hat tip to Shall Not Be Questioned.


NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits Coverage


I'm in Indianapolis for the 2014 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits.  Over the next three days, look for posts and photos about new products on display. Right now the exhibitors are working feverishly to complete their booths.  There will be a live taping at 2:30 of NRA's Gun Gurus and the annual NRA Foundation Banquet.  The Wall of guns is also being set up and there are a lot of great guns that will be won this weekend. So, check back over the course of the weekend to get a flavor of what and estimated 70,000 people will see this weekend.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

VDGIF Public Comment Period on Hunting Regulatory Proposals

After the passage of several bills related to hunting during the 2014 Session of the General Assembly, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has proposed several regulatory amendments related to those bills.  A public comment period on the regulatory proposals is now open and runs until 5:00 PM on May 26, 2014. The Board will consider the proposals for possible adoption as final regulation amendments at its June 10, 2014 meeting.

Regulation 4VAC15-20.
Definitions and Miscellaneous: In General.

4VAC15-20-65Hunting, trapping, and fishing license and permit fees.
4VAC15-20-130Endangered and threatened species; adoption of federal list; additional species enumerated.

Regulation 4VAC15-30.
Definitions and Miscellaneous: Importation, Possession, Sale, Etc., of Animals.

4VAC15-30-40Importation requirements, possession and sale of nonnative (exotic) animals.

Regulation 4VAC15-50.
Game: Bear.

4VAC15-50-11Open season; generally.
4VAC15-50-71Muzzleloading gun hunting.
4VAC15-50-110Use of dogs in hunting bear.
4VAC15-50-120Bear hound training season.

Regulation 4VAC15-80.
Game: Crows.

4VAC15-80-10Open Season.

Regulation 4VAC15-90.
Game: Deer.

4VAC15-90-10Open season; generally.
4VAC15-90-70Bow and arrow hunting.
4VAC15-90-80Muzzleloading gun hunting.
4VAC15-90-91General firearms season either-sex deer hunting days.
4VAC15-90-260Hunting with dogs prohibited in certain counties and areas.
4VAC15-90-293Chronic Wasting Disease deer carcass importation restrictions.

Regulation 4VAC15-240.
Game: Turkey.

4VAC15-240-10Open season; generally.
4VAC15-240-20Open season; certain counties and areas; Saturday prior to the last Monday in October and for 11 hunting days following, and on Thanksgiving Day.
4VAC15-240-31Open season; certain counties and areas; Saturday prior to the last Monday in October and for 11 hunting days following, on Thanksgiving Day, and on the Monday closest to December 2 and for 11 hunting days following.
4VAC15-240-40Open season; spring season for bearded turkeys.
Written comments on the proposed amendments must include the commenter's name, address, and telephone number.  Comments can be submitted online at www.dgif.virginia.gov, or email at regcomments@dgif.virginia.gov or snal mailed the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Attn. Policy Analyst and Regulatory Coordinator, 4016 West Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23230.  Again, they must be received no later than May 26, 2014.

Virginia Gun Ban Advocate to Accompany CSGV Billboard at NRA Annual Meeting

Got an email from CSGV around 11:00 this morning alerting me to the rolling billboard they will have in Indianapolis during the NRA Annual Meeting and said they wanted me to be one of the first to see it.  They also asked for money.  Below is the image that accompanied the email.
 The email went on to say:
As I explained previously, the NRA is hoping to dominate the media cycle with their usual propaganda about freedom, liberty and "good guys with guns" during the convention, but we are not going to let them get away with it. It's time the media and public learned that the NRA is run by a group of extremists who routinely trample on any freedom that gets in the way of gun industry profits and unfettered access to firearms.
The billboard is supposed to circle the convention center all weekend and highlight the  "offensive remarks" by NRA Board Members and staff that the group says it has catalogued.  They also plan to send Lori Haas, mother of one of the Virginia Tech shooting survivors and former member of Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe's transition team to Indianapolis to speak for the group.

Reconvened Session to Take Up McAuliffe Anti-Gun Amendment at Noon Today

The Reconvened Session of the 2014 General Assembly is at noon today to take up Governor Terry McAuliffe's vetos and amendments to bills passed this year.  There is only one bill, SB377, that has implecations to gun owners.  SB 377 sets up a voluntary process for licensed firearm retailers who are taking a firearm in trade or sale from a non-dealer, to check to see if the firearm in question has been reported lost or stolen.  The non-dealer seeking to trade or sell the firearm would be required to sign a consent form allowing the check.  As passed, if the firearm was found to not have been reported lost or stolen, the consent forms would have to be destroyed within two weeks.  Governor McAuliffe amendmend the bill to specify the forms could not be destroyed prior to 90 days and also makes no mention of a requirement to destroy the forms, setting up a backdoor registration process.  VSSA has asked Senators to reject the amendment.  As soon as the bill comes up for action on the floor, we will share the results on the VSSA Twitter feed and on Facebook.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Shannon Watts, Bloomberg, Use Virginia as Proof They Will Win

It's become a standard talking point for Mike Bloomberg and the people associated with his various offshoot organizations and it continued with this interview by David Gregory of NBC's Meet the Press:
We’ve shown that we can make a difference in the voting booth too: Joe Baca in California. Robin Kelly in Nevada. And just look at the triple crown in the most recent elections in Virginia, also home to the NRA. Terry McAuliffe, the Lt. Governor and the Attorney General all won by making fixing Virginia’s gun laws a campaign issue. And they won because of – not in spite of – this position.


According to Bloomberg et al, gun control is why McAuliffe and his running mates won in Virginia in 2013.  The inconvenient truth is that Cuccinelli's campaign was the worst run since the 2001 Mark Earley campaign and McAuliffe avoided talking about gun control until many polls showed him with a 10 point lead. The GOP Lt. Governor candidate while a solid conservative had made some comments that were easily taken out of context, causing him to lose by more about twenty points, which likely dragged down GOP Attorney General candidate Mark Obenshain to defeat by about 907 votes.  The talking point works for those who don't know about or follow Virginia politics but there were a lot of reasons that McAuliffe defeated Ken Cuccinelli and being a proponent of gun control was the least of them. 

The fact is McAuliffe did not actively support or lobby for any of the gun control measures introduced during the General Assembly.  He has resorted to amending a total of two pieces of legislation that easily passed both houses of the legislature by attaching gun control measures to them. He was defeated on one before the end of the session and the second bill awaits action on Wednesday of this week during the reconvened session.  It is likely to fail as well.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Why Mark Warner is Still Popular

Yesterday was the annual Wakefield Shad Planking. For those not familiar with the event, The Wakefield Ruritan Club has hosted The Planking since 1949 on the wooded property of the Wakefield Sportsmen's club near Route 460 in Sussex County, Virginia, about an hour southeast of Richmond and an hour west of Virginia Beach. It is held on the third Wednesday in April each year.  Originally an all Democrat, all male, all white event, today it is overwhelmingly Republican and open to all interested in drinking free adult beverages and eating shad -- the oily, bony fish smoked for the occasion on wood planks over an open flame.  It's a place for candidates to see and be seen and for the politically active to renew old friendships and talk about the likely winners and losers of the year's coming campaign season. 

U.S. Senator Mark Warner was yesterday's featured speaker and Bearing Drift notes that even though Warner has become uncomfortable talking about his support for Obamacare, he at least should be given credit for doing something that the last two statewide Democrat candidates decided not to do, show up.  Warner hasn't abandoned what go him elected in 2001 - going to rural Virginia.

And Warner played his usual "bipartisan" self in his remarks to the assembled crowd:
“Today, we’re not Democrats or Republicans; we’re Virginians and Americans, first and foremost,” Warner said, thanking the Wakefield Ruritans for raising money for rescue squads, Little Leagues and scholarships.

“Of course, looking at this crowd, I realize I’m here as an endangered species, a Virginia Democrat,” he added, pausing a bit for the laughter to subside.

“Looking around the crowd, that’s kind of like Republican women here as well — not many of either one of us,” Warner said, smiling to a burst of energetic female screams meant to prove him wrong. “I knew I’d get ’em,” he said.
Shows why even with Ed Gillespie raising over $2 million over the last 75 days, why he has an uphill battle unseating Warner this year.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Bloomberg Plans to Spend $50 Million to Create "Grassroots" Support for Gun Control

The New York Times has this story on how Michael Bloomberg is going to spend $50 million creating an "umbrella group" to create grassroots support for gun control:
Michael R. Bloomberg, making his first major political investment since leaving office, plans to spend $50 million this year building a nationwide grass-roots network to motivate voters who feel strongly about curbing gun violence, an organization he hopes can eventually outmuscle the National Rifle Association.
Looking to model his approach after Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Times reports that Bloomberg is going to get away from the usual TV advertising campaigns that have long been a staple of the gun ban groups and plans to:
...put a large portion of his resources into the often-unseen field operations that have been effective for groups like the N.R.A. in driving single-issue, like-minded voters to the polls.


He's basically personally taking over Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and Shannon Watts' Moms Demand Action, putting them into a new group called Everytown for Gun Safety.  Never mind that none of these groups have anything to do with teaching gun safety, and everything to do with banning firearms they don't like.

Democrats who want to retain control of the U.S. Senate have been less than thrilled with Bloomberg's efforts of late since he has targeted "Red State" Democrats as well as Republicans who did not support his positions.  Trying to put forth a bipartisan persona, he is also creating an advisory board that include individuals associated with both parties.
Underscoring his desire to work with both parties, Mr. Bloomberg is bringing on a new advisory board with prominent Republican and Democratic figures. Tom Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor and Homeland Security secretary under President George W. Bush; Eli Broad, the philanthropist; Warren Buffett, the investor; and Michael G. Mullen, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under both Mr. Bush and President Obama, will all be board members.


The difference between the NRA and gun ban groups is the NRA has actual members who have some skin in the game - protecting their rights.  They own firearms and want to continue to be able to do so.  That's why even though the paid membership of the NRA is only about 5 million out of an estimated 110 million gun owners, a lot more than 5 million people associate their views with that of the NRA.  I'm not really sure there is this groundswell in a segment of the public to do for the gun ban lobby what gun owners are willing to do to protect their rights like volunteering to help like minded politicians and get out an vote for that issue, sometimes at the expense of other issues they support.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Have Americans Finally Had Enough of Government Overreach?

Opening up the news feeds this morning and I find what I think is a pattern. 

As Many As One Million Armed New Yorkers Are About To Break The Law

Feds play waiting game at Nevada ranch

Now that second one is a little more complicated and it is not as easy to come down squarely with the ranch owner but there is also some appearance of cronyism by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Having said that, the picture of citizens  (mostly unarmed) standing up to armed federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) staff is striking

Courtesy of National Review Online
Tom Gresham addressed the latter during the first few minutes of his "After Show" on Sunday.  Add to this the stories of Connecticut gun owners resisting registration of their firearms and ammo magazines by the deadline and you come to the question, has the American people, or at least a portion of the public, finally seen that government is taking away more and more of our liberty and had enough?

Monday, April 14, 2014

Bob Marshall Makes National Review's Bad Primary Candidates List

It's primary season and National Review Online had this article by John Fund yesterday on a couple of tea party aligned candidates that Fund considers to be disasters for the GOP if they win their nomination contests.  Virginia's own Delegate Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) makes the list.

Marshall is currently one of several candidates hoping to replace retiring 10th District Congressman Frank Wolf.  The so-called GOP establishment has circled the wagons around Delegate Barbara Comstock.  But Comstock is no RINO (Republican in Name Only), which is usually who Tea Party aligned candidates target.  Comstock has an "A" rating from the NRA, and beat back a Bloomberg funded candidate to win reelection in Northern Virginia in 2013.  She has also secured the endorsement of conservative radio talk show host Mark Levin, no fan of the GOP establishment and a big fan of the Tea Party, and movement conservatives like Morton Blackwell.

There is a "fire house" primary scheduled for Saturday, April 26 to decide the GOP nominee.  While not a party convention that usually only the most dedicated activists attend, a fire house primary still has lower turn out than an actual primary.  Fund notes that Marshall has performed well in these low turnout environments in the past, like in 2008, when he lost a U.S. Senate primary to former governor and NRA Board member Jim Gilmore by just 66 votes out of more than 10,300 votes cast at a state GOP convention. And that could be the problem.  If he wins there will be a lot of past statements that Democrats will use against Delegate Marshall:
Marshall’s problem is that his extreme rhetoric marks him as easy prey for Democratic attack ads in November. In my view, he is a dead-weight loser — and I almost never reach such a conclusion about a conservative candidate in a competitive district.

Last Thursday, the Washington Times did an analysis of his record and noted that “Marshall has said disabled children can be God’s vengeance against women who have had abortions.” Indeed, in 2010, Marshall spoke at a rally calling for an end to state funding of Planned Parenthood. “When you abort the firstborn of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children,” he claimed. “This is a special punishment, Christians would suggest.”

After an uproar, Marshall waited five days to offer a quasi-apology, saying he had been misconstrued. But days after this walkback, he took to the House floor and claimed his statement had “been repeated endless times in print and in the electronic media without anyone producing the smoking-gun tape.” In reality, his words had been posted on YouTube for several days and can still be found there.

“He’s Todd Akin on steroids,” adds one Northern Virginia conservative activist who has endorsed no one for the seat. He noted that after last year’s Supreme Court decision striking down a gay-marriage ban in California, Marshall said, “For all I know, [Justice Anthony] Kennedy is a homosexual.” When asked by the Washington Times about his comment, he defended it: “Clearly, some of the people making these decisions must be rationalizing their own bad behavior.” Justice Kennedy, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, has been married for 51 years and has five children.
Marshall has support from the Tea Party in his home county.  The fact that tea party booster Mark Levin is on Comstock's side, may be what she needs to overcome Marshall's claims that she is not conservative enough.  Anyone who has listened to Levin knows he is not going to support a squish.  In the end however, she has to turn out more people than the other candidates on April 26.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

McAuliffe Adds Anti-Gun Amendment to Senate Bill 377

Governor Terry McAuliffe has struck again.  Earlier this week, he added a VSSA opposed amendment to Senate Bill 377. Sponsored by state Senator Bryce Reeves (R-17), SB 377, as passed by the General Assembly, would allow federally licensed firearm retailers seeking to purchase, trade or transfer a firearm from a non-dealer individual, to submit information on that firearm to law enforcement to determine if it has been reported lost or stolen. Included in the process is a consent form which must contain all identification taken in writing from the person selling, trading or transferring the firearm to the dealer, as well as information about the firearm. As passed, SB 377 stipulates that if the firearm has not have been reported lost or stolen, the dealer is required to destroy the consent form within two weeks. SB 377 was passed unanimously by the House of Delegates on February 25 and the state Senate concurred unanimously on February 27.
 

McAuliffe’s amendment has serious anti-gun implications. While SB 377 as passed by the Assembly would require the licensed retailer to destroy the consent forms for all firearms determined not to be lost or stolen, the Governor’s amendment would mandate that those consent forms be kept by the FFL for at least 90 days and includes no requirement to ever destroy them. This is a nothing short of a backdoor registration of those seeking to sell, trade or transfer their lawfully owned firearms to a gun dealer.
 
Please contact your state senator today and urge him or her to vote no on the amendment.  Also please contact your member of the House of Delegates and urge him or her to oppose the amendment in the event that the amendment makes it out of the State Senate.  The reconvened session will take place April 23rd. 


Eric Holder and "Gun Bracelets"

Attorney General Eric Holder's comments before the House Appropriations Committee earlier this week related to "Smart Gun" and other technology related devices that make if harder to access firearms have gotten a lot of attention on various firearm related web sites.  The Atlantic Wire via Yahoo News claims all of that attention would never have materialized if the Washington Free Beacon had used a different headline in this story that has been shared widely, including on this blog.
 Holder was talking about things like the Gun Box, a storage device for firearms that can only be opened when the owner passes a radio frequency ID (RFID) chip over it, the sort of thing in your credit cards that lets you tap instead of swiping. The Gun Box embeds its RFID chip in a bracelet. Need your gun? Wave your hand over your storage box and it opens — but your kids and criminals can't gain access.

That's not the headline the Free Beacon put on its story, as Talking Points Memo noted on Wednesday. Instead, the site went with: "Holder: We Want to Explore Gun Tracking Bracelets." That's the headline that carried over to the conspiracy site InfoWars and to Fox News and to the NRA website. There's no tracking in what Holder referred to, unless you're worried about being tracked by your gun. But if the headline had been "Holder: Let's Make Guns Smarter," all those other sites wouldn't have picked it up.
But the Atlantic Wire is not being completely up front either.  Holder did talk about "Smart Guns" not just the "Gun Box"  And, the NRA and NSSF have pointed out the flaws in so-called smart guns on numerous occasions and it is a safe bet that the Attorney General announcing the Justice Department wants to put a significant sum of additional taxpayer money to promoting such technologies would have drawn just as much attention as the Washington Free Beacon story drew.

Fact is, the U.S. Department of Justice, through congressional earmarks, funded so-called smart gun technology research from 2008- 2010, with that last grant award closing out in 2013.   There is no conspiracy theory as the Atlantic Wire infers.  There is a certain segment of congress and the current administration that wants to make access to firearms as hard as possible for the population as a whole, not just prohibited persons.  The Free Beacon, Fox News, and the NRA was simply doing what the mainstream media won't, report the various schemes this administration cooks up to further infringe our rights.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Great Op/Ed by Bart Hinkle on Knife Rights

You can read the article here
A certain fellow — we’ll call him Fred — broke the law a while ago. He didn’t mean to. He didn’t even know he was doing it. Nevertheless, had he been caught he could have gone to jail — for a year.

Fred lives in Virginia. Last fall he went on a camping trip. Not knowing what the terrain might be like, he stowed a short machete in his backpack — in case he needed to clear away some stinging nettles, or behead a stray boomslang. In any event, Fred unwittingly committed a Class 1 misdemeanor. Virginia’s concealed-weapons law makes it illegal to carry “hidden from common observation” not just firearms but also dirks, bowie knives, switchblades, razors and a variety of more exotic items usually seen only in poorly dubbed martial-arts movies. The list also includes machetes.

Fortunately for Fred, he has an ally in his corner — a group called Knife Rights, which is like the National Rifle Association but for knives. Last month Knife Rights won a big victory when Tennessee repealed a law prohibiting switchblades. Tennessee followed the lead of Alaska, which legalized them in 2013. Knife Rights was behind both efforts.
Good to see Knife Rights getting some mainstream notice.

Active Shooter Call at Portmouth's Naval Medical Center Prompts Questions on Firearms on Base

WAVY 10 took a look at the rules related to firearms on Naval Bases after a Tuesday morning "Active Shooter" call at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth.
10 On Your Side has been digging into the guidelines for guns on bases, and here’s what we found out. State issued concealed weapons permits are not recognized on any Navy installation. But the Navy doesn’t altogether say no to personal firearms on base. Sailors and civilian employees should just have a card showing proof that he or she is authorized to carry a personal firearm. That card can be attained with a commanding officer’s prior approval.

We’re told that all personal firearms have to be stored in the installation’s armory, unloaded and secured with a trigger lock, and ammunition has to be far away.
Last weeks Fort Hood shootings have renewed debate on whether military personal should be allowed to carry and/or keep firearms on base.

The Guardian Asks If "Gun Lobby" Can Be Beat Through Social Media

The Guardian asks that question in this article.
Gun control campaigners are making greater use of social media to organise their supporters across the US, in an effort to digitally disrupt better-funded pro-gun lobbying groups like the NRA.

Three groups – Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Americans for Responsible Solutions, and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America – came together at the SXSW conference in Austin to discuss their digital strategies.

The first two of those groups may have well-known figureheads – politicians Michael Bloomberg and Gabrielle Giffords respectively – but they are also working hard to spark grassroots online campaigns for supporters to press for changes to state and federal gun laws.

“The problem here is that there are more guns in the United States than there are people. That’s not necessarily a problem in itself, but our laws are letting far too many of those guns fall into the wrong hands,” said Glaze, setting the scene for the groups’ digital efforts.
If you are looking for grassroots support, looking strictly at the numbers, Moms Demand Action has 153,000 followers on Facebook.  Mayors Against Illegal Guns has 21,000.  The NRA destroys both of them with 3.2 million followers on Facebook.  Twitter numbers are lower for NRA but they are still about 10 times higher that the numbers for both Moms Demand Action and Demand Action (the only reference I could find on Twitter to MAIG).  But numbers don't necessarily mean you know how to use social media.  It just means you are good and promotion and getting people to click a "Like" or "Follow" button on a web page.  It seems that NRA has improved their use of the medium

As far as effect grassroots activity, NRA members filled a meeting room for the NRA-ILA Grassroots Seminar at the NRA Annual Meeting in Houston and heard NRA-ILA staff and fellow NRA members talk about the effective use use of social media and how to make a difference during the legislative process and campaigns.  By the looks of this crowd of gun banners at the SXSW conference in Austin last month, it appears they have a ways to go.

Concealed Handgun Application Fees Issue in Lynchburg Council Races

Earlier this year, a bill died in the Virginia General Assembly that would have reduced concealed handgun permit (CHP) application fees from $50 to $25.  The issue has surfaced in Lynchburg City Council Elections.  The News and Advance is currently running a Q&A feature for citizens to ask questions of council candidates and this past Sunday, the paper ran the responses of candidates to the  question of where they stand on reducing the fee charged by the city for CHPs.  Some of the candidates said they were in favor of the current fee and gave justifications:
JOAN FOSTER
I believe that citizens have the right to own a gun and apply for a concealed carry permit. State law permits localities to determine a fee that fits their local cost to complete a background check. I believe that these background checks are paramount to maintaining a safe community - and public safety is invaluable. Our local police department processes each concealed carry application which takes, on average, one hour per application. The $50 fee is good for five years, meaning the cost of a permit is only $10 per year. $15 of the fee goes to the court system and state police, leaving our locality with $35 to pay an officer to complete a comprehensive background check. I voted against reducing the concealed carry permit fee -- I have not received any feedback from citizens opposing my decision. However, I consistently hear from citizens how much they enjoy living in a safe and healthy community. It is my priority to keep our city safe and advocate for the needs of our public safety officials.

RANDY NELSON
Competent, law-abiding citizens have an absolute right to possess firearms. State law prohibits persons from carrying a concealed weapon unless they obtain a concealed weapons permit (CWP). Having a CWP is a “privilege” and not a “right.”

A CWP continues for 5 years and cannot be issued unless a qualified law enforcement officer researches confidential data, verifies 20 issues, and submits a report for a Circuit Court Judge’s approval. State and Court fees for this amount to $15. Police records show the average cost to our Police Department for its services exceeds $35. Since the City cannot lawfully charge more than $35 for these services, it fixes its portion of the fee at $35; resulting in a total $50 fee.

The City prefers that direct beneficiaries of a privilege should bear the costs of that privilege and other City taxpayers not be expected to subsidize it.

There is no evidence that the City’s current fee has deterred anyone from applying for a CWP.
I supported the current fee level for those enjoying this privilege.
Someone needs to tell Nelson that a) It's a Concealed Handgun Permit, not a Concealed Weapon Permit, and b) a permit is not a privilege - we have a right to defend ourselves and states like Vermont, Alaska, and Arizona recognize that right by not requiring a permit.

A couple support looking for ways to streamline the process to reduce the fee:
RHONNIE SMITH
Lynchburg should find a way to lower the fee for concealed handgun permits. Bedford County charges $40.46 for new applications and $30.46 for non-expired renewal applications. If other jurisdictions in Virginia are able to effectively process applications at lower costs, then why can't Lynchburg? Why does Lynchburg charge high tax rates and fees rather than searching for ways to lower the cost of providing services.

During my time as President of the Technical Services Division at B&W, to remain competitive, we constantly looked at competitors and how they effectively lowered costs without comprising quality. Lynchburg needs to do the same where it makes sense.

Just this past week it was announced that the City of Lynchburg is postponing $129 million dollars in projects due to the cost of building Heritage High School. Previously, our City Manager stated that the city’s costs of providing services are increasing. On City Council, I will encourage our administration to look at other localities and find better ways for providing the services that we enjoy.
For more please visit www.meetrhonnie.com

H. CARY
I believe Lynchburg’s CWP application process can be streamlined to provide the same high-level service at a lower rate. The current $50 fee is no barrier to our law-abiding neighbors who want a permit, nor would a lower rate make it easier for criminals to access weapons. Quite simply: lowering the fee is a way to save people money – and I think that’s important.

I’d never recommend a cost-saving measure that puts citizens in danger. Virginia allows CWP fees to range anywhere from $15 to $50. Our neighbors in surrounding counties are getting it done for $15-$35. I felt that a $25 fee would be appropriate.

Detectives from the Lynchburg Police Department earn overtime pay for conducting CWP background checks. I respect the work those detectives do for our city, but I believe we could find more efficient ways to complete this process.

CWP applicants understand that we need a reasonable fee to recoup the costs of a background check. Let’s not take advantage of their understanding by charging the maximum rate!
It's rare that firearm issues come up in local elections given Virginia's preemption statute but issues like fees for permit applications and approval of shooting ranges are perfect examples of why we need to know where the candidates stand.  If you live in Lynchburg, please share this information with your fellow gun owners so they can make an informed decision on May 6th when the council elections will be held.

Hat tip to TheGunwire.com.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Taxpayers to Pay for Gun Control?

Based on this Washington Free Beacon report, it appears that is what Eric Holder wants.
“I think that one of the things that we learned when we were trying to get passed those common sense reforms last year, Vice President Biden and I had a meeting with a group of technology people and we talked about how guns can be made more safe,” he said.

“By making them either through finger print identification, the gun talks to a bracelet or something that you might wear, how guns can be used only by the person who is lawfully in possession of the weapon.”
Actually this would not be the first time taxpayers would be funding such projects. As recently as 2010, the Bureau of Justice Assistance provided $1 million (thanks to a congressional ear mark) to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) for "The Child Safe Personalized Weapons Technology" project.  Over the course of three years, NJIT received ear marks totaling $1,504,418 for this work.  That's pennies compared to what Holder wants for his pet projects:
The Justice Department has requested $382.1 million in increased spending for its fiscal year 2014 budget for “gun safety.”
The NJIT project focused on the development of an "electronic handgun disabling mechanism," which along with Grip Recognition "provides a complete child safe weapon demonstrable prototype."  That award closed in September of 2013 and NJIT claims to have developed a working platform for dry and live fire experiments as well as designed and intedgrated a disabling system.




Because congressional earmarks ended when the Republicans regained majority control in the House, NJIT's funding dried up.  Look for them to try to get a slice of Holder's wish list if the new funding materializes. Sounds like it's time to contact your congressman and let them know you oppose increased funding to push gun control schemes like "smart guns" and "gun tracking systems."

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Virginia Democrat Congressional Candidate Calls NRA Supporters "Pure Trash"

Boy, Democrats in Virginia's 7th Congressional District sure have themselves a real live one for a candidate this year.  As the only announced Democrat to challenge incumbent Eric Cantor in November (Cantor still has to get past Dave Brat in the June 10th primary), Mike Dickinson has taken to Twitter the last couple of days to attack NRA members.
And here's another:
Dickinson calls NRA a "tiny group" with a big mouth, and using as justification for that description the NRA only has 4.8 million members while AARP has 83 million.  Then, he says he doesn't want the support of NRA members:
Now, I don't know how many NRA members live in the 7th Congressional District, but there a lot of NRA members in Virginia, so if you are automatically going to write off a large chunk the population you are seeking to represent, doesn't it beg the question just how serious are you about the campaign?  A quick look at his Twitter feed gives us a glimpse of the type of person this guy is.

And it seems that at least some 7th District Democrats are none to pleased with their candidate.  Back in February, Dickenson spoke at the Spotsylvania Democratic Committee and received a grilling based on this Free Lance-Star Report:
But Spotsylvania Democratic Committee member Richard Toye told Dickinson that he thought there was “no way” that the 7th District Democratic Committee would nominate him at its convention. So far, no other Democrats have announced plans to seek the party’s nomination.

Toye expressed concern about Dickinson’s lack of experience and business dealings with strip clubs, among other issues. Dickinson said he has done consulting work for adult-oriented businesses.

If no other Democratic candidates come forward, “I’d have to support that no-candidate option” at the convention, Toye told Dickinson.
It also appears, based on the same article, that the NRA is not the only group of voters that Dickinson has singled out for attack:
Another item of contention was Dickinson’s recent letter to the editor of The Free Lance–Star claiming that a group of women in the Chesterfield County Democratic Committee opposed his candidacy because of his “background in business with adult clubs.” He wrote that “judging people by outdated stereotypes is exactly what Democrats are supposed to be against.”

Opal Stroup, a Spotsylvania Democratic Committee member, told Dickinson that she took exception to his letter. “You’re asking us to donate money to you, you’re asking us to work our butts off for you but then you write a letter to the editor that attacks women in Chesterfield,” Stroup said “Do you think that’s a real wise strategy?”
It remains to be seen if the 7th District Democratic Committee will vote to nominate Mr. Dickerson.  If they do, based on his Twitter feed, look for him to continue the gutter politics he has been practicing since announcing his run.

Update: A reader notes that Dickinson's Twitter account has been suspended.
Update 2: Dickinson failed to file as a candidate with the 7th District Democratic Committee by last week's April 10 deadline so the Committee has canceled the nominating committee.  The winner of the June 10th Republican Primary will for all intent and purposes be the occupant of the 7th District Congressional seat in Congress when the November General Election is over. Hat tip Cam and Company

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Federal Gun Control Dead In Senate for 2014

Bitter has the story here. Seems even Harry Reid is not willing to bet Bloomberg's money can save his majority if he forced Red State Democrats to jump off the cliff for something that a majority of the public opposes.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Virginians for Responsible Gun Laws Details "Next Steps" For Virginia

After recovering from the thumping the gun ban lobby took again at this year's General Assembly, Lori Haas sent out an email earlier today that details what her group has in store for Virginia Gun Gun Owners now that the General Assembly is over:
We continue to work at the grass roots and grass tops levels to bring awareness to our issue. And, we have several opportunities for you to be involved in the coming months. Details for each of the following events have not been finalized, but I wanted you to "save the date" so you can attend as many events as possible and help us grow Virginians for Responsible Gun Laws and support GVP efforts through-out the state.

Saturday, May 17th - Richmond, Va - Summit: General Assembly Wrap-up & 2014 Strategy

Saturday, June 16th - Hampton, VA - Educational Forum - Gun Violence: Public &  Mental Health Issues

We hope that you will be able to attend both of these events but at least one please. We need you and your input to show our elected leaders that we mean business when it comes to the safety of our families and communities.
Look for that "Forum" in June to feature more of what we saw at the UVA gun control forum last December.

Moms Demand to Protest NRA Annual Meeting

Sebastian shares a report that Moms Demand Action plans to protest the NRA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis this year as they did last year in Houston.  I was on my way out of town last year about the time the small little band assembled but I'll be in Indy until Sunday this year so I'll be able to cover the protest. Usually these turn out to be almost non events. Moms Demand has shown they are nothing more than a wholly owned subsidiary of Mayors Against Guns. Will be interesting to see if a real crowd materializes.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Can Common Ground be Found on Sunday Hunting?

Many probably think that question was answered with the passage of a limited Sunday Hunting bill this year but they would be wrong. Lee Tolliver writes on the subject in the Virginian Pilot and notes divide in the hunting community still is strong. One if the main opponents of Sunday Hunting is a group representing those who hunt with dogs. And while the new law prohibits hunting with dogs in Sunday, this group still would have opposed Sunday hunting even if it had allowed bill hunting with dogs.

Some traditions die hard, but prohibiting hunting on Sunday is one that should die. This year's bill signed into law by Governor McAuliffe was a good compromise.

NY Times Article on SC Restaurant Carry

The article can be found here.  I have a suggestion for restaurants in South Carolina. Look to Virginia as a guide. With restaurant carry now for almost four years and there have been no problems. Few establishments have posted against the practice too.

On a related note, with the Virginia Hospitality Association had stayed neutral on the issue as their counterpart in South Carolina did. Might have passed sooner.

VCU Baseball Military Appreciation Day

On April 16th, the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team will play Norfolk State University at The Diamond, home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels.   ALL active and veteran military members receive FREE admission as well as their families. VCU will also recognize and thank military members and organizations throughout the game.   Game time is 7:00 PM.

VCU is ranked No. 25 in the USA Today College Baseball Coaches Poll and No. 26 in the College Baseball Newspaper Poll.  This marks the first time VCU has been ranked since 2003. That year the Rams reached the NCAA Tournament after capturing the CAA Tournament title.

The Rams are one of just five teams in Division I baseball that have totaled 20 wins this season. VCU is currently riding an eight game unbeaten streak dating back to March 12, when the Black and Gold thumped Virginia Tech 21-14 in Blacksburg.

DIRECTIONS TO THE DIAMOND
ARRIVING FROM I-95 HEADING SOUTH AND I-64 HEADING EAST
1.Take Exit #78
2.Make a right onto the Boulevard
3..The Sports Backers Stadium entrance is on the left just after the stop light and the entrance to the Diamond.

ARRIVING FROM I-95 HEADING NORTH AND I-64 HEADING WEST
1.Take Exit #78 and make a left at the bottom of the exit ramp.
2.Take a right at the first traffic light onto Robin Hood Road
3.Take a left at the next traffic light onto the Boulevard
4. The Sports Backers Stadium entrance is on the left just after the stop light and the entrance to the Diamond.