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Guns Worn In Open Legal, But Alarm Va. 'Exercising Right' Called 'Unreasonable' by Some
The Washington Post ^ | Thursday, July 15, 2004 | Tom Jackman

Posted on 07/16/2004 10:11:07 AM PDT by SASsySIGster

Edited on 07/16/2004 10:27:00 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

On July 2, Fairfax County police received a 911 call from a Champps restaurant in Reston. Six men are seated at a table, the caller said. They're all armed.

Dispatchers quickly sent four officers to the scene. The officers were "extremely polite" and were hoping that some of the men were in law enforcement, said Sgt. Richard Perez, a spokesman for the police department. None was.

The men told the officers "they were just exercising their rights as citizens of the commonwealth," Perez said.

Turns out, packing a pistol in public is perfectly legal in Virginia. And three times in the last month, including at Champps on Sunset Hills Road, residents have been spotted out and about in the county, with guns strapped to their hips, exercising that right.

In the first episode, at a Starbucks, Fairfax police wrongly confiscated weapons from two college students and charged them with a misdemeanor. Police realized their mistake, returned the guns and tore up the charges the next day. Police commanders have since issued a reminder to officers that "open carry" is the law of the land in the Old Dominion.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: bang; concealedcarry; firearms; guns; handgun; opencarry; pistols; semiautomatic; virginia
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GO VIRGINIANS!!!
1 posted on 07/16/2004 10:11:09 AM PDT by SASsySIGster
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To: SASsySIGster

"I love Champps waffle fries" -John Kerry
but seriously, I don't favor open carry either, but
if that's the only was to carry based on their laws...
I know open carry is an option here in MN, but 99% with
permits to carry don't do it. The idea is to NOt draw attention to yourself.And as Diamond Dallas Page used to say, "...and that's a GOOD thing."


2 posted on 07/16/2004 10:15:47 AM PDT by Rakkasan1 (Justice of the Piece)
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To: SASsySIGster
Openly carrying weapons is "not a good idea," said Kristen Rand of the Violence Policy Center in Washington. "This is the gun lobby's vision of how America should be. Everybody's packing heat and ready to engage in a shootout at the slightest provocation."

Being so openly naive is "not a good idea".

3 posted on 07/16/2004 10:15:51 AM PDT by ladtx ( "Remember your regiment and follow your officers." Captain Charles May, 2d Dragoons, 9 May 1846)
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To: SASsySIGster
"This just shows you the extreme nature of what they're trying to do," said Bob Ricker, head of Virginians for Public Safety.

There was another "Committe for Public Safety" during the French Revolution, and they killed people. It seems Mr. Ricker is following in these footsteps.

4 posted on 07/16/2004 10:18:52 AM PDT by Pyro7480 (Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genitrix.... sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper...)
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To: ladtx

Huh, now that I think about it my SW .357m would look good with my plaid shorts and t-shirt when I go to the mall.

I'll bet nobody cuts me off on the ice skating rink anymore.


5 posted on 07/16/2004 10:22:19 AM PDT by mlbford2 (Sorry for spelling errors, I'm a product of a state university)
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To: SASsySIGster
"You don't want to go to Starbucks or Reston Town Center and see somebody with a firearm strapped on," he added

I most certainly do.

6 posted on 07/16/2004 10:23:52 AM PDT by Physicist
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I was wondering if someone reading this thread could please post the laws on this pertaining to the states. I think it's legal to do this in Colorado, yet it's NOT in Denver.

Just curious.


7 posted on 07/16/2004 10:24:09 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (<a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com" target="_blank">Hatriotism)
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To: SASsySIGster
"You don't want to go to Starbucks or Reston Town Center and see somebody with a firearm strapped on

Actually, I do. Who gave this jerk the right to speak for me?

8 posted on 07/16/2004 10:24:36 AM PDT by Right Wing Professor (John Edwards: Qualifications? we don' need no steekin' qualifications!)
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To: dansangel

ping......................................................













9 posted on 07/16/2004 10:24:37 AM PDT by .45MAN ("Vote for Life, Vote for Freedom ,Vote for Bush")
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To: Pyro7480

Allright folks, here is the question I have.

I understand that my state (WV), has reciprocity with Virginia, meaning I can CCW in the Old Dominion, but being a non resident, can I open carry there?

I go through there three or four times a year, so I'd like to know.


10 posted on 07/16/2004 10:25:12 AM PDT by Armedanddangerous (The first rule of gunfighting is to have a gun...more than one, if possible..)
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To: Physicist
Snap!
11 posted on 07/16/2004 10:25:19 AM PDT by Right Wing Professor (John Edwards: Qualifications? we don' need no steekin' qualifications!)
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To: SASsySIGster

Kind of long for a Washington Post excerpt. How much did you cut out?


12 posted on 07/16/2004 10:27:22 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: SASsySIGster
Three days after the incident at Champps, a married couple were walking their dogs down Market Street, the busy thoroughfare in the heart of Reston Town Center, about 3 p.m. In addition to pistols on their hips, Perez said, both the man and woman were carrying an extra magazine of ammunition. An officer spoke with them and was informed that they were members of the defense league and were aware of the Starbucks incident. Perez said the officer took no further action, although Van Cleave said a lieutenant arrived and urged Town Center security to eject them.

Huh? Is this not a public street? And even if not, why would the police tell private citizens to retrain the legal behavior of law-abiding citizens?

13 posted on 07/16/2004 10:27:30 AM PDT by Physicist
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To: SASsySIGster

Kristen Rand may be contacted at :

krand@vpc.org
(202) 822-8200, ext. 102

This is according to the VPC's press release.


14 posted on 07/16/2004 10:28:11 AM PDT by Uncle Kermie (Long Live RWR)
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To: ladtx

Kristen Rand may be contacted at :

krand@vpc.org
(202) 822-8200, ext. 102

This is according to the VPC's press release.


15 posted on 07/16/2004 10:28:37 AM PDT by Uncle Kermie (Long Live RWR)
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To: Armedanddangerous

www.packing.org has all of the state carry laws, etc.... It's a wonderful source of information. ofv


16 posted on 07/16/2004 10:28:55 AM PDT by oldfashionedvalues
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To: SASsySIGster

I think the message here is that the only proper way to excercise one's Open Carry right is to not carry.


17 posted on 07/16/2004 10:29:02 AM PDT by arthurus (Better to fight them over THERE than over HERE.)
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To: RandallFlagg
There's a good summary of firearms laws here.
18 posted on 07/16/2004 10:29:13 AM PDT by Right Wing Professor (John Edwards: Qualifications? we don' need no steenkin' qualifications!)
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To: Armedanddangerous
but being a non resident, can I open carry there? I go through there three or four times a year, so I'd like to know.

Yep. Open carry is legal there. It doesn't matter if you are a resident or not.

19 posted on 07/16/2004 10:30:04 AM PDT by Mulder (To be born free is an accident,to live free is your duty,to die free is your obligation. Wm. Coulter)
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To: SASsySIGster

Posted here - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1171671/posts - also, but you can't have too many posts about openly carrying a firearm, imho.


20 posted on 07/16/2004 10:30:26 AM PDT by Nick The Freeper
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