724.4C. Possession or carrying of weapons while intoxicated. [New Section]
A person who goes armed with a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or an illegally used or possessed controlled substance commits an aggravated misdemeanor.
724.7 Nonprofessional permit to carry weapons.
Any person who can reasonably justify going armedmeets the criteria of section 724.8 and who files an application in accordance with 724.11mayshall be issued a nonprofessional permit to carry weapons. Such permits shall be on a form prescribed and published by the commissioner of public safety, which shall be readily distinguishable from the professional permit, and shall identify the holder thereof, and state the reason for the issuance of the permit, and the limits of the authority granted by such permit. All permits so issued shall be for a definite period as established by the issuing officer, but in no event shall exceed a period of twelve monthsfive years and shall be valid throughout the state, except where the possession or carrying of a firearm is prohibited by federal or state law.
(Manassas, VA, November 19, 2009) The day of the little Mom & Pop gun shop seem to be waning. Even small shops these days are sophisticated, computerized, professionally managed businesses, but those small shops are becoming harder to find. Faced with competition from the internet and mega-retailers like Wal-Mart, Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops, small, dedicated gun shops are finding it more and more difficult to compete. Throw in the added pressure of more frequent and more adversarial oversight by ATF, increased pressure from community zoning boards and taxing authorities, and major shortages in all sorts of guns and ammunition keeping dealer’s shelves bare for months in the midst of the worst recession in decades and it’s easy to understand why a lot of shops are struggling. Continue reading Support Local Shops→
(Manassas, VA, November 12, 2009) There has been a close association between sexually transmitted diseases and the military for as long as the two have existed, but the focus of this article is not Venereal Disease, but a different kind of VD that has shocked the military community and the nation. The VD which currently plagues the military and puts our soldiers at grave risk is the policy of Victim Disarmament which has been increasingly prevalent even as laws in the civilian world have been moving in the opposite direction.
While some have pointed to regulation changes during the Clinton administration as the turning point, VD on military bases has been the trend since at least the 1960’s and to a lesser extent even before that. In military society, so heavily steeped in discipline and control, it is only natural that those in power would be inclined to drift in the direction of micro-management and centralized control. Commanders in the modern military seem to have gravitated toward a paternalistic role and that paternalism runs all through the chain of command and seems to apply to all subordinates regardless of their age, rank, or experience.
(Phoenix, AZ, November 4, 2009) It’s a Republican sweep in Virginia. Bob McDonnell has the election locked up along with fellow Republicans winning the Lt. Governor and Attorney General offices. The Republican victory in Virginia was overwhelming, with the GOP netting a combined 60 percent of the vote over Democrats in the three races.
In New Jersey, an unpopular (and Brady Bunch-endorsed) Democrat lost to what passes for a conservative Republican in that part of the world. Meanwhile in New York’s 23rd District, the Republican leadership had an opportunity to learn something about party discipline when their anointed candidate Dede Scozzafava, a genuinely liberal Republican, was pushed out of the race by an upstart conservative candidate who claimed Glenn Beck as his mentor. Early returns show the Democrat with a solid lead, but with the upstart Hoffman making a splash. The chin-stroking started immediately that the results are the harbinger of a gathering storm within the Republican Party. Maybe.
This column appeared in Shotgun News and elsewhere nearly five years ago. I dredged it up when media reports surfaced that the Ft. Hood killer used a Five-seveN. It should be noted that had he used the second gun he reportedly had during the rampage, a .357 Magnum, the death toll would very likely have been higher, but with fewer wounded.
–Chris Knox
Knox Report
The latest “Devil’s Gun”
By Chris Knox
(March 1, 2005) With the introduction to the civilian market of its “Five-seveN” pistol, FN Herstal has set the anti-gun world in a tizzy not seen since Gaston Glock’s polymer-framed pistol burst on the scene twenty years ago. At that time the buzz was all about the “undetectable” plastic gun. In similar fashion, the Brady Campaign (formerly Handgun Control Inc.) is circulating breathless reports that “It [the Five-seveN] has the power of an assault rifle, yet it fits right in your pocket.”
This report reads like a press release from the Brady Center, using their buzzword, and their exaggerated characterizations of the gun’s power. The writers’ ignorance of firearms technology is obvious in calling the ammunition "5.7 caliber" (it’s 5.7mm) and calling the magazines "clips."
It’s not hard to see where the claims of bias come from when your reporters run unedited press releases without knowing or understanding what’s in them. We at The Firearms Coalition would be happy to provide technical assistance. There are numerous other organizations and groups in the firearms community, including the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the National Rifle Association, and Gun Owners of America who would be equally willing to help you improve the quality of your reporting.
Chris Knox Communications Director The Firearms Coalition
(Manassas, VA, October 29, 2009) How does it make you feel when you start to walk into a business and see a “No Guns” sign prominently posted?Are you angry?Offended?Indifferent?How do you react?Do you just turn around and take your business elsewhere?Complain to the management?Just ignore it and go on with your business?The members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League take “No Guns” signs as personally offensive and they let their offense be known – to the business, to fellow VCDL members, and anyone else who’ll listen – or read a web page.VCDL maintains a list of anti-rights Virginia businesses on their web site, www.VCDL.org, and encourages gun owners and rights supporters to avoid these businesses except to let them know that their policy is offensive.VCDL has actively pursued this position for several years while they have simultaneously grown to become the most politically active and effective rights organization in the state.
Leave this card with your local merchants who post “No Firearms” signs instead of your money!
It informs!
It educates!
It’s courteous!
It lets unfriendly merchants see money leave their pocket!
(actual design may vary)
As more and larger areas are posted “No Firearms” our rights are being hedged, hemmed, maybe infringed? Here‘s a way to fight back. Let the pizza joint know that robbers probably won‘t read that sign anyway. Clue the dry cleaners in about creating a safe work environment for criminals. Let Costco know that you have bought a Sam‘s Club membership because of that sign on the door!
