National Park Service Announces Proposed Rule on Guns

The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), through the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, issued a proposed rule yesterday (April 29) to amend regulations prohibiting firearms in National Parks and Wildlife Refuges. The NRA has worked tirelessly behind the scences for the last several years to amend the existing policy regarding the carrying and transportation of firearms on these federal lands.

The proposed rule was filed today and will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, and can be found online here. It provides sixty days for public comment.

These new regulations will provide uniformity across our nation’s federal lands and put an end to the patchwork of regulations that governed different lands managed by different federal agencies. In the past, only Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service lands allowed the carrying of firearms, while lands managed by DOI did not.



The public has basically been left defenseless when they entered DOI property which were virtually safety free zones. Now, if the proposed amendments are adopted, the public will have the ability to protect themselves from predators (mostly the two-legged kind) while they are in National Parks and Wildlife Refuges.

The current regulations on possession, carry or transportation of loaded or uncased firearms in national parks were proposed in 1982 and finalized in 1983. Similar restrictions apply in national wildlife refuges. Amendments to those regulations were needed to reflect the changed legal situations with respect to state laws on carrying firearms that have occurred over the last 15 - 20 years.

As of the end of 1982, only six states routinely allowed citizens to carry handguns for self-defense. Currently, 48 states have a process for issuing licenses or permits to allow law-abiding citizens to legally carry firearms for self-defense. Two states do not require permits, 38 states have a “shall-issue” permit process, and eight have a discretionary process for issuing permits.

This move will restore the rights of law-abiding gun owners who wish to transport and carry firearms for lawful purposes on most DOI lands, and will make federal law consistent with the state law in which these lands are located. Fifty-one U.S. Senators sent a bipartisan letter to the Department of Interior supporting the move to make state firearms laws applicable to National Park lands and refuges.

VSSA will keep Virginia gun owners informed on this process.

Obama and Clinton talk about Gun Control

Both Senators Clinton and Obama tried to portray themselves as friends of gun owners while campaigning in Pennsylvania. Thanks to our friends over at ABC, they were drawn out on the issue and you can hear their double talk for yourself. If you missed the debate a couple weeks ago, click the clip below.

Charles City Bans Rifles for Deer Hunting

Charles City County held a joint Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors Meeting on Tuesday (April 22nd). After a lengthy and contentious comment period, they imposed an outright ban on using rifles for deer hunting. Shotguns, muzzleloaders and bowhunting for deer are still allowed.

As noted here on March 22nd, the county allowed rifles for deer hunting for the first time, as long as hunters were in a stand at least 10 feet above ground. Prior to that, deer hunters were limited to shotguns, bows and muzzleloaders. When rifles were deemed legal, “Lots of people went out and spent thousands of dollars on new rifles, scopes, ammunition and tree stands,” said one county resident. “Now they don’t want to let us use them.”

Supporters of the ban voiced concerns about safety, despite the fact that in the two seasons when rifle hunting was allowed, not one documented accident occurred. Much of the county’s land is flat (hence the 10-foot above ground rule), and there was great concern that such terrain increases the potential for missed shots to strike unintended targets. The fundamental safety rule that all hunters know, “Be sure of your target, and what’s beyond,” addresses this very issue, but in the minds of the rifle-banners the rule doesn’t make a difference.

At meeting, Elbert Parker, who supported the ban, resorted to the dramatic by holding up a small cut-out section of plywood and aluminum siding and said, “This is all that stands between a bullet and your children.”

But various parties, including a representative of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, provided comment on how enviable Virginia’s hunter safety record is. And resident Chuck Schreiber pointed out that rifles are legal in neighboring Henrico County, which has 238 people per square mile. “But Charles City County only has 34,” Schreiber explained. “There are enough facts to prove this is not a safety issue,” he continued. “If it was, I’d be the first one to support it.”

Hardly mentioned in the debate was how the restriction might actually discourage people from continuing to hunt, and how that might affect control of the county’s deer population. In the three minutes I had to speak, I made these points to the Board and explained some of the consequences of too many deer. But the increased potential for crop damage, Lyme disease, deer-automobile collisions and habitat destruction fell on deaf ears.

In addition to the outright ban, the Board of Supervisors considered two somewhat less restrictive options. One would have allowed continued use of rifles, but not within 1,000 feet of a school, residence or county recreation area, without written permission. Opposing this option, Jim Reed told the board that there are seven homes within 1,000 feet of his land. “I don’t shoot in the direction of any of them,” Reed said, “but if even one of those homeowners doesn’t like me, he can prevent me from using my own property. That’s wrong.”

The other option would have allowed rifles, included the 1,000-foot restriction, and limited rifles to just one week of the general firearms deer season. A motion was made to adopt this rule, but the Board held out for the total rifle ban. Arguing hardest for the ban was Supervisor Sherri Bowman, who was elected last year and made a campaign promise to eliminate rifle hunting. In the end, the Board of Supervisors voted 2-1 in favor of the ban.

As a room full of angry citizens filed out of the auditorium, a gentleman was overhead saying “We’ll see you in November.”

The myth that shotguns are somehow safer or universally “less powerful” than rifles may be comforting to the uninformed, but studies show that ballistics of some modern shotgun slugs rival or even surpass those of some centerfire rifle bullets. Regardless of that, what makes hunting safe is the hunter. It does not matter what type of firearm is used. Nationwide, hunting accidents declined nearly 63 percent between 1995 and 2004.

VSSA members and hunters who hunt in Charles City County should contact members of the Board, especially, Ms. Bowman, and politely but firmly express your disappointment with their decision and that you will remember their vote the next time they are up for election.

Hat Tip to NRA Hunters Rights.
But it’s hunters who are making the county safe, not politicians.

Wayne LaPierre on Obama's Slippery Oratory on Gun Rights

From this month's Standing Guard Column in the NRA magazines.

Future of Hunting in Northern Virginia to be Discussed at Meeting

On Tuesday, April 22, officials from the National Parks Service and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries will host a meeting to discuss the future of hunting in Northern Virginia's Dyke Marsh area. Anti-sportsmen groups and local anti-gun politicians have been very vocal in their efforts seeking to ban lawful hunting in Dyke Marsh. Please make every effort to join your fellow hunters and sportsmen at this important meeting and show your support for Virginia's rich hunting heritage! The meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 22, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Belle View Elementary School, 6701 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, 22307.

Please be sure to share this information with your family, friends and fellow sportsmen.

Hat tip to NRA-ILA.

Astro-turf Gun Group Endorses Obama

On Wednesday, the astro-turf gun group known as American Hunters and Shooters Association endorsed Presidential Candidate Barrack Obama saying "he gets it" when it comes to gun rights. This is the same candidate who just last weekend told high dollar donors at a San Francisco fundraiser that middle America "clings" to its guns.

AHSA President Ray Schoenke said that claims about Obama's earlier comments proving he takes an elitist view of gun ownership are "patently ridiculous." He sited the fact that Obama supported the "Vitter Amendment" baring use of government funds to confiscate firearms during a natural disaster as proof that the candidate supports gun rights.

Hillary Clinton's campaign was ready with a list of Obama's past positions on gun control and asked whether AHSA had considered those positions when making their endorsement decision. She especially pointed out Obama's past support for a total ban on the manufacture and ownership of handguns. Obama claims the questionnaire from which that talking point is taken was not filled out by him but by a staffer that totally misrepresented his position. Never mind the fact that the Politico did an investigation of the survey in question and published a copy of an amended version of the questionnaire, which appears to contain Obama’s own handwritten notes added to one answer putting into question the claim that he never saw it.

ABC News anchor Charlie Gibson mentioned the questionnaire last night during the debate in Philadelphia , and once again, Obama said he wasn't the one who filled it out.

But, consider this, Illinois resident Hale DeMar was prosecuted by the town of Wilmette for using a handgun to defend his home in 2003. Wilmette had imposed a ban on the possession of handguns, in effect making the town a gun-free zone. To correct the situation, several Illinois state legislators introduced SB 2165 (known as the Wilmette bill) to protect the right of self-defense for residents like DeMar. Obama voted against the bill. That self-defense bill protecting the right to bear arms for law-abiding citizens such as DeMar passed the Illinois state Senate and was enacted into law over the governor's veto. Obama voted against the bill.

Given his stated position that he opposes concealed carry, it appears if he does not oppose the possession of handguns, he certainly opposes the use of them.

Hat tip to Jim Geraghty.

60th Annual Shad Planking

Today is the 6oth Annual Shad Planking in Wakefield, Virginia. Originally an all white, all male, all Democrat event, it is now the place to be for anyone who wants to talk politics in Virginia while enjoying a variety of beverages provided by the candidates and other groups, fried shad roe provided by the Wakefield Ruritan Club, and a plate of Shad, cold claw, and hush puppies.

All three of the candidates running for U.S. Senate will be at the event today and speak. They will also be there to talk to the gathered about what they will do as Virginia's next U.S. Senator.

I'll fill you in tomorrow on the day's events.

Also, on a more solemn note, today also marks the anniversary of the shootings at Virginia Tech. Our continued prayers for healing are with the injured and the families of those killed by Cho.

Obama's Disdain for the Middle America

Much has been written in the blogosphere about Obama's "Bitter" comments (some have said the more appropriate title for the comments is "Clingy") so I will try not to rehash what has already been said. For those who have not read his comments, he said to a group of wealthy contributors in San Francisco that:

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them," Obama said. "And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Note that he is not only speaking about folks in the Keystone state but small towns all over the Midwest (and I would suggest all over America). His explanations for his comments have made them sound worse than they did originally. I also think that the comments about how these "bitter" people cling to religion will come back to bite him more than the comment about guns.

I have to give him credit though. Hillary Clinton pounced on the comments and started sounding like the best friend of gun owners. Obama's retort was pretty good. Obama noted that Clinton seemed much more interested in guns since he made his comments than she had in the past.

"She is running around talking about how this is an insult to sportsmen, how she values the Second Amendment. She's talking like she's Annie Oakley. Hillary Clinton is out there like she's on the duck blind every Sunday. She's packing a six-shooter. Come on, she knows better. That's some politics being played by Hillary Clinton."

Clinton has responded with a TV ad.



Rush Limbaugh suggested on his program today that for most of the last couple of months, Obama has been on cruise control but with Clinton picking up steam in Ohio and Texas and at one time leading big in Pennsylvania, he has had to campaign again. And, he has started saying what he really thinks, and he has a very elitist view (similar to what the last two Ivy League graduates that the Democrats nominated) - thus his comments about God, guns, and small town America.

I think it is particularly striking that he made these comments on "Billionaire Avenue" in San Francisco.

More Virginians Getting Concealed Handgun Permits

The Virginian Pilot reported this morning that more people in Virginia are seeking concealed handgun permits (CHP). According to the Pilot, the number of applications is "soaring." As you know, you don't have to state a reason for wanting a permit when you complete your application. Some offer that with the uncertainty of the upcoming election, and the fact that pundits are predicting Democrats will increase their margins in both houses of congress, including a veto proof majority of 60 Senators in the U.S. Senate and the likely hood that the gun control crowd could see a friendlier terrain for their pet projects.

Could it also be that people are realizing that as crime increases in some areas that it is their responsibility to protect themselves and their families?

Bob Marcus, head of the Virginia Firearms Dealer's Association was quoted in the article saying his concealed handgun classes are packed and his online course that he now offers already has 100 people that have signed up.

Last year, there were approximately 135,000 permit holders in Virginia. An increase can only be good for the cause of gun rights because those new permit holders will now have a stake in the legislation like repeal of the restaurant ban. The next step is to get them to join VSSA.

Charles City County to Hold Public Hearing on Hunting with Rifles

On March 22nd I posted that Charles City County was considering ending the ability of hunters to use rifles in the county. VSSA has received an update on this issue. The Board will hold a joint Public Hearing with the Planning Commission on April 22nd at 7:45 PM. The meeting will be held at the Charles City Government and School Board Administration Building, 10900 Courthouse Road, Charles City, VA 23030. The Board will consider one of the following three options to amend Section 16-1 of the Charles City County Code:

1. Rifles will be allowed in the general deer season , provided they are used only from a height of 10', are unloaded until in the tree stand and are not used within 1000 ' of a residence, unless the owner gives written permission, or within 1000' of a county owned recreation area.

2. The same as #1, above, except the use of rifles will be limited to 4 weeks or less at the beginning or end of the general season.

3. Rifles will not be allowed to hunt deer.

You can read the complete document here.

It is important that all hunters and gun owners who can, attend this meeting and make your voices heard. If you cannot attend, please contact the Board and politely express your view to keep rifle hunting legal in Charles City County. The Chairman has expressed to me that he has received some "vulgar" emails from people on this subject. I am sure none of these came from VSSA members but the Chairman is not against us on this issue and it is important that those communicating with the Board do so in a professional and respectful manner.

Timothy W. Cotman,
Sr. Email: tcotman@co.charles-city.va.us
Phone: (804) 652-4701
Fax: (804) 829-5819

Sherri M. Bowman - Vice Chairman
Email: sbowman@co.charles-city.va.us
Phone: (804) 652-4701
Fax: (804) 829-5819

Gilbert A. Smith – Chairman
Email: gsmith@co.charles-city.va.us
Phone: (804) 652-4701
Fax: (804) 829-5819

Brady Still Trying to Protest on Tech Campus

On Tuesday I posted that Virginia Tech was not going to allow one of the Brady "Lie-ins" on the campus Drillfield as it would 1)interfere with plans to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the shooting deaths of 32 students and faculty and 2)the group had not applied for a permit (that the University would deny because they are not a student group).

The Roanoke Times is reporting today that Brady is working with students who were planning to participate in the protest in the hope they can negotiate an agreement with the University.


Tech spokesman Larry Hincker told the Times he would not rule out the possibility of the university giving a permit to a student group to assemble somewhere on campus April 16, but he said events are already planned for the Drillfield that morning and evening and the university doesn't want anything to interrupt the "solemnity" of the day. Hincker told the Times that April 16 is a time for the community to heal and reflect on the lives of people lost a year ago. "April 16 is, to us, truly a solemn day," he said. "It's a day of remembrance."

I agree. I've said before that Brady's plans are in poor taste. In addition, there are a number of students, including Tech's Student Government Association, who have expressed that April 16 is not the appropriate day for one of the Brady lie-in stunts. The SGA passed a resolution Tuesday night asking protesters "to respect the Virginia Tech community's wish to peacefully embrace the university day of remembrance by holding their demonstrations on a different date."

Virginia Tech Says No To Brady Campaign April 16 Protest

April 16th marks the one year anniversary of the shooting of 32 students and faculty at Virginia Tech by Seung-Hui Cho. The Brady Campaign was planning one of its infamous "lie-ins" at Tech as part of a nationwide protest at 70 cities around the country. This is a truly tasteless way to commemorate such a sad event but the Brady Campaign can never be accused of acting in good taste.

Yesterday, Tech threw cold water on the plan to have Tech be one of the 70 locations for the lie-in. Tech officials said that the group and its event co-sponsor, ProtestEasyGuns.com, had not applied for an assembly permit and even if they had, it would not have been granted because only student groups can request and be granted such permits.

Brady claimed that students, friends and family of the victims wanted to participate but on the Richmond Clear Channel radio station, WRVA, the local afternoon talk show host, Doc Thompson, interviewed a student that claimed just the opposite. The student said even those who support protesting guns found the choice of April 16 distasteful.

Brady is now going back to the drawing board since Tech was supposed to be the centerpiece of the protests. They may announce their alternative plans as early as today.

Obama Against Concealed Carry

So, while Obama is reaching out to gun owners in PA and using NRA "A" rated Democratic elected officials in the state to do so, he tells the Pittsburgh Tribune that he is "not in favor of concealed weapons. I think that creates a potential atmosphere where more innocent people could (get shot during) altercations."

Townhall.com's Amanda Carpenter writes that this new emphasis on gun control may be prompted by Philadelphia-based Democratic leaders who are pressuring Clinton and Obama to adopt harder stances on gun control. This issue is expected to come up in ABC News’ Democratic debate on April 16 in Philadelphia, which happens to be the one year anniversary of the shooting of 32 students at Virginia Tech.

A close look at Obama's Illinois legislative voting record shows that he has long backed gun-control measures, including a ban on semiautomatic weapons and concealed weapons, and a limit on handgun purchases to one a month. He has declined to take a stance on the legality of the handgun prohibition in Washington, D.C., which the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing, although Obama has voiced support for the right of state and local governments to regulate guns. Obama also failed to sign on to the Congressional amicus brief supporting Richard Heller which 55 of his senate colleagues and 250 congressmen signed.

The only pro-gun vote he has cast in the Senate was for the Vitter Amendment in July 2006 which prohibits the confiscation of firearms during an emergency or natural disaster. Clinton was one of 16 senators to oppose the amendment.

A two-page white paper on Obama’s website doesn’t mention his voting record. Instead, he introduces himself as a former constitutional law professor who “believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he greatly respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms.”

“He will protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns for the purposes of hunting and target shooting,” the paper states.

It also states “He also believes that the right is subject to reasonable and common sense regulation.”

Melody Zullinger, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's
Clubs who received the Obama campaign e-mail on his gun record, said Obama sounds
Obama aims for pro-gun vote - like he is “speaking out of both sides of his mouth.”

I agree.

Get more on Obama's record here.

Hat tip to Cam Edwards for the Obama/concealed carry news.

Pro-rights Icon and Former NRA President Charlton Heston Dies

I awoke yesterday to news that former NRA President Charlton Heston had died at his home in California on Saturday. USA Today has a good article on his life here. Fox News has a good article here.

Heston was a God-send to the gun rights movement and the NRA at a time when the movement was on the defensive with a profile shootings at several schools and a vehemently anti-rights president in the White House and high profile shootings at several schools.

He can rightly take credit for doubling the membership of the NRA from 2 to 4 million. I still remember watching him raise that musket in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2000 at the end of his remarks to the NRA Annual Members Meeting that have been immortalized since. Speaking to then presidential candidate Al Gore he said "to you I have five simple words, From my cold dead hands." The crowd jumped to its feet and roared in approval. I watched him repeat that phrase three more times at annual meetings until he did it for the last time in Orlando in 2003, as he stepped down after serving an unprecedented six years as NRA President.

I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Heston in 1993 when he came to Virginia to campaign for George Allen during the '93 race for Governor. I still have the photo hanging on my wall that was taken at the NRA Breakfast in Richmond the Friday before the election. I would again have the opportunity to meet with him in 2001 at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA during a Fourth of July event at the University.

Mr. Heston dedicated his life to the ideals in which he believed, whether it was civil rights or later gun rights. May we all be able to say the same when we leave this world.