Marine Corps veteran’s proposed gun shop riles Arlington, Virginia

[GGJohn]

Residents of Arlington, Virginia — which in 2012 overwhelmingly voted for President Obama and sits directly across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital — are trying to bully Marine Corps veteran James Gates, 28, from opening a gun shop in their neighborhood. Last week, a petition was formed by local resident Susan Newton protesting the shop’s opening and demanding property owner Kostas Kapasouris renege on his lease to the young veteran. The shop’s grand opening is planned for August.

“We, the citizens of Arlington County, oppose a gun shop at this location,” the petition at Change.org reads, citing the proposed venue is within two blocks of a city school and close to others. “It is unconscionable, in an era where our children are forced to practice ‘lock down’ drills designed to train them how to protect themselves from armed intruders, to locate a gun shop anywhere in the vicinity of schools. The fear of armed intruders permeates their education, and placing a shop that sells guns and/or ammunition within immediate distance of schools is confusing to students at best, and sparks fears of access to them at school at worst,” the petition says. So far it has collected 1,741 signatures.

“We thought there maybe a little pushback, but nothing like this,” said Mr. Gates, who said some community members have been calling him voicing their concerns. “They really don’t know anything about the shop, what it’s going to be — or federal firearms laws for that matter. They’re really shooting first and then asking questions later.”

Mr. Gates served in the Marine Corps security forces from 2004 to 2008, enlisting after he graduated from high school. After completing his service, he bartended at Buffalo Wild Wings in Bowie, Maryland, and tried to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. That’s where he met Rachel Dresser, a former student at the University of Maryland, and the two decided to get a federal firearms license together — as he knew guns and how to shoot from his time in the service — and she wanted to be her own boss and run her own shop.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/25/gun-shop-proposal-from-marine-corps-veteran-riles-/

What the Fuck?!? What do they think is going to happen?

[nitpicker]

1. Meanwhile in SOUTH Arlington VA a vaping store is opening

http://www.arlnow.com/2015/05/27/e-cigarette-store-opening-on-columbia-pike/

VaporFi, a store selling e-cigarettes and other vaporizers, is planning to open its doors on Columbia Pike on Friday.

The store will sell vaporizers and e-liquids, which come in various flavors including traditional tobacco flavors and more exotic flavors like watermelon mojito or peppermint bark. Customers can also create their own flavors at a “juice bar,” said Scott Parker, a managing partner in the business.
(snip)

((Would the good citizens of northern Arlington have arisen en masse if the gun shop was to open in South Arlington?))

[nitpicker]

2. Link to petition by Arlington Falls Church Young Republicans supporting gun shop

http://www.arlingtonyrs.com/

[ileus]

3. Of course they don't know anything about the shop...all they know is "gunz kill people"

[DonP]

4. They used that "... near a school" here in two towns as well

Niles and, IIRC, LaGrange Illinois were opening gun stores and ranges and suddenly several "Moms" decided, after the permits were all issued and construction started, that the "children" would be endangered. They demanded a rehearing of the zoning boards.

I attended both hearings and spoke at the Niles Zoning hearing, along with several dozen other gun owners and ISRA members.

The part that stuck out in my mind was the women that spoke, both read from the exact same speeches/talking points. Later we discovered they were using an email from MDA and pretending to be a local grass roots movement. No surprise there.

In Niles the Zoning board chairman, after she made her speech about the "school was ONLY a mile away and the children would be in danger just walking past the gun store and they would be hanging out in the store and range", asked her one question which stumped her.

Could she give him some examples of incidents where children or passers by were injured by random gun shots from an indoor range?

She was totally silenced and couldn't give one example of that ever happening, "but that doesn't mean it can't happen"!

These each appear to be local situations, but Bloomie's people are involved and trying to make even a legal gun range look like a threat to the children.

Can't figure out why they even bother, since everyone KNOWS that fewer people own guns every day and any gun store will obviously fail quickly