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New Virginia Law Allows Permit Holders to Carry Loaded Handguns in Bars and Restaurants
beth.parker@foxtv.com

STERLING, Va. - When Ed Levine took a break for lunch Thursday, he knew he would have a hamburger on his plate and a .45 caliber pistol at his side.

"The second amendment doesn't say you have the right to bear arms, but only in these five places,” said Levine. “Unless you can tell me where the next bad guy in going be, I want to carry wherever I need to carry to defend myself.”

That is why Levine thinks July 1 is a big day for the rights of gun owners in Virginia. Starting Thursday, Virginians who have a permit to carry a concealed weapon can now do so in bars and restaurants.

"I feel personally that if I'm out somewhere and I'm carrying my firearm and a guy attacks me or my family, I've got a better shot than I do if I pick up my phone and call 911 and say 'hey, I'm getting stabbed right now’," said Levine.

Ladd Everitt works with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. The law passed this year by the general assembly says people carrying a concealed weapon in a bar or restaurant are not allowed to drink alcohol. But Everitt says that is unenforceable.

"You literally would have to pat down and search everyone coming into your establishment to make sure they do not have a gun."

Plus, Everitt says the permitting process is not real security. He points out that the accused Fort Hood shooter once held a concealed carry permit issued in Roanoke, Virginia. Everitt says the permit background check is not strict enough.

"After the Virginia Tech shootings, it was found that one out of four felony conviction records that should disqualify someone are missing from that FBI database,” said Everitt. “After the Virginia Tech shooting, it was found that nine out of ten mental health records that should be disqualifying people are missing from that database. And then there were also many domestic abuse restraining orders missing from that database.”

Business owners are allowed to post a sign that says no concealed carry. Under the law, a customer carrying a concealed weapon is obligated to stay out.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/virgini ... nts-070110" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Blood will run in the streets.

Given the strong anit-gun stands in D.C. and Maryland, how is that Virgina can get a law like this passed? Perhaps the majority of the poplulation, through its elected representatives, doesn't by in anti-gun campaign? Or is it just a stronger lobbying effort by the 2nd amendment group in VA?

chasfm11 wrote:Given the strong anit-gun stands in D.C. and Maryland, how is that Virgina can get a law like this passed? Perhaps the majority of the poplulation, through its elected representatives, doesn't by in anti-gun campaign? Or is it just a stronger lobbying effort by the 2nd amendment group in VA?

Richmond, Virginia was the capital of the Confederacy. Maybe it's something in the genes of southerners; e.g., States Rights, RKBA, etc., that is absent in the genes of yankees?

"The second amendment doesn't say you have the right to bear arms, but only in these five places,” said Levine. “Unless you can tell me where the next bad guy in going be, I want to carry wherever I need to carry to defend myself.”

. . .

"I feel personally that if I'm out somewhere and I'm carrying my firearm and a guy attacks me or my family, I've got a better shot than I do if I pick up my phone and call 911 and say 'hey, I'm getting stabbed right now’," said Levine.

I like this guy, Levine. And I'm impressed that they quoted someone intelligent rather than some imbecile who'd make us look bad.

Ladd Everitt works with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

Hey, isn't that what we are?
They're not going to stop gun violence. That's a fantasy. But if they really wanted to put a big dent in it, they should get behind firearms safety education programs such as those of the NRA, and keep violent criminals locked up, enforce the laws we have rather than inventing new ones to annoy law-abiding gun owners. . . . Oh wait, then they'd have no reason to exist.

"You literally would have to pat down and search everyone coming into your establishment to make sure they do not have a gun."

Don't you love it when they make our point for us? Since they're not patting down everyone who comes in, they have no way of preventing anyone from coming in with a gun. If it's against the law to carry a gun in a place, the people affected by that are those who tend to follow the laws, not the people you should be worried about. (I know, I know, preaching to the choir here.)

The Annoyed Man wrote:Blood will run in the streets.

Indeed. Every time two drunks get into a heated disagreement they're going to settle it with a dual to the death.

Oldgringo wrote:

chasfm11 wrote:Given the strong anit-gun stands in D.C. and Maryland, how is that Virgina can get a law like this passed? Perhaps the majority of the poplulation, through its elected representatives, doesn't by in anti-gun campaign? Or is it just a stronger lobbying effort by the 2nd amendment group in VA?

Richmond, Virginia was the capital of the Confederacy. Maybe it's something in the genes of southerners; e.g., States Rights, RKBA, etc., that is absent in the genes of yankees?

Absolutely!
Virginia was home to both George Washington and Robert E. Lee, two men whose military campaigns might have been somewhat less than impressive were it not for the armed citizenry.

chasfm11 wrote:Given the strong anit-gun stands in D.C. and Maryland, how is that Virgina can get a law like this passed? Perhaps the majority of the poplulation, through its elected representatives, doesn't by in anti-gun campaign? Or is it just a stronger lobbying effort by the 2nd amendment group in VA?

Are you talking about the physical proximity of D.C. and Maryland to Virginia? If so, how do you explain the difference in laws and attitudes between Arizona and California.

WildBill wrote:

chasfm11 wrote:Given the strong anit-gun stands in D.C. and Maryland, how is that Virgina can get a law like this passed? Perhaps the majority of the poplulation, through its elected representatives, doesn't by in anti-gun campaign? Or is it just a stronger lobbying effort by the 2nd amendment group in VA?

Are you talking about the physical proximity of D.C. and Maryland to Virginia? If so, how do you explain the difference in laws and attitudes between Arizona and California.

That's easy....there is something in the water on the Left Coast.

Fixed it.

Ladd Everitt works with the Coalition for Criminal Safety. The law passed this year by the general assembly says people carrying a concealed weapon in a bar or restaurant are not allowed to drink alcohol. But Everitt says that is unenforceable.

"You literally would have to pat down and search everyone coming into your establishment to make sure they do not have a gun."

Plus, Everitt says the permitting process is not real security. He points out that a woman being raped is better than a rapist being shot.

WildBill wrote:

chasfm11 wrote:Given the strong anit-gun stands in D.C. and Maryland, how is that Virgina can get a law like this passed? Perhaps the majority of the poplulation, through its elected representatives, doesn't by in anti-gun campaign? Or is it just a stronger lobbying effort by the 2nd amendment group in VA?

Are you talking about the physical proximity of D.C. and Maryland to Virginia? If so, how do you explain the difference in laws and attitudes between Arizona and California.

Most of the true libtards in California are clustered on the coast. Get away from the coast, out into the rural areas and you've got Californians who lean much further to the right than we do. Everything in Cali is extreme one way or the other, it's just that the majority is extreme left.
A mountain range seperates them from Arizona.

Getting back to VA, I appreciate this thread and the information in it. We'll be visiting in VA soon and I'm going to start studying the links that have been provided to better understand what I can and cannot do there. Having the latest information is helpful.

Even with all of the reminders of Virginia's rich past on gun rights and RKBA, I'm still a little surprised at this particular law. I haven't yet read the rest of the VA restrictions on CC but it appears that it less restrictive than Texas now. I still wonder what the catalyst is for getting this legislation past. I cannot believe that the Brady bunch wasn't out in full force in opposition. They seem to be everywhere.

Oldgringo wrote:

chasfm11 wrote:Given the strong anit-gun stands in D.C. and Maryland, how is that Virgina can get a law like this passed? Perhaps the majority of the poplulation, through its elected representatives, doesn't by in anti-gun campaign? Or is it just a stronger lobbying effort by the 2nd amendment group in VA?

Richmond, Virginia was the capital of the Confederacy. Maybe it's something in the genes of southerners; e.g., States Rights, RKBA, etc., that is absent in the genes of yankees?

Ahem!! That depends on your definition of Yankee. By some folks' definition, I am a Yankee, having been born in Minnesota.

Now, if you're referring to the People's Republic of Massachusetts and surrounding areas, I would agree with you.

Absolutely!
Virginia was home to both George Washington and Robert E. Lee, two men whose military campaigns might have been somewhat less than impressive were it not for the armed citizenry.

There's this other fella from Virginia named Thomas Jefferson who, I'm led to believe, had something to do with rights and amendments and such.

LarryH wrote:

Oldgringo wrote:

chasfm11 wrote:Given the strong anit-gun stands in D.C. and Maryland, how is that Virgina can get a law like this passed? Perhaps the majority of the poplulation, through its elected representatives, doesn't by in anti-gun campaign? Or is it just a stronger lobbying effort by the 2nd amendment group in VA?

Richmond, Virginia was the capital of the Confederacy. Maybe it's something in the genes of southerners; e.g., States Rights, RKBA, etc., that is absent in the genes of yankees?

Ahem!! That depends on your definition of Yankee. By some folks' definition, I am a Yankee, having been born in Minnesota.

Now, if you're referring to the People's Republic of Massachusetts and surrounding areas, I would agree with you.

Yankee's are from New England. While that does include Taxachusetts and a couple of other states unfriendly to 2A, it also includes Vermont and New Hampshire. Real Yankee's are rightly proud to be called that, its really too bad that southerners have corrupted the meaning to include anything north of the Mason-Dixon line.

chasfm11 wrote:Given the strong anit-gun stands in D.C. and Maryland, how is that Virgina can get a law like this passed?

Because the MD and DC people are in MD and DC and not in VA.

The funny thing, if I remember right, is open carry was already legal in restaurants that serve alcohol. So the effect of the law is people with a license no longer have to intentionally fail to conceal when entering those places in VA.

davidtx wrote:Yankee's are from New England.

I thought the definition for normal use was anything north of Oklahoma City. But I do know some people who think Dallas is the northern border and were considering moving it to San Marcos (during legislative session time).