Virginia Citizens Defense League

Defending Your Right to Defend Yourself

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People Are Talking About VCDL

“... to be honest … [VCDL has] been really successful in preventing our legislators from passing any meaningful [gun-control] legislation on this issue [universal background checks].”

Stephanie Soechtig, Director "Under the Gun"
Newsbusters.com – June 2, 2016

“VCDL, which prides itself on being more radical than the National Rifle Association (NRA) with stickers that say 'guns save lives,' supports allowing guns on school grounds, on college campuses, in libraries and government facilities and in bars. They oppose closing the gun show loophole and universal background checks.”

State Senator Mark Herring (currently the Virginia Attorney General) August 2, 2013

“... the Virginia Citizens Defense League, the commonwealth’s dominant gun lobby.”

Roanoke Times Metro Columnist Dan Casey - Jan 6, 2013

“The law was a victory for the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun-rights organization that makes the NRA look moderate.”

Eleanor Clift – Politics Daily – July 5, 2010

“[VCDL] campaigns for the right of gun owners to tote firepower in all kinds of places … including outdoor festivals and college campuses.”

The Daily Press – Oct 20, 2007

“Virginia Citizens Defense League . . . is on a mission to root out every nugget of gun control it can detect in Virginia. It has been behind campaigns to make sure concealed weapons are allowed in local government buildings, even civic centers, and fought to open up state and local parks to concealed weapons.”

The Daily Press – Nov 27, 2006

“They’re pretty effective, I have to give them credit.”

Jim Sollo, Chairman of Virginians Against Handgun Violence

Virginian Pilot – Nov 11, 2002

The Press is Incorrectly Reporting That VCDL is Supplying Legal Help to Ms. Storm Durham

We have seen the reports of Storm Durham's claim that she was fired by Roanoke Social Services for simply having a concealed handgun permit. We are looking into the claim, but until we have the facts cannot issue a statement. (VCDL Leadership has not been in touch with Ms. Durham yet.)

An article in the Roanoke Times has incorrectly stated, "Storm Durham said she is working with attorneys supplied by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a Second Amendment advocacy group."

The paper has been contacted and has been asked to correct the story, as VCDL is NOT supplying any attorneys for Ms. Durham. The reporter is going to get back in touch with Ms. Durham to figure out where communications between them broke down. The reporter apologized for not checking with VCDL before putting in the statement, saying the article came out very late in the day.

Unfortunately, in the meantime, the Associated Press picked that story up and other papers are now have a similar, but equally incorrect, statement.

All we can think of is that perhaps Ms. Durham selected an attorney on VCDL's Gun-Friendly Lawyer list on our website and that's what she was referring to as a "VCDL supplied attorney."

VCDL Lobby Day: Monday, January 15, 2018, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Lobby Day 2018 came with its challenges, but VCDL was up to the task. The weather was cold and blustery, plus the General Assembly is undergoing a remodeling project so we were dealing with an unfamiliar floor plan, but as always we overcame the obstacles and were able to leave our Bill Analysis packets with each Delegate and Senator.

Our rally at the bell tower was equally successful. We heard inspirational stories from people like Elizabeth Baran who survived a brutal assault and is working hard for firearm freedom in Maryland. Dr. John Lott, Jr. gave us a lot to think about regarding the failure of the NICS system and its seemingly deliberate design flaws. Several of our Representatives addressed the crowd, including Delegate Dave LaRock and Senators Bill Carrico and Dick Black.

Individual stories from the day can be found in the archives of the VA-ALERTs. Thank you to all who braved the cold. We hope to see you again next year, along with your friends.

Dr. John Lott, Jr. - economist, political commentator, and gun-rights advocate.

Elizabeth Baran - survivor of a brutal attempted murder by her ex-spouse.

Delegate Dave LaRock.

Senator Bill Carrico.

Senator Dick Black.

The 2018 Legislative Session

2018 is around the corner and, with it, the 2018 Legislative Session.

As always, VCDL will be taking the lead in protecting the rights of gun owners at the General Assembly.

You can keep track of the bills affecting gun owners, and how you can help with each, using our 2018 Legislative Tracking Tool.

VCDL's National Reciprocity Campaign

VCDL's National Reciprocity Campaign is now in progress! The campaign will be conducted in several phases. This is where we are currently. If you are just now participating in the campaign, please read all the links below and take appropriate action as directed:

Background

Phase 1 - Contact House Judicial Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte

Phase 2 - Contact Your House of Representatives Member

Phase 3 - Contact The Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan

VCDL Sues Katie Couric For Defamation in Federal Court!

VCDL sued Katie Couric and other responsible parties for the film “Under the Gun” for defamation in Federal District Court in Richmond, Virginia on September 13, 2016.

As has been widely reported in the media, the "documentary" contains manipulated footage that makes it look like some VCDL Executive members were totally stumped by a question on background checks, when in reality, they immediately began responding.

Q: What is the status of the lawsuit?

We are currently filing an appeal with the Federal 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which will be heard in front of a three-judge panel. We are appealing a ruling by a federal judge that dismissed our claim because in his opinion we didn't answer Couric's question, and thus the judge felt Couric was free to change our answers to anything she wished without causing harm to us! That would have set a horrible precedent and we simply could not let it stand.

Q: Why did the VCDL file this lawsuit?

It’s the only way to hold Couric and her people accountable.
Couric has publicly admitted that the film was misleading and misrepresented VCDL, but the filmmakers refuse to fix it or to stop promoting and distributing it.

Q: What does VCDL hope to accomplish with the lawsuit?

Hold the filmmakers accountable for misleading audiences and misrepresenting the organization.
Compensate VCDL and VCDL members who were harmed by the film.
Set the record straight.
Advance our mission to defend your right to defend yourself.

Q: How is VCDL paying for the lawsuit and the appeal?

Contributions from members and non-members alike.
Please consider making a contribution to help hold Couric accountable and to help VCDL defend your right to defend yourself. Unfortunately, filing such a lawsuit is expensive, but VCDL simply cannot let this manipulation and intentional misrepresentation stand!

Q: Where can I get more information?

To compare the manipulated video footage and the unedited audio recording, and learn more about the case, click here.
To read the actual complaint that was filed, click here.

To contribute to VCDL, please click here.

Spread the Word on the Dangers of 'Universal Background Checks'

Do You Know the Dangers of

“Universal Background Checks”?

Some people are now pushing for “Universal Background Checks” (UBCs), where all gun transfers, even private gifts between friends & family, must go through a gun dealer. While UBCs may sound harmless at first glance, they are NOT.

To be able to enforce UBCs, the government will have to implement a gun registration scheme, followed by “compliance inspections” in your home to verify that you registered all your guns and that you still have them. Even non-gun owners could be required to register as such, and be subject to home inspections for verification, too.

It becomes easy to confiscate your guns since the government will know exactly which guns you own. And you’d better have all those registered guns, and no others, when the government knocks on your door!

Click here to read more and to print out our flyer for sharing with as many people as you can - gun owners and non-gun owners alike