325 Gun Owners Turned Out For The VCDL Freedom Rally
Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- While doing some initial Rally setup, we learned that some anti- gunners had tried to pass some of their lies, er, literature out to a few stores and had been run off by mall management and security. The Innsbrook Shoppes manager, Sidney Gunst, made it clear that the only literature that would be handed out on his property was that offered by citizens carrying guns.
The rally was to protest Congressman Eric Cantor holding the “Republican Roundup” at a gun-free zone each year. That is especially irksome as Cantor is well aware that there are other nearby venues that are gun-friendly. Well before last year’s Roundup, several Republican gun owners even offered donations for Cantor (via Linwood Cobb) to move the event to a gun-friendly venue, but that offer was ignored.
The rally started with an orientation and distribution of a rally flyer with maps and a schedule of events.
After the orientation, most of the crowd, including 25 Executive members in green safety vests holding two-way radios, moved to the street that leads into the SnagAJob Pavilion, where the Roundup was to be held and which is owned by anti-gun Highwood Properties.
Members lined both sides of the street, holding up signs that read “Guns Save Lives,” “Vote Cantor Out,” “Cantor Abandoned Gun Owners,” “Ban My Gun, Lose My Vote” and so forth.
As attendees of the Roundup walked by the VCDL members, many accepted and wore VCDL’s “Guns Save Lives” sticker. That sea of orange stickers should also have gotten Congressman Cantor’s attention.
Many people honked their horns in support of VCDL and gave the “thumbs up” on their way into the Roundup. Dennis and I ran into one typical anti-gun coward, who didn’t say a word as his car stopped at a stop sign next to us. Instead as soon as he had driven about 50 feet past us, rolled down his window and yell back “guns don’t save lives!” and then sped off.
As promised, George Washington, was there to support us and did a great job in talking to gun owners and educating them on the Constitution and our rights. One person said that they had learned more from President Washington during the few minutes they spent speaking to the President, than they had learned in all their extensive schooling. Amen to that.
Ever resourceful member Ed Levine showed up with his vehicle plastered with round orange magnetic “Guns Save Lives” signs and even his black lab sported an orange bandana adorned with a “Gun Save Lives” button. 
Jim Snyder’s wife brought their miniature pinscher, who was wearing a doggie-coat with “Guns Save Lives” stickers on it.
Just about the time that Linwood Cobb, who is the chairman of the Republican 7th District, started to speak at the Roundup a plane flew overhead trailing two large banners that said “Guns Save Lives” and “Cantor Sells Out.”
VCDL members broke out in loud applause and laughter at the sight!
The plane continued to circle the Roundup for for about 45 minutes with everyone fighting back laughter for quite a while. VCDL also had a hot-air balloon with “Guns Save Lives” on the sides, but it was too windy for it to launch. There are some great photos of the balloon, though, in some of the links later in this alert. (Don’t worry, you will get a chance to see the balloon upfront and personal in the future.)
We had a member inside the Roundup who was keeping me posted on what was going on. He estimated that there were about 500 people at the rally including staff and government agents, so our 325 was a very significant number.
He also let me hear Linwood Cobb’s comments to the Roundup, which due to the VCDL members lining the street and our airplane flying overhead, forced Lynwood to talk about why the event was being protested.
What was really funny was that Cobb said on stage that Eric Cantor was a strong supporter of the Second Amendment as he and Cantor were standing in a GUN-FREE ZONE surrounded by government agents with GUNS. That is just the opposite of what the Second Amendment is all about.
Cantor, Cobb and those who clapped at that statement completely missed the irony.
Cobb tries to blame everything on the SnagAJob Pavilion’s anti-gun policy. Mr. Cobb, private property owners can do as they like. It is you and Congressman Cantor that are intentionally choosing that venue when you have other choices. No, Eric Cantor and you are to blame for the policy in the end. VCDL respects private property rights and did not interfere in any way with access to the event. VCDL is disappointed in Highwoods anti-gun policy and simply wants Republicans to stop spending their publicly donated funds to support this anti- freedom business.
You can hear Cobb’s excuses in this video. Notice that Senator Cuccinelli wasn’t clapping when Linwood Cobb announced that the Roundup is going to be held at Innsbrook AGAIN next year (more on that comment later):
The police were very impressed with VCDL’s coordination, professionalism, and candidness with them. They said that had never had this level of cooperation and coordination with such an event before.
They really liked that if there was any kind of a problem with our members (such as standing in the street), we would fix it ourselves without the police ever having to get directly involved.
EM Ted Deeds is with the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA). When Ted volunteer for the Freedom Rally I immediately realized that he would be the perfect liaison with the police and he did a great job!
George Washington addressed the crowd in his usual eloquent fashion (although George claims to not be as good a public speaker as some of the other Founding Fathers).
Doc Thompon, a talk show personality on WRVA in Richmond, was the keynote speaker. He asked the poignant question, “why would ANYONE not support the Second Amendment?” and took the restrictions on the Second Amendment and applied them to the First Amendment to show how absurd they really are.
About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.