WKYC Investigator Tom Meyer falls short of the truth in report on felons obtaining hunting licenses

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by Larry S. Moore

WKYC (NBC Cleveland) Investigator Tom Meyer screamed the headlines “Hundreds of convicted felons in Ohio — many of them violent — are getting state licenses to hunt, even though it’s illegal for them to have guns…”. This is the latest alarmist reporting aimed at gun owners and hunters. It’s the kind of reporting that we’ve come to expect – long on hype and short on real information*.

The figure Meyer produced is that nearly 1,200 felons are getting hunting licenses. Let’s take a quick look at the numbers. While 1,200 is a large number, it pales when compared to the number of deer hunters as reported by ODNR Division of Wildlife in a 11/16/12 press release. They projected there are 420,000 deer hunters. So, doing the math, that means felons comprise about 0.29% of the deer hunters. Not quite so alarming now. Almost certainly a much lower number than the ratio of felons to the total population.

The report goes on to ask convicted auto thief Ron Rodriguez, who is not allowed to own a firearm, to see if he could buy a hunting license. He was successful at purchasing his license. Next the report comes up with the biggest lie in the story, “Because I’m not allowed to own a gun, because I am a convicted felon, they’re giving me a license to use a gun. I don’t think that’s right,” he said. (emphasis added).

Let’s get something straight – the purchase of a hunting license DOES NOT give anyone a license to use a gun. I have confirmed this with the ODNR Division of Wildlife law section. Apparently the WKYC “investigative reporter” never thought about contacting the ODNR for information.

There are any number of reasons, having nothing to do with firearms, that a felon might purchasing a hunting license. These include:

  • A hunting license is required to trap in Ohio.
  • A hunting license is required to hunt deer. Many deer hunters only hunt with archery equipment (that would be bow and arrows for any reporter who doesn’t understand hunting).

Now comes Rep. Bill Patmon of Cleveland. No surprise here as Rep. Patmon seems to be addicted to getting his name in the press, especially with any legislation targeting firearms or their use. According to the investigative report (I am taking the risk of assuming they got this one right), Rep. Patmon is proposing legislation that would require a hunting license applicant to specify if he or she has been convicted of a felony or pleaded guilty to one. If so, the hunting license they print will include that it is “firearms restricted.” This is but another piece of liberal legislation that sounds good in the liberal media and plays well to the unknowing folks back home in Cleveland. Let’s do some analysis:

Op-Ed: President Obama: AR-15 Salesman of the Decade

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by C. D. Michel

Barack Obama may be the most effective firearm salesman since Samuel Colt.

In the wake of recent tragedies, the Obama administration took gun control as its new mission, advocating everything from useless “universal” background checks to once again banning so-called “assault weapons.” The unintended but completely predictable side effect of Obama’s posturing has been to cause your mothers, uncles and neighbors to run to the local gun store and buy anything they thought might become unavailable.

This includes a whole lot of AR-15s, the administration’s Sandy Hook straw man.

People buy guns due to the perception of threat. Numerous studies have shown that gun sales go up when there is a perception of increased violent crime. Likewise, more guns get sold when there is a perceived danger of losing the ability to acquire firearms in the future. So when politicians start calling for more gun control, more guns enter circulation.

U.S. District Court Dismisses Lawsuit to Ban Traditional Ammunition

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

NEWTOWN, Conn. — The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today dismissed a lawsuit brought by the radical anti-hunting Center for Biological Diversity and six other groups demanding the Environmental Protection Agency ban traditional ammunition containing lead components.

Traditional ammunition represents 95 percent of the U.S. market and is the staple ammunition for target shooters, hunters and law enforcement, with more than 10 billion rounds sold annually.

NSSF filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit last August. The court today agreed with NSSF that EPA does not have the authority to regulate traditional ammunition under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

EPA had already twice denied attempts by CBD to have the agency ban traditional ammunition, and the court had dismissed an earlier case brought by CBD seeking the same relief.

“We are gratified that the court has found this second frivolous lawsuit, which is essentially the same as the one dismissed last year, was equally without merit,” said Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry. “This was a waste of taxpayers’ dollars and EPA resources spent in having to defend a baseless lawsuit.”

CBD’s serial petitioning of EPA and its repeated lawsuits were designed to cripple the shooting sports in America by banning the ammunition that millions of hunters and target shooters choose to use safely and responsibly.

MEMORIAL DAY 2013: In 1788, Ohio law required ALL men aged 16-50 to bear arms

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(Originally posted by the Cincinnati Enquirer and on this website July 25, 2003)

Ohio Moments
Soldiers fined 50 cents for lack of weaponry

On July 25, 1788, the first Ohio law to establish and regulate a militia was published in Marietta. It mandated all men between 16 and 50 perform military duty. They were required to arm themselves with a musket and bayonet, a cartridge box, powder horn, one pound of powder and four pounds of lead. They also were ordered to drill every Sunday.

By November, fines were implemented for those who failed to meet the requirements. For example, a soldier with no musket and bayonet had to pay 50 cents. Those who failed to show up for drill were fined 25 cents. Refusing guard duty cost them $1. And failure to serve in case of invasion meant a court-martial.

In 1791, the law changed the day of the weekly drills to Saturday. Those who drilled didn’t have to go to church on Sunday. But those who attended church services – with their guns – were exempt from drill.

Commentary by Chad D. Baus:
How far we have sunk in Ohio, from a day when all men were not only allowed, but required by law to own firearms. Back then, Ohio law recognized that an armed society was a safer society.

Op-Ed: Bloomberg Uses Commencement Speech to Push Gun Control, Rails Against ‘Extremist’ NRA

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by Alicia Powe

America’s most dangerous Mayor used his commencement address at Kenyon College in Ohio as a political opportunity to slam members of Congress for failing to pass background check legislation.

“Have courage to act on your hopes, don’t be paralyzed by your fears,” Mayor Bloomberg told the graduating class. “Have the courage to think for yourself and to believe in your ideas. That kind of idea lies in the heart of human invention and progress. And a lot of it lies in the heart of our political problems today.”

The mayor then spent the better part of his 15 minute address on gun control, celebrating the occasion by attacking the NRA and highlighting recent gun violence.

“Semper Paratus”: A good motto for you, too

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by Erin Marshall

The United States Coast Guard motto is “Semper Paratus” which means “Always Ready.” The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared.” What does it mean to be ready or prepared? I am not talking about stockpiling MREs and canned foods. I’m not talking about building a bomb shelter or hoarding ammo. I am talking about the state of being ready or being prepared. I believe there are two main parts to being ready. There is a mental part and a physical part.

Why do you need to be ready and what do you need to be ready for? It seems like the past few years we’ve been seeing more and more natural disasters. Blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, and thunderstorms can strike and leave you in a tough spot. If a large storm knocks out power for millions do you have water, food, or warmth for your family while you wait for them to restore power? If you must evacuate due to a storm do you have a plan, a meeting place, somewhere to go, a way to get there? If there is a dangerous situation in your neighborhood and you are told to stay inside can you do so with essentials for your family? We also need to take financial hardships into account. If you lose your income can you feed your family if money runs short? Having some food stored away could be helpful in the wake of the stress of losing a job.

Think about our dependence on technology. Do you have maps if your GPS or your phone aren’t working? Do you have cash on hand in case you can’t use a card to get gas while trying to evacuate an affected area? Do you have important phone numbers or addresses written down? The world we live in continues to be unpredictable. Over the past year we’ve seen events both natural and manmade that have caused people to have to evacuate their homes or stay in them for several days. Hurricanes, blizzards, sinkholes, tornadoes, or other dangerous situations can derail your plans. During the hunt for the bombers of the Boston marathon they locked down neighborhoods. There are increasing reasons to be ready and aware and to be able to get out of a dangerous situation or stay in to avoid one.

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