- Nov 11, 2009
- 30,999
VCDL’s Watch Team for Local Government (WTLG) members in Tidewater are keeping a close eye on the various city councils in their area.
A couple of weeks ago a reporter for a local newspaper (she was not working on anything for the paper at the time) and a man were both killed by stray bullets fired in an argument over a spilled drink at a nightclub.
Since a reporter was killed, that made it a higher profile case. Also, because of all the idiocy we have seen in America over the last two years – defunding the police, restricting the police, releasing violent criminals from jail early, lowering or eliminating bail for violent criminals, a shortage of police, local gun-control, etc., violent crime is up considerably in Tidewater, Richmond, and other localities.
There is, consequently, a call “to do SOMETHING.” We know that usually means that the SOMETHING is aimed squarely at us – peaceful gun-owners and CHP holders. We become the innocent scapegoats for those who either just hate guns, hate our independent nature, or those who are too lazy to find a real solution to violence.
The good news is, so far, the focus has been on finding solutions through things like intervention and outreach, but that could always change at some point. Listening to public comments at a recent Norfolk City Council meeting, the speakers addressing City Council also were trying to find solutions that didn’t involve gun control. I think the public is recognizing more and more that criminal violence isn’t caused by inanimate objects, like guns, but by people with serious problems.
There are two things going on right now that we are watching in particular in Tidewater:
There is going to be a community forum with Portsmouth and Norfolk police to discuss “gun violence” (correct terminology would be violence committed by the misuse of firearms) and
Some Norfolk City Council members are pushing the concept of a “Gun-Free Granby Street”
Details on the Portsmouth/Norfolk community forum
“The Tale of Two Cities: Gun Violence Epidemic”
Wednesday, April 6 from 6 to 8pm
Portsmouth City Council Chambers
801 Crawford Street
Portsmouth, VA
Most of the participants in this forum appear to be coming from an angle dealing with intervention/outreach, but perhaps not all of them. I am hoping to be there and will bring some GSL stickers, if so. If you live in the area, it would be a good idea to attend the forum and wear one of those GSL stickers.
Forum participants are: Marvin Waters (Portsmouth Undersheriff), Vernon Tillage (Portsmouth School Board), Linwood Williams (C.U.T. Youth Employment Program), Carlos Clanton (Norfolk School Board), Bilal Muhammad (Stop the Violence Team), ***Bishop Barney Randall, Lakesha Onyx Hicks (Prevention, Reform and Recidivism), Renado Prince (Portsmouth Police Chief), Kezia Hendricks (Young Investors Group), and Larry Boone (Norfolk Police Chief).
Details on the Norfolk “Gun-Free Granby Street” campaign
A couple of City Council members (Courtney Doyle and Andria McClellan) are supporting a “Gun-Free Granby Street.” (Granby is major street where the shooting that killed the reporter happened.) Just exactly how such a thing could be achieved under Virginia law has not been suggested yet by Doyle or McClellan and sounds a lot like political theater. But our WTLG team will not be taking that for granted and will continue watching like a hawk. An Alert will go out if we determine action by gun owners is needed.
A couple of weeks ago a reporter for a local newspaper (she was not working on anything for the paper at the time) and a man were both killed by stray bullets fired in an argument over a spilled drink at a nightclub.
Since a reporter was killed, that made it a higher profile case. Also, because of all the idiocy we have seen in America over the last two years – defunding the police, restricting the police, releasing violent criminals from jail early, lowering or eliminating bail for violent criminals, a shortage of police, local gun-control, etc., violent crime is up considerably in Tidewater, Richmond, and other localities.
There is, consequently, a call “to do SOMETHING.” We know that usually means that the SOMETHING is aimed squarely at us – peaceful gun-owners and CHP holders. We become the innocent scapegoats for those who either just hate guns, hate our independent nature, or those who are too lazy to find a real solution to violence.
The good news is, so far, the focus has been on finding solutions through things like intervention and outreach, but that could always change at some point. Listening to public comments at a recent Norfolk City Council meeting, the speakers addressing City Council also were trying to find solutions that didn’t involve gun control. I think the public is recognizing more and more that criminal violence isn’t caused by inanimate objects, like guns, but by people with serious problems.
There are two things going on right now that we are watching in particular in Tidewater:
There is going to be a community forum with Portsmouth and Norfolk police to discuss “gun violence” (correct terminology would be violence committed by the misuse of firearms) and
Some Norfolk City Council members are pushing the concept of a “Gun-Free Granby Street”
Details on the Portsmouth/Norfolk community forum
“The Tale of Two Cities: Gun Violence Epidemic”
Wednesday, April 6 from 6 to 8pm
Portsmouth City Council Chambers
801 Crawford Street
Portsmouth, VA
Most of the participants in this forum appear to be coming from an angle dealing with intervention/outreach, but perhaps not all of them. I am hoping to be there and will bring some GSL stickers, if so. If you live in the area, it would be a good idea to attend the forum and wear one of those GSL stickers.
Forum participants are: Marvin Waters (Portsmouth Undersheriff), Vernon Tillage (Portsmouth School Board), Linwood Williams (C.U.T. Youth Employment Program), Carlos Clanton (Norfolk School Board), Bilal Muhammad (Stop the Violence Team), ***Bishop Barney Randall, Lakesha Onyx Hicks (Prevention, Reform and Recidivism), Renado Prince (Portsmouth Police Chief), Kezia Hendricks (Young Investors Group), and Larry Boone (Norfolk Police Chief).
Details on the Norfolk “Gun-Free Granby Street” campaign
A couple of City Council members (Courtney Doyle and Andria McClellan) are supporting a “Gun-Free Granby Street.” (Granby is major street where the shooting that killed the reporter happened.) Just exactly how such a thing could be achieved under Virginia law has not been suggested yet by Doyle or McClellan and sounds a lot like political theater. But our WTLG team will not be taking that for granted and will continue watching like a hawk. An Alert will go out if we determine action by gun owners is needed.
