I am a 59 year old proud Virginian and voter who has participated in elections for over forty years. I am also a retired Richmond (City) Police Department Lieutenant that "worked the streets" for twenty-two of my twenty-five years there. I am currently an investigator for the State Corporation Commission, non-sworn law enforcement. In Richmond, I observed firsthand the devastation of homicide and assault commited with firearms, as well as pretty much anything a person with murderous intent can get their hands on. I made one homicide arrest for a murder commited with a brick. Guns are not the problem. Personal behavior and lack of personal restraint are. Evil is the biggest problem, but you can't regulate evil. You stop it in its tracks, by any means necessary. The statistics indicate that there is a very minor percentage of gun crime committed by concealed carry licensees, nationwide. As a supervisor of the Drug and Firearms Strike Force,  we recovered hundreds of guns used illegally, but I am not aware that any of those guns or arrests involved concealed carry permit holders. Concealed carry permit holders are not the problem. We are exercising our right to protect ourselves and our families. Keeping law-abiding citizens from exercising their ability to protect themselves from those that completely ignore the law is wrong. It is even more wrong when you consider that the attraction of our State Forests is their remoteness and solitude. There is little cell phone coverage to call for help and even less in the form of response based on distance as well as the lack of landmarks to bring first responders to those in need. Additionally consider that the predators of 2010 understand where they can be most devastating...gun-free zones. Just look at the number of horrendous homicide and assault incidents that have occured nationwide, not to mention on our college campuses, where the assailant is confident that he will meet little or no resisitance. Our parks have been no stranger to violent crime, either. Firearms are equalizers that guarantee that the smallest, most physically challenged individual can protect their life from the evil predators that take advantage of such situations. Protect the Commonwealth's law-abiding citizens as well as our law-abiding visitors. Allow concealed carry in our State Forests.  Tom MacKnight, Aylett, VA.