[Rick Lee]

I don't think criminals stop to think too much about CCW, but it is a documented fact that most states with shall-issue CCW laws where plenty of people do, in fact, CCW, saw crime drop when folks started packing legally. Occasionally you hear about someone going through an airport metal detector and forgetting they had a gun with them - Barry Switzer and Eddie Van Halen come to mind. But CCW folks are generally as law-abiding as the day is long and criminals, by definition, are the opposite. I have never ever heard of a case where a CCW permit holder in VA got in trouble for misusing a gun. And rest assured, the anti-gunners would play it up to the hilt if it were to happen.

As someone who CCW's regularly and spends a lot of time in Wash. DC where all guns are banned, I can honestly say I would rather always be in VA. It's always safer here, despite the fact that DC has more law enforcment agencies and gun-toting G-men than any other big city (DC is a small city) in the US. It's amazing how, between the DC Police, BATF, US Capitol Police, Uniformed Secret Service, FBI, MP's, Metro Transit Police, US Postal Police and Diplomatic Security (whom am I missing?), you are exponentially more likely to be a victim of violent crime in DC, even in the good neighborhoods, than anywhere across the bridge in VA. And it's not because of popluation density either. Northern VA is very densely packed with people and has far fewer police. I've never come across a cop here who had a problem with CCW and I've been stopped several times when I was carrying and had to show my permit.