Conceal-carry enthusiasts demonstrate their fundamental belief in gun rights, loaded potato skins

Picture a rocking Saturday night at Champps Americana in Plaza America, with a reasonably priced macrobrew in one hand, a fork groaning under the weight of a fried mozzarella strip in the other, and a handgun in your holster.

The patrons at Champps, an upscale restaurant and bar chain, were eating ribs and drinking beer on a recent Saturday when customer Bruce Jackson stood up and made an announcement: He was armed, and so were dozens of other patrons.

The armed customers stood up in unison, showing off holstered pistols and revolvers. Jackson said a word or two about the rights of gun owners to carry firearms in Virginia, then thanked everyone for their attention and sat down.

And the diners returned to their burgers and Budweisers.

All because of a Virginia law allowing gun owners to carry firearms in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol -- so long as the weapons are displayed openly. The General Assembly passed a law this year allowing gun owners to conceal their guns on their Friendly's runs, but the openly communistic Tim Kaine took time from his busy schedule of canoodling with BFF Margaret Peters to ensure the future of the awesome Silver Line to veto it. But enough of that boring politics stuff! How did fellow Restonians react to the announcement that their fellow patrons were packing heat?

At Champps, several patrons failed to notice that so many customers were armed, even though dozens of gun-toting men and women had walked right past them.

Tomas Nolasco of Reston said he hadn’t noticed the guns and didn’t care as long as they weren’t drinking. (They weren’t.) His wife was a little more concerned.

“There are families in here, children in here,” Cathy Nolasco said. “It bothers me.”

Brendan Fitzgerald of Reston and his friends noticed the guns immediately. They were curious but unconcerned.

“I’m just laughing because it’s totally unnecessary in my opinion,” Fitzgerald said, pointing to one individual who not only was armed but also had several clips of ammunition attached to his belt.

“This is Reston, not Southeast,” said his friend Nathan Dicken.

Just don't tell these folks that.