By Chris Chumita
There are more stories pertaining to our gun rights in Ohio then we can possibly draw attention to with individual daily commentary. But they are all worthy of mention.
What follows is our review of headlines from around the state though a pro-gun rights lens.
From cops stockpiling ammo to an open carry march, these articles should be a part of your required reading!
What follows is several days of headlines accompanied by short, concise pro-gun analysis.
The difficulty of obtaining access to hunting ground is increasingly given as a reason fewer hunters are going afield each year. Rumors of badly-behaved hunters and liability concerns are increasingly given as a reason fewer farmers are willing to give permission, even though Ohio’s deer herd causes millions of dollars in damage to farmers’ crops each year in the Buckeye state.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife and Ohio Farm Bureau are teaming up to do something about it, and they need hunters’ help.
Last week, the Ohio Division of Wildlife announced that it was teaming up with the Ohio Farm Bureau to consider a pilot program that will help manage local deer herds and expand hunter access. A survey was made available at wildohio.com to help determine deer hunters’ interest in participating in such a program (the survey is now closed).
This week, Toledo Blade outdoors writer Steve Pollick has weighed in on the subject, and our own outdoor writer, Larry S. Moore, has some thoughts of his own.
The (Wooster) Daily Record is reporting that two proud fathers recently joined with their children on successful turkey hunts.
Wes Martin’s son, Dylan, 7, and Scott Ries’ daughter, Abby, 6, each harvested a jake early in the 2009 season.
By Jim Irvine
I recently finished reading The Ohio Guide to Firearm Laws by Ken Hanson, now in the third edition. For all the people who have acquired their first CHL in the past year, this book should be considered a must-read. For those who have already read one of the previous editions, there is enough new material in the latest version to make it worthy investment of your time and money.
If you are going to play a game, you need to know the rules. Carrying a gun, or using it for self defense, are far more serious than any game, and it is infinitely more important that you fully know and understand the rules. This is complicated by the fact that the rules keep changing. Ignorance is no excuse.
Representative John Domenick (D-95) of Smithfield has introduced House Bill 158, which seeks to add instructors who are certified to teach courses that meet the requirements of Ohio’s concealed handgun license (CHL) law to the list of persons who are exempted from paying a fee to obtain a CHL.
The National Rifle Association has selected Buckeye Firearms Association Central Ohio Chair Linda Walker to receive the 2009 Sybil Ludington Women’s Freedom Award.
According to the NRA, “the Sybil Ludington Women’s Freedom Award recognizes exceptional accomplishments of modern heroines through their legislative activism as well as advocacy, volunteerism, and education of others to the goals of the Second Amendment and the NRA on a national level. Its name comes from a heroine of the American Revolution.”
An NRA press release announced that “Linda Walker of Alexandria, Ohio received the Sybil Ludington Women’s Freedom Award for her outstanding history of achievements.”
Twitter has become the hot new way to keep up-to-date with what people are doing. So we’ve created our own Twitter page to give you another option to follow news from Buckeye Firearms Association.
The (St. Marys, OH) Evening Leader is reporting on State Rep. John Adams’ introduction of House Bill 129, legislation that would amend Ohio’s concealed carry law to a model similar to the State of Alaska.
Under the proposal, Ohioans who are legally allowed to possess and purchase firearms would not be required to obtain a license to carry one. Other changes include removing the requirement that license-holders inform approaching law enforcement officials that a person is carrying a concealed weapon.
CIFTA Gun Treaty Removes Congressional Oversight
By Dave Kopel
I’ve completed my review of the South America gun-control treaty that Mr. Obama wants to get ratified.
It is known as CIFTA, the Inter-American Convention Against The Illicit Manufacturing Of And Trafficking In Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, And Other Related Materials. It can be found here verbatim:
http://www.oas.org/juridico/English/treaties/a-63.html
— EVERY aspect of the treaty introduces major required gun controls, most of which will affect average citizens (as well as the targeted criminal syndicates, dictators and other bad actors).
— The controls go way past anything EVER attempted by gun-control groups in the United States.
By Jim Shepherd
When United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia penned the majority-opinion in the landmark Heller decision last year, he was roundly criticized by legal scholars (primarily from the dissenting position) for having created a document that left many legal questions regarding firearms unanswered.
Justice Scalia’s response was simple: the broad decision was written, and the lower courts would use the Heller decision to create legal precedents from other cases going forward. In other words, precedent-setting cases on the nuances of the matter of the individual right to keep and bear arms enumerated by the Second Amendment would follow.
Seems Justice Scalia was as on target with that estimation as he was in the majority opinion.
Less than a year after Heller, the Circuit Courts of the United States seem to be headed back to the Supreme Court with contrary findings on gun rights. It is highly likely the Supreme Court will, once again, hear a case and decide another piece of precedent-setting law.