For My protection and my family. I had to take a course and have experence I went through all the rules and its my right as a human to have protection. The bad people are out in huge numbers now. in my 65 yrs its about surviving.

I say we give everyone with a gun permit a complimentary hoodie....Elayne, you're a bit paranoid. Better safe than sorry is a good motto. Where would you like me to send your hoodie?

Thanks for your comments! Elayne, would you feel just as safe with concealed weapons at Virginia State Parks? Does repealing the Open Carry ban make a difference?

It's a sad thing people are not safe in Parks now. Remember, there are no police in the parks,only Rangers and they are very few and have to do a lot as is and are doing a great job. But they can not be everywhere. Remember two women and one man have been murdered in State Parks. I will feel a lot safer with this idea now.

The Brady Campaign must be screaming foul right now. See, if someone were to scream, :HELP!" in the park, and someone with a gun prevents a murder, then it will hurt them and the anti-gun movement. It's much better for their cause if you die.

Seriously - public parks? Has there been a rampage of violence we are not aware of or the 'lame stream' media has not publicized? Yes, it is a dangerous world. Always has been for one reason or another. Another gun has not and will not make it any safer. There is danger when you get in your car and drive down the street. 9 out of 10 gun shots / murders are against friends and family - not total strangers. I suppose it's self selection, can't be all bad, right?

People have actually been able to open carry in parks for a year now, when the governor issued an order to parks and rec. to not enforce the ban of openly carried firearms. This latest news is just the official removal of the regulation from the books.

I have open carried in a few parks in the last year, and there was no blood in the streets, no violence, nor did my gun jump out of its holster and harm any of my friends.

Some folks really need to take a look at the statistics published by the FBI. More guns = Less crime.

I've been carrying my firearm in state parks since I moved here 9 years ago. This year, the governor removed the requirement that I wear a jacket.

Is the park any less safe with the firearm openly visible? No.

All that's changed is that people - bad guys included - now KNOW I am not a victim.

The US leads deaths by gun in the world - leading both Brazil and Mexico. Stunning. Here's the data from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) deaths per thousand. Crime in Mexico, all can agree, is awful - seems more guns has NOT resulted in less crime.
U.S.A. 14.24
Brazil 12.95
Mexico 12.69
Estonia 12.26
Argentina 8.93
Northern Ireland 6.63
Finland 6.46
Switzerland 5.31
France 5.15
Canada 4.31

The FBI report referenced above by the less than civil comment was published in 2009 for 2008.

If the size of the arsenal American citizens have has served as a deterrent, as some pro-gun criminologists suggest, the country should be virtually violence-free. But despite the decline reported by the FBI, the U.S. per capita murder rate is three times as high as that of Canada or Britain.

Among several hypotheses for the drop in crime: demographics. The United States is ageing and the fastest growing segment of the population is over-50s, an age group historically less prone to violence and criminal activity than younger people. Another theory: better policing thanks to widespread use of technology to spot crimes. In short: nobody has a convincing answer.

Hoodies for all of you!

M-squared, can you post links to your numbers? The sources I referenced seem to be in conflict with your post. Please see a book by University of Chicago statistics professor called "More Guns, Less Crime" by John R. Lott.

There you can see the direct corilation of relaxed gun laws, and the reduction of violent crime. We can see it very apparent right here in Virginia, where we enjoy HALF the violent crime rate as folks that live in Maryland. That's half the rapes, robberies, muggings and murders. My sister and mother can be confident that she carries a tool (gun) that can stop a rapist in his tracks. Elderly folks in Virginia need not fear younger, physically stronger thugs that would do them harm.

Source:
http://www.cityrating.com/crime-statistics/virginia/
http://www.cityrating.com/crime-statistics/maryland/

Hoodies for all? How about mature, properly sourced, statistically, and logically sound discourse.

To answer the question (sorry, sidetracked with facts) - here's the data I reference. Sorry, 9 out of 10 is high. should be between 7 & 8 out of 10 (7.7 out of 10 to be precise) or murders on the 'friends and family plan". I have attached a link of just one survey.

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-kellermann.htm

76.7 percent of the murderers were relatives, friends or acquaintances of the victim. In fact, the victim's murderer was 21 times more likely to be a relative or acquaintance than a stranger. Even in the 14 percent of the cases involving forced entry, the vast majority of the intruders were known to the victim. Again, self-selection in action.

A study of 626 shootings in or around a residence in three U.S. cities revealed that, for every time a gun in the home was used in a self-defense or legally justifiable shooting, there were four unintentional shootings, seven criminal assaults or homicides, and 11 attempted or completed suicides.

http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/GUNS/GUNSTAT.html

Guns may make you 'feel' safer - but in reality, don't 'make' you safer.

Just so there's no misunderstanding, I have no problem with gun hunting. You simply don't need an AK47 to hunt. If you do, you're a really, really bad hunter. Personally, I don't feel safer knowing someone else is packing. I don't know you, why should I trust you.

These are simply facts. You'll do what you want out of emotion, not facts. Where should I send the hoodies, again?

Wow, Anti gun folks still reference Kellerman's "study" even after the rest of acedemia disqualified it?

http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/kellerman-schaffer.html

M-Squared, maybe you should pick better, more factual sources to reference. I understand it will be difficult since they tend to prove that when gun laws like this come off the books people are safer.

As for your AK47 comment, ANY gun can be used to hunt with, they all do the same thing. Some just have larger capacities... But I think the point that you were attempting to make was that AK47's are not ideal for hunting, and you are correct. They are ideal at protecting your right to criticize guns, and firearm owners from those in government who would infringe on either right.

Keep the hoodies for yourself, we'll keep our rights, and liberty.

Actually, what I was saying is that hunting is a skill. You don't need skill when plastering Bambi with thousands of rounds of ammunition to bring down the animal. It takes skill to use a hunting rifle, bow & arrow, whatever.

I do feel such pity for those that live in such fear as to feel it necessary to feel secure with a firearm for no other reason than to take another life. I've travelled many countries and just about every state in the US. Every type of economic environment and have yet to find a need to carry a firearm as a private citizen.

Sad that those that proclaim that more guns, more nukes, more war makes for more safety, less crime - whatever the justification is - just comes down to what makes each of you feel safe, irrelevant of the actual outcome. There is no definitive argument on either side that has come out. We choose our facts based upon our beliefs rather than allowing facts to shape our beliefs. None of you have yet to present any data that proves to me that my life is safer because you own a gun. I do not feel safe because of a firearm at the ready of anyone who is not a trained professional (military, police). Just because you've had a lesson, doesn't mean you're trained. Just means you can shoot.

Sad. Really just makes me want to buy you all hoodies.

M-Squared.. If I'm hunting Bambi (which I enjoy doing) then why would I put thousands of rounds into an animal which I intend on consuming? All those rounds would ruin the meat. But you knew that of course, being aware of that hunting takes skills ;)

I'm sorry you feel 'pity' for those that live in 'fear', but, I'll be honest with you, I carry a firearm every day (most of the time openly) and in reality, I don't live in fear, BECAUSE I carry a handgun. Now, don't take that statement and think that I go around 'cocky' with a firearm. I still stay out of bad neighborhoods, don't go to places that I know are visited by criminals, and don't hang out with people that make poor judgements. I carry a firearm, and hope to never need it.
I don't feel any pity for anyone that keeps a fire extinguisher in their kitchen, even though of all the kitchens I have ever been in, and cooked in, I've never had a fire.
I don't feel pity for all those people that drive around in their cars equipped with airbags, wearing seat belts, that never once crash into anything, or have anything crash into them.
I don't feel pity for all those cruise ships, and boats that have life vests on board, and never sink.
Just because you have never needed a firearm in your travels, and have been fortunate enough to have never been a victim of a violent crime does not mean that you should think others would not need a firearm to protect themselves.

M-Squared..

I've never said 'more war makes for more safety' and I've reference several sources for you to educate yourself with the facts. It does not come down to what 'makes me feel safe' it boils down to FACTS and facts show that more citizens legally carrying firearms = less crime.

You say you do not feel safe if you see a firearm in the hands of anyone that is not a trained professional? How about this trained professional...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7ufT_6Kgy0

Now, I'm not cop bashing, but when a 'trained' DEA agent ends up shooting himself in a classroom full of students, it invalidates the argument that only the police and military should have guns.

Lets not get into what can happen to our freedoms when only the police and military have guns, or shall we ask the Jews that survived the holocaust about how the Nazi's seized their guns, and then packed them like sardines onto boxcars to be shipped off like cattle.

Whats sad is, even after giving you references (which you ignored) you still press your failed argument, and your 'hoodie' reference.

Section 13 of the constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia guarantees/acknowledges the right to keep and bear arms. It does not say we have the right to keep and bear arms except where government officials decide otherwise.