Virginia Currents: Virginia’s Gun Laws; Music Reflections
Virginia Currents profiles a woman who chooses to carry a handgun for her own piece of mind. We'll talk with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and Virginia Citizens Defense League to get their viewpoints on Virginia's gun laws. Joanne Kong and Lisa Terry play moving music of instruments from long ago - the viola da gamba and harpsichord.
Original Airdate: Thursday, 4-05-2012
Series: Virginia Currents
This country was created on the basis of trust. Ms. Haas is not focusing on the facts. Her daughter was injured by a man who had been adjudicated mentally ill. If the laws on the books were enforced it *might* have helped. But there is no evidence any of what she suggests will make a difference. It's all emotional response. And Virginia has one of the lowest crime rates in the US. And even if Cho couldn't get a gun on the regular market because of mistakes, he could easily get it from the black market. Background checks don't help at all. One gun a month didn't make a difference. It was truly just a political feel good law. Florida was a high crime state prior to relaxing gun laws. Rape was horrifically high. Now it's down, and the statistics show that uses of firearms for self-defense are 50 to 80 times as common as criminal uses. And criminal uses rarely involved guns that were legally obtained.
Might I point out that I carry a gun for "peace" of mind. I have and use the entire thing, thank you.
Assuming that people cannot be trusted is counter to a free society and repugnant to the premise of civil liberties. The right to self-defense is the most fundamental of all human rights.
Was it just me or did Haas sound like a politician: never answering a direct question and giving an answer that was never asked?
I'd ask Ms. Haas how many victims were armed when they were attacked? My guess is that none of them. It's funny that with the massive amount of generalizations that people make about guns, this isn't one of them.
Mike, We appreciate your input on this topic. I've been in touch with Lori Haas, and if she or others with the coalition have further input for this discussion, all dialogue is welcome. ... And thanks for tuning in to Virginia Currents. May-Lily Lee "Virginia Currents" Senior Producer/Host
I wonder how the representatives are chosen for each side of this debate? There's Philip Van Cleave who not only has law enforcement experience and decades of experience with many victories in the gun rights arena, but also president of Virginia's largest gun-rights organization representing the pro-logic, pro-reason, pro-rights side of the issue, whereas the anti-rights, emotion-fueled, anti-liberty lobby is represented by Lori Haas who's only qualification is being the mother of a shooting survivor.
Yep, this truly was the best both sides could do for their arguments.
Lori Haas depends on lies and distortions being repeated often enough (becoming familiar) as having the ring of correctness to them. She has nothing else to contribute.
The voice of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Philip Van Cleave,is always there to set the record straight with FACTS - not vague generalizations or slanted opinions.
The result that I am seeing is that neither the people nor the General Assembly is having much difficulty avoiding Lori's smoke and mirrors approach.
The quest for truth and freedom are the same.
At about the 6 minute mark the gun shop ownwer says that the law was passed that keeps business from prohibiting guns in cars in thier parking lots or something to that effect. That is incorrect, that law only (HB375) applies to employees of localities (cities, towns, etc) and it doesn't go into effect until July 1, 2012.
HB 375 is as follows: "Control of firearms by localities; workplace rules. Provides that no locality shall adopt any workplace rule, other than for the purposes of a community services board or behavioral health authority, that prevents an employee of that locality from storing at that locality's workplace a lawfully possessed firearm and ammunition in a locked personal, private motor vehicle." There's nothing in there that protects private citizens from rules or policies put in place by private companies. Never, ever get gun laws from a guy behind the counter. This is not meant to be a disparaging remark against gun shop employees. For those gun shop employees out there, you know what I'm talking about.
I just do not understand how Mrs. Haas or the Coalition to stop gun violence can continue to argue that we should forfeit one iota of our 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms. The very few remaining anti-gun localities in this country such as New York City, Chicago and Washington D.C. have the stiffest requirements to obtain, own and carry a weapon for self defense yet they have the highest crime and murder rates! Coincidence? I think not!
Mrs. Haas, someone can purchase a stolen gun on the streets usually far cheaper than from a reputable dealer, use it to commit a crime, throw it in the river and have another stolen gun within days, within hours even for those with the right (wrong) contacts.
Had some of the students and or teachers had a weapon that frightful day at V.T. your daughter most likely would have never been shot and so many people would have never died! I hope your family/husband/friends can somehow make you understand that in this day and age you MUST have the ability, training and means to protect yourself or we may somday be reading a far different story about even you!
May God Bless You and your family.
Oh and by the way, great job Mr. Van Cleave, maybe some of the eople who0 saw this show will understand self protection is a necesssity, purchase a hand gun and save someones life.
I'd point out that Haas's quote that 'Millions of people have been stopped from buying guns" with the background check system is not factual. MOST of the times when a purchaser is is stopped by the system, it was a false positive. Only a few thousand people have been genuinely stopped and prosecuted with background checks of the MILLIONS of checks that have taken place. (Source:FBI Uniform crime reports)
Haas will never understand that background checks will never stop a criminal from obtaining a firearm, but will only put an additional, unneeded step in front of the law abiding to legally purchase a gun. Criminals are neither unwilling, nor inclined to play by the rules and legally purchase their guns.
She sounds like a broken record. Great job to Phillip, for pointing out the facts.
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