Every state and local office is up for grabs during next Tuesday’s elections
in Virginia, including the Clerk of the Circuit Court offices. In Loudoun
County, Democrat Tommy Dodson has released some very anti-gun and anti-carry
campaign literature literature. Republican candidate Gary Clemens is very
pro-gun, has a carry permit, and has stated that no matter what kind of gun
control laws are passed, criminals will always be able to obtain a firearm.

The first anti-carry mailing from Dodson was a brochure showing a close-up
photo of a revolver tucked into the waistband of somebody’s jeans. The text
reads “DON’T LOOK NOW… but, there are almost 2,000 people in Loudoun
carrying concealed handguns.”

Inside, there is the following text:

“AS CLERK OF COURT, TOM DODSON WILL ENSURE AGGRESSIVE BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR
CONCEALED HANDGUNS.”

“Don’t look now, but the guy over there might be carrying a concealed
handgun. You never know if he’s an off-duty policeman or a criminal on the
run from the law.”

“You’ll never know but Tom Dodson will.”

“As Loudoun’s Clerk of Court, Tom Dodson will ensure that everyone who
applies for a concealed handgun permit is subjected to the most aggressive
background check possible… our safety depends on it.”

The second mailing shows a close-up picture of a rubber stamp reading
“REJECTED” with the text “It doesn’t look like much…”

Inside, the brochure reads:

“BUT IT’S THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL TO KEEP GUNS OUT OF THE HANDS OF
CRIMINALS”

“Tom Dodson will ensure aggressive background checks for concealed carry
applicants”

“Loopholes in our gun laws put our families at risk. One of the most
dangerous is the requirement of county Clerks of Court to issue concealed
carry permits within 45 days of an application, even if a criminal
background check has not been completed. That means violenct criminals,
those with a history of domestic abuse, or virtually anyone may carry a
concealed handgun. And that’s a tragedy waiting to happen.”

“As Loudoun County’s Clerk of Court, Tom Dodson won’t stand for it.”

“On his watch, every concealed carry handgun applicant will be subjected to
a tough, timely, and thorough criminal background check… our safety
depends on it.”

The implication being, of course, that the Clerk’s office is responsible for
background checks. Nowhere does Dodson acknowledge that the Sheriff’s
office, State Police, and FBI conduct the checks – and they have a record of
doing so very well. All the Clerk’s office does is keep track of the
paperwork.

VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the civil rights of all Virginians. The membership considers the right to keep and bear arms an essential civil right.

VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org
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VA-ALERT maillist

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