Update and a happy "you're a bunch of idiots" to The Virginia Citizens Defense League

[Lobster Martini]

The boldfaced italicized comments are mine. I have cropped paragraphs for length, but the link is below.

Gun giveaway thumbs nose at NYC mayor

By MATTHEW BARAKAT, Associated Press Writer 7 minutes ago

Openly armed firearms enthusiasts packed a normally sedate government building, hoping to win a pistol or rifle and at the same time send a defiant message to gun-control advocates, especially New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun-rights group, organized the "Bloomberg Gun Giveaway" in large part to thumb its nose at Bloomberg, who accuses some shops of allowing illegal purchases of firearms that later were used in crimes in his city.

<snip>

Two guns were awarded Thursday, a Para-Ordnance pistol and a Varmint Stalker rifle, each worth about $900.

<snip>

The first winner, Jay Minsky, responded with an obscene hand gesture when asked what message he hoped to send to Bloomberg. (Thank you, brother. We appreciate a thoughtful, intelligent exchange of ideas.)

<snip>

The event drew protests from gun-control advocates and the parents of those killed in last month's shootings at Virginia Tech.

Peter and Cathy Read, whose daughter Mary was one of those killed, held a photo of their daughter outside the building.

"We're not here to have a debate. We're here to witness for our daughter," Peter Read said. "The victims need to be witnessed to. People of the commonwealth can make intelligent decisions about what's right." (Appreciate the diplomacy. I’ll say it for you. Why the bloody hell would any thinking person raffle off guns after a mass murder?)

Philip Van Cleave, the league's president, said he sympathizes with the families but maintained that some of the deaths might have been prevented if somebody had been armed. (Stupidity noted, no further comment necessary.)

<snip>

Most but not all in attendance carried holstered handguns. In Virginia, individuals need a permit only to carry a concealed weapon. Openly visible, holstered guns are permitted without a permit. (If you can see the gun, the bullets hurt less. Read that in the New England Journal of Medicine.)

Anybody who showed up at Thursday's event was eligible for the drawing — except Bloomberg and his immediate family. (I doubt he’s losing sleep over the lost opportunity to win a Varmint Stalker rifle.)

Asked Thursday about the giveaway, Bloomberg said, "I think it's sick, is the nicest ways to phrase it."

Van Cleave responded that the members of his organization are law-abiding citizens, including many retired military, police officers and firefighters.

"If you're saying these are sick people, then I'm proud to be sick," Van Cleave said. (Then you should be very proud.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070518/ap_on_re_us/gun_giveaway

[underpants]

1. This is amazing-we changed the laws so no one can catch us not enforcing the laws

Effective July 1 no one can video tape gun purchases to see if laws were broken. No outside entity is allowed to do it.

McDonald (a Regent Law school grad) and all the previous AG's weren't enforcing THE LAW. Bloomberg points this out and now all this embarassing mess happens.