Op-Ed: Gun ban doesn't reduce crime

By Matt White

Men and women dedicated to taking away our Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms are on the march.

Chief among these gun-banners is Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City, but he has some lousy cohorts from Ohio, including: Akron Mayor Donald Plusquellic, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman, Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin, Mansfield Mayor Lydia Reid and Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams.

Each of these men and women have signed onto Bloomberg's group Mayors Against Illegal Guns. But, don't let this group's name fool you, it isn't just targeting illegal guns — it's out to ban all guns, which becomes obvious when you take a look at the conduct of its members.

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Take for instance Cleveland's Jackson's recent press release, in which he stated, "Today the City of Cleveland filed a declaratory judgment against the State of Ohio to fight the enactment of Ohio Revised Code 9.68, which seeks to threaten the safety of our children, citizens, businesses and visitors by nullifying local gun laws that were put in place to address the specific needs of the City of Cleveland."

The law that Jackson is using his political office to fight has nothing to do with illegal guns — it simply makes the restrictions on carrying legal guns consistent across all of Ohio. And, further, enacting the law will do nothing to threaten Ohioans — it will actually make them safer because the law will be uniform throughout the state of Ohio.

Bloomberg has taken his bullying campaign several steps further by sending civilian private investigators into gun stores across the country to serve as "straw" purchasers (people who purchase a gun with the knowledge it will be used by another person). The problem: Bloomberg was so eager to target gun salesman he didn't alert the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Several law enforcement officials have said the mayor's actions have put as many as 18 active law enforcement investigations into jeopardy, and the bureau is conducting an investigation into his activities.

The fact is these mayors are interested in banning guns because they've bought into the notion that more guns mean more violence — something that simply isn't true. The reality is, the more citizens who have guns the safer all citizens are. Think about it: When a robber has to stop and consider whether potential victims are packing heat, that robber is forced to consider the possibility of getting shot. And, what's more, if victims are forced to defend themselves, at least they're able to do so.

Across the board, gun bans have failed to reduce violence. In a report by the National Institute of Justice on the now-expired federal ban on assault weapons, Christopher Koper, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote, "We cannot clearly credit the ban with any of the nation's recent drop in gun violence.

No matter which level of government is interested in banning guns, it simply does not work. Disarming peaceful citizens only makes them easy prey for those who are interested in hurting them. Banning guns does not decrease gun violence — it only takes away an important constitutional right.

Matt White is a senior magazine journalism major and a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].