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Thundar
Supporting Member
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Posted: Sun Dec 2nd, 2007 04:16 am |
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I just about fell over when I saw the opinion page of the Virginian Pilot on Saturday. (The editorial staff there is no friend to the 2A). There seemed to be some effort at balance in the Letters to the Editor. There were two letters. One was the typical unlicensed dealers, etc and the other was obviously from a 2A supporter. The subject line for these two letters was not gun show loophole it was Background Checks.
Perhaps some of the bLetters to the Editor (Blog comments posted in the Pilot Online) have had an impact. - Neither Centreville nor Fairfax where the two bLetters originated from is in the Virginian Pilot delivery zone.
The difference in size between the titles of the two letter is not my typo, the difference in size was as printed on the Opinion Page.
The letters:
Don't muzzle gun issue
RE 'KAINE WANTS END TO LOOPHOLE on gun sales' (Hampton Roads, Nov. 28):
State House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith said that to avoid another Virginia Tech, we should focus on mental health rather than guns because to focus on guns would be 'taking away rights from law-abiding citizens.'
Proposing background checks for unlicensed dealers does not take away the rights of law-abiding citizens. It ensures that the individual purchasing a weapon is indeed a law-abiding citizen. And it protects society by denying those who would do harm from avoiding a background check by purchasing through unlicensed dealers.
Lawful gun owners already undergo background checks from federally licensed dealers. Why shouldn't gun buyers also have background checks from unlicensed dealers?
What most concerns me is this desire by many to focus the attention away from guns and only look to mental health.
The tragedy at Virginia Tech was the result of a complex set of factors and we should look at all of them: mental health, privacy laws, campus safety and security and yes, guns.
Without two guns and high-capacity magazines, Seung-Hui Cho could not have inflicted the damage that he did.
To deflect the debate from guns is to ignore one of the major reasons that 32 beautiful, talented individuals died that fateful day.
We owe it to the victims and to their families to do everything we can to prevent another tragedy. And that means to look at all the issues, including guns.
Lu Ann McNabb
Centreville
The wrong solution
There they go again! Anti-gun advocates are attempting to use the Virginia Tech rampage as an excuse to impose more gun control in the commonwealth.
Seung-Hui Cho was able to purchase two firearms on separate occasions because the state criminal/mental records check system was not accurate and complete.
Yet Gov. Tim Kaine and former state police Superintendent Gerry Massengill are now attempting to distract attention from that problem by targeting gun shows, which were not a source of either firearm purchased and misused by Cho in April.
There is no relevance between the real problem and their proposed solution. They should be ashamed for pushing for such an irrelevant scheme rather than focusing on needed mental health reform.
Charles H. Cunningham
Fairfax
Last edited on Fri Feb 22nd, 2008 05:44 pm by Thundar
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XD Owner
Supporting Member
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Posted: Fri Feb 22nd, 2008 01:38 pm |
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Ms. McNabb wrote, "We owe it to the victims and to their families to do everything we can to prevent another tragedy."
With all due respect, then why doesn't she support legislation prohibiting publicly-funded universities and colleges from having gun policies which are more restrictive than state law?
Why should a college professor have to choose between being able to protect themselves and keeping their job? Why should an off-campus grad student with a concealed handgun permit have to disarm themselves before going to class?
As long as we have gun free zones like Virginia Tech, we will have more tragic incidents like Virginia Tech.
Again quoting Ms. McNabb, Without two guns and high-capacity magazines, Seung-Hui Cho could not have inflicted the damage that he did."
And without an armed guard in every classroom, Cho was able to inflict the damage that he did. A Concealed Handgun Permit holder is like an armed guard, but it does not cost the school (taxpayer) anything. But VT banned those armed guards (CHP holders) and Cho took advantage of that fact.
Virginia needs legislation like Utah which now allows Concealed Handgun Permit holders to go to universities armed for their protection, and not get expelled or fired.
See http://utahshootingsports.com/uemail.htm for an excellent summary of Utah's gun laws as they relate to Universities there. I have excerpted part of it below.
| 1. Utah law prohibits weapons on school property, including college |
| campuses, except for firearms that are in the possession of a concealed |
| weapons permit holder. Other narrow exceptions apply, such as guns |
| carried by law enforcement officials. |
| 2. In Utah, a person must be 21 years old to obtain a concealed weapons |
| 3. Firearms held by a concealed weapons permit holder may be used only |
| to prevent death or serious bodily injury to himself or a third person, |
| or to prevent a forcible felony, according to Utah law. |
Utah's universities fought this up to the Utah State Supreme Court and lost. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,645200092,00.html U Gun Ban Shot Down, 9/11/06.
Ms. McNabb, if you read this, I would be most curious to hear your reaction to such a law being passed in Virginia. I think it is the right thing to do.
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bohdi
Supporting Member
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Posted: Fri Feb 22nd, 2008 05:06 pm |
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If you want to meet Ms. LuAnn McNabb she'll probably be at this meeting on the 28th 
Prevention of Gun Violence
An educational forum on the Prevention of Gun Violence will be held Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Westfield High lecture hall. The event is free and open to the community. Speakers include Angel Fund founder Joe Samaha, father of Westfield grad Reema Samaha, killed at Virginia Tech.
Also speaking will be: Roger Depue, Ph.D., a member of the Virginia Tech Panel and an expert witness in the Columbine case. He will discuss early warning signs of young people who kill, from a behavioral-science perspective.
Robert Ricker, president of the American Hunters and Shooters Association, and former counsel to NRA, will review gun legislation filed in the General Assembly this session. And Andy Goddard, father of Colin Goddard, wounded at Virginia Tech, and the president of the Richmond chapter of the Million Mom March, will also speak.
Westfield High is at 4700 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. Contact LuAnn McNabb at L.mcnabb@cox.net or http://www.angelfundva.org.
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XD Owner
Supporting Member
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Posted: Fri Feb 22nd, 2008 06:00 pm |
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Mr. Bohdi,
Sorry, got some commitments out here in Kuwait. Maybe you could do me a favor, print out this discussion and hand it to her?
Then record it so I can hear her reaction.
R/,
XD Owner
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bohdi
Supporting Member
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Posted: Fri Feb 22nd, 2008 07:18 pm |
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| Mr. XD Owner, as a former enlisted NCO I will do that and try and take it one step further You'll have to wait to see what I mean and I hope it's worth it. Stay safe, keep the sand out of moist places, chaffing is bad mmmmkay?
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