The Falls Church City Council Plans to move ahead and pass its most restrictive version of its gun ban despite the outcry and opposition from the community and without call in voice live public comment. It appears to many in Falls Church that the City Council is going for a two for one, passing a law that violates rights protected by the 2nd amendment while not listening to folks as provided by rights protected by the 1st amendment. The City Council is willfully not using technology the city has access to so that the council will not have to hear the live voices of its residents that clearly stand in opposition to this ordinance.
On Wednesday, August 5th, Falls Church City Chief of Police Mary Gavin took calls from citizens in a live Community Conversation on Police Reform. The event posted on the city website included an invitation to “to request a Zoom invite, please email …“ Clearly the city has the technology to hear live from the people for whom they work, they just don’t want to hear from the residents of City of Falls Church on this one.
A post in the social Networking App Next Door shared the following:
This is how public comment will work at the Falls Church City Council meeting, Monday August 10th: If you want your letter read in its entirety during the public comment period for this issue you will need to send your email to the city clerk AFTER the mayor calls for public comments to be emailed to Celeste at cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov .
So that means:
1) Draft an email to CityClerk@fallschurchva.gov with your comments, but do not send yet.
2) Watch the meeting starting at 7:30pm. A link to the stream will be available here: http://www.fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings and as soon as the Mayor calls for public comments, send your email to Celeste at cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. Emails received during the public comment period for this agenda item will be read out loud at the meeting.
Of course you can still email the council members, the city clerk and the Falls Church City Police Chief Mary Gavin with your views before the meeting. However, those emails will only be summarized but they will be counted. However if you want to participate in the so-called “Public Comment” being offered by the Falls Church City Council you will have to follow the directions above. More information can be found here. http://www.fallschurchva.gov/PublicComment
Writers are encouraged to communicate respectfully. Inappropriate comments or personal attacks are not helpful and will be used to characterize all those who support the individual liberties protected by the second amendment. Please do not stoop to the level of those on the other side of this issue.
The meeting can also be viewed on FCCTV which is available on Cox channel 11, RCN channel 2 and Verizon channel 35.
The only reason the city is not holding public comment is because they don’t want to hear from ALL the people that are against this ordinance. I’m appalled that they aren’t listening especially since the city has ZERO crime and this ordinance will do NOTHING to make the city safer. Do they not realize that law abiding citizens DO NOT commit crimes? Shame on you City Council. VOTE THEM OUT!
Representative government? Whatever happened to the concept of listening to your constituents? According to Mayor Tartar at an online facebook meeting, he said he was going to vote with his moral conscious instead of listening to the people of Falls Church City. I agree, Jasmine – Vote Them Out.
So how’s that gun free zone working for women in Alexandria? https://thehill.com/homenews/news/511108-virginia-rape-suspect-allegedly-killed-his-accuser-after-released-from-jail-due
City Council has their agenda, which has NOTHING to do with reducing crime, and they don’t want those pesky citizens standing in their way. I don’t want someone’s “moral compass” to be what creates laws. I want logic, reason, facts, and the Constitution to be what makes up such a decision. The lack of an exemption for even concealed handgun permit holders shows this is about politics and nothing else.
Shame that even retired law enforcement officers with years of training and expertise would also be arrested by carrying concealed under this law. Under the federal Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act, retired law enforcement are authorized to carry in all 50 states and territories – except in gun free zones. Only the armed criminals will be carrying firearms in Falls Church. Shame.
What is the point of this ordnance? Is it the belief that creating more gun-free zones in the city of Falls Church will make it a safer place?
Unfortunately, research has already shown that mass public shootings nearly always take place in gun-free zones. The Aurora theater shooting took place in a location further from the shooter’s home because it was a gun-free zone. The Newtown shooting took place in a school because it was a gun-free zone. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting took place in a gun-free zone. And the list goes on.
Why?
Because mass shooters might be crazy, but they’re not stupid. Their goal is to kill as many people as possible and become famous. What better place to go to execute this sick game than in a gun-free zone?
The Fall Church City Council, in collusion with other nearby jurisdictions, are incrementally turning Northern Virginia into a gun-free zone. Nothing good will come of this unless making law-abiding citizens sitting ducks is the goal of these initiatives.
According to a RAND study, gun-free zones neither increase or decrease crime of any kind, while a study by the Crime Prevention Research Center showed that 98 percent of mass public shootings since 1950 have occurred in places where citizens are banned from having guns.
This initiative by the City of Falls Church is a solution in search of a problem.
Gun free zones don’t work. In Virginia Beach, an employee ignored the gun ban and shot a bunch of employees who obeyed the gun ban.
Michael:
I don’t see any evidence that this council is looking at data. This is something that is way outside their area of expertise and yet they feel entitled and empowered to act on our behalf. No live public comment. This is bad to worse.
Folks, we can fuss on and on about this or we can join in a class-action lawsuit to overturn this ordinance. Let’s put our collective voices together in a lawsuit and end this insanity. VCDL can lead this.
Mike,
Support from and association with the VCDL is being used to marginalize and diminish all the voices that are opposed to this. This includes Falls Church City residents, business owners who live in and outside the city and people who live outside the city but work and frequent businesses in our city. When the council is pushing for something they want, the support from outside organizations is used as a badge of honor “Look who agrees with us.” In this case that isn’t working for them, so now these outside folks are “outsiders” and “just VCDL folks.” And the NRA is used like a four letter word. That said, I think the city residents that are really upset about this will appreciate the help!
NO! This is an unnecessary and dangerous ordinance. Research has already shown that mass public shootings nearly always take place in gun-free zones. The Aurora theater shooting took place in a location further from the shooter’s home because it was a gun-free zone. The Newtown shooting took place in a school because it was a gun-free zone. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting took place in a gun-free zone. And the list goes on.
Why?
Because mass shooters might be crazy, but they’re not stupid. Their goal is to kill as many people as possible and become famous. What better place to go to execute this sick game than in a gun-free zone?
The Fall Church City Council, in collusion with other nearby jurisdictions, are incrementally turning Northern Virginia into a gun-free zone. Nothing good will come of this unless making law-abiding citizens sitting ducks is the goal of these initiatives.
According to a RAND study, gun-free zones neither increase or decrease crime of any kind, while a study by the Crime Prevention Research Center showed that 98 percent of mass public shootings since 1950 have occurred in places where citizens are banned from having guns.
This initiative by the City of Falls Church is a solution in search of a problem.
This is tyranny and not petty. They clearly have no intention of listing to the expressed will of the governed and couldn’t care less about governing with our consent.
I don’t need to visit Falls Church and if they pass this intolerable act I will certainly not do so. I suggest law-abiding citizens carefully consider their economic choices since the Mayor and Council clearly don’t care about our rights and what we think.
Democrats just hate guns, and they think that they can magically wish them away. But these laws will just disarm good people and make them more vulnerable to the criminal element.
Out for a walk this evening, I did not run into one person who thought this is a good idea for Falls Church. “So stupid” was one comment from a citizen that probably most everyone here knows. I am embarrassed actually to think that our elected officials would move forward with this when there is zero data to support the need for it and this is obviously something so far out of their area of expertise and yet they invite no expert to the meeting to explain to them why this is a bad idea. (They seem to be unable to hear what our awesome Police Chief was really saying about conceal carry.) They certainly make clear that the citizens of Falls Church are not welcome to weigh in because they pretend they lack the technology to have live comments. (AKA a big lie) I can see why they don’t want to hear from us. It is because they don’t want to hear an earful about why this is a bad idea, suggestions to review their history and to brush up on the constitution. Facts don’t care about your feelings and they just aren’t interested in those either.
Someone should list the names of the ones who vote fir this so that at the next election they get voted out. I am an independent but moderate leaning Democrat who is for gun rights. I dont mind guns not being allowed in public buildings (Like what the feds do) but the rest of the bill is overkill.
So the long held rights of citizens are limited based on the Falls Church City mayor’s sense of his own “moral compass”? This issue of gun free zones will probably end up returning to the courts at the city’s expense. Elections will come and voters will recall (and be reminded) what was decided here. I find it odd that the state flag of Virginia says “Sic semper tyrannis”. Does that seem odd to you? Voters will remember this action.
Wishing peace and success to all.