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Not yet a VCDL member? Join VCDL at: http://www.vcdl.org/join
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VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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1. VCDL needs a new gun show coordinator for Richmond
2. VCDL needs volunteers for THIS WEEKEND'S Fishersville Gun Show!
3. More information on misdemeanor domestic violence laws in Virginia
4. VCDL membershi[p meeting in Annandale on Thursday, April 17
5. VCDL President to be on gun panel at Radford on Tuesday, April 22
6. VCDL President interviewed on Open Carry Report pod-cast
7. VCDL EM featured on Al Jazeera story on open carry [VIDEO]
8. VCDL shoot at Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club on May 10th!
9. Thomas Dale High School misleading letter on guns in vehicles?
10. Another mass shooting in a gun-free zone: Fort Hood
11. Disruptive antis?
12. New gun range in Virginia Beach hopes to draw women shooters
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1. VCDL needs a new gun show coordinator for Richmond
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David Crosby, who has been the VCDL Richmond Gun Show Coordinator for many years now, is going to step down from that position. :-(
Consequently we need to find a replacement for David, as having a presence at gun shows is very important to VCDL.
The Gun Show Coordinator keeps the VCDL booth materials, sets up and tears down the booth, schedules the booth at the various Richmond gun shows, coordinates the volunteers who will be working the booth, and accounts for all VCDL memberships and sales of items at the show.
If you are interested in stepping up and become the Richmond Gun Show Coordinator, please send me an email at: president@vcdl.org
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2. VCDL needs volunteers for THIS WEEKEND'S Fishersville Gun Show!
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Help needed THIS weekend!!
Fishersville, VA -- http://www.cegunshows.com, April 12 - 13, 2014
Saturday, April 12 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 13 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Augusta Expoland
277 Expo Road
Fishersville, VA 22939
540-337-2552
Please contact David Sayen at
Shenandoahgunshows@vcdl.org
to help in Fishersville.
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3. More information on misdemeanor domestic violence laws in Virginia
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Virginia has a code section 18.2-57.3 which gives a first time offender a chance to avoid a conviction for misdemeanor domestic violence under 18.2-57.2. This is important as a conviction under 18.2-57.2 can lead to a person losing their gun rights.
This one time chance is an OPTION for the Courts. They don't have to offer it.
Key parts, with highlights in uppercase:
18.2-57.3 A. When a person is charged with a violation of § 18.2-57.2, the court MAY defer the proceedings against such person, without a finding of guilt, and place him on probation under the terms of this section.
B. For a person to be eligible for such deferral, the court shall find that (i) the person was an adult at the time of the commission of the offense, (ii) the person has not previously been convicted of ANY offense under this article or under any statute of the United States or of any state or any ordinance of any local government relating to assault and battery against a family or household member, (iii) the person has NOT previously had a proceeding against him for violation of such an offense dismissed as provided in THIS section, (iv) the person pleads guilty to, or enters a plea of not guilty or nolo contendere and the court finds the evidence is sufficient to find the person guilty of, a violation of § 18.2-57.2, and (v) the person consents to such deferral.
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4. VCDL membershi[p meeting in Annandale on Thursday, April 17
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VCDL will have its regular monthly meeting in Annandale on Thursday, April 17, at the Mason District Government Center. Fellowship starts at 7:30 PM and the meeting is called to order at 8:00 PM.
The meeting is open to the public, so bring along some friends and family.
Directions:
http://vcdl.org/node/180
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5. VCDL President to be on gun panel at Radford on Tuesday, April 22
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I am scheduled to be on a Second Amendment panel at Radford University on Tuesday, April 22. The topic is "2nd Amendment restrictions on open and concealed carry on college campuses" and the panel discussion is being sponsored by Alpha Phi Sigma, which is a Criminal Justice Honor Society at the University.
The meeting starts at 6 PM and is being held in Heth Hall, Room 022. Heth Hall is in the center of the main campus.
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6. VCDL President interviewed on Open Carry Report pod-cast
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This was the Open Carry Report moderator's first attempt at a live podcast recording, and a few problems ensued, but he worked through them. Instead of a roundtable, it ended up being just the moderator and me. Both the other guests could not participate due to unforeseen circumstances. VCDL member George Holloway, from Chesapeake, called in and participated in the discussion as well.
http://opencarryreport.com/005/
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7. VCDL EM featured on Al Jazeera story on open carry [VIDEO]
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EM Ed Levine is featured in this Al Jazeera America story looking at open carry in the United States:
The story is reasonably unbiased, putting to shame the mainstream media in the United States.
From america.aljazeera.com: http://tinyurl.com/mwgh5p7
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8. VCDL shoot at Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club on May 10th!
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Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club (RRRC) will again host the annual RRRC/VCDL Defensive Pistol Shoot on Saturday, May 10, 2014.
Shooter sign-in starts at 9 AM. There is a meeting at 9:30 AM to get new shooters up to speed on the event. There is a meeting of all shooters at 10 AM, with shooting to start shortly thereafter.
There will be 6 stages. Shooters need 100 rounds of ammo. Match FEE: $20 per shooter.
A FREE HOT DOG LUNCH WILL BE SERVED!
Donated prizes are already being received and more are REQUESTED from any businesses or individuals wishing to support this annual shoot for benefit of VCDL.
FREE tickets for prizes will be given to all shooters at sign-in. A drawing for prizes will be held after the shooting ends and you must be present to win! (Prizes from previous years included scopes, ammunition, range bags, and magazines.)
In past years, ALL shooters have taken home prizes --and we expect this to happen again this year, THANKS to all of our supporters!
This event is open to the public, so bring along a friend!
"Modified IDPA" rules will apply, and information on that will be covered in the shooters meeting.
For more information, contact al@vcdl.org. The address is:
1305 Gun Club Drive
Hardy, VA 24101
The directions to RRRC are here:
http://www.roanokerifle.com/about/directions/
VERY IMPORTANT----PLEASE KEEP YOUR SPEED DOWN ON GUN CLUB ROAD TO 10 MPH! This keeps the dust down for the nearby neighbors of the range.
Come join us for a fun and safe shoot!
AL STEED JR
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9. Thomas Dale High School misleading letter on guns in vehicles?
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The Principal at Thomas Dale high school put out this message to parents. At issue is the second paragraph, which is poorly written. It is not clear if the parents are being reminded that students can't have a gun in their car or if parents can't have a gun in their car:
March 27, 2014
Dear Parents and Guardians:
Maintaining a safe, supportive and nurturing learning environment remains one of the primary goals of Thomas Dale High School. Working with parents and our community, we are confident we can continue to provide a school setting free from distraction and disruption.
It is important that we remind our students about what is not appropriate to be brought onto school property. There are serious school discipline and legal consequences for students who do not follow the law. Parents are reminded as well that weapons are not allowed in vehicles while on school property.
We will continue to remind students of the importance of letting an adult know if something wrong is occurring. Our students already understand this, as demonstrated earlier today when school authorities were informed of a student with a knife on their person while in the building. No direct threats were made, and all students were safe. However, these items should not be brought on school property.
Parents, please help us reinforce this message, and if need be, check your student's belongings and vehicle. Even if a student brings something to school by mistake, he or she will face serious consequences that could include suspension, expulsion and/or criminal charges.
Thank you for your continued support of our efforts to create and sustain a safe learning environment that is free from distraction and promotes student success.
Sincerely,
Pam Lumsden
Principal, TDHS
——
Since it wasn't clear, I sent the following email to the school:
As the president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun rights organization, I need to point out that Ms. Lumsden's recent statement that parents cannot have firearms in the vehicles on school property is totally false under Virginia law.
There are plenty of exceptions for adults (and parents are included in these exceptions):
1. A person with a concealed handgun permit may have a loaded, concealed gun in their vehicle or on their person as long as they remain in their vehicle. (18.2-308.1)
2. A person with or without a permit can have an unloaded gun in a closed (but not necessarily locked) container and long guns can also be secured in a rack. The person may then exit their vehicle, leaving the firearm behind. (18.2-308.1)
3. A person may have a loaded handgun in a *closed*, but not necessarily locked, compartment or container (including glovebox or console) in their vehicle. The person may then exit their vehicle, leaving the firearm behind. (18.2-308 C-10 and 18.2-308.1)
It is important that the school not give out legally incorrect information, as the resulting confusion could lead to a false arrest and an expensive law suit, as well as simply being unprofessional.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 804-639-0600 or president@vcdl.org. You might also contact your local Commonweath Attorney.
Sincerely,
Philip Van Cleave
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10. Another mass shooting in a gun-free zone: Fort Hood
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Here we go again - another mass shooting in a gun-free zone! Enough is enough is enough. We have got to get rid of all gun-free zones and restore both safety and sanity to our country.
This time the call for allowing our soldiers to be armed on base has gotten louder than ever and I hope that we get some action on this.
And the blame is bi-partisan: We can thank President Bill Clinton and one of his Executive Orders for creating this deadly ban. We can thank President George W Bush for NOT repealing that Executive Order when he had a chance for the 8-years he was in office. And we can also thank President Barak Obama for not repealing the ban either. Shame on all of them.
Here is a video where the Lt. General in charge of Fort Hood is asked if soldiers should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on base. Basically the Lt. General said he is satisfied with the 10 minute response from police and, by implication, the ensuing deaths and grevous wounding of so many of our soldiers. I can understand that soldiers must sometimes be sacrificed in a war zone for the better good. But on a military base in the United States IT IS **NOT** OK to ask a soldier to NEEDLESSLY sacrifice his or her life just to satisfy some crazy form of political correctness or some bigoted anti-gun foolishness.
http://tinyurl.com/lmqdbvx
From the Washington Times: http://tinyurl.com/l8gmqkb
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11. Disruptive antis?
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A funny thing happened at the meeting of the Hopewell Republican Committee last Thursday.
As you might recall from last week's update, I was scheduled to speak at that meeting (and I did). However, somebody, who obviously prefers that VCDL's voice be silenced, called the restaurant and told them the meeting was off! The restaurant, consequently, removed the meeting from their calendar.
Fortunately the Committee discovered what had happened and reversed it, allowing the meeting to go on exactly as planned.
VCDL would never tolerate, nor even dream, of doing something like that to our opponents. We are not afraid of them exercising their First Amendment rights and they should similarly not fear us doing so.
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12. New gun range in Virginia Beach hopes to draw women shooters
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From hamptonroads.com: http://tinyurl.com/lzxba4s
New gun range targets growing segment: women
By Stacy Parker
The Virginian-Pilot
VIRGINIA BEACH
A bright, airy retail space with illuminated display cases. Cheerful orange walls. A weekly ladies' night.
When Colonial Shooting Academy opens May 3 in a big-box building off Interstate 264, visitors will find plenty of clues to what sets the place apart from the typical shooting range:
It's unabashedly aimed at women.
That approach has paid off at the original Colonial Shooting Academy location in Richmond. Women are among the top customers for competitive and recreational shooting.
"A lot of them come in and want to be able to defend themselves," said Ed Coleman, general manager of the Virginia Beach range, which is at the corner of Witchduck Road and Virginia Beach Boulevard.
"They come to learn."
The 50,000-square-foot Beach location is following the same design as the one in Richmond.
Shooting lanes – there will be 34 of them – feature wireless control of targets that run on tracks up to 75 feet from the shooter. Thousands of firearms will be on display in the retail area, as well as accessories, ammunition and clothing.
Sal Lemole, an architect with Lemole Pointon in Virginia Beach, had women in mind when he designed the space.
"Low glass cabinets with lots of lighting so they feel safe," he said. "Guns are notoriously associated with danger. This puts them in a warm, friendly environment – like a department store in the mall."
He pointed to the walls – a bright, but not too obtrusive shade of orange.
"Notice we didn't do any Hello Kitty colors," Lemole said. "Women like a clean, well-lit environment."
"Like a jewelry store," Coleman said. "It makes it more welcoming."
Colonial Shooting Academy scoped out Hampton Roads for its second location because Virginia Beach didn't have a modern, large shooting range.
It's at the former site of sporting goods and furniture stores. The new owners, a partnership between Colonial Shooting Academy and Harmony Investments, a local development company, are spending $10 million on renovations.
The range will hire about 50 people, and several of the instructors will be women, for women-only classes.
Last year, state police conducted nearly 480,000 mandatory criminal background checks of gun buyers, breaking previous years' records. The figure doesn't distinguish between genders, but women are likely ramping up ownership numbers across the state, said Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League.
His organization introduces pro-gun bills and serves as a watchdog for gun owners' rights. Several of its executive members are women.
Van Cleave teaches courses for gun permits in Richmond, and he has seen more women sign up over a few years. He said they're realizing that "the best person to protect them is themselves."
At the new shooting range, beginners can take a firearm safety class and a basic pistol class, in which students learn what makes a gun work, and how to grip it, stand and shoot.
Colonial Shooting Academy will offer memberships for $34.95 per month with a $100 one-time initiation fee. Nonmembers can also rent firearms and range time. Hourly range rentals will cost $20 on weekdays and $22 on weekends.
Customers must meet certain criteria to use the range. They can't be a felon or have a court order that bars them from having a firearm. They must watch a safety video and are issued a card that tells them which lane to use.
"It's like a hall pass in school," Coleman said.
Jessica Abbott of Virginia Beach is interested in testing out the shooting lanes. She's the founder of Bad Brass Women, a gun club in Hampton Roads that strives to teach women how to defend themselves. Firearm training is a big part, but so is encouraging safe practices, self-defense moves and the use of pepper spray, said Abbott, who carries a Beretta pistol.
"Some of us just want to go out and do something with the girls," she said.
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VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization
dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to
Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.
VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org [http://www.vcdl.org/]
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