Gun store opening next door to Franklin Sherman Elementary in Mclean

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean resident here with 3 young kids. The gun store is not welcome here. I don't want to have to explain to my kids that with enough money, anyone with a license can walk in to the store to buy a weapon to kill someone else.

Then, explain to your kids that people can walk into a store and buy a weapon to protect their kids from the criminals in the event they have a robbery.
Easy peasy. They can understand this.

Yet I would feel obliged to explain to him that it's much more likely that someone in our own household would be killed as the result of gun possession than it is that we'd use it to defend against a criminal. I think he'd understand that too. I guess this would be a great time to open the conversation about self-inflicted gun wounds and depression and domestic violence. By all means, keep telling yourself that guns are mostly used and discharged defending against criminals, but I'll go ahead and spare my child that fairy tale.

You mean suicide, right? We need to say the word. It's actually a significant problem among teens, especially boys. But a gun is only one way. Boys are more likely to succeed, whatever method they use. Depression is an even bigger issue that a shocking percentage of high school students face, and it's getting worse. How kids deal with it varies. Much depends on the specifics of the family dysfunction. Certainly no home with questionable mental health issues should have a gun.

My thought is to know your children. Know your spouse. It's a process and demands much time, day in and day out. Few parents are making it a top priority. Our children require our time so much more than the junk our money can ever buy. Heard of the book, "Can't Buy My Love"? Our kids need us every single day, not the endless stuff busy parents throw at them. Of course we love our kids, but they need to *feel* loved. If they don't, they'll be prey to whatever comes their way. Check out Saturday Night in the Burbs at Langley or McLean. Good to see what's around the corner for the kids, all of them. It'll motivate you to spend every possible moment with your family. Children who feel loved are less likely to become angry teens and angry young adults.

Btw PP, since you mentioned the suicide issue, did you know September was Suicide Prevention Month?

"Break the Silence"

This post deserves a big shout out. I hate the gun stores insinuating themselves in family friendly neighborhoods, but the need to be very vocal and aware when it comes to suicide prevention is even more important. I didn't know September was Suicide Prevention Month. Keep spreading the word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean resident here with 3 young kids. The gun store is not welcome here. I don't want to have to explain to my kids that with enough money, anyone with a license can walk in to the store to buy a weapon to kill someone else.

Then, explain to your kids that people can walk into a store and buy a weapon to protect their kids from the criminals in the event they have a robbery.
Easy peasy. They can understand this.

Police officers and other law enforcement have to buy their guns somewhere. Most supply their own service weapon. You can start by explaining that.

Then you can explain that some people like to shoot guns as a hobby. Some people shoot guns as a sport. (It's in the Olympics, BTW.) Other people like to hunt.

Good points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean gun owner here. I really don't see the issue with the gunshop there. Since no one has listed any actual concerns, such as safety, it seems the concerns are at best superficial. Reaction from the local liberal politicians are not surprising.

If the owner does break the lease due to public bullying, it will be a shameful day for McLean that a legal business agreement between two private parties was broken due to mob witch-hunt mentality.

NOVA Firearms, hang in there, I will buy my next gun from you, I promise. There are plenty of others like me.

I don't understand why no one has voiced an actual concern. I'll start: I don't want a gun shop near my kid's school because I don't want my kid seeing people go into a gun shop to buy a gun. I don't want him to think that it is a good idea for people to buy guns lioke candy. I don't want him to know that regular Joe Moron can buy and carry a gun just like his father, who is an FBI agent. I don't want him to be scared at night thinking of people with guns.

I don't want a gun shop near a school because it does attract unsavory people as well as those who have legitimate reasons to frequent a shop selling firearms. I don't want a gun shop near my kid's school because heaven forbid if my son was identified at the school as his father's child, and his father had arrested a person who had recently been released, I don't want there to be even the slightest possible way for someone to make a bad decision over a split second to procure a firearm and shoot it at an innocent child, most especially my kid (the son of the guy who put the criminal away). There would be practically no barrier of time between bad decision A (visiting the gun shop) and bad decision B (shooting a kid). There are thousands of people who would salivate over killing the child of a federal law enforcement officer. I have no interest in helping them with that fantasy, and the proximity of the gun shop to a school would only streamline the unthinkable.

I don't want a gun shop near a school because I don't want people to buy a firearm and then accidentally shoot it. If it is accidentally discharged, I would not want that accidental discharge to be anywhere near a school or school grounds.

I think I could keep going, but those are the things I worry about. I get it - we're in VA now, and people in VA seem to love their damn guns for reasons I find preposterous. I'm so glad we don't send our kid to this school.

I'm an elementary teacher in FCPS. As a fourth grade teacher of VA Studies I find the post above to be one of the most bothersome in this thread. Perhaps you should sit in on one of my lessons about rights and responsibilities.

[Anonymous]

I live in McLean and am a veteran.

I took an oath to defend the Constitution, as do law enforcement and (believe it or not) politicians. I believe in it deeply.

It's much harder to listen to the anti-gun loons than the responsible gun owners in this thread, but that's OK.

They can exercise that right, but they can't use it to harm other rights. Expect a lot of push-back if they try to deny others.

[Anonymous]

I live in Mclean and have 3 kids in the public school system. Many of my neighbors have signed the petition, protested and DO NOT want this store here. Just wanted to dispel this thought that this is coming from "outside" McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in McLean and am a veteran.

I took an oath to defend the Constitution, as do law enforcement and (believe it or not) politicians. I believe in it deeply.

It's much harder to listen to the anti-gun loons than the responsible gun owners in this thread, but that's OK.

They can exercise that right, but they can't use it to harm other rights. Expect a lot of push-back if they try to deny others.

I would invite anyone who really wants to see the tenor of this debate to visit Fairfax Underground and read the hateful threads written towards those who oppose the location of this gun store near an elementary school in McLean.

They come across as bullying, hateful fascists. They have posted many personal details and pictures about those who have exercised their freedom of speech in favor of the store's relocation, and have engaged in the worst, misogynist rhetoric you can possibly imagine (bitch, cunt, whore, slut, etc.)

As a whole, this community does NOT want a gun store a few hundred feet from an elementary school, and we will exercise every political weapon at our disposal to see that it is shut down and relocated.

So, yes,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in McLean and am a veteran.

I took an oath to defend the Constitution, as do law enforcement and (believe it or not) politicians. I believe in it deeply.

It's much harder to listen to the anti-gun loons than the responsible gun owners in this thread, but that's OK.

They can exercise that right, but they can't use it to harm other rights. Expect a lot of push-back if they try to deny others.

I would invite anyone who really wants to see the tenor of this debate to visit Fairfax Underground and read the hateful threads written towards those who oppose the location of this gun store near an elementary school in McLean.

They come across as bullying, hateful fascists. They have posted many personal details and pictures about those who have exercised their freedom of speech in favor of the store's relocation, and have engaged in the worst, misogynist rhetoric you can possibly imagine (bitch, cunt, whore, slut, etc.)

As a whole, this community does NOT want a gun store a few hundred feet from an elementary school, and we will exercise every political weapon at our disposal to see that it is shut down and relocated.

So, yes, push back if you want, but don't expect that your views as a veteran will carry any special weight in this dialogue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Mclean and have 3 kids in the public school system. Many of my neighbors have signed the petition, protested and DO NOT want this store here. Just wanted to dispel this thought that this is coming from "outside" McLean.

+1000.

[Anonymous]

Bringing us full circle to one of the original posts: it's Cherrydale all over again. Some of the pro-gun store supporters were fantasizing about the opponents being the victims of home invasions etc. really gross stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean resident here with 3 young kids. The gun store is not welcome here. I don't want to have to explain to my kids that with enough money, anyone with a license can walk in to the store to buy a weapon to kill someone else.

Then, explain to your kids that people can walk into a store and buy a weapon to protect their kids from the criminals in the event they have a robbery.
Easy peasy. They can understand this.

Yet I would feel obliged to explain to him that it's much more likely that someone in our own household would be killed as the result of gun possession than it is that we'd use it to defend against a criminal. I think he'd understand that too. I guess this would be a great time to open the conversation about self-inflicted gun wounds and depression and domestic violence. By all means, keep telling yourself that guns are mostly used and discharged defending against criminals, but I'll go ahead and spare my child that fairy tale.

You mean suicide, right? We need to say the word. It's actually a significant problem among teens, especially boys. But a gun is only one way. Boys are more likely to succeed, whatever method they use. Depression is an even bigger issue that a shocking percentage of high school students face, and it's getting worse. How kids deal with it varies. Much depends on the specifics of the family dysfunction. Certainly no home with questionable mental health issues should have a gun.

My thought is to know your children. Know your spouse. It's a process and demands much time, day in and day out. Few parents are making it a top priority. Our children require our time so much more than the junk our money can ever buy. Heard of the book, "Can't Buy My Love"? Our kids need us every single day, not the endless stuff busy parents throw at them. Of course we love our kids, but they need to *feel* loved. If they don't, they'll be prey to whatever comes their way. Check out Saturday Night in the Burbs at Langley or McLean. Good to see what's around the corner for the kids, all of them. It'll motivate you to spend every possible moment with your family. Children who feel loved are less likely to become angry teens and angry young adults.

Btw PP, since you mentioned the suicide issue, did you know September was Suicide Prevention Month?

"Break the Silence"

This post deserves a big shout out. I hate the gun stores insinuating themselves in family friendly neighborhoods, but the need to be very vocal and aware when it comes to suicide prevention is even more important. I didn't know September was Suicide Prevention Month. Keep spreading the word.

Thank you, PP. I truly appreciate it. The fact that we both deeply care about children and their optimal development and safety, means we both ultimately have the same goals for them, no?

I'm haunted by every single news story of one kid accidentally shooting another kid (sibling, friend, whatever,) and what might have *realistically* prevented such a tragedy. (Sure, should not have been there.) But I find myself keep coming back to education. Perhaps like fire. It can kill you in a flash, but it can also save you. Should we teach kids to fear fire? Would that really be the best thing? What if they want to go camping in the winter some day? What if they're lost and cold? What if they're hungry? What if they get Papa Bear coming towards them?

I didn't grow up ever seeing a real gun, much less a gun shop. But I decided I didn't want to be afraid of them either. So one day I bit the bullet (pardon the pun!) and walked into a gun store. Guess what? No one pointed a gun at me. Then I picked up a free gun safety handbook and walked out. Here's what it said:

Rule #1. Handle ALL firearms as if they were loaded.
Never forget that a gun has the potential to produce serious injury or death in a single instant of carelessness. Make safe gun handling a habit to be followed at ALL times. After you determine that a gun is unloaded, continue to handle it as though it were loaded.

Rule #2. ALWAYS keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction.
You should NEVER point a gun, loaded or unloaded, at another person or at yourself.

Yada, Rule #10 NEVER use firearms while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Handling and using a firearm requires your full and continuous attention, alertness, and unimpaired judgment. Avoid handling firearms while taking prescription medicines which may make you drowsy, slow your reflexes, and impair your normal senses or judgement.


I don't know. If someone had the interest in the responsible instruction of gun safety to these kids, my gut tells me they would not have so carelessly pointed it at another person. Sure, intentional raging behavior/mental illness is a another issue.

Seems like we should approach our kids' driving a car with this kind of methodical preparation and respect. Maybe fewer crashes than we have with the grab-n-go, just hurry up and get out of my way, routine. I don't know, but I'm never going to stop trying to learn more.

Just noticed the last posts. Can we please tone down the hate? Do we want the kids battling like this tomorrow morning in school? That would be the ultimate irony. Peace lovers clobber the others. Let's model some civility.

But hey, I stand with one foot on both sides of the aisle on this. I want us all to be safe and secure, especially the children. They mean the world to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bringing us full circle to one of the original posts: it's Cherrydale all over again. Some of the pro-gun store supporters were fantasizing about the opponents being the victims of home invasions etc. really gross stuff.

Yes, the pro-gun crowd is very ugly and exceedingly uncivil. We saw that in Cherrydale and we are seeing it all over again in McLean.

You would have to conclude that many of them feel threatened by women generally, particularly those of us who want to keep guns out of our communities, and view guns as a proxy for their own sense of diminished masculinity. The fact that we have husbands who are successful, love their families, and don't need to own weapons to be happy seems to bother them even more. They hold themselves out as patriots defending the Constitution, but few have any real understanding of how the Constitution has been understood or interpreted. Relatively few live in the communities they want to tear apart.

[Anonymous]

Well said, PP. It breaks down into misogyny so very quickly. I was disgusted when I looked at Fairfax Underground. And the even worse part is some of the posters of these hateful comments about women are women themselves.

It just fuels us more - we don't want hateful people in McLean (but that's inevitable...) and we certainly don't want guns easily accessible for these hateful people to use when they can't control their emotions. If you can't handle it, move farther into Virginia and you'll find fellow gun owners who don't mind selling guns next door to a school.

[Anonymous]

There was a comment up-thread that maybe deserves more attention. Are the store and/ or landlord actually hoping to get everyone upset, setting the stage for someone to buy them out? I imagine the store owner walked away with some money after his cherrydale lease was broken by the landlord - easy money by triggering public outrage, part II?

[Anonymous]

I live in Arlington and hadn't heard about this issue until a birthday party this weekend with some McLean parents. Does FFX County have any sort of ordinance limiting the distance between a gun and an elementary school? I believe some jurisdictions state that you can't have a firearm within a 1,000 feet of a school. Penalties for drug possession and sales increase if they are found inside that radius as well, in many places.

[Anonymous]

JB Gates, the owner of this gun shop, leases space near an elementary school and features a picture on his Facebook page of a sniper in the grass with the caption 'long range shooting is like golf...but for men."

And people wonder why people don't want him or his business in Arlington or McLean?