• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Backlash from Sully shooting

VApatriot

Regular Member
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
998
Location
Burke/Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
imported post

I don't know if anyone else has thought about this yet, but has anyone considered what kind of reaction might come out of the terrible events that happened on Monday? I think we all know how the anti-gunners like to take tragedy like thisand turn it into more broadgun control, but dose anyone think there will be anyunjust backlash from the public toward those who choose to open carry?

Anyway, I think that it would be good to have a thread to discuss possible reactions from the antisor just to vent about the wholesituation. I know that I always get quite mad when I hear about insane shootings like this;so if anyone wants to share their thoughts about the Sully incident feel free to do so.
 

VAspringer

Regular Member
Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
59
Location
Fairfax Station, Virginia, USA
imported post

Just a thought and a little feed back. I open carry regularly in No. Va. I was at a local nusery yesterday buying plants etc.....OC my Ed Brown 1911. While checking out, one of the other customers commented on my sidearm asking if I was LEO etc...

I answered no....just for the protection of myself and family. A lady promptly replied... I don't blame you after what went on at the police station this week.

I think this kind of thinking is becoming more prominent in the world today
 

VAopencarry

Regular Member
Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
2,151
Location
Berryville-ish, VA
imported post

I think will go both ways. Some will see it as a reason to arm themselves. However, the anti's, well, they will use anything. I will point out the shooter was ILLEGALLY(to my knowledge) in possession of firearms. If you didn't see the news, he had escaped from a Psych hospital in Rockville.
 

John Pierce

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
1,777
imported post

That is my fear as well (that there will be a public relations backlash instigated by the anti-gun media).

As open carryers, we need to be extra careful to represent ourselves in a friendly and professional manner when carrying in NOVA over the next couple of weeks/months to be sure we cement the image of gun owners as good guys.
 

DoubleR

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
689
Location
Fairfax County, VA, ,
imported post

jpierce wrote:
That is my fear as well (that there will be a public relations backlash instigated by the anti-gun media).

As open carryers, we need to be extra careful to represent ourselves in a friendly and professional manner when carrying in NOVA over the next couple of weeks/months to be sure we cement the image of gun owners as good guys.
HI, JP. (Thanks agin for the upgrade) I agree 100%. We must present the image of the Legal, Law-Abiding citizen of the Commonwealth. Interested in the protection of yourself, family and others and the RKBA.
 

VApatriot

Regular Member
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
998
Location
Burke/Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
imported post

I said that I might use this forum to vent a little, so here I go. What I want to complain about comes from an article in todays Washington Times.

First of all, I can't believe that the media is still getting it wrong when it comes to guns in Virginia. The article in the Times stated that the father of the shooter was a "registered gun owner" who had a "cache" of weapons in this house. It is absolutely reprehensible for a reporter to be so far off inhis facts forhim to believe that Virginian gun ownersmust to subject to "registration." And, as for the "cache" of weapons, the man seems to be no more than an average gun enthusiast.

The second thing I want to complain about is the actions of the Fairfax County police. The article said that the police took a search warrant to the house of the shooter's parents, and confiscated the parents' collection of firearms and knives. What possible reason could the police have for stealing the guns and knivesof a person who, tomy understanding, is not disqualified from owning guns. None of the guns at the house were used in the shooting, andas far as I know,the parents are not considered suspects in any way. So why would police find itnecessary to take the guns and about 10 knives? There doesn't seem to be any threat of a repeat incident, considering that the only suspect is dead.
 

PaulG

Regular Member
Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
43
Location
Fairfax, Virginia, USA
imported post

I don't think that the mediaIS getting it wrong if by that you mean making a mistake when reporting facts. They do this intentionally.

When ever a state is trying to pass concealed carry legislation, how many times do you hear in the media that 38 states have 'shall issue' laws? The answer: almost never.

The media wants people to believe that you have to have "permission" from the government to carry a gun, whether open or concealed and also that obtaining such permission is very difficult. The media is scared that if people know the rules, more people will carry.

Sometimes, when I open carry, I get comments from people who seem surprised that you don't need any kind of permit in Virginia to open carry. The comments usually sound something like: 'wow, that's really cool. I gotta check this out'.

As for the actions of the FCPD, I don't know what they hoped to accomplish by taking the weapons since as stated, the shooter was already dead.

However, I can't work up a lot of sympathy for the parents of the killer. As gun owners, we are responsible for using a little common sense. By the time he was bailed out of jail, they had to knowthathe had serious problems. They should have anticipated that he was a potential threat and locked the guns away or removed them.
 

VApatriot

Regular Member
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
998
Location
Burke/Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
imported post

I agree that the parents should have taken better precautions given the condition of their son, but I still don't see that they did anythingLEGALLY wrong that would warrant the confiscation of their weapons.
 

PaulG

Regular Member
Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
43
Location
Fairfax, Virginia, USA
imported post

Agreed. In my opinion, the only way they would be justified in taking weapons belonging to the parents was if the evidence was such that they alsohad reason to arrest the parents. Since that wasn't the case, they should have left their guns alone.

But the media talks about the parents being 'registered gun owners' which, as you know, is nonsense.......no such thing as registration in VA. It is possible that the parents didn't have any evidence that the guns belonged to them and the police assumed that the guns belonged to the shooter until proven otherwise.

Don't get me wrong.I am a strong supporter of the law enforcement community, I think they should be held to ahigh standard. They need to remember that they work for us. After all, the most important part of the Constitution is the first three words: 'We the people....'
 

VApatriot

Regular Member
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
998
Location
Burke/Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
imported post

I still don't understand the seizure of the weapons. Even if they had reason to believe that the guns belonged to the son, why would they need to take them? After all, as mentioned before, the only suspectis dead.

I am certainly no lawyer, but I would think that,even if the guns did belong to the son,after he is deadthey should go to the next of kin.

However, my main concern is, what kind of warrant was the FCPD able to obtain that allowed them to confiscate firearms that seem to be in no way connected to the incident? I would like to find some kind of reassurance that the 4th Amendment was upheld, and that there was not unreasonable search and seizure in this case. After all, I don't want my guns taken in the future just because a family member goes and does something terrible.
 

ilbob

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
778
Location
, Illinois, USA
imported post

PaulG wrote:
When ever a state is trying to pass concealed carry legislation, how many times do you hear in the media that 38 states have 'shall issue' laws? The answer: almost never.

Actually the 38 number is not correct. VT has no provisions for a shall-issue anything. No permit is required at all to CC, OC, or both.

A more accurate wording is that 38 states allow for any law abiding adultcitizen to carry handguns for their own protection. Not quite as simple to say, but more accurate.

An additional ten states limit what citizens can protect themselves, but allow at least some citizens to protect themselves.

Two states do not want their citizens to protect themselves (although one will probably change that next year).
 

gunner

Regular Member
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
19
Location
, Vermont, USA
imported post

"Actually the 38 number is not correct. VT has no provisions for a shall-issue anything. No permit is required at all to CC, OC, or both."

---------------------------------------

you are quite correct, there is no agency in or of the state of vermont authorised to issue any "pistol permit" or "permit to carry" a pistol, and no agency in or of the state of vermont authorised to require a "pistol permit"of anyone. the only exception is a requirement that persons employed as private armed security officers, private detectives and armed couriers be licensed, but those are not "permits to carry" they are licenses to practise a trade and do not affect the general population at large. (i had to educate my co-workers about that point wheni was working for an armoured truck company based in massachusetts, operating in vermont. off duty, in civvies i could carry as i dammed well pleased with no "permit". in uniform, on duty and armedi needed my "trade license" to be a legal hired gun.)



(edited for typos)
 
Top