History: Ignore At Your Own Peril
Good article in the Washington Times about the Virginia Citizen's Defense League, a gun rights advocacy group, and their recent effort to raise the public's awareness of the state's gun laws and to demonstrate that much of the PSH brought up in debates over gun laws by the anti-gun lawmakers in Virginia is simply, well, PSH.
Gun-toting diners draw little notice
This is similar to the numerous open carry events that have been held here in New Hampshire over the last couple years, where the objective is to improve the public's perception of gun owners - a perception that is, all too often, forged by the mainstream media's negative portrayal of gun owners and the role that gun rights play in a free society.
Most of the people these armed citizens encountered pretty much just shrugged their shoulders and went back to their meals, unfazed in any way by the customers with guns sitting at the next booth over, which is how one should react in this place we call America.
But as John Edwards is keen to tell us, there are two Americas.
He's right. There's the America inhabited by free citizens who understand the importance of self-reliance and individual liberty, and the America inhabited by people like Nathan Dicken, whose alarm clocks have been sounding the wake-up call for some time now, but they just keep hitting the snooze button.
Now, let's hop into the Wayback Machine, take it back to April 15, 2007, and imagine these two talking to a Times reporter while sitting a classroom watching some of their fellow students coming to class and taking their seats with holstered handguns on their hips.
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
(link via Say Anything)
Gun-toting diners draw little notice
The patrons at Champps in Reston, an upscale restaurant and bar chain, were eating ribs and drinking beer on a recent Saturday when customer Bruce Jackson stood up and made an announcement: He was armed, and so were dozens of other patrons.
The armed customers stood up in unison, showing off holstered pistols. Mr. Jackson said a word or two about the rights of gun owners to carry firearms in Virginia, then thanked everyone for his or her attention and sat down.
And the diners returned to their burgers and Budweisers.
The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) organized the dinner at Champps to prove a point: that the presence of armed customers in Northern Virginia restaurants would elicit little more than shrugs.
The dinner — and several other restaurant visits throughout Northern Virginia last month — were a response to comments from the majority leader in the state Senate, Democrat Richard L. Saslaw, who said during a legislative debate that armed patrons would be unwelcome in Northern Virginia restaurants.
This is similar to the numerous open carry events that have been held here in New Hampshire over the last couple years, where the objective is to improve the public's perception of gun owners - a perception that is, all too often, forged by the mainstream media's negative portrayal of gun owners and the role that gun rights play in a free society.
Most of the people these armed citizens encountered pretty much just shrugged their shoulders and went back to their meals, unfazed in any way by the customers with guns sitting at the next booth over, which is how one should react in this place we call America.
But as John Edwards is keen to tell us, there are two Americas.
He's right. There's the America inhabited by free citizens who understand the importance of self-reliance and individual liberty, and the America inhabited by people like Nathan Dicken, whose alarm clocks have been sounding the wake-up call for some time now, but they just keep hitting the snooze button.
Brendan Fitzgerald of Reston and his friends noticed the guns immediately. They were curious but unconcerned.
"I'm just laughing because it's totally unnecessary in my opinion," Mr. Fitzgerald said, pointing to one individual who not only was armed but also had several clips of ammunition attached to his belt.
"This is Reston, not Southeast," said his friend, Nathan Dicken, contrasting the Northern Virginia suburb to a section of the District known for gun violence.
Now, let's hop into the Wayback Machine, take it back to April 15, 2007, and imagine these two talking to a Times reporter while sitting a classroom watching some of their fellow students coming to class and taking their seats with holstered handguns on their hips.
Brendan Fitzgerald of Reston and his friends noticed the guns immediately. They were curious but unconcerned.
"I'm just laughing because it's totally unnecessary in my opinion," Mr. Fitzgerald said, pointing to one individual who not only was armed but also had several clips of ammunition attached to his belt.
"This is Virginia Tech, not Ballou High School," said his friend, Nathan Dicken, contrasting the prestigious university to a high school in a section of the District known for gun violence.
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
(link via Say Anything)
