Posted on 07/18/2004 9:37:46 PM PDT by neverdem
The latte grande at the Starbucks in Tysons Corner, Va., must have seemed extra steamy last month when two college students bellied up to the bar packing pistols on their hips, as casually as if they wore cellphones. Someone called the police, who confiscated the handguns and charged the students. But wait: the Catch-22 in Virginia's enfeebled gun control laws has kicked in.
Sure there's a state law against carrying loaded firearms in public. But the lethal fine print defines "firearm" as a 20-round-plus assault rifle. So smaller weapons, like the .22-caliber and 9-millimeter pistols the students flaunted in their holsters, are legal and no permit is required. The pistols were returned, thereby contributing to a celebratory mood among the state's gun enthusiasts. Now they're strutting their Second Amendment stuff among Main Street shoppers and restaurant diners in Washington's booming Virginia suburbs.
There was what seemed a self-fantasized posse of six this month at a table in a Champps restaurant, their weapons prominent as pepper mills. The same false alarm ensued, with a police patrol backing off in the face of citizens' exercising their rights, according to The Washington Post. And how about the couple walking their dogs on busy Market Street in Reston? They carried pistols on their hips, plus extra ammunition clips, as if the area were a set from "The Wild Bunch" and not one of the most crime-free places in Virginia.
The flaunting ritual is a tribute to "open carry" gun laws on the books in a score of states. Outcries from the unarmed public usually go unheeded. In Utah, university administrators worried over students' wearing guns in dormitories were overruled by the legislature, which defended gun rights — even to the point of packing in class.
You'd think Virginia citizens concerned about weapons in public would be able to seek comfort in the primacy of local controls. Alexandria, for instance, has barred open carrying. But that was before the very latest Catch-22 in Virginia law: effective this month, state law bars any locality from enacting gun regulations. Gotcha.
This is silly. Not everyone should wear tank tops.
Ooooh -- that sounds like the massage therapist I met over in Bisbee. For $5 extra she will also purify your aura.
Belly metro boy's ?
I volunteer to ask you to add me to your bang list neverdem .. What in the hell is this site becoming ?
There was a guy in Tucson who held up a 7-11 with a potted cactus...
Actually you aren't far off...it's the exact language the supreme court used to describe where they found the right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution.
Do I detect a "whiff of" cynicism? He asked, and the fishing is good.
Not that I checked, but I don't believe that NY has any open carry laws for a shotgun. If they do, I'd be amazed. Cynicism is putting it mildly where the three headed democrat monster is concerned.
I've heard things like that happen if you drink the bong water. Just like the Queen of Hearts, you can believe a dozen possible things before breakfast.
Make that "impossible things". The spell checker needs to be in the keyboard, not the CPU.
LMAO! Sounds like another dangerous weapon needing control, regulation, and licensing if you ask me.
I've actually a method to the madness of posting such stories (or madness to my method depending on who you ask). Stories like this happen throughout the nation daily. Maybe if people saw more of these, they might just see it's criminals, not the weapon, and not law-abiding citizens that threaten them.
He was a caricature of a northeast liberal. He was the first governor to sign a law recognizing civil unions. In terms of economics for Vermont, I can't attest either way. But during the buildup to the primary season, he was pandering with the best of them on the usual topics, e.g. Social Security, education, environment, healthcare, etc. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, during the primary season he endorsed the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, but also said otherwise gun control should be a local matter.
That's not a gotcha, it's called a state preemption law and most states which respect the RKBA have one on their books. It simply prevents local politicians in liberal-leftist areas of the state, like Alexandria for example, passing gun laws which are more strict than state gun law.
The imbecilic editorialist obviously thinks the elitist-leftists in the Washington suburbs should be able to restrict the rights of all VA citizens who happen to live in or pass through their liberal enclave. Judging by the recent actions of the VA legislators and governor, the majority of VA's citizens disagree. Doncha just love to hear the libs whine and moan when unConstitutional gun laws are repealed?
"Good thing I'm planning on moving soon. Just trying to figure out where I can find the friendliest territory. Criteria: predominately republican, growing economy, low cost of living, good values, low taxes, and sensible laws. Any suggestions?"
The part about the "growing economy" is the "I want my cake and eat it too" part. Growing economy implies high density population centers. After closing in on 50 years on the planet I have come to the conclusion that high population density is never conducive to retention of rights. In fact, it's been my observation that regulation and restriction of rights increase in direct proportion to population population density.
Wyoming. Don't come here :)
This is silly. Not everyone should wear tank tops.
Hey it's the only way i can show off my tattoos !
I actually babysat a friends pet gator once. He only tried to kill me once or twice a day. Then I discovered a quick snatch and roll, followed by rubbing his belly made him quite docile and loveable. After that, he would just waddle over and gnaw at my ankle until I picked him up for the rub.
LOL
Where does it stop? ;~D
If a man with no arms had a gun, would he be considered armed?
oooo, Zen.
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