Two family members of April 16 victims stand quietly outside the State Capitol in Richmond. They wear a single sheet of paper emblazoned with the faces of lives ended by gun violence -- Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln amongst them.
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"It's education and lobbying," said Andrew Goddard, father of Colin Goddard, an April 16 survivor. "We're not doing it for our own interest in money. We're doing it out of principle."
Despite long odds with lawmakers historically hostile to gun rights restrictions and spirited opposition from groups such as the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Goddard and Lori Haas, who both had a child wounded in the April 16 shootings, are leading Virginia campaigners for gun safety.
Goddard said he advocates for responsible gun use, not the banning of guns.
"I don't want in any way to ban guns or prevent people's access to guns," Goddard said. "I do think that it's more important that we look at situations whereby people do not have the right, people who have been judged a danger to themselves and others, anybody who is likely to turn that weapon into something that kills unnecessarily."
On Tuesday, the Senate defeated a bill proposed by Democratic Sen. Henry L. Marsh III that would have required background checks on gun purchases at gun shows.
However, Sen. Charles Corgan, a Democrat from Prince William, asked for the bill to be reconsidered as he mistakenly voted against it.
On Wednesday, the bill was denied once again by a margin of 21-19.
This bill progressed further than similar bills had in years passed by virtue of making it to the floor for a full vote.
Goddard said his focus is to improve Virginia's system of monitoring gun owners.
"My interest in legislation is finding where the guns come from. The vast majority of crime guns in Virginia trace back to one or two private dealers that don't follow the regulations. Right now, there is absolutely no traction at any level to do anything about it," Goddard said.
Goddard pointed out Virginia legislators thwarted New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 2006 attempt to address gun dealing in Virginia.
Goddard, president of the Richmond chapter of the Million Mom March, hopes to better monitor gun purchases and licenses without invading personal liberties.
"I was looking at bills that would strengthen the background check system, that would apply background checks to as many places as possible without interfering with transfer of weapons between family, friends or in the home," Goddard said. "I don't think the government needs to reach into people's homes."
VCDL President Philip Van Cleave said any change in legislation toward background checks should implement a system where the checks are voluntary on the part of the seller.
Republican State Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, endorsed by VCDL and a candidate for Attorney General, proposed this as an amendment to the defeated bill.
His amendment was not added to the bill, as it was deemed to contrast strongly with other amendments.
Goddard and others affected by the Virginia Tech shooting have clashed with the VCDL over Marsh's bill.
Friends and family of Virginia Tech victim Nicole Regina White staged a "die-in" on State Capitol grounds in early January to show support for the bill.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Goddard and Haas stood in silent protest outside a VCDL rally on the Capitol grounds.
Haas, whose daughter Emily was injured on April 16, said she disagreed with the concept of the VCDL's rally.
"The notion of having a gun rally on a holiday that honors Martin Luther King Jr., the epitome of non-violent demonstration -- I found that a little odd, if not a little disrespectful," Haas said.
Goddard said they attempted to be true to King's legacy.
"We're not into conflict. We're not into standing and screaming at people and having them shouting at you," Goddard said. "That's not our thing."
The time slot booked by the VCDL had previously been used by the Richmond chapter of the Million Mom March for a vigil honoring all those killed in Virginia during the previous year.
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You just can't resist to inject all kinds of anti-gun bias into your articles, can you? Sad that you don't stand up for the Constitution of the United States.. especially considering that it protects YOUR right to Free Press!
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As if this hasn't been said enough, there is a lack of complete information here. At gun shows, only private transactions, between individuals, can be done without a background check requirement. FFL dealers are still required to conduct background checks, much as they would if a buyer came to their business. This is the same as any other time and place. If you really want to change the law, stop focusing on gun shows alone and expand the effort to all private gun transactions. I'm not saying I condone that, but this focus on gun shows is misinformed and illogical.
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Also, the notion of making private seller-conducted background checks voluntary is unnecessary. Any private seller can already choose to go to a FFL dealer and, at the behest of the buyer, request that they perform a background check on the buyer.
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This bill will never get passed because there are actually intelligent people in our House/Senate who know that this is simply picking on gun shows. As Jason T said, the sales that happen without background checks are private sales, which can happen absolutely ANYWHERE, not just at gun shows. Also, WHY all the speculation that Cho would've "definitely" gone to a gun show if he couldn't buy one at a gun store? Why wouldn't he have just gotten one like the criminals do, after all...he was one...
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Have these people ever freaking been to a gun show?!?! I have been to about 10 and never have I ever seen people just handing out guns to criminals...I mean come on people, you're making yourselves sound SO extremely ignorant.
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Thanks for the great article, CT. Um, Sally, if you can tell a criminal by looking, I hope you plan to be in law enforcement someday.
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Ha, I like how they have pictures of Lincoln as if he was some sort of martyr. John Wilkes Booth murdered a lying and oppressive tyrant who drove our country to an unnessessary war all while gaining more power for the presidency. Lincoln was a terrible president.
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I realize Goddard is attempting to play up emotions to get people to side with the anti-gun crowd, but his comments about concealed handgun permits are just wrong. He says that he would be able to carry into the general assembly and public libraries. Much the same as a court building the general assembly and public libraries will have it posted that you cannot carry any weapons inside. VA state law allows state/local governments to post this at their buildings if they so wish, and the majority of them do have this posted. The law also addresses K-12 schools as it states that the weapon must be concealed in a vehicle at all times while on school grounds (not visible to outside observers at all), and if you get out of the car the weapon must stay there. And finally, no one has to “get their way†because any non-student can already carry a concealed handgun on Tech’s campus. This is due to the fact that it is a school policy and not a law that prohibits students from carrying. Holders of CHPs are aware of these laws and follow them or else they lose their permit.
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I'm still baffled that these people think that a criminal would actually apply for a carry permit, so that they could legally carry a gun into the general assembly or school, just to shoot the place up...? That premise alone dissolves all credibility from their arguments. And how exactly is a peaceful demonstration by VCDL running afoul of MLK's principles?
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@JM Hokie: You are incorrect in stating that localities can / do post bans on firearms in libraries. VA Code § 15.2-915 specifically prohibits localities from enacting more restrictive firearms regulations than state law. In other words, if carry in libraries is allowed by state law (and it is), then no locality can ban it. I don't know where you've seen it posted on any library in Virginia that carry is prohibited. As for carry in the General Assembly building, wrong again. It IS legal for Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) holders to carry in the General Assembly building and the state Capitol. I know this from personal experience. Not trying to sound too nitpicky here, but this is an issue where it's extremely important to have one's facts straight.
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No Dr. M, I don't think you're sounding too nitpicky at all. You're absolutely right that the facts are incredibly important here. I got my information from an NRA instructor during my CHP course. Glad you corrected me, and I apologize for providing false information. I wouldn't carry in either of these locations anyway, but it is good to know that it is legal. Thanks again.
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Collegiate Times, you apparently missed my email the other night: "We reject any suggestions that condemn an entire class of people, particularly those with a strong law abiding reputation on our campus." Concealed carry permit holders are extremely law-abiding persons.
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I took a minute to read the bill, and the most interesting aspect to me is that it CREATES a sort of non-gun show loophole. A "gun show vendor" is essentially defined in the bill as a private citizen, as opposed to a licensed dealer. These people would have to subject a potential buyer to a background check. Here's the loophole: a "gun show vendor" can simply exchange contact information with the buyer, meet up outside of the show, and LEGALLY sell the gun without the background check. How does that make any sense?
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Sorry, "firearms show vendor" is the actual term in the bill's wording.
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A couple of comments. It is currently legal to carry a firearm on the Virginia Tech campus. Only campus policy prohibits it. By carrying a gun to class, you cannot be arrested because you have broken no law. However, you can and probably would be expelled. Secondly if Goddard "supports concealed carry in able hands" why does he oppose allowing students who have received training and passed the background check to carry on campus without facing expulsion? If he were to claim that students aren't "able" enough, why not allow professors to carry without worrying about being fired?
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There's too much logic in these comments, folks. Where are the raging emotions of anti-gunners? I know they'll be here sooner or later, but please try to minimize the use of logic, fact, or research so they don't feel excluded from this conversation.
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Mr. Goddard misunderstands the point of the concealed carry class. The point is not to teach you how to be an expert shot; a class to do that would be expensive and likely take weeks, or even months. The point is SAFETY- the class is designed to teach you how to safely handle a handgun, which can easily be done in a few hours. It should be no surprise that Mr. Goddard aced the course since he has prior experience with rifles. Safely handling and carrying a handgun is not that different from safely handling a long gun as there are really only 4 safety rules to handling a gun (google "4 rules firearms"). Since the rules are fairly simple, there isn't as much a need to actually handle a firearm as there is to drill the 4 rules into memory. As for marksmanship training, the law treats us as adults (as it should)and expects the concealed carry permit holder to practice as much as they feel necessary.
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We should have to conduct background checks on people before they are allowed to purchase a car. This check should include making sure the buyer has a valid license, is a US citizen, and is insured. We need to curb "unlicensed dealers" that park cars in their yard and sell them to just ANYONE.
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@ Car Dealer -- But the counter argument to that is the "well, guns were made to kill people!" So, I thought about that one for a long time.. almost called it a valid argument. Then I realized something. When I handle my gun, I KNOW I'm handling something lethal and hence I treat it with extreme care. However, most people do not think of their car that way because it isn't "meant" to kill, and hence are very careless (and cause accidents!). And cars kill a lot of people (if an inanimate object can do animate things).
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I challenge the author of this piece to cite the Virginia Code Section that creates this "exception" in the law. The fact is that this is a misleading characterization used by the anti-gun crowd to intentionally obfuscate the issue. The fact that this "reporter" used such an inaccurate term destroys any credibility he may have had. Either he simply doesn't understand the issue, or he is being intentionally misleading. Either way, he has no credibility on this issue.
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18.2-308.2:2 P 2 i
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The article opens with "it's about education". A pity that the journalist's education did not include the fact that there is no "gun show loophole" or "gun show exception". The same laws apply at gun shows as apply anywhere else, and they always have. "Gun show loophole" is a red herring used by people whose goal is to undermine the Bill of Rights. I would expect a journalist, of all people, to be a bit more aware of such attacks on our basic human rights. After all, your profession depends on them.
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18.2-308.2:2 P 2 i = A person who purchases a handgun in a private sale. For purposes of this subdivision, a private sale means purchase from a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection of curios or relics as herein defined, or who sells all or part of such collection of curios and relics; or VCE, your cite has nothing to do with Gun Shows - it is about PRIVATE SALES - there is no Gun Show Exemption (as your title erroneously indicates).
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This whole gun debate is so STUPID! People that want to get guns to commit crimes will ALWAYS find a way to do so, the law abiding citizens are the ones being left gun-less or having to jump through hoops to protect themselves! I lost a good friend on the 16th and people that are using this tragedy to be anti-gun or pro-super gun control are obviously not thinking things through and being over emotional and not rational at all.
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