by Chad D. Baus The Gongwer News Service is reporting that HB328, introduced by Rep. Joseph Uecker (R-Loveland) to force journalists who want access to concealed handgun license-holders’ private information to seek…
Author: Buckeye Firearms Association
National Right-to-Carry Bill Under Attack
As we reported recently, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security recently held a hearing on H.R. 822, the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011.”
This critically important bill, introduced earlier this year by Congressmen Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) and cosponsored by more than 240 of their colleagues, would enable millions of permit holders to exercise their right to self-defense while traveling outside their home states.
There is currently only one remaining state (Illinois) that has no clear legal way for individuals to carry concealed firearms for self-defense. Forty states have permit systems that make it possible for any law-abiding person to obtain a permit, while most of the others have discretionary permit systems. (Vermont has never required a permit.)
H.R. 822 would mark a major step forward for gun owners’ rights by significantly expanding where those permits are recognized. Dozens of states have passed Right-to-Carry laws over the past 25 years because the right to self-defense does not end when one leaves home. However, interstate recognition of those permits is not uniform and creates great confusion and potential problems for travelers. While many states have broad reciprocity, others have very restrictive reciprocity laws. Still others deny recognition completely.
H.R. 822 would solve this problem by requiring that lawfully issued carry permits be recognized, while protecting the ability of the various states to determine the areas where carrying is prohibited within their boundaries.
Unfortunately, but predictably, H.R. 822 continues to be attacked in some quarters, namely the anti-gun media, like the New York Times and the Washington Post; anti-gun organizations, like the Brady Campaign, and New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns; and, regrettably, even some so-called pro-gun organizations.
Cleveland lawmakers continue to seek solutions to problems they don’t understand
by Ken Hanson, Esq.
WKSU is reporting that Cleveland’s elected officials are once again calling for the repeal of statewide firearm preemption in order to, in their words, address the problem of “gun violence.”
As Cleveland City Councilman Jeffrey Johnson stated, “We don’t want to just focus in on the legislation point of it. We want to be able to address why these individuals are able to get these guns. Ultimately, we do want to sit down with the governor and the legislature to seek some type of redress when it comes to whatever state rules limit our ability to fight gun violence.”
The problem, of course, is that there is no such thing as “gun violence,” just as there is no such thing as baseball bat violence or knife violence. There is only one category – violence. Violence is violence without regard to where it occurs or the color, age, sex or sexual orientation of the actors or victims. No one category of violence is more or less heinous than another.
Councilman Johnson, repeat after me: Violence is Violence. The number one cause of violence is violent people. While semantically there is an argument that some people aren’t violent until provoked, drunk and/or stoned, exposed to constant violence in entertainment media, video games etc., the fact remains that violence always, 100% of the time, involves at least one violent person. Blaming guns for violence is like blaming hammers for shoddy home construction.
Op-Ed: Furiously unraveling – Gun scandal still growing
by Michael A. Walsh The joke goes that anything named “Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms” ought to be a convenience store instead of an arm of the federal government, but what’s going on…
Cincy store clerk distracts armed robber long enough to pull own gun and shoot
Cincinnati’s NBC affiliate, WLWT, is reporting that a store clerk was able to protect himself from an armed robber by distracting the criminal long enough to draw his own gun and fire.
From the article:
Grayson Matthews was working at the family-owned 12th Street Market on Saturday night when a man wearing a garbage bag walked in and demanded money.
“I laid it on the counter and he demanded more,” Matthews said. “He said, ‘Now I want the rest,’ and he puts the gun up in my face.”
Matthews said he held the money in his left hand and tried to distract the robber.
“I knew his eyes would follow the money, and I said, ‘I have more hidden here,’ and when I reached down, I grabbed my pistol and started firing,” Matthews said.
The robber fled the Hamilton market, and police later arrested 37-year-old Curtis Jason Wright and charged him aggravated robbery.
Op-Ed: Fear people, not guns
by Sam Greene
In case you hadn’t heard, Pistol Pete, starting this [past] Friday it [became] legal to carry the ol’ six-shooter into your favorite saloons and taverns — that is, assuming you’re licensed, completely sober and the bar owner is OK with it.
This past June, Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed into law House Bill 45 which allows gun owners with concealed carry licenses to bring their weapons into bars and other locations where alcohol is served, as long as they consume no alcohol on the premises and are not intoxicated.
The polarizing piece of legislation has drawn fairly standard responses from both sides of the aisle, as those who are against all things gun-related seem to uphold the sentiment that nobody can ever be trusted with a firearm, while those who typically support gun owners argue that plenty of other states already allow them in bars and haven’t had a problem with it.
At first glance, the idea of allowing guns in bars and clubs looks like absolute madness. It’s a common understanding among educated people and folks with the sleeves still attached to their shirts that deadly weapons and alcohol do not ever mix.
After a closer look, however, being afraid of licensed gun owners carrying their weapon into a bar or ballpark is about as simpleminded and ignorant as fearing your own shadow.
Guns already are and have always been in bars, whether legal or not.
Municipal court judge to decide whether to drop charges against victim of Canton officer’s violent outburst & execution threat
by Chad D. Baus The Canton Repository is reporting that a Municipal Court judge will soon decide whether to dismiss charges against a Brewster man at the center of a concealed-carry controversy….
What does Presidential-hopeful Rick Perry do in his free time?: ‘I don’t play golf, I shoot guns’
“Stay in shape. Piss on golf. Real Americans go to the range. Choose a sport with cardio or survival skill benefit. If you see a cop carrying golf clubs, do one thing for me. Look him in the eye and say ‘baaa!'” Plan A is the British Model. Disarm everyone. It’s not working. Plan B is the Israeli Model. Train/ arm everyone. Israel has few golf courses and a lot of rifle ranges!” – Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
The “de-Tafting” of Ohio’s concealed carry laws is nearly complete
by Gerard Valentino and Jim Irvine
When Ohio’s concealed carry law passed in 2004, then-Governor Bob Taft made sure to insert poison pills designed to make it nearly impossible for a citizen to carry legally. It took nearly seven years, but as of today, September 30, 2011, the onerous car-carry restrictions that Taft created and that made countless honest Ohioans into felons are being relegated to the political scrap heap.
Ohioans will also be able to carry in restaurants that serve alcohol for consumption, as long as the license holder does not drink and is not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) has created a new 2011 Concealed Carry Laws Manual that lay out the changes that go into effect today.
Please take the time to read the updated information so you understand the changes and can avoid running afoul of the new law. Anti-self-defense groups are waiting for license holders to screw up, thus “proving” we don’t deserve our rights. Such problems by any license holder make it difficult to continue to improve our laws for all license holders. A yearly review of firearms laws is a good way to make sure your daily habits are in line with current law.
Buckeye Firearms Association doesn’t anticipate problems, but as with any change in the law, getting the information out to the officer on the street takes time. Please keep that in mind and remember that law enforcement is adjusting to the new law, just as we are. A good attitude and a cooperative demeanor will go a long way toward educating any LEO who has not been properly briefed, and continue to build on the good relationships between law enforcement and citizens who carry firearms for lawful purposes.
Ohio firearms and concealed carry laws change Friday, September 30 – What do these improvements mean for you?
by Ken Hanson, Esq.
Ohio concealed carry licensees, and gun owners in general, benefit from multiple changes in Ohio laws that take effect this Friday, September 30, 2011.
Prior to explaining the changes in the laws, I must first take care of some personal business. As readers of this website are aware, last fall I had concerns about John Kasich’s commitment to these two bills, should he be elected governor of Ohio. (Both bills were pending in the last legislative session, during the last Ohio gubernatorial election.) I wrote very confrontational posts on this website expressing these concerns.
People are “quick to damn and slow to praise,” so I would like to take a moment to acknowledge that my concerns about John Kasich’s commitment to these bills were wrong. Multiple elected officials wrote to me to assure me that a Governor Kasich would support and sign these bills. I did not take these reassurances to heart.
I would like to apologize to Governor Kasich and to the GOP officeholders who vouched for him last fall. I was wrong; you were right. Governor Kasich has backed and signed these two strong pro-gun bills.
Having cleared this personal business, I would like to outline the changes that take effect this Friday: