imported post
Greetings all, I have been a long time lurker, but until now never felt the need to post.
I live in Richmond, attend VCU, and have been CCing everywhere since I got my permit about 3 years ago. I CC because its more tactically sound and most of the time easier. I never really gave much thought to OC, even though I'd swing by various forums every now and then to check out what was happening in the OC community. However, recent events in Norfolk, Henrico and Richmond, as well as some recent life experiences have caused me to rethink my attitude, and I'm ready to take the OC and firearms activist plunge.
I recently returned from Iraq, and I would like to relate and interesting phenomenon I observed that I believe relates to the concept of Open Carry. In November 2007, my company was detached from our batallion which was operating in southern and western Baghdad. We were then attached to the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Div. (one of the "surge" brigades) which was responsible for the north-western Baghdad neighborhoods of Adhamiyah, Shaab-Ur, and Sadr City. If you follow the war in Iraq, you will know that these are the three worst neighborhoods in Iraq, at least they were in late 2007- early 2008. Adhamiyah was a Sunni neighborhood made up of Al-Qaeda and Baath party loyalists, and across the freeway you had Shaab and Sadr City, Shiite slums controlled by Muqtada Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia. The freeway was the dividing line between these neighborhoods and it was known as a body dumping ground for the nightly death squads that ventured into the opposing faction's neighborhoods. To make matters worse it was also a Main Supply Route thru Baghdad and was littered with IEDs.
When we were attached to 2-82nd, they had been in country approximately 5 months. At the time Iraqi's were allowed to own one rifle (AK-47) per household, and 3 magazines (90rds). Business owners were allowed another AK they could keep at their shop. No pistols, shotguns, machine guns, mortars, RPGs, etc. The laws allowing them to carry changed often, but most of the time they were allowed to carry an AK. However, if Achmed was walking down the street with an AK you better believe he was going to be stopped, detained, and questioned by any passing US forces, Iraqi Army, or Iraqi Police. One of the best moves made by Gen. Petreaus was the implementation of a nationwide volunteer militia program. The 82nd quickly approved these "neighborhood watches" in Adhamiyah. They were called a million different things, but we mostly called them SOI's or Sons of Iraq. Basically they consisted of groups of men, usually no more than a dozen, who would set up checkpoints or patrol their neighborhoods at night, heavily armed with AKs. We were extremely skeptical of this plan... after all alot of these guys were "reformed" insurgents, and night patrols are tense enough without seeing 5 armed Iraqi's in civilian clothes walking down a dark alley. The Civil Affairs types would give them baseball caps, reflective belts, polo shirts, anything to make them stand out as SOIs. Some of them even developed their own para-military type uniforms.
Now here is the crazy part... violence in Adhamiyah all but stopped in November. It literally went from one of the most dangerous places in the world in September, then the SOIs were stood up during Ramadan, and the streets were quiet in November. These guys knew the streets, knew the neighborhoods, knew the difference between and Iraqi and a Jordanian or Syrian. And they were armed to back it up. There were some shootouts and some intimidation attacks on the SOI checkpoints, but they stood their ground. Violence continued to drop off, and when I left in July Adhamiyah was one of the safest neighborhoods in Baghdad.
Simply the continual presence of openly armed men on the streets deterred attacks on Iraqis and coalition.
It wasn't long before we gained more trust of the SOIs, and it wasn't at all uncommon to see an armed Iraqi or groups of Iraqis walking around the streets. If we saw one we would generally call out his presence to the rest of the patrol and keep an eye on him, but that was it. They eventually started carrying pistols and occasionally an RPK, which I don't know if it was allowed, but by then we didn't care. The program has since expanded to other neighborhoods and also made the big jump to the Shiite community as an alternative to the fundamentalist militias.
Now the streets of Richmond aren't the streets of Baghdad, but if a handful of guys with AKs can deter motivated jihadis with machine guns and RPGs, I think a citizen with a handgun stands a good chance of deterring a cowardly criminal over here.
I am looking forward to showing up to some OC dinners and events, which leads me to my first question... Anyone have recommendations on a good OWB retention holster for a Springfield 1911 Champion (4 inch)?
Also I was curious about the legality of OC on VCU. I am aware of the restriction in state administrative code on possesion of a firearm at VCU. However, Attorney General McDonnell recently released an opinion (related to UVA) that state schools did not have the statutory authority to place restrictions on firearms on citizens who are not student or employees of the university. So basically if you don't go there you are fine to carry. As a student who carries, I face expulsion from the university (a risk I will take rather than be defenseless) but no criminal charges.
Regards
CB
EDIT: Reasons I carry at VCU:
2 students shot behind Seigel Center
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/search.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-10-04-0123.html
Student Killed
http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/state_regional/article/vcu_student_shot_to_death_in_byrd_park_robbery/7837/
Student Fights Back
http://media.http://www.commonwealthtimes.com/media/storage/paper634/news/2007/10/01/News/Residents.Support.Vcu.Student.Involved.In.Shooting-3002857.shtml
Greetings all, I have been a long time lurker, but until now never felt the need to post.
I live in Richmond, attend VCU, and have been CCing everywhere since I got my permit about 3 years ago. I CC because its more tactically sound and most of the time easier. I never really gave much thought to OC, even though I'd swing by various forums every now and then to check out what was happening in the OC community. However, recent events in Norfolk, Henrico and Richmond, as well as some recent life experiences have caused me to rethink my attitude, and I'm ready to take the OC and firearms activist plunge.
I recently returned from Iraq, and I would like to relate and interesting phenomenon I observed that I believe relates to the concept of Open Carry. In November 2007, my company was detached from our batallion which was operating in southern and western Baghdad. We were then attached to the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Div. (one of the "surge" brigades) which was responsible for the north-western Baghdad neighborhoods of Adhamiyah, Shaab-Ur, and Sadr City. If you follow the war in Iraq, you will know that these are the three worst neighborhoods in Iraq, at least they were in late 2007- early 2008. Adhamiyah was a Sunni neighborhood made up of Al-Qaeda and Baath party loyalists, and across the freeway you had Shaab and Sadr City, Shiite slums controlled by Muqtada Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia. The freeway was the dividing line between these neighborhoods and it was known as a body dumping ground for the nightly death squads that ventured into the opposing faction's neighborhoods. To make matters worse it was also a Main Supply Route thru Baghdad and was littered with IEDs.
When we were attached to 2-82nd, they had been in country approximately 5 months. At the time Iraqi's were allowed to own one rifle (AK-47) per household, and 3 magazines (90rds). Business owners were allowed another AK they could keep at their shop. No pistols, shotguns, machine guns, mortars, RPGs, etc. The laws allowing them to carry changed often, but most of the time they were allowed to carry an AK. However, if Achmed was walking down the street with an AK you better believe he was going to be stopped, detained, and questioned by any passing US forces, Iraqi Army, or Iraqi Police. One of the best moves made by Gen. Petreaus was the implementation of a nationwide volunteer militia program. The 82nd quickly approved these "neighborhood watches" in Adhamiyah. They were called a million different things, but we mostly called them SOI's or Sons of Iraq. Basically they consisted of groups of men, usually no more than a dozen, who would set up checkpoints or patrol their neighborhoods at night, heavily armed with AKs. We were extremely skeptical of this plan... after all alot of these guys were "reformed" insurgents, and night patrols are tense enough without seeing 5 armed Iraqi's in civilian clothes walking down a dark alley. The Civil Affairs types would give them baseball caps, reflective belts, polo shirts, anything to make them stand out as SOIs. Some of them even developed their own para-military type uniforms.
Now here is the crazy part... violence in Adhamiyah all but stopped in November. It literally went from one of the most dangerous places in the world in September, then the SOIs were stood up during Ramadan, and the streets were quiet in November. These guys knew the streets, knew the neighborhoods, knew the difference between and Iraqi and a Jordanian or Syrian. And they were armed to back it up. There were some shootouts and some intimidation attacks on the SOI checkpoints, but they stood their ground. Violence continued to drop off, and when I left in July Adhamiyah was one of the safest neighborhoods in Baghdad.
Simply the continual presence of openly armed men on the streets deterred attacks on Iraqis and coalition.
It wasn't long before we gained more trust of the SOIs, and it wasn't at all uncommon to see an armed Iraqi or groups of Iraqis walking around the streets. If we saw one we would generally call out his presence to the rest of the patrol and keep an eye on him, but that was it. They eventually started carrying pistols and occasionally an RPK, which I don't know if it was allowed, but by then we didn't care. The program has since expanded to other neighborhoods and also made the big jump to the Shiite community as an alternative to the fundamentalist militias.
Now the streets of Richmond aren't the streets of Baghdad, but if a handful of guys with AKs can deter motivated jihadis with machine guns and RPGs, I think a citizen with a handgun stands a good chance of deterring a cowardly criminal over here.
I am looking forward to showing up to some OC dinners and events, which leads me to my first question... Anyone have recommendations on a good OWB retention holster for a Springfield 1911 Champion (4 inch)?
Also I was curious about the legality of OC on VCU. I am aware of the restriction in state administrative code on possesion of a firearm at VCU. However, Attorney General McDonnell recently released an opinion (related to UVA) that state schools did not have the statutory authority to place restrictions on firearms on citizens who are not student or employees of the university. So basically if you don't go there you are fine to carry. As a student who carries, I face expulsion from the university (a risk I will take rather than be defenseless) but no criminal charges.
Regards
CB
EDIT: Reasons I carry at VCU:
2 students shot behind Seigel Center
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/search.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-10-04-0123.html
Student Killed
http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/state_regional/article/vcu_student_shot_to_death_in_byrd_park_robbery/7837/
Student Fights Back
http://media.http://www.commonwealthtimes.com/media/storage/paper634/news/2007/10/01/News/Residents.Support.Vcu.Student.Involved.In.Shooting-3002857.shtml