W.E.G.
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VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 8/19/08
-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Van Cleave
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 2:47 PM
Subject: VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 8/19/08
VCDL Update 8/19/08 - "Defending your right to defend yourself."
1. ACTION ITEM: Virginia Crime Commission to consider referred gun
show bill September 9th!
2. CHP renewal correction
3. Glen Yates: Protect your family, lose your freedom
4. VCDL member ambushed at home
5. BB&T employee refuses to notarize CHP renewal
6. Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
7. LTE: The cost of freedom
8. Federal judge: No guns at Atlanta airport
9. Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial on Atlanta airport ruling
10. GeorgiaCarry.org's page on the litigation
11. Texas school district gets it right, permits teacher carry
12. Who needs a gun at the Olympics?
13. Who needs a gun in a National Park? (TN)
14. Democrats ban talk of guns at convention's "Town Hall"
15. Gun shows and events!
**************************************************
1. ACTION ITEM: Virginia Crime Commission to consider referred gun
show bill September 9th!
**************************************************
As you may recall when anti-gun Senator Henry Marsh's gun show bill
was in the Senate Courts of Justice committee earlier this year, the
bill was killed.
In committee, Senator Marsh threw a hissy fit over the bill dying. In
order to calm him down the committee ended up referring the bill to
the Crime Commission for further study.
Well, the Crime Commission is going to meet at 10:00 AM on Tuesday,
September 9th in Senate Room A in the General Assembly Building. Gun
owners need to be there to make it known that we vehemently oppose
Senator Mash's bill (SB 109)!
The anti's are trying to get a lot of their members to attend and we
need to outnumber them!
I will be there with with large orange Guns Save Lives stickers to
hand out to those of you who are planning on being there.
**************************************************
2. CHP renewal correction
**************************************************
VCDL EM Ron Hyson suggested I make a clarification to the new CHP
renewal procedures I described in last week's update and so I shall.
You only have to renew your CHP between 90 and 180 day ahead of
expiration IF you want your new permit's effective date to begin on
the date the old permit expires.
You can renew with less than 90 days before expiration, but your new
permit will probably have an effective date that is before your old
permit expires, costing you to lose some days or weeks off your old
permit.
At a minimum you should renew at least 45 days before expiration as
the Court has that long to issue your new permit.
**************************************************
3. Glen Yates: Protect your family, lose your freedom
**************************************************
I don't know any more about this case than what Mr. Yates says below.
I don't know if there was any mitigating circumstance that forced him
to plead guilty. But once you do so and are convicted, it is hard to
get your case reheard later.
http://tinyurl.com/5dt968
starexponent.com
Glenn M. Yates Jr.
Published: August 8, 2008
Imagine working every day to support your family. Obeying the law,
living without a criminal record. Married to the woman you've been
involved with since 1999. Imagine this woman having your children and
living a Christian lifestyle.
Now imagine three violent felons with extensive criminal records
coming to your home on a rainy day, with the stated intent of killing
you, hurting your family and abducting your children. Imagine you are
the only thing that stands between your family and these aggressors.
Then, you're blindsided, eye swollen and hurt. You call out for these
criminals to leave. No one listens and you see anger in their eyes.
Desperately you fire a legal weapon, wounding one of the assailants.
Do you finish him off? No, you render first aid, you call the police
and basically save the life of your assailant.
Now imagine when the police arrive, from your own phone call, you are
charged as the criminal. You are read your rights. You are charged
with three felonies ranging from 27 years to life.
You are taken from your family in handcuffs. You are placed at the
mercy of a system you know nothing about because you have never before
been in trouble.
Now stop imagining because all that you've read has happened to me. On
Sept. 26, I was wrongfully convicted after being coerced by a court-
appointed counsel and the commonwealth's attorney's office. I was
given a sentence of 30 years, with 20 suspended.
Keep in mind that I have had employment since 11 years old, went to
Culinary School after graduation and have four small children, ages 6,
4, 2, and 6 months old.
You would think that truth, protection and rights would prevail in
this matter. No, it's just more of the lies and wrongful protection
we've seen in the past. Only in Culpeper would a man protecting his
home and family receive a greater sentence than known drug dealers,
pedophiles and molesters.
My wife is forced to use food stamps and public assistance to support
our children. In this, my family is made to be a burden to the good
people of Virginia, making you also the victim of this wrongful
prosecution.
As an American citizen, you have the right to bear arms. I had a
legal, registered firearm. I was at my home defending my family and
myself. I was raised to tell the truth, which I did, and was punished
for it. Not being a criminal and having been focused on raising our
children, I was incompetent of the law, and the commonwealth took
advantage of this.
The transcripts are on the record; look at the facts.
Please, my good people of the home I've known for 20 years: Write to
the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office or myself; write to local
organizations or churches to bring attention to this great injustice.
I'm not asking for just myself, but for my four beautiful children.
I truly believe the Lord prevails in all situations of my life.
Glenn M. Yates Jr. is a resident of Culpeper.
Editor's note: Yates pleaded guilty to aggravated malicious wounding.
His case has been appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court.
**************************************************
4. VCDL member ambushed at home
**************************************************
I received this letter from a member in Hopewell. I'm glad he is OK,
but it is another example of how crime happens when you least expect
it and why I am always armed whenever possible. It also shows that it
is a good idea to be alert when you come home to an 'empty' house.
--
Philip,
I'm writing this to let the VCDL community know that one cannot be too
prepared.
Friday, August 8th, I came home from work at about 2:40 p.m. I
unlocked the front door and noticed that the alarm was not on. My
daughter must have forgot to turn it on when she left earlier. Usually
when I enter the house, my two cats are waiting on me and want me to
pet them. Well, one acted normal and the other one came to me and then
immediately ran behind and underneath the couch (a sign I missed). I
laid my motorcycle helmet down and took off my riding pants and jacket.
I tried to call a friend on my cell phone. Then I tried to chirp
another friend on the Nextel. I picked up my helmet, as it had fallen
off of the motorcycle and I had to wipe it off. I carried it and the
Nextel as I went from the living room into the hallway.
Well, this is where things went downhill. Four young men jumped me,
beat me, and threw me to the ground. They handcuffed me, taped my legs
together, then picked me up and, with a gun to my head, forced me to
open my safe (which only held ammo and mags). Then they pushed me into
my bedroom and forced me to open three small, pistol-size safes (one
of which contained my loaded Glock 27).
They then asked me where the guns were (while hitting me and pointing
the gun at me). I told them the guns were in the safe in the basement.
They then dragged me to the basement steps and I managed to get down
by myself (one scumbag suggested to another to push me down).
I opened the safe and they put me in my food closet (old half bath),
and pushed the chest freezer against it. After I did not hear them, I
cut the tape off of my legs (I had my box cutter clipped in my right
pocket). I forced the door open and escaped through the basement
(cellar) door and ran to the house behind me (I live on a corner).
They made off with 22 guns: 5 AR-15s, 2 SKSs, 4 Glocks, 6 S&W
revolvers, and a few others.
Not a good day.
However, I am happy to have lived through the ordeal. My left eye was
beaten, but it should be fine.
**************************************************
5. BB&T employee refuses to notarize CHP renewal
**************************************************
Here is a copy of a letter that a gun owner sent to BB&T last week.
Perhaps Virginia should revoke Ms. Bocckinfuso's Notary Public status
for not notarizing a legal document that she didn't agree with:
--
August 7, 2008
Doug P. Hackett
BB&T
310 First St 2nd Floor
Roanoke, VA 24011-1929
Dear Mr. Hackett:
I recently had an incident at the Westlake Branch of BB&T on Booker T.
Washington Highway in Hardy, Va. I would like to make you aware of the
circumstances surrounding this incident.
My husband and I went to the bank, he to do some transactions and me
to have a paper notarized. I asked a woman by the name of Harriet
Bocckinfuso (card attached) if she was a notary. She stated, "Yes,"
and asked what would I need notarized. I stated, "Papers for my gun
permit." She was visibly unsettled by my request and went into an
office, spoke to someone, came back out and stated, "I don't feel
comfortable signing this." I responded with, "Excuse me?" and she
replied, "We don't feel comfortable." We left the bank and went across
to Bank of America where we have another account, and within minutes
it was notarized.
Now let me mention this was for a renewal permit. I have been legally
using firearms for 40 years. I have had permits in New York,
Massachusetts, and New Hampshire and currently hold a valid out of
state Connecticut gun permit as well as Virginia.
Two days ago, I returned to the bank to get the business card and to
ask Mrs. Bocckinfuso why she refused to sign the official document, as
all she was asked to do was to verify my signature. She refused to
give me a reason except to say "she didn't like the looks of the
document." (Is she going to call Franklin County and tell them she
doesn't approve of their legal document? I think not.)
I feel that this was a personal issue, perhaps a dislike of firearms,
which in any case should not be reflected in dealing with the daily
business of the bank.
I feel this individual has not acted in a professional manner and I
would greatly appreciate a response.
We will be closing our account at BB&T and transferring our account to
Bank of America.
Sincerely,
Katrina D
**************************************************
6. Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
**************************************************
Another sad reminder that there are some very evil people that will
kill you in a heartbeat, with no remorse whatsoever. A Virginia Beach
detective working undercover paid the ultimate price for being in
contact with such scum.
Our condolences go to Officer Phillips's family:
http://tinyurl.com/6ouryu
myfoxhamptonroads.com
Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
Last Edited: Monday, 11 Aug 2008, 10:24 PM EDT
Created: Friday, 08 Aug 2008, 8:48 AM EDT
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY.com) -- For the second time in a week,
police cars surround the parking lot on Holland Road and Lynnhaven
Parkway. The first time, it was to protect the integrity of a crime
scene.
Now, it is to protect the memory of the officer who lost his life at
the scene.
Hundreds gathered around the makeshift memorial in the parking spot
where Officer Michael Phillips was shot in an undercover drug bust.
It was this circle of comfort that welcomed the family of the fallen
officer as they made their way towards the center. His wife and his
two boys.
Left without a father, without a husband, and without a fellow police
officer, it is the burning memory of a hero that warms them now, a
memory the crowd will not let go out.
Phillips' life as an undercover officer makes it difficult to find out
too much about his job. But while his work is shrouded in secrecy,
his memory will be carried with respect.
----
Virginia Beach Police detective shot and killed during undercover
operation
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (myfoxhamptonroads.com) -- Police have released
the names of the two suspects charged with killing Virginia Beach
police detective Michael Smith Phillips.
23-year-old Ted Carter and 26-year-old Marshall Moyd, both of the 900
block of S. Clubhouse Road, are charged with First Degree Murder, Use
of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony and Conspiracy to Violate
the Drug Conspiracy Act. They are expected in court for a hearing
Friday afternoon.
Police spokesman MPO Adam Bernstein told myfoxhamptonroads.com,
Detective Phillips was a member of the Special Investigations
Department for six years. He was shot and killed during an undercover
operation. According to MPO Bernstein, Phillips also served for the
Hampton Police Department for three years prior to joining VBPD in
August 2002.
Detective Phillips is survived by his wife and two sons, ages 12 and 8.
The shooting happened at the Green Run Shopping Center parking lot on
Holland Rd around 11:15 p.m., Bernstein said. "At some point during
the operation the officer was shot." Rescue crews rushed to the scene,
but the officer was pronounced dead.
Police roped off nearly an entire block around the scene. "I heard a
bunch of sirens, came out and saw about a million cops," one neighbor
told myfoxhamptonroads.com. For several hours police detoured traffic
around the scene.
Minutes after the shooting, officers took two men into custody in
front of Zoots Dry Cleaners on Lynnhaven Blvd., around the corner from
the originial crime scene. An SUV could be seen facing the wrong
direction with its doors open.
With heavy hearts, detectives searched for evidence to help them
understand what led to the shooting. Bernstein did not provide details
of the undercover operation. Other officers covered their badges with
black stripes. "This is to honor and show respect for the officer and
his family," Bernstein said. "This affects us all, not just in
Virginia Beach, but nationwide."
Bernstein told myfoxhamptonroads.com, Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake
Jacocks delivered the sad news to the officer's wife and children.
"It's the worst part of the chief's job - knocking on that door and
telling his family this has happened."
Shortly after sunrise Friday morning, a tow truck removed a blue
pickup truck from the scene. The driver's window on the pickup had
been shattered.
According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, the Virginia Beach Police
Department has had 10 officers killed in the Line of Duty, since 1923.
That includes Officer Rodney Pocceschi, who was shot and killed on
June 23, 2003, while making a traffic stop on Dam Neck road.
**************************************************
7. LTE: The cost of freedom
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/5ercm6
fredericksburg.com
What price guns? Victims of violence
August 13, 2008 12:15 am
David R. Sadler's response ["Amrhine's views on guns ill-informed,"
July 30] to Richard Amrhine's July 20 column has merit--most gun
owners of this country would agree with it.
Most amendments of the Bill of Rights have a cost to allow each
freedom that is guaranteed. Free speech tolerates hurtful ideas.
The issue is not if the gun was obtained legally or not. It is if we
as a society are willing to sacrifice our family members to random
acts of gun violence.
The Second Amendment's cost is that there are victims of gun violence.
That is the price American society pays for that freedom.
For the families affected by gun violence, the price keeps increasing
every year.
Kevin Morrow
Stafford
**************************************************
8. Federal judge: No guns at Atlanta airport
**************************************************
Another activist judge who wishes to make his own laws rather than
interpret real laws:.
While we can't carry in the non-sterile areas of airport terminals in
Virginia (see the list at: http://www.vcdl.org/aircarrier.html), we
can carry outside the terminal on public sidewalks, non-terminal
buildings, parking lots, etc.
We don't want activist judges or the TSA to strip away that right.
In the future, we will work to get legislation passed to limit the gun
ban to only the sterile areas of the airports.
http://tinyurl.com/6dqbsz
ap.google.com
Federal judge: No guns at Atlanta airport
By GREG BLUESTEIN - 4 days ago
ATLANTA (AP) -- A federal judge on Monday upheld a gun ban at the
world's busiest airport, dealing a blow to gun rights groups who
argued a new Georgia law authorized them to pack heat in certain parts
of the Atlanta airport.
U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob expressed concern that allowing guns
at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport could cause
significant economic damage and could be a "serious threat to public
safety and welfare."
His decision rejected a request by GeorgiaCarry.org that would have
temporarily allowed gun owners to carry their weapons in the airport
until his final ruling on the gun ban -- a challenge that could likely
last months.
The legal showdown erupted when the state law that allows people with
a concealed weapons permit to carry guns into restaurants, state parks
and on public transportation took effect on July 1.
City officials quickly declared the airport a "gun-free zone" and
warned that anyone carrying a gun there would be arrested.
GeorgiaCarry.org sued the city and the airport, claiming that the
airport qualifies as mass transportation under the new state law.
Attorney John Monroe told the judge repeatedly that no law makes it a
crime for residents with permits to bring their guns into terminals,
parking lots and other unsecured areas.
Gov. Sonny Perdue, who signed the bill into law in May, supports the
lawsuit. The Republican suggested that his own wife might want to
carry a firearm for long walks between the parking lot and the
airport's terminal.
City officials have angrily fired back, arguing that allowing some
residents to carry guns at the airport could pose a dire threat to the
millions of passengers it serves each year. Even an accidental firearm
discharge, they say, could cause mayhem.
"First, you're going to have a stampede," said Robert Kennedy, the
airport's assistant general manager.
Meanwhile, airport officials are quietly devising a backup plan.
They have asked the Transportation Security Administration to amend
the airport's federal security program so that guns are banned in all
areas, including certain parking facilities.
TSA officials said the agency is reviewing the request, the first such
appeal it has ever received.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House Homeland Security
Committee, has also urged the agency to strengthen its restrictions
and warned that Congress could intervene if national regulations are
not adopted.
The judge's ruling was a defeat for GeorgiaCarry.org, a two-year-old
group that has won a string of victories reversing city and county
firearm restrictions around the state.
But state Rep. Tim Bearden, a Republican who co-sponsored the law,
said it was only a temporary setback.
"In the long run, the Constitution always prevails," said Bearden, a
former police officer who wore a yellow tie imprinted with the
document's words. "At least, it's supposed to."
Associated Press Writer Ben Evans in Washington contributed to this
report.
**************************************************
9. Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial on Atlanta airport ruling
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/6efmwt
ajc.com
Public safety first
Judge's ruling keeps concealed weapons out of hectic mix at Hartsfield-
Jackson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/13/08
When you go to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, you can pack
your ID, toothbrush and lunch.
But you still can't pack heat.
That was the verdict -- at least temporarily -- of U.S. District Judge
Marvin Shoob, who denied a temporary injunction to prevent the city of
Atlanta from enforcing its 30-year ban on concealed weapons at
Hartsfield-Jackson.
In a hearing, Shoob asked airport executives to describe what would
happen if a firearm was discharged by accident in a crowded terminal.
"First, we would have a stampede," testified airport official Robert
Kennedy. Then the airport would be "frozen" as law enforcement
responded. No flights would depart and passengers would be kept
waiting for possibly hours.
Such testimony led Shoob to rule against gun-rights group
GeorgiaCarry.org and state Rep. Timothy Bearden (R-Villa Rica) in
their request for a preliminary injunction.
In his decision, Shoob cut through the pro-gun rhetoric and sided with
public safety: "Where there is any question as to whether the public
safety and welfare is threatened, the court must rule on the side of
that public interest."
GeorgiaCarry.org claims Atlanta's ban violates a new state law that
allows Georgians with concealed weapons permits to bring weapons to
state parks, restaurants that serve alcohol and on public
transportation. GeorgiaCarry.org contends that non-secure areas of the
airport, including terminals, parking lots and baggage claim, qualify
as public transportation. Atlanta disagrees that the airport was
covered by the law.
Shoob could have granted a preliminary injunction to GeorgiaCarry.org
only if he decided that the group had "a substantial likelihood" of
winning once the full case is heard and decided. But as Shoob noted,
it's a stretch to define an international airport as public
transportation. (An airplane is a means of transportation; an airport
is not.)
Shoob treated other arguments offered by GeorgiaCarry.org with equal
skepticism, especially its insistence that concealed permit holders
are vetted carefully by the state and pose no risk to Hartsfield's 90
million annual passengers.
As Shoob noted, "The only requirements to obtain a firearms license in
Georgia are to pay a $15 fee and undergo a criminal background check
and, at the discretion of the probate court, a mental health
background check. There is no requirement that applicants demonstrate
any proficiency in the handling of a firearm."
Shoob also doubted that a state law -- passed in haste and without
discussion by the Georgia General Assembly in its final hours -- would
trump the many federal regulations that govern airports and airport
safety, especially in the wake of 9/11.
Although the full case must still be heard, such common-sense doubts
would seem difficult to overcome.
--Maureen Downey, for the editorial board
**************************************************
10. GeorgiaCarry.org's page on the litigation
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/6zewvh
**************************************************
11. Texas school district gets it right, permits teacher carry
**************************************************
Hopefully this will spread across the nation in more and more schools:
http://tinyurl.com/5hldcz
chron.com
North Texas school district will let teachers carry guns
Associated Press
Aug. 15, 2008, 4:27P
HARROLD, Texas -- A tiny Texas school district may be the first in the
nation to allow teachers and staff to pack guns for protection when
classes begin later this month, a newspaper reported.
Trustees at the Harrold Independent School District approved a
district policy change last October so employees can carry concealed
firearms to deter and protect against school shootings, provided the
gun-toting teachers follow certain requirements.
In order for teachers and staff to carry a pistol, they must have a
Texas license to carry a concealed handgun; must be authorized to
carry by the district; must receive training in crisis management and
hostile situations and have to use ammunition that is designed to
minimize the risk of ricochet in school halls.
Superintendent David Thweatt said the small community is a 30-minute
drive from the sheriff's office, leaving students and teachers without
protection. He said the district's lone campus sits 500 feet from
heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target.
"When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones,
that's when all of these shootings started. Why would you put it out
there that a group of people can't defend themselves? That's like
saying 'sic 'em' to a dog," Thweatt said in Friday's online edition of
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Thweatt said officials researched the policy and considered other
options for about a year before approving the policy change. He said
the district also has various other security measures in place to
prevent a school shooting.
"The naysayers think (a shooting) won't happen here. If something were
to happen here, I'd much rather be calling a parent to tell them that
their child is OK because we were able to protect them," Thweatt said.
Texas law outlaws firearms on school campuses "unless pursuant to the
written regulations or written authorization of the institution."
It was unclear how many of the 50 or so teachers and staff members
will be armed this fall because Thweatt did not disclose that
information, to keep it from students or potential attackers.
Wilbarger County Sheriff Larry Lee was out of the office Thursday and
did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment, the newspaper
said.
Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of School
Boards, said her organization did not know of another district with
such a policy. Ken Trump, a Cleveland-based school security expert who
advises districts nationwide, including in Texas, said Harrold is the
first district with such a policy.
The 110-student district is 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth on the
eastern end of Wilbarger County, near the Oklahoma border.
**************************************************
12. Who needs a gun at the Olympics?
**************************************************
Gun free countries are so safe! Well, that's what the Dark Side is
always telling us, anyway.
----
Dale Welch writes:
Man from Minnesota stabbed to death. China could not protect him. Why,
I bet even the UN could not protect him.
http://tinyurl.com/64m7zt
latimes.com
A dark turn in Beijing as U.S. Olympic tourist is killed
Two relatives of a U.S. volleyball coach are stabbed by a Chinese man,
who then commits suicide. Their tour guide is also wounded in the
attack at a city landmark.
By Mark Magnier and Evan Osnos
Special to The Times
August 10, 2008
BEIJING -- In an incident that cast a shadow over the start of the
Olympic Games here, a Chinese man armed with a knife Saturday attacked
the parents of a former U.S. Olympic volleyball player and their
Chinese tour guide, killing one of the Americans before committing
suicide.
Todd and Barbara Bachman, both 62, were stabbed at the 13th century
Drum Tower, a landmark five miles from the Olympic village in a
neighborhood of lakes, restaurants and bars popular with tourists. The
attacker then jumped from the tower's second story, about 130 feet
above street level.
Black-clad commandos swarmed the area after the attack, which left
Todd Bachman of Lakeville, Minn., dead and his wife in intensive care.
Barbara Bachman, who suffered multiple stab wounds, was in critical
but stable condition at a Beijing hospital after about eight hours of
surgery. The couple's female guide was injured.
Their daughter, Irvine resident Elisabeth "Wiz" Bachman McCutcheon, a
member of the 2004 Olympic team, was with them at the time and watched
the attack in horror. Her husband, Hugh McCutcheon, is the coach of
the U.S. men's volleyball team competing here at the Summer Games, but
after the attack, he did not plan to be on the bench today for the
team's opening game against Venezuela.
Chinese leaders have deployed more than 100,000 police officers and
military personnel to safeguard the Games, in addition to several
hundred thousand neighborhood watch volunteers. Xi Jinping, the
presidential heir apparent, earlier said security would be a top
barometer of the Games' success.
Quoting Beijing police, the U.S. Olympic Committee said the assailant
acted alone. His identity card listed him as Tang Yongming, 47, from
the eastern province of Zhejiang, according to the official New China
News Agency.
Beijing and Shanghai have low crime rates for cities of their size,
and attacks against foreigners are rare in China.
"It's really sad after the celebration of the opening ceremonies,
which were the best opening ceremonies I've ever been at," said Steve
Penny, president of USA Gymnastics.
Penny said he had spoken to team leaders and would talk to athletes'
families but felt no fear about being identified as an American,
adding that he would continue to wear the red-white-and-blue "USA" hat
he had on.
President Bush, in China for the Olympics, said he and First Lady
Laura Bush were saddened by the attack.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. And
the United States government has offered to provide any assistance the
family needs," he told reporters.
Todd Bachman, chief executive of a family-operated chain of garden
centers and flower shops in Minnesota, and his wife are well-known in
Southern California volleyball circles as boosters of the sport.
Friends recalled the pair for their enduring support of their
daughter's volleyball career at UCLA and when she joined the Olympic
team in Athens four years ago.
Elisabeth McCutcheon's former coach, Andy Banachowski, said his heart
went out to her and her family.
"The only comfort is that Wiz was not injured in the heinous attack,"
Banachowski, who heads the UCLA women's volleyball team, said in a
statement.
Banachowski called McCutcheon's parents "two of the most supportive
and friendly people that I have ever encountered. . . . They love the
sport and are beloved in the volleyball community."
Details of the attack were sparse.
A 40-year-old shopkeeper near the Drum Tower, who gave only her last
name, Li, after police warned her not to talk, said she was watching a
weightlifting competition on TV when she heard a commotion. On peeking
outside, she saw the crumpled body of a man on the gray cobblestones
in the tower complex, she said, and later learned that it was the body
of the attacker.
"I only saw the dead body," she said. "I didn't see anything else."
Shortly after the attack, an estimated 300 security officers,
including black-clad commandos, arrived, said two witnesses who
declined to be identified, having been told by police not to speak to
foreign reporters. The body was removed and the broken, bloodstained
cobblestones were covered with sand.
The state media, quoting police, said the attacker divorced in 2006,
had a 21-year-old son and had no fixed address or job when he arrived
in Beijing from the eastern city of Hangzhou on Aug. 1 after telling
his landlord that he was moving for business. He had no criminal
record and his motive was unknown, authorities said.
The incident's timing and high-profile nature come at an awkward time.
China has geared up its vast security apparatus, forced thousands of
critics out of Beijing and spent record sums in a bid to pull off a
perfect Olympics.
"This is a very unfortunate incident," said Jin Canrong, an
international relations professor at People's University in Beijing.
"The Chinese government will try not to let this event have a serious
impact on U.S.-China relations."
In the short term, Chinese officials should cooperate fully with their
U.S. counterparts on an investigation and in helping address the needs
of grieving relatives, Jin said.
Although some Chinese, particularly young male Internet users, bristle
at perceived insults by Americans, many respect Americans, and most
were pleased with Bush's decision to attend the Olympics.
U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Darryl Seibel said the victims wore
nothing that identified them as Americans, adding that Chinese police
have said they believe that it was a random act of violence. He said
members of the men's volleyball team were shocked but planned to
compete today; the USOC also had no plans to change its security
arrangements.
"I'm saddened, but that doesn't make me think any less of this
country," said Sydney Thayer, director of a small New York-based film
company and a veteran of nine Olympics, who was in the audience of the
fencing competition Saturday. "My feeling is that this has nothing to
do with China."
Longer term, however, the incident suggests that the government needs
to address rising social tension in China's fast-changing society, Jin
said. In recent weeks, the country has seen several violent outbursts,
including last month's killing of six policemen in Shanghai by an
attacker wielding a knife and the killing of seven people in a mob
attack in Yunnan province in May, indicating growing frustration among
those left behind by the market economy, he said.
By late afternoon, new waves of tourists flocked to the Drum Tower
area largely unaware of what had taken place a few hours earlier. The
tower, built by Mongolian conquerors led by Kublai Khan, houses a
collection of giant drums of the sort used to record the passage of
time in China's last dynasty.
Ryan Zweng, a 23-year-old San Francisco musician on his second visit
to China, said the attack seemed utterly at odds with his experience.
"China is the friendliest place for Americans that I've ever traveled.
Period," he said. "Even after this, I still feel safer walking down
the street in the middle of the night than I do in Philadelphia."
mark.magnier@latimes.com
Magnier is a Times staff writer and Osnos is a staff writer for the
Chicago Tribune. Times staff writers Randy Harvey and Diane Pucin in
Beijing and Louis Sahagun and Esmeralda Bermudez in Los Angeles, and
Kevin Pang of the Tribune contributed to this report.
**************************************************
13. Who needs a gun in a National Park? (TN)
**************************************************
Thanks to David Neal for the link:
http://tinyurl.com/5n9k3a
knoxnews.com
Black bear attacks boy in Smokies; father also hurt
By J.J. Stambaugh
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Photo Gallery
Boy attacked by bear in Smokies
Eight year-old Evan Pala gets a kiss from father John Pala outside the
Marriott Fairfield as they grant interviews to the media. Evan was
attacked by a black bear while hiking near the Rainbow Falls trail in
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Monday. The family was
visiting Tennessee for the first time from Boca Raton, Florida.
A black bear repeatedly mauled an 8-year-old boy Monday evening near a
popular motor trail on the outskirts of Gatlinburg, and an animal
matching its description was later killed by park rangers.
The boy's father also was injured while successfully defending his son
from the animal, said officials with the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park, but none of their injuries were believed to be life-
threatening.
The dead bear was described as a "55-pound male yearling" that was
probably born in the spring of 2007, according to park spokesman Bob
Miller. Rangers were confident they'd bagged the right animal but
won't know for sure until a necropsy is performed at the University of
Tennessee, he said.
The incident began about 7:30 p.m. when the boy, Evan Pala of Boca
Raton, Fla., was playing in a creek about 300 yards from the trailhead
of Rainbow Falls Trail, which is near the Roaring Fork Motor Nature
Trail, Miller said.
The bear apparently approached the boy and attacked him, was driven
off and then came back for a second attack, Miller said.
"Apparently the dad was able to drive the bear off both times with
rocks and sticks," Miller said. "The child sustained some puncture
wounds. They're probably not life-threatening, but they're pretty
serious injuries."
The boy's father, John Pala, also of Boca Raton, sustained several
lacerations during the attacks. His wounds weren't as serious as his
son's, and both went to Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center for
treatment, Miller said. They were released Monday night, spokeswoman
Amanda Brabson said.
"Apparently, these were pretty aggressive attacks," Miller said.
"Sometimes a bear will swipe at somebody over food, but this was a bit
more aggressive than that."
Rangers who were scouring the area for the animal came across a young
male bear near the attack scene that "approached them in an aggressive
way," Miller said. The rangers then shot and killed the animal, he
said, and found "a child's shoe and a cap."
Miller said that circumstantial evidence supports the conclusion that
the bear was the one that attacked the boy, but authorities won't know
for certain until forensic evidence is gathered during the necropsy.
Black bear attacks are rare, according to the North American Bear
Center. Between 1900 and 2007, only 60 people were killed in black
bear attacks across North America, and 45 of those deaths took place
in Alaska or Canada, where there is usually little contact between the
animals and people.
In recent years, however, East Tennessee has seen two fatal black bear
attacks. In 2000, an adult female black bear and a cub killed a Sevier
County elementary school teacher while she was hiking along a trail in
the Great Smoky Mountains. In April 2006 a black bear attacked an Ohio
family near the summit of Chilhowee Mountain in the Cherokee National
Forest, killing a 6-year-old girl and severely injuring her 2-year-old
brother and mother.
The Cherokee National Forest is home to about 1,500 of the bears, and
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to another 1,250,
officials say.
Some estimates have placed the black bear population in East Tennessee
at about 3,000.
This year, there have been several reports of black bears entering
into urban areas in East Tennessee, including Knoxville and Oak Ridge,
but until Monday there had been no recent reports of attacks on humans.
J.J. Stambaugh may be reached at 865-342-6307.
**************************************************
14. Democrats ban talk of guns at convention's "Town Hall"
**************************************************
If you want to send in a submission to the "Town Hall" part of the
Democratic Convention, you had best not be promoting gun ownership, as
they classify that as offensive, obscene and inappropriate:
http://www.demconvention.com/townhall-rules
"... Submissions must not: ... (iii) contain ... content
promoting ... firearms, or weapons, .. or any other offensive,
obscene, or inappropriate content;...."
**************************************************
15. Gun shows and events! Norfolk show needs volunteers!
**************************************************
The Virginia Citizens Defense League thanks the following member-
activists who generously gave of their time to advance and help defend
the rights of their fellow gun owners by working our recruiting and
information booth at the C&E gun show in Richmond, July 12-13:
Carl Shuler, Sue Brush, Debra & Brian Weidman, David Crosby, Paul
Henick, Billy Donald, Owen Pollard, JC, Dale Walsh, and Audrey
Muehleisen
We also thank the volunteers at the C&E gun show in Salem, July 19-20:
Sherrill Smith, Ken Modica, John Everett, Bruce Powers, Rodney
Metheny, Joe Eiermann, Dave and Denise Knight, Kathy Smith, and Clint
Perdue
Finally, we would like to thank the volunteers at the C&E/Showmasters
gun show in Chantilly, July 25-27:
TJ Parmele, Ken Bullock, David Spencer, Jim Kiser, Jay & Margot
Alexander, Ken Moore, Max Padon, Larry Riley, Thomas Love, Jerry
Coffey, David Park, Daniel Paulson, and Dexter Guptill
--
As an all volunteer organization, VCDL depends on YOU to volunteer
your time at our area events, where we recruit new activists and keep
gun owners informed. No experience necessary; if it's your first time
we'll pair you with a veteran volunteer. To find out more about
helping at our gun show tables, go to:
http://www2.vcdl.org/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/vcdl/gs.html
and click on any of the blue links, or contact the coordinator for the
show/event listed below with which you are interested in helping.
Here are the upcoming events with which we need YOUR help:
a. ROANOKE http://www.showmasters.us, August 16-17
Saturday, August 16 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 17 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Roanoke.
b. VIRGINIA OUTDOOR SPORTSMAN'S CLASSIC http://www.vaoutdoorsportsmensclassic.com/
, SALEM CIVIC CENTER, August 22-24
Friday, August 22 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 23 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 24 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
The VCDL table is being paid for again by Grahme Anderson, Empire
Siding And Windows, Roanoke. Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org
to help at this big show in Salem.
c. HARRISONBURG http://www.showmasters.us, August 23-24
Saturday, August 23 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 24 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Bob Schmidt at Shenandoahgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Harrisonburg.
d. NORFOLK http://www.showmasters.us, September 6-7 **Help needed
desperately**
Saturday, September 6 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 7 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Ed Burton at Norfolkgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the
Norfolk Scope.
e. CHANTILLY http://www.cegunshows.com, September 12-14
Friday, September 12 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 13 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 14 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact our Northern Virginia coordinator at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org
to help in Chantilly.
f. HAMPTON http://www.guns-knives.com, September 20-21
Saturday, September 20 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 21 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Ron Lilly at HamptonRoadsgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Hampton.
g. FISHERSVILLE http://www.showmasters.us, September 27-28
Saturday, September 27 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 28 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Bob Schmidt at Shenandoahgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Fishersville.
h. DALE CITY http://www.olddominionshows.com, October 4-5
Saturday, October 4 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 5 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact TJ Parmele at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Dale City.
i. SALEM http://www.cegunshows.com, October 4-5
Saturday, October 4 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 5 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Salem.
j. VIRGINIA BEACH http://www.guns-knives.com, October 11-12
Saturday, October 11 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 12 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Ron and Jean Hyson at VBgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Virginia Beach.
k. RICHMOND http://www.cegunshows.com, October 18-19
Saturday, October 18 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 19 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Contact Audrey Muehleisen at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the
Showplace in Mechanicsville.
l. FREDERICKSBURG http://www.guns-knives.com, October 25-26
Saturday, October 25 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 26 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Contact Robert Herron at Fredericksburggunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Fredericksburg.
m. ROANOKE http://www.showmasters.us, October 25-26
Saturday, October 25 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 26 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Roanoke.
n. DALE CITY http://www.olddominionshows.com, November 1-2
Saturday, November 1 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 2 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact our Northern Virginia coordinator at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org
to help in Dale City.
o. NORFOLK http://www.showmasters.us, November 1-2
Saturday, November 1 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 2 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Ed Burton at Norfolkgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the
Norfolk Scope.
p. RICHMOND http://www.showmasters.us, November 15-16
Saturday, November 15 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 16 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Contact Audrey Muehleisen at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the
Richmond Raceway Complex.
q. CHANTILLY http://www.cegunshows.com, November 21-23
Friday, November 21 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 22 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 23 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact our Northern Virginia coordinator at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org
to help in Chantilly.
r. HAMPTON http://www.guns-knives.com, November 29-30
Saturday, November 29 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 30 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Ron Lilly at HamptonRoadsgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Hampton.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
VCDL's Gun Dealer Legal Defense Fund -- help fight Mayor Bloomberg's
scheme to cripple Virginia firearms dealers. See:
www.vcdl.org/index.html#DefenseFund
----------------------------------------------------------------------
VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
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(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
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VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 8/19/08
-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Van Cleave
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 2:47 PM
Subject: VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 8/19/08
VCDL Update 8/19/08 - "Defending your right to defend yourself."
1. ACTION ITEM: Virginia Crime Commission to consider referred gun
show bill September 9th!
2. CHP renewal correction
3. Glen Yates: Protect your family, lose your freedom
4. VCDL member ambushed at home
5. BB&T employee refuses to notarize CHP renewal
6. Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
7. LTE: The cost of freedom
8. Federal judge: No guns at Atlanta airport
9. Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial on Atlanta airport ruling
10. GeorgiaCarry.org's page on the litigation
11. Texas school district gets it right, permits teacher carry
12. Who needs a gun at the Olympics?
13. Who needs a gun in a National Park? (TN)
14. Democrats ban talk of guns at convention's "Town Hall"
15. Gun shows and events!
**************************************************
1. ACTION ITEM: Virginia Crime Commission to consider referred gun
show bill September 9th!
**************************************************
As you may recall when anti-gun Senator Henry Marsh's gun show bill
was in the Senate Courts of Justice committee earlier this year, the
bill was killed.
In committee, Senator Marsh threw a hissy fit over the bill dying. In
order to calm him down the committee ended up referring the bill to
the Crime Commission for further study.
Well, the Crime Commission is going to meet at 10:00 AM on Tuesday,
September 9th in Senate Room A in the General Assembly Building. Gun
owners need to be there to make it known that we vehemently oppose
Senator Mash's bill (SB 109)!
The anti's are trying to get a lot of their members to attend and we
need to outnumber them!
I will be there with with large orange Guns Save Lives stickers to
hand out to those of you who are planning on being there.
**************************************************
2. CHP renewal correction
**************************************************
VCDL EM Ron Hyson suggested I make a clarification to the new CHP
renewal procedures I described in last week's update and so I shall.
You only have to renew your CHP between 90 and 180 day ahead of
expiration IF you want your new permit's effective date to begin on
the date the old permit expires.
You can renew with less than 90 days before expiration, but your new
permit will probably have an effective date that is before your old
permit expires, costing you to lose some days or weeks off your old
permit.
At a minimum you should renew at least 45 days before expiration as
the Court has that long to issue your new permit.
**************************************************
3. Glen Yates: Protect your family, lose your freedom
**************************************************
I don't know any more about this case than what Mr. Yates says below.
I don't know if there was any mitigating circumstance that forced him
to plead guilty. But once you do so and are convicted, it is hard to
get your case reheard later.
http://tinyurl.com/5dt968
starexponent.com
Glenn M. Yates Jr.
Published: August 8, 2008
Imagine working every day to support your family. Obeying the law,
living without a criminal record. Married to the woman you've been
involved with since 1999. Imagine this woman having your children and
living a Christian lifestyle.
Now imagine three violent felons with extensive criminal records
coming to your home on a rainy day, with the stated intent of killing
you, hurting your family and abducting your children. Imagine you are
the only thing that stands between your family and these aggressors.
Then, you're blindsided, eye swollen and hurt. You call out for these
criminals to leave. No one listens and you see anger in their eyes.
Desperately you fire a legal weapon, wounding one of the assailants.
Do you finish him off? No, you render first aid, you call the police
and basically save the life of your assailant.
Now imagine when the police arrive, from your own phone call, you are
charged as the criminal. You are read your rights. You are charged
with three felonies ranging from 27 years to life.
You are taken from your family in handcuffs. You are placed at the
mercy of a system you know nothing about because you have never before
been in trouble.
Now stop imagining because all that you've read has happened to me. On
Sept. 26, I was wrongfully convicted after being coerced by a court-
appointed counsel and the commonwealth's attorney's office. I was
given a sentence of 30 years, with 20 suspended.
Keep in mind that I have had employment since 11 years old, went to
Culinary School after graduation and have four small children, ages 6,
4, 2, and 6 months old.
You would think that truth, protection and rights would prevail in
this matter. No, it's just more of the lies and wrongful protection
we've seen in the past. Only in Culpeper would a man protecting his
home and family receive a greater sentence than known drug dealers,
pedophiles and molesters.
My wife is forced to use food stamps and public assistance to support
our children. In this, my family is made to be a burden to the good
people of Virginia, making you also the victim of this wrongful
prosecution.
As an American citizen, you have the right to bear arms. I had a
legal, registered firearm. I was at my home defending my family and
myself. I was raised to tell the truth, which I did, and was punished
for it. Not being a criminal and having been focused on raising our
children, I was incompetent of the law, and the commonwealth took
advantage of this.
The transcripts are on the record; look at the facts.
Please, my good people of the home I've known for 20 years: Write to
the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office or myself; write to local
organizations or churches to bring attention to this great injustice.
I'm not asking for just myself, but for my four beautiful children.
I truly believe the Lord prevails in all situations of my life.
Glenn M. Yates Jr. is a resident of Culpeper.
Editor's note: Yates pleaded guilty to aggravated malicious wounding.
His case has been appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court.
**************************************************
4. VCDL member ambushed at home
**************************************************
I received this letter from a member in Hopewell. I'm glad he is OK,
but it is another example of how crime happens when you least expect
it and why I am always armed whenever possible. It also shows that it
is a good idea to be alert when you come home to an 'empty' house.
--
Philip,
I'm writing this to let the VCDL community know that one cannot be too
prepared.
Friday, August 8th, I came home from work at about 2:40 p.m. I
unlocked the front door and noticed that the alarm was not on. My
daughter must have forgot to turn it on when she left earlier. Usually
when I enter the house, my two cats are waiting on me and want me to
pet them. Well, one acted normal and the other one came to me and then
immediately ran behind and underneath the couch (a sign I missed). I
laid my motorcycle helmet down and took off my riding pants and jacket.
I tried to call a friend on my cell phone. Then I tried to chirp
another friend on the Nextel. I picked up my helmet, as it had fallen
off of the motorcycle and I had to wipe it off. I carried it and the
Nextel as I went from the living room into the hallway.
Well, this is where things went downhill. Four young men jumped me,
beat me, and threw me to the ground. They handcuffed me, taped my legs
together, then picked me up and, with a gun to my head, forced me to
open my safe (which only held ammo and mags). Then they pushed me into
my bedroom and forced me to open three small, pistol-size safes (one
of which contained my loaded Glock 27).
They then asked me where the guns were (while hitting me and pointing
the gun at me). I told them the guns were in the safe in the basement.
They then dragged me to the basement steps and I managed to get down
by myself (one scumbag suggested to another to push me down).
I opened the safe and they put me in my food closet (old half bath),
and pushed the chest freezer against it. After I did not hear them, I
cut the tape off of my legs (I had my box cutter clipped in my right
pocket). I forced the door open and escaped through the basement
(cellar) door and ran to the house behind me (I live on a corner).
They made off with 22 guns: 5 AR-15s, 2 SKSs, 4 Glocks, 6 S&W
revolvers, and a few others.
Not a good day.
However, I am happy to have lived through the ordeal. My left eye was
beaten, but it should be fine.
**************************************************
5. BB&T employee refuses to notarize CHP renewal
**************************************************
Here is a copy of a letter that a gun owner sent to BB&T last week.
Perhaps Virginia should revoke Ms. Bocckinfuso's Notary Public status
for not notarizing a legal document that she didn't agree with:
--
August 7, 2008
Doug P. Hackett
BB&T
310 First St 2nd Floor
Roanoke, VA 24011-1929
Dear Mr. Hackett:
I recently had an incident at the Westlake Branch of BB&T on Booker T.
Washington Highway in Hardy, Va. I would like to make you aware of the
circumstances surrounding this incident.
My husband and I went to the bank, he to do some transactions and me
to have a paper notarized. I asked a woman by the name of Harriet
Bocckinfuso (card attached) if she was a notary. She stated, "Yes,"
and asked what would I need notarized. I stated, "Papers for my gun
permit." She was visibly unsettled by my request and went into an
office, spoke to someone, came back out and stated, "I don't feel
comfortable signing this." I responded with, "Excuse me?" and she
replied, "We don't feel comfortable." We left the bank and went across
to Bank of America where we have another account, and within minutes
it was notarized.
Now let me mention this was for a renewal permit. I have been legally
using firearms for 40 years. I have had permits in New York,
Massachusetts, and New Hampshire and currently hold a valid out of
state Connecticut gun permit as well as Virginia.
Two days ago, I returned to the bank to get the business card and to
ask Mrs. Bocckinfuso why she refused to sign the official document, as
all she was asked to do was to verify my signature. She refused to
give me a reason except to say "she didn't like the looks of the
document." (Is she going to call Franklin County and tell them she
doesn't approve of their legal document? I think not.)
I feel that this was a personal issue, perhaps a dislike of firearms,
which in any case should not be reflected in dealing with the daily
business of the bank.
I feel this individual has not acted in a professional manner and I
would greatly appreciate a response.
We will be closing our account at BB&T and transferring our account to
Bank of America.
Sincerely,
Katrina D
**************************************************
6. Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
**************************************************
Another sad reminder that there are some very evil people that will
kill you in a heartbeat, with no remorse whatsoever. A Virginia Beach
detective working undercover paid the ultimate price for being in
contact with such scum.
Our condolences go to Officer Phillips's family:
http://tinyurl.com/6ouryu
myfoxhamptonroads.com
Fallen officer remembered with candlelight vigil
Last Edited: Monday, 11 Aug 2008, 10:24 PM EDT
Created: Friday, 08 Aug 2008, 8:48 AM EDT
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY.com) -- For the second time in a week,
police cars surround the parking lot on Holland Road and Lynnhaven
Parkway. The first time, it was to protect the integrity of a crime
scene.
Now, it is to protect the memory of the officer who lost his life at
the scene.
Hundreds gathered around the makeshift memorial in the parking spot
where Officer Michael Phillips was shot in an undercover drug bust.
It was this circle of comfort that welcomed the family of the fallen
officer as they made their way towards the center. His wife and his
two boys.
Left without a father, without a husband, and without a fellow police
officer, it is the burning memory of a hero that warms them now, a
memory the crowd will not let go out.
Phillips' life as an undercover officer makes it difficult to find out
too much about his job. But while his work is shrouded in secrecy,
his memory will be carried with respect.
----
Virginia Beach Police detective shot and killed during undercover
operation
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (myfoxhamptonroads.com) -- Police have released
the names of the two suspects charged with killing Virginia Beach
police detective Michael Smith Phillips.
23-year-old Ted Carter and 26-year-old Marshall Moyd, both of the 900
block of S. Clubhouse Road, are charged with First Degree Murder, Use
of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony and Conspiracy to Violate
the Drug Conspiracy Act. They are expected in court for a hearing
Friday afternoon.
Police spokesman MPO Adam Bernstein told myfoxhamptonroads.com,
Detective Phillips was a member of the Special Investigations
Department for six years. He was shot and killed during an undercover
operation. According to MPO Bernstein, Phillips also served for the
Hampton Police Department for three years prior to joining VBPD in
August 2002.
Detective Phillips is survived by his wife and two sons, ages 12 and 8.
The shooting happened at the Green Run Shopping Center parking lot on
Holland Rd around 11:15 p.m., Bernstein said. "At some point during
the operation the officer was shot." Rescue crews rushed to the scene,
but the officer was pronounced dead.
Police roped off nearly an entire block around the scene. "I heard a
bunch of sirens, came out and saw about a million cops," one neighbor
told myfoxhamptonroads.com. For several hours police detoured traffic
around the scene.
Minutes after the shooting, officers took two men into custody in
front of Zoots Dry Cleaners on Lynnhaven Blvd., around the corner from
the originial crime scene. An SUV could be seen facing the wrong
direction with its doors open.
With heavy hearts, detectives searched for evidence to help them
understand what led to the shooting. Bernstein did not provide details
of the undercover operation. Other officers covered their badges with
black stripes. "This is to honor and show respect for the officer and
his family," Bernstein said. "This affects us all, not just in
Virginia Beach, but nationwide."
Bernstein told myfoxhamptonroads.com, Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake
Jacocks delivered the sad news to the officer's wife and children.
"It's the worst part of the chief's job - knocking on that door and
telling his family this has happened."
Shortly after sunrise Friday morning, a tow truck removed a blue
pickup truck from the scene. The driver's window on the pickup had
been shattered.
According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, the Virginia Beach Police
Department has had 10 officers killed in the Line of Duty, since 1923.
That includes Officer Rodney Pocceschi, who was shot and killed on
June 23, 2003, while making a traffic stop on Dam Neck road.
**************************************************
7. LTE: The cost of freedom
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/5ercm6
fredericksburg.com
What price guns? Victims of violence
August 13, 2008 12:15 am
David R. Sadler's response ["Amrhine's views on guns ill-informed,"
July 30] to Richard Amrhine's July 20 column has merit--most gun
owners of this country would agree with it.
Most amendments of the Bill of Rights have a cost to allow each
freedom that is guaranteed. Free speech tolerates hurtful ideas.
The issue is not if the gun was obtained legally or not. It is if we
as a society are willing to sacrifice our family members to random
acts of gun violence.
The Second Amendment's cost is that there are victims of gun violence.
That is the price American society pays for that freedom.
For the families affected by gun violence, the price keeps increasing
every year.
Kevin Morrow
Stafford
**************************************************
8. Federal judge: No guns at Atlanta airport
**************************************************
Another activist judge who wishes to make his own laws rather than
interpret real laws:.
While we can't carry in the non-sterile areas of airport terminals in
Virginia (see the list at: http://www.vcdl.org/aircarrier.html), we
can carry outside the terminal on public sidewalks, non-terminal
buildings, parking lots, etc.
We don't want activist judges or the TSA to strip away that right.
In the future, we will work to get legislation passed to limit the gun
ban to only the sterile areas of the airports.
http://tinyurl.com/6dqbsz
ap.google.com
Federal judge: No guns at Atlanta airport
By GREG BLUESTEIN - 4 days ago
ATLANTA (AP) -- A federal judge on Monday upheld a gun ban at the
world's busiest airport, dealing a blow to gun rights groups who
argued a new Georgia law authorized them to pack heat in certain parts
of the Atlanta airport.
U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob expressed concern that allowing guns
at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport could cause
significant economic damage and could be a "serious threat to public
safety and welfare."
His decision rejected a request by GeorgiaCarry.org that would have
temporarily allowed gun owners to carry their weapons in the airport
until his final ruling on the gun ban -- a challenge that could likely
last months.
The legal showdown erupted when the state law that allows people with
a concealed weapons permit to carry guns into restaurants, state parks
and on public transportation took effect on July 1.
City officials quickly declared the airport a "gun-free zone" and
warned that anyone carrying a gun there would be arrested.
GeorgiaCarry.org sued the city and the airport, claiming that the
airport qualifies as mass transportation under the new state law.
Attorney John Monroe told the judge repeatedly that no law makes it a
crime for residents with permits to bring their guns into terminals,
parking lots and other unsecured areas.
Gov. Sonny Perdue, who signed the bill into law in May, supports the
lawsuit. The Republican suggested that his own wife might want to
carry a firearm for long walks between the parking lot and the
airport's terminal.
City officials have angrily fired back, arguing that allowing some
residents to carry guns at the airport could pose a dire threat to the
millions of passengers it serves each year. Even an accidental firearm
discharge, they say, could cause mayhem.
"First, you're going to have a stampede," said Robert Kennedy, the
airport's assistant general manager.
Meanwhile, airport officials are quietly devising a backup plan.
They have asked the Transportation Security Administration to amend
the airport's federal security program so that guns are banned in all
areas, including certain parking facilities.
TSA officials said the agency is reviewing the request, the first such
appeal it has ever received.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House Homeland Security
Committee, has also urged the agency to strengthen its restrictions
and warned that Congress could intervene if national regulations are
not adopted.
The judge's ruling was a defeat for GeorgiaCarry.org, a two-year-old
group that has won a string of victories reversing city and county
firearm restrictions around the state.
But state Rep. Tim Bearden, a Republican who co-sponsored the law,
said it was only a temporary setback.
"In the long run, the Constitution always prevails," said Bearden, a
former police officer who wore a yellow tie imprinted with the
document's words. "At least, it's supposed to."
Associated Press Writer Ben Evans in Washington contributed to this
report.
**************************************************
9. Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial on Atlanta airport ruling
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/6efmwt
ajc.com
Public safety first
Judge's ruling keeps concealed weapons out of hectic mix at Hartsfield-
Jackson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/13/08
When you go to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, you can pack
your ID, toothbrush and lunch.
But you still can't pack heat.
That was the verdict -- at least temporarily -- of U.S. District Judge
Marvin Shoob, who denied a temporary injunction to prevent the city of
Atlanta from enforcing its 30-year ban on concealed weapons at
Hartsfield-Jackson.
In a hearing, Shoob asked airport executives to describe what would
happen if a firearm was discharged by accident in a crowded terminal.
"First, we would have a stampede," testified airport official Robert
Kennedy. Then the airport would be "frozen" as law enforcement
responded. No flights would depart and passengers would be kept
waiting for possibly hours.
Such testimony led Shoob to rule against gun-rights group
GeorgiaCarry.org and state Rep. Timothy Bearden (R-Villa Rica) in
their request for a preliminary injunction.
In his decision, Shoob cut through the pro-gun rhetoric and sided with
public safety: "Where there is any question as to whether the public
safety and welfare is threatened, the court must rule on the side of
that public interest."
GeorgiaCarry.org claims Atlanta's ban violates a new state law that
allows Georgians with concealed weapons permits to bring weapons to
state parks, restaurants that serve alcohol and on public
transportation. GeorgiaCarry.org contends that non-secure areas of the
airport, including terminals, parking lots and baggage claim, qualify
as public transportation. Atlanta disagrees that the airport was
covered by the law.
Shoob could have granted a preliminary injunction to GeorgiaCarry.org
only if he decided that the group had "a substantial likelihood" of
winning once the full case is heard and decided. But as Shoob noted,
it's a stretch to define an international airport as public
transportation. (An airplane is a means of transportation; an airport
is not.)
Shoob treated other arguments offered by GeorgiaCarry.org with equal
skepticism, especially its insistence that concealed permit holders
are vetted carefully by the state and pose no risk to Hartsfield's 90
million annual passengers.
As Shoob noted, "The only requirements to obtain a firearms license in
Georgia are to pay a $15 fee and undergo a criminal background check
and, at the discretion of the probate court, a mental health
background check. There is no requirement that applicants demonstrate
any proficiency in the handling of a firearm."
Shoob also doubted that a state law -- passed in haste and without
discussion by the Georgia General Assembly in its final hours -- would
trump the many federal regulations that govern airports and airport
safety, especially in the wake of 9/11.
Although the full case must still be heard, such common-sense doubts
would seem difficult to overcome.
--Maureen Downey, for the editorial board
**************************************************
10. GeorgiaCarry.org's page on the litigation
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/6zewvh
**************************************************
11. Texas school district gets it right, permits teacher carry
**************************************************
Hopefully this will spread across the nation in more and more schools:
http://tinyurl.com/5hldcz
chron.com
North Texas school district will let teachers carry guns
Associated Press
Aug. 15, 2008, 4:27P
HARROLD, Texas -- A tiny Texas school district may be the first in the
nation to allow teachers and staff to pack guns for protection when
classes begin later this month, a newspaper reported.
Trustees at the Harrold Independent School District approved a
district policy change last October so employees can carry concealed
firearms to deter and protect against school shootings, provided the
gun-toting teachers follow certain requirements.
In order for teachers and staff to carry a pistol, they must have a
Texas license to carry a concealed handgun; must be authorized to
carry by the district; must receive training in crisis management and
hostile situations and have to use ammunition that is designed to
minimize the risk of ricochet in school halls.
Superintendent David Thweatt said the small community is a 30-minute
drive from the sheriff's office, leaving students and teachers without
protection. He said the district's lone campus sits 500 feet from
heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target.
"When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones,
that's when all of these shootings started. Why would you put it out
there that a group of people can't defend themselves? That's like
saying 'sic 'em' to a dog," Thweatt said in Friday's online edition of
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Thweatt said officials researched the policy and considered other
options for about a year before approving the policy change. He said
the district also has various other security measures in place to
prevent a school shooting.
"The naysayers think (a shooting) won't happen here. If something were
to happen here, I'd much rather be calling a parent to tell them that
their child is OK because we were able to protect them," Thweatt said.
Texas law outlaws firearms on school campuses "unless pursuant to the
written regulations or written authorization of the institution."
It was unclear how many of the 50 or so teachers and staff members
will be armed this fall because Thweatt did not disclose that
information, to keep it from students or potential attackers.
Wilbarger County Sheriff Larry Lee was out of the office Thursday and
did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment, the newspaper
said.
Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of School
Boards, said her organization did not know of another district with
such a policy. Ken Trump, a Cleveland-based school security expert who
advises districts nationwide, including in Texas, said Harrold is the
first district with such a policy.
The 110-student district is 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth on the
eastern end of Wilbarger County, near the Oklahoma border.
**************************************************
12. Who needs a gun at the Olympics?
**************************************************
Gun free countries are so safe! Well, that's what the Dark Side is
always telling us, anyway.
----
Dale Welch writes:
Man from Minnesota stabbed to death. China could not protect him. Why,
I bet even the UN could not protect him.
http://tinyurl.com/64m7zt
latimes.com
A dark turn in Beijing as U.S. Olympic tourist is killed
Two relatives of a U.S. volleyball coach are stabbed by a Chinese man,
who then commits suicide. Their tour guide is also wounded in the
attack at a city landmark.
By Mark Magnier and Evan Osnos
Special to The Times
August 10, 2008
BEIJING -- In an incident that cast a shadow over the start of the
Olympic Games here, a Chinese man armed with a knife Saturday attacked
the parents of a former U.S. Olympic volleyball player and their
Chinese tour guide, killing one of the Americans before committing
suicide.
Todd and Barbara Bachman, both 62, were stabbed at the 13th century
Drum Tower, a landmark five miles from the Olympic village in a
neighborhood of lakes, restaurants and bars popular with tourists. The
attacker then jumped from the tower's second story, about 130 feet
above street level.
Black-clad commandos swarmed the area after the attack, which left
Todd Bachman of Lakeville, Minn., dead and his wife in intensive care.
Barbara Bachman, who suffered multiple stab wounds, was in critical
but stable condition at a Beijing hospital after about eight hours of
surgery. The couple's female guide was injured.
Their daughter, Irvine resident Elisabeth "Wiz" Bachman McCutcheon, a
member of the 2004 Olympic team, was with them at the time and watched
the attack in horror. Her husband, Hugh McCutcheon, is the coach of
the U.S. men's volleyball team competing here at the Summer Games, but
after the attack, he did not plan to be on the bench today for the
team's opening game against Venezuela.
Chinese leaders have deployed more than 100,000 police officers and
military personnel to safeguard the Games, in addition to several
hundred thousand neighborhood watch volunteers. Xi Jinping, the
presidential heir apparent, earlier said security would be a top
barometer of the Games' success.
Quoting Beijing police, the U.S. Olympic Committee said the assailant
acted alone. His identity card listed him as Tang Yongming, 47, from
the eastern province of Zhejiang, according to the official New China
News Agency.
Beijing and Shanghai have low crime rates for cities of their size,
and attacks against foreigners are rare in China.
"It's really sad after the celebration of the opening ceremonies,
which were the best opening ceremonies I've ever been at," said Steve
Penny, president of USA Gymnastics.
Penny said he had spoken to team leaders and would talk to athletes'
families but felt no fear about being identified as an American,
adding that he would continue to wear the red-white-and-blue "USA" hat
he had on.
President Bush, in China for the Olympics, said he and First Lady
Laura Bush were saddened by the attack.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. And
the United States government has offered to provide any assistance the
family needs," he told reporters.
Todd Bachman, chief executive of a family-operated chain of garden
centers and flower shops in Minnesota, and his wife are well-known in
Southern California volleyball circles as boosters of the sport.
Friends recalled the pair for their enduring support of their
daughter's volleyball career at UCLA and when she joined the Olympic
team in Athens four years ago.
Elisabeth McCutcheon's former coach, Andy Banachowski, said his heart
went out to her and her family.
"The only comfort is that Wiz was not injured in the heinous attack,"
Banachowski, who heads the UCLA women's volleyball team, said in a
statement.
Banachowski called McCutcheon's parents "two of the most supportive
and friendly people that I have ever encountered. . . . They love the
sport and are beloved in the volleyball community."
Details of the attack were sparse.
A 40-year-old shopkeeper near the Drum Tower, who gave only her last
name, Li, after police warned her not to talk, said she was watching a
weightlifting competition on TV when she heard a commotion. On peeking
outside, she saw the crumpled body of a man on the gray cobblestones
in the tower complex, she said, and later learned that it was the body
of the attacker.
"I only saw the dead body," she said. "I didn't see anything else."
Shortly after the attack, an estimated 300 security officers,
including black-clad commandos, arrived, said two witnesses who
declined to be identified, having been told by police not to speak to
foreign reporters. The body was removed and the broken, bloodstained
cobblestones were covered with sand.
The state media, quoting police, said the attacker divorced in 2006,
had a 21-year-old son and had no fixed address or job when he arrived
in Beijing from the eastern city of Hangzhou on Aug. 1 after telling
his landlord that he was moving for business. He had no criminal
record and his motive was unknown, authorities said.
The incident's timing and high-profile nature come at an awkward time.
China has geared up its vast security apparatus, forced thousands of
critics out of Beijing and spent record sums in a bid to pull off a
perfect Olympics.
"This is a very unfortunate incident," said Jin Canrong, an
international relations professor at People's University in Beijing.
"The Chinese government will try not to let this event have a serious
impact on U.S.-China relations."
In the short term, Chinese officials should cooperate fully with their
U.S. counterparts on an investigation and in helping address the needs
of grieving relatives, Jin said.
Although some Chinese, particularly young male Internet users, bristle
at perceived insults by Americans, many respect Americans, and most
were pleased with Bush's decision to attend the Olympics.
U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Darryl Seibel said the victims wore
nothing that identified them as Americans, adding that Chinese police
have said they believe that it was a random act of violence. He said
members of the men's volleyball team were shocked but planned to
compete today; the USOC also had no plans to change its security
arrangements.
"I'm saddened, but that doesn't make me think any less of this
country," said Sydney Thayer, director of a small New York-based film
company and a veteran of nine Olympics, who was in the audience of the
fencing competition Saturday. "My feeling is that this has nothing to
do with China."
Longer term, however, the incident suggests that the government needs
to address rising social tension in China's fast-changing society, Jin
said. In recent weeks, the country has seen several violent outbursts,
including last month's killing of six policemen in Shanghai by an
attacker wielding a knife and the killing of seven people in a mob
attack in Yunnan province in May, indicating growing frustration among
those left behind by the market economy, he said.
By late afternoon, new waves of tourists flocked to the Drum Tower
area largely unaware of what had taken place a few hours earlier. The
tower, built by Mongolian conquerors led by Kublai Khan, houses a
collection of giant drums of the sort used to record the passage of
time in China's last dynasty.
Ryan Zweng, a 23-year-old San Francisco musician on his second visit
to China, said the attack seemed utterly at odds with his experience.
"China is the friendliest place for Americans that I've ever traveled.
Period," he said. "Even after this, I still feel safer walking down
the street in the middle of the night than I do in Philadelphia."
mark.magnier@latimes.com
Magnier is a Times staff writer and Osnos is a staff writer for the
Chicago Tribune. Times staff writers Randy Harvey and Diane Pucin in
Beijing and Louis Sahagun and Esmeralda Bermudez in Los Angeles, and
Kevin Pang of the Tribune contributed to this report.
**************************************************
13. Who needs a gun in a National Park? (TN)
**************************************************
Thanks to David Neal for the link:
http://tinyurl.com/5n9k3a
knoxnews.com
Black bear attacks boy in Smokies; father also hurt
By J.J. Stambaugh
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Photo Gallery
Boy attacked by bear in Smokies
Eight year-old Evan Pala gets a kiss from father John Pala outside the
Marriott Fairfield as they grant interviews to the media. Evan was
attacked by a black bear while hiking near the Rainbow Falls trail in
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Monday. The family was
visiting Tennessee for the first time from Boca Raton, Florida.
A black bear repeatedly mauled an 8-year-old boy Monday evening near a
popular motor trail on the outskirts of Gatlinburg, and an animal
matching its description was later killed by park rangers.
The boy's father also was injured while successfully defending his son
from the animal, said officials with the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park, but none of their injuries were believed to be life-
threatening.
The dead bear was described as a "55-pound male yearling" that was
probably born in the spring of 2007, according to park spokesman Bob
Miller. Rangers were confident they'd bagged the right animal but
won't know for sure until a necropsy is performed at the University of
Tennessee, he said.
The incident began about 7:30 p.m. when the boy, Evan Pala of Boca
Raton, Fla., was playing in a creek about 300 yards from the trailhead
of Rainbow Falls Trail, which is near the Roaring Fork Motor Nature
Trail, Miller said.
The bear apparently approached the boy and attacked him, was driven
off and then came back for a second attack, Miller said.
"Apparently the dad was able to drive the bear off both times with
rocks and sticks," Miller said. "The child sustained some puncture
wounds. They're probably not life-threatening, but they're pretty
serious injuries."
The boy's father, John Pala, also of Boca Raton, sustained several
lacerations during the attacks. His wounds weren't as serious as his
son's, and both went to Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center for
treatment, Miller said. They were released Monday night, spokeswoman
Amanda Brabson said.
"Apparently, these were pretty aggressive attacks," Miller said.
"Sometimes a bear will swipe at somebody over food, but this was a bit
more aggressive than that."
Rangers who were scouring the area for the animal came across a young
male bear near the attack scene that "approached them in an aggressive
way," Miller said. The rangers then shot and killed the animal, he
said, and found "a child's shoe and a cap."
Miller said that circumstantial evidence supports the conclusion that
the bear was the one that attacked the boy, but authorities won't know
for certain until forensic evidence is gathered during the necropsy.
Black bear attacks are rare, according to the North American Bear
Center. Between 1900 and 2007, only 60 people were killed in black
bear attacks across North America, and 45 of those deaths took place
in Alaska or Canada, where there is usually little contact between the
animals and people.
In recent years, however, East Tennessee has seen two fatal black bear
attacks. In 2000, an adult female black bear and a cub killed a Sevier
County elementary school teacher while she was hiking along a trail in
the Great Smoky Mountains. In April 2006 a black bear attacked an Ohio
family near the summit of Chilhowee Mountain in the Cherokee National
Forest, killing a 6-year-old girl and severely injuring her 2-year-old
brother and mother.
The Cherokee National Forest is home to about 1,500 of the bears, and
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to another 1,250,
officials say.
Some estimates have placed the black bear population in East Tennessee
at about 3,000.
This year, there have been several reports of black bears entering
into urban areas in East Tennessee, including Knoxville and Oak Ridge,
but until Monday there had been no recent reports of attacks on humans.
J.J. Stambaugh may be reached at 865-342-6307.
**************************************************
14. Democrats ban talk of guns at convention's "Town Hall"
**************************************************
If you want to send in a submission to the "Town Hall" part of the
Democratic Convention, you had best not be promoting gun ownership, as
they classify that as offensive, obscene and inappropriate:
http://www.demconvention.com/townhall-rules
"... Submissions must not: ... (iii) contain ... content
promoting ... firearms, or weapons, .. or any other offensive,
obscene, or inappropriate content;...."
**************************************************
15. Gun shows and events! Norfolk show needs volunteers!
**************************************************
The Virginia Citizens Defense League thanks the following member-
activists who generously gave of their time to advance and help defend
the rights of their fellow gun owners by working our recruiting and
information booth at the C&E gun show in Richmond, July 12-13:
Carl Shuler, Sue Brush, Debra & Brian Weidman, David Crosby, Paul
Henick, Billy Donald, Owen Pollard, JC, Dale Walsh, and Audrey
Muehleisen
We also thank the volunteers at the C&E gun show in Salem, July 19-20:
Sherrill Smith, Ken Modica, John Everett, Bruce Powers, Rodney
Metheny, Joe Eiermann, Dave and Denise Knight, Kathy Smith, and Clint
Perdue
Finally, we would like to thank the volunteers at the C&E/Showmasters
gun show in Chantilly, July 25-27:
TJ Parmele, Ken Bullock, David Spencer, Jim Kiser, Jay & Margot
Alexander, Ken Moore, Max Padon, Larry Riley, Thomas Love, Jerry
Coffey, David Park, Daniel Paulson, and Dexter Guptill
--
As an all volunteer organization, VCDL depends on YOU to volunteer
your time at our area events, where we recruit new activists and keep
gun owners informed. No experience necessary; if it's your first time
we'll pair you with a veteran volunteer. To find out more about
helping at our gun show tables, go to:
http://www2.vcdl.org/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/vcdl/gs.html
and click on any of the blue links, or contact the coordinator for the
show/event listed below with which you are interested in helping.
Here are the upcoming events with which we need YOUR help:
a. ROANOKE http://www.showmasters.us, August 16-17
Saturday, August 16 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 17 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Roanoke.
b. VIRGINIA OUTDOOR SPORTSMAN'S CLASSIC http://www.vaoutdoorsportsmensclassic.com/
, SALEM CIVIC CENTER, August 22-24
Friday, August 22 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 23 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 24 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
The VCDL table is being paid for again by Grahme Anderson, Empire
Siding And Windows, Roanoke. Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org
to help at this big show in Salem.
c. HARRISONBURG http://www.showmasters.us, August 23-24
Saturday, August 23 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 24 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Bob Schmidt at Shenandoahgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Harrisonburg.
d. NORFOLK http://www.showmasters.us, September 6-7 **Help needed
desperately**
Saturday, September 6 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 7 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Ed Burton at Norfolkgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the
Norfolk Scope.
e. CHANTILLY http://www.cegunshows.com, September 12-14
Friday, September 12 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 13 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 14 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact our Northern Virginia coordinator at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org
to help in Chantilly.
f. HAMPTON http://www.guns-knives.com, September 20-21
Saturday, September 20 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 21 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Ron Lilly at HamptonRoadsgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Hampton.
g. FISHERSVILLE http://www.showmasters.us, September 27-28
Saturday, September 27 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 28 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Bob Schmidt at Shenandoahgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Fishersville.
h. DALE CITY http://www.olddominionshows.com, October 4-5
Saturday, October 4 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 5 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact TJ Parmele at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Dale City.
i. SALEM http://www.cegunshows.com, October 4-5
Saturday, October 4 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 5 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Salem.
j. VIRGINIA BEACH http://www.guns-knives.com, October 11-12
Saturday, October 11 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 12 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Ron and Jean Hyson at VBgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Virginia Beach.
k. RICHMOND http://www.cegunshows.com, October 18-19
Saturday, October 18 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 19 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Contact Audrey Muehleisen at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the
Showplace in Mechanicsville.
l. FREDERICKSBURG http://www.guns-knives.com, October 25-26
Saturday, October 25 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 26 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Contact Robert Herron at Fredericksburggunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Fredericksburg.
m. ROANOKE http://www.showmasters.us, October 25-26
Saturday, October 25 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 26 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Roanoke.
n. DALE CITY http://www.olddominionshows.com, November 1-2
Saturday, November 1 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 2 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact our Northern Virginia coordinator at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org
to help in Dale City.
o. NORFOLK http://www.showmasters.us, November 1-2
Saturday, November 1 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 2 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Ed Burton at Norfolkgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the
Norfolk Scope.
p. RICHMOND http://www.showmasters.us, November 15-16
Saturday, November 15 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 16 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Contact Audrey Muehleisen at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the
Richmond Raceway Complex.
q. CHANTILLY http://www.cegunshows.com, November 21-23
Friday, November 21 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 22 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 23 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact our Northern Virginia coordinator at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org
to help in Chantilly.
r. HAMPTON http://www.guns-knives.com, November 29-30
Saturday, November 29 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 30 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Ron Lilly at HamptonRoadsgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Hampton.
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VCDL's Gun Dealer Legal Defense Fund -- help fight Mayor Bloomberg's
scheme to cripple Virginia firearms dealers. See:
www.vcdl.org/index.html#DefenseFund
----------------------------------------------------------------------
VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
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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
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