Letter To NoVa Communities Concerned About Gun Stores

[SecularMotion]

The following op-ed is an open letter written by Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.).

The arrival of two new gun stores in Northern Virginia in close proximity to families and schools set off a wave of concern from constituents. First, NOVA Firearms opened near Franklin Sherman Elementary School in McLean. Then NOVA Armory opened its doors in Arlington’s vibrant Lyon Park neighborhood. Almost every person who contacted me expressed strong opposition to gun stores at these locations.

Thanks to Virginia’s Dillon Rule, state control preempts local authority. In these cases, it means Arlington and Fairfax Counties cannot prohibit these stores from opening, regardless of the overwhelming will of local families and schools. The power to stop this from happening rests with a gun-friendly General Assembly, which has refused to help, despite the efforts of Northern Virginia’s delegation in Richmond.

Over time the gun lobby and its allies in Congress have deliberately limited the enforcement capability of the ATF, using “appropriations riders,” restrictions snuck into must-pass spending bills that are meant to force a change in policy. The gun lobby has used appropriations riders to prevent the ATF and other law enforcement from properly regulating the sale of guns and investigating illegal gun purchases. Limits on trace data could be used to crack down on bad apple gun dealers, but use of trace data has been blocked by Congress. These tactics jeopardize the oversight ability of the ATF and potentially put our communities in danger.

Yesterday I introduced a bill, the ATF Enforcement Act, to undo these restrictions on the ATF’s enforcement authority. The bill would also remove the requirement that the ATF’s Director be confirmed by the Senate. Since 2006 lawmakers backed by the gun lobby have refused to confirm the nominees of both Democratic and Republican presidents. Only one Director has been confirmed in the last decade.

https://www.arlnow.com/2016/04/14/op-ed-letter-to-nova-communities-concerned-about-gun-stores/

[ileus]

1. We need safe spaces from business owners....

The power is in the people that support these shops, compared to a handful of crybabies and their "guns kill people" media buddies.

[gejohnston]

2. the op ed is not very well informed.

Where the stores open is local zoning issue, not a problem for the ATF. I have read this guy's nonsense before, he doesn't have a clue.

The gun lobby has used appropriations riders to prevent the ATF and other law enforcement from properly regulating the sale of guns and investigating illegal gun purchases.

Not true, it has more to do with ATF culture of incompetence. Besides, criminals don't get their guns from dealers to begin with.

Limits on trace data could be used to crack down on bad apple gun dealers, but use of trace data has been blocked by Congress.

No, it limits the the amount to trace data released to nonLE.

[DonP]

3. I wonder how many of our gun control minded friends show up at those zoning meetings?

I wonder how many of the folks in the other group or the big mouths in GD show up to support their "beliefs"?

How many of those meetings has our OP attended over the years of cutting and pasting his deepest thoughts and feelings?

But I have a pretty good idea what that number is.

We've had the same artificial angst attacks over new stores and ranges being opened in the Chicago area.

A bunch of us (20 to 30 Illinois State Rifle Assn. members) go to every zoning or town hall meeting to answer questions and explain why there's no danger to the community or a school over a mile away.

Typically a handful (2 or 3) Moms Demand Action people show up with printed talking points. Usually claiming there's a danger to anyone in the area from stray rounds.

After 8 meetings in the last year or so, there ls a clear pattern. They arrive late and are angry there are no seats up front for them. They don't sign in on the required speakers sheet, but demand to be heard after everyone else speaks. They read from prepared material. They complain loudly about being intimidated and frightened by all the gun owners there. They can't ever answer any questions the panel/board has about their claims and concerns.

My favorite was when the head of the zoning board in Niles Illinois, very logically and reasonably asked their speaker; "Can you give us a few examples of students being injured by a gun range nearby?" She splutterred, got all red in the face and told him; "So you demand to see dead children before you do anything?" That was the end of their credibility.

If this is what Bloomberg is paying Shannon Watts to run, he isn't getting his moneys worth.

[Eleanors38]

4. Very few. They are spoiled by copious quantities of MSM coverage. nt

[krispos42]

5. replace "gun" with the name of a specific catagory of people, and "store" with, say...

... "church" or "bar" or "hall".

[DonP]

6. ... or clinic N/T