Guest editorials offer island of truth in a sea of misinformation and lies about Ohio Restaurant Carry legislation

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by Jim Irvine & Chad D. Baus

After the Ohio Senate passed its version of Restaurant & Car Carry Rules Fix legislation, SB17, Ohio’s newspapers quickly carpet-bombed their readers with slanted, misleading and out-right false articles and editorials about the issue. (“The sky is falling!”)

Despite their efforts, the Ohio House passed its own version of the important legislation, HB45. The anti-gun rights media subjected their skeptical readers to reruns of their editorials and biased articles. (“No, really, the sky is REALLY falling!”)

To date, we are aware of just one newspaper in the entire state – The Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune – that has published an editorial in support of passage of Restaurant Carry legislation in Ohio, entitled “Don’t buy into the Wild West mythology”.

Several other Ohio newspapers have now at least presented their readers with an alternative viewpoint, via guest editorials.

FLASH: House Speaker says SB17 (Restaurant/Car Carry Rules Fix) will move in the House before summer recess, be sent to governor

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

Three weeks after his chamber passed its version of Restaurant & Carry Carry Rules Fix legislation, Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) is saying that his chamber plans to move the Senate’s version (SB17) this month, before the General Assembly breaks for the summer.

From the Dayton Daily News:

The constitution requires Kasich and the lawmakers to agree on a balanced budget by June 30, but other high-profile bills are proceeding on the same timetable.

Of those, none has sparked more controversy than the one allowing concealed carry permit-holders to take their guns into Ohio bars and restaurants serving alcohol, as long as they’re not drinking.

Batchelder hinted at the fury — both pro and con — when asked how final passage would be handled.

“Hopefully during the time when everybody will be looking somewhere else,” he joked.

The House and Senate have passed separate versions of the guns in bars bill and Batchelder said the House plans to give its OK to the Senate bill and send it to Kasich.

“That’ll move,” he said.

How They See Us: Ohio’s police lobbying organizations vs. the law-abiding gun owner

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by Gerard Valentino

The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) and other police lobbying organizations continue to protest every pro-gun bill introduced in Ohio. Their record includes opposition to legal concealed carry, Castle Doctrine, concealed carry in cars, and now they are opposing legal carry in restaurants.

As each pro-gun reform was introduced, police lobbying organizations assured Ohioans that giving law-abiding citizens more leeway in how they carry guns will lead to an epidemic of dead law enforcement officers. Each time, their position ignores the fact that similar laws are already in place across America without a threat to law enforcement officers, or the general public.

The only possible explanation for opposing every gun reform bill by claiming it will lead to violence against police officers is that law enforcement lobbying groups don’t see a distinction between a common street thug and a law-abiding citizen.

Ohioans should be outraged that these lobbying organizations consider everyone without a badge to be in the same category as crack dealers, mass murderers and psychopaths.

By taking the position that civilians are nothing more than criminals who haven’t yet been arrested, the FOP and similar groups are trying to increase the status of law enforcement at the expense of the citizenry. In effect, their position makes it clear that only people with a badge can be trusted.

FBI data proves anti-gunners wrong on crime

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

Preliminary crime data from the FBI for 2010 adds more evidence that gun prohibitionists have been consistently wrong, and that more guns do not equal more crime, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

According to the FBI, all four violent crime offense categories show declines nationwide for 2010, with murder and manslaughter down 4.4 percent from 2009, robbery down 9.5 percent and aggravated assault down 3.6 percent. Forcible rape was down 4.2 percent. Violent crime declined in all four regions of the country. At the same time, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, firearm sales were up dramatically.

Shooting for a Cure at the Ohio State Trapshoot

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by Larry S. Moore

The annual Ohio State Trapshoot starts June 20 and runs for a week. The shooting grounds are at the Cardinal Center, Marengo Ohio. The event is the premier state shoot in the mid-west and continues to attract the finest shooters from across the nation and beyond.

I’ve shot at the facility and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Unfortunately, my scores are typically not the ones to be found in the winner’s circle at the end of the day.

This year the Ohio State Trapshooting Association (OSTA) has a new event for the opening on June 20. It’s sure to make everyone who shoots a winner regardless of the scores. The event is being billed as the “Shoot for a Cure” for women’s breast cancer. It starts with a “Pink Practice” session at 9:30AM and a “Celebrity Shoot” at 1:30PM.

Brad Dysinger, President of OSTA, explains the event, “We try to keep trap shooting as a fun family sport. Many shooters and their families have been touched by breast cancer. OSTA Board Member Roger Edgington works at a hospital and proposed the concept. We think it is a good way to raise funds for breast cancer research and promote trap shooting. The concept has grown from that discussion into the Pink Practice session and the Celebrity Shoot. White Flyer will be supplying pink targets and Federal is providing the pink shells for the event. That will add a different look to the targets and should be a lot of fun for everyone.”

Dysinger stressed that you don’t have to be an experienced trap shooter to come out and join the fun. Veteran shooters will be on hand to help any novice shooters who want to participate.

Memorial Day 2011 – Remembering Those Who Gave All to Defend Our Rights

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

By Jim Irvine

We are often thanked for all we do to secure firearms rights in Ohio, but this Memorial Day, it's important to remember all those who have come before us, and won all of the big battles. It is only through their sacrifice and perseverance that we are able to fight today's battles.

While it's easy to get caught up in the moment of your own struggles, our lives as we know them would not be possible without the many victories of our veterans. Again and again they have paid the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedom.

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