2014 - BFA in the News
Note: some websites change or deactivate stories after we link them here.
December 28, 2014
WBZI 1500 AM's "Classic Country Outdoor" radio program
Buckeye Firearms Association President Jim Irvine was a guest on "Classic Country Outdoor" with co-hosts David Linkhart and Larry Moore. The show is syndicated Sundays at noon on WKFI AM 1090, WEDI AM 1130, WBZI AM 1500, FM 100.3 and on the Internet at www.myclassiccountry.com.
December 26, 2014
Dayton Daily News - New gun law lessens training hours
Joe Eaton, treasurer for the Buckeye Firearms Association and a Warren County resident, said he favors the bill. He noted that neighboring Indiana requires no training to obtain a CCW permit.
“It’s a debate that even the instructors and the gun rights supporters have had,” Eaton said. “But if you look at the facts behind it, even states which have no training whatsoever do not have any higher incidents of accidents or problems with their concealed carry program. To date, there has been no state that has looked to increase the amount of training that’s required.”
Buckeye Firearms Association is a “huge proponent” of training and proficiency with firearms, he said. “But the debate comes down to whether that should be a requirement or not,” he added.
December 26, 2014
NewsMax.com - Ohio Gun Laws: 4 Quotes from Heated Debate
Ken Hanson of the Buckeye Firearms Association said he believes an overhaul of "state your ground" has long been necessary in Ohio.
...“We’ve been using a medieval concept for modern self-defense,” Hanson is quoted as saying on Cleveland.com. “No one believes you can outrun a gun.”
December 24, 2014
Firearms Radio Network's "We Like Shooting" radio program
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Sean Maloney was a guest on "We Like Shooting" with host Shawn Herrin. The show is syndicated on the Firearms Radio Network. Click here to listen to the podcast. Maloney's segment begins at 04:36.
December 23, 2014
Dayton Daily News - Mall should allow CCW holders, advocate says
Law-abiding concealed carry weapons permit holders should be allowed to carry their firearms in private businesses that cannot guarantee their customers will not encounter criminals, according to a representative of a state firearms advocacy group.
Joe Eaton, southwest region leader of the Buckeye Firearms Association and Warren County resident, said permit holders should be allowed to carry their firearms into malls.
“Unless the Dayton Mall can absolutely guarantee all of their shoppers that none of the criminals are going to be on the property, then it only makes sense to let each individual decide how they are best going to keep themselves or their families safe as they’re out in public,” Eaton said.
Saturday’s deadly shooting outside the Dayton mall is a perfect example of why permit holders should be allowed to carry weapons into malls, he said.
A CCW permit holder shot and killed a 16-year-old who Miami Twp. Police said was attempting to rob the permit holder of his newly purchased athletic shoes.
...“This (permit holder), his life was put into danger. He had the means and the ability to go home to his family and to be able to celebrate the holidays with this family. It’s unfortunate that the criminal was only 16 years old,” Eaton said. “But when he decided to move from smaller crimes to armed robbery, that unfortunately was the decision that he made.”
The Dayton Mall’s standards of conduct state that the mall and its parking lot are private property. The standards also state that the mall “reserves the right to prohibit any conduct or activity which it deems, in its sole discretion, violates this policy.” One of the examples stated is “carrying or possessing any weapons of any kind, including weapons carried pursuant to a valid license.”
“If any private business, whether its a mall or any other location, decides to restrict that, they have the right to restrict that. The law says that if you knowingly violate a posted location, it is a criminal trespass charge,” Eaton said.
December 21, 2014
Armed American Radio
Buckeye Firearms Association President Jim Irvine was a guest on "Armed American Radio," the official radio program of The United States Concealed Carry Association. AAR is syndicated nationally by Salem Radio Network.
December 15, 2014
NRANews.com - "Cam & Co."
Buckeye Firearms Association Vice President Linda Walker was a guest on NRANews.com. Linda discussed the sexual assault of an Ohio realtor with NRANews.com's Cam Edwards on Cam & Company.
December 14, 2014
WBZI 1500 AM's "Classic Country Outdoor" radio program
Buckeye Firearms Association Vice President Linda Walker was a guest on "Classic Country Outdoor" with co-hosts David Linkhart and Larry Moore. The show is syndicated Sundays at noon on WKFI AM 1090, WEDI AM 1130, WBZI AM 1500, FM 100.3 and on the Internet at www.myclassiccountry.com.
December 12, 2014
WJW (Fox Cleveland) - Bill to make changes to Ohio gun laws
“It restores rights that we’ve lost and it aligns it and makes it work better,” said Jim Irvine, President of Buckeye Firearms Association. “This is really good public policy. Currently, Ohio will issue concealed handgun licenses to people prohibited from owning guns. That’s bad policy.”
December 9, 2014
The Sportsman Channel - "Cam & Co."
Buckeye Firearms Association Vice President Linda Walker was a guest on The Sportsman Channel's "Cam & Co." Linda discussed passage of pro-gun rights legislation in the Ohio Senate for the first time since 2012.
December 9, 2014
Gongwer News Service - Senate Approves Heavily Amended Firearms Legislation
Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine offered support for changes to the legislation that would allow out-of-state individuals who work in Ohio to obtain concealed carry licenses; reduce training requirements; and correct the restoration rights for some individuals.
December 9, 2014
Dayton Daily News - Senate OKs gun, fireworks bills
Ohioans for Concealed Carry and the Buckeye Firearms Association supported the changes the bill makes to the CCW law, which initially took effect 10 years ago. Training hours will drop to eight hours from 12 and still require two hours of range time and it will require a national background check for everyone seeking permits, rather than just a state background check for long-time Ohio residents. It also allows people who live out-of-state but work in Ohio to be eligible to apply for an Ohio CCW permit.
December 9, 2014
Columbus Dispatch - Committee passes bill allowing hunters to use gun suppressors
Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said that silencers are a safety protection for hunters. “Anytime you’re shooting a gun idea to wear hearing protection.” Since hunters can’t do that, silencers are the next best thing to protect their hearing, he said.
December 9, 2014
La Presse (Montreal, Quebec) - When the American teachers are arming
"As in Sandy Hook, teachers are willing to sacrifice their lives to protect our children. We must help them, give them the tools they need to win," says Jim Irvine, director of the Buckeye Firearms Association.
For 18 months, the Buckeye Firearms Association - created to defend the interests of gun owners - paid $ 250,000 for 300 teachers, administrators and superintendents of five states follow three days of training. The third of them were then obtained permission to bring their class weapon.
"The idea is not to replace the police, but the sinews of war, it is time. The sooner neutralize the killer, the less one was hurt, argues Mr. Irvine. Before, no one wanted to hear about such an idea, and now calls and donations flowing.
..."Even without a gun, you can trap the killer, hit him with a stick, stapler," adds Jim Irvine, which campaigns in the same state. "We need to change attitudes. Remain passive turns people into easy prey. At Virginia Tech [where a shooting had 32 deaths in 2007], the classes that are defended against the shooter had a much lower rate of victims."
..."As for the fight against the fires, several things combined save lives, as the design of buildings, fire drills and emergency kits that keep people alive until help," explains about him Jim Irvine, director of the Buckeye Firearms Association.
December 8, 2014
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Eddie & Tracy Show" Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Joe Eaton was a guest on The Eddie & Tracy Show. Joe discussed Rep. Alicia Reece's (D) introduction of a 'toy' gun control bill.
December 6, 2014
Columbus Dispatch - Fake guns pose risk - Changing the look of toys won’t make police officer’s job easier
“The people who are intending to do bad things have figured out that if you have an orange tip on a gun, the police hesitate,” Ken Hanson, legislative chair of Buckeye Firearms Association, told Gongwer Ohio news service.
December 3, 2014
The Sportsman Channel - "Cam & Co."
Buckeye Firearms Association Vice President Linda Walker was a guest on The Sportsman Channel's "Cam & Co." Linda discussed the latest on efforts to pass pro-gun rights legislation in Ohio for the first time since 2012.
November 28, 2014
WYTV (ABC Youngstown) - Gun expert stresses gun safety, even with ‘toys’
he investigation of a 12-year-old boy fatally wounded by a Cleveland police officer could take months.
Police said Tamir Rice was carrying a pellet gun that looks similar to a real weapon.
Rick Kaleda is the Northeast Ohio Coordinator for the Buckeye Firearms Association. When it comes to a real handgun versus a fake one, he teaches that there is no difference.
“As far as they are concerned, there is no such thing as a gun that is a toy. If it looks like a gun, it needs to be treated like a gun,” Kaleda said.
Kaleda is a father to two girls, 13-year-old Alexis and 10-year-old Kayla.
“When it comes to education of children, you can’t start early enough. I know with my own children, I taught them the Eddy Eagle Program that the NRA puts out,” Kaleda said.
Alexis knows what to do if she were to come across a gun left unattended.
“That if you see a gun, you stop, don’t touch, leave the area and tell an adult,” she said.
Cleveland police said 12-year-old Tamir Rice pulled an “airsoft”-type pellet gun from his waistband. It did not have the orange safety tip, which makes it hard to distinguish from a real semiautomatic pistol.
Federal law does require imitation guns to at least have an orange plug in the barrel. But, the plugs can be removed or colored over.
Kaleda said safety is the main priority.
“The most important thing that can be stressed is education. Once you take on that responsibility of owning a firearm, you have to make sure that no one can access it that shouldn’t,” he said.
November 26, 2014
"Buckeye Sportsman" with Dan Armitage
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Larry Moore was a guest on Buckeye Sportsman, which is syndicated on the Rocket Media Radio Network to over two dozen stations around the state. Larry discussed Ohio's new hunting regulations involving the use of rifles with straight-walled cartridges.
November 25, 2014
Dayton Daily News - Lawmaker wants bright colors for replica guns - Opponents say bill wouldn’t be effective
Jim Irvine of the Buckeye Firearms Association, however, says the bill wouldn’t be effective because people could paint over the bright colors and because criminals currently paint their real guns with an orange tip to look like a toy so they can gain the upper hand against police.
“It is very dangerous to tell your police officers to shoot or don’t shoot someone based on the color of the gun,” he said.
November 24, 2014
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman calls Tamir Rice shooting 'legitimate'
Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine said Monday that a Cleveland police officer's decision to shoot an airsoft gun-wielding 12-year-old was a valid one.
Irvine, whose association advocates for the rights of gun owners, cited the fact that the officer did not know at the time of the shooting that the child was armed with a toy gun that shot only plastic pellets.
"In hindsight, at the time, with the information the police officer had, did he make a good decision? Was this a legitimate shoot? And from my opinion, yes it was," said Irvine. "If you have someone who has a gun in a waistband and does not comply with officers' orders and instead reaches for a firearm, the officer can not wait any longer."
The boy, Tamir Rice, died early Sunday at MetroHealth Medical Center from a stomach wound. He was shot Saturday during an altercation with police at Cudell Park on Cleveland's West Side.
After arriving at the park, officers saw Tamir pick up what they believed to be a gun from a table under a gazebo, put it in his waistband and take a few steps, according to Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Jeff Follmer.
Officers drew their guns and told Tamir to raise his hands. Follmer said Tamir lifted his shirt and reached toward his waistband, then one of the two officers on the scene fired two shots, one hitting Tamir in the stomach.
Police later discovered Tamir was carrying an airsoft gun that fires plastic pellets. An orange safety cap designed to distinguish the replica gun from an actual firearm had been removed, police said.
"It is obviously a sad and tragic situation," Irvine said. "Condolences go out to the family of the little kid and also the officer. It's a terrible spot to put him in. Your officer has got to go home safely at the end of the night to his family. It is not right for the officer to risk his life because the citizen didn't comply with the situation."
In the wake of Tamir's death, State Rep. Alicia Reece, a Cincinnati Democrat, announced she will introduce legislation that would require all BB guns, air rifles and airsoft guns sold in Ohio to be brightly colored or have prominent fluorescent strips.
That won't work, Irvine said, because real firearms are already sold in bright colors.
"I think she is very well meaning and affected by the tragedy as anyone is, but that bill is not going to solve the problem," he said. "You can not bet your life or anyone else's based on color. Not the color of the gun or the person's skin. If the person is non-compliant or is doing something that is endangering someone's life, they have to use lethal force to deal with it."
What can prevent similar situations, Irvine said, are parents. He said there's nothing wrong with children using real or fake guns, but the same protocols should be followed for both types.
"It's sad and it's tragic, and for every parent, it's a time to talk to your kids about this," he said. "When a cop gives you an order, you have to follow it. If a police officer tells you to do something, you better do it and deal with what he thinks is important first. And that's a lesson every adult should teach their kids."
November 24, 2014
Gongwer News Service - Reece Proposes Bright Colors For Air Rifles In Response To Police Shooting Of Youth; Firearms Group Doubts Bill's Impact
Rep. Alicia Reece said Monday she plans to introduce legislation that would make it easier for police to discern whether a suspect is holding a real firearm or an air rifle.
The announcement follows Saturday's deadly shooting by police of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland. The Democrat said her bill also harkens to the Dayton-area fatal shooting of John Crawford III at a Walmart in August.
Both victims were shot while brandishing imitation guns.
The Buckeye Firearms Association, meanwhile, expressed doubt that the bill would accomplish the sponsor's aim.
...
Buckeye Firearms Association Legislative Chair Ken Hanson said the group is not necessarily opposed to the bill but does not think it would correct the problem.
"What it comes down to, it's not a tool issue, it's a user issue, and when someone has a police officer in their face saying, 'put your hands up' and they're reaching for what appears to be a very, very real gun, that's the fault," he said in an interview, adding the people involved in high-profile police altercations are "disproportionately at fault."
"The same thing with the Walmart out in Beavercreek, if you watch the video, that guy swung the gun up at customers 15 times in the video."
In reference to the California legislation, Mr. Hanson said criminals are using the requirement for an orange tip on imitation guns to their advantage.
"The people who are intending to do bad things have figured out that if you have an orange tip on a gun, the police hesitate," he said, adding that individuals could spray paint a real gun orange or paint a colorful imitation rifle black.
November 24, 2014
The Sportsman Channel - "Cam & Co."
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Sean Maloney was a guest on The Sportsman Channel's "Cam & Co." Sean discussed the latest efforts to arm teachers for the protection of students.
November 22, 2014
Dayton Daily News - Deer gun season will have new look this year
Ohio had been a shotgun-only hunting state for many years. The rising popularity of archery added that method and then around the late 1990s handguns were permitted. To Jamestown’s Larry Moore of the Buckeye Firearms Association the progression from handguns to rifles using the same straight-walled cartridges was natural.
The BFA met with wildlife officials a couple of years ago and began working out a program to get landowners behind the idea. Once the farm bureau backed it, there was no opposition, so the council gave its approval.
“Hunters have wanted to hunt deer with a rifle in Ohio for many years,” Moore said. “This makes that happen. It’s also a desire of the people who do Cowboy Action Shooting. They are enthusiastic about this.”
November 17, 2014
NRANews.com - "Cam & Co."
Buckeye Firearms Association Vice President Linda Walker was a guest on NRANews.com. Linda discussed pending legislation in the Ohio Senate with NRANews.com's Cam Edwards on Cam & Company.
November 17, 2014
Kentwired.com - Opposing sides debate need for stricter regulations on access to guns
Chad Baus, secretary for the Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA) said the bill would potentially infringe upon his Second Amendment right. The BFA is a grassroots organization dedicated to protecting the right to bear arms.
“The words ‘shall not be infringed’ are in there for a reason,” Baus said. “Mandating that someone lock up their firearm, which they need quick access to in the event of an emergency, is infringement that could get you killed. A home invader isn’t going to give you time to say, ‘Wait a minute, I need to get my gun unlocked.’”
HB 31 is not beneficial because it depends on a person to be responsible to follow the law, and irresponsible people will not change their behavior because of this law, Baus said.
Baus also said the bill is based on myths. He cited a 2000 Yale School of Law study that found no support for the claim that safe storage laws reduce juvenile accidental gun deaths or suicides and that they impair gun owners’ ability to use guns defensively.
“It is a myth that safe storage laws protect people. It is also a myth that more children are hurt by guns than by any other means, and it’s a myth that if it saves the life of one child, it is worth it,” Baus said. “Firearms in private hands are used anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand times each day in our country to prevent crime, so the number of innocent children protected by firearm owning parents far outweighs the number of children harmed.”
Instead of a gun lock requirement, Baus said increased gun education will decrease accidental child injuries or deaths.
“The ultimate responsibility for teaching children what to do if they find a gun rests with parents,” Baus said. “Teaching children what to do if they find a gun is no different than teaching a child that ovens should always be considered hot.”
October 31, 2014
Buzzpo.com - Two Men. Six States. One Amendment.
What do two guys, six states and one Constitutional amendment have in common?
A date at the polls next Tuesday.
One man from the battleground state of Ohio and another from the battleground state of Colorado have teamed up to travel a half-dozen states to get out the vote in the lead up to the 2014 midterms.
Tim Knight, founder of last year’s Colorado recalls over gun control, and Sean Maloney, Regional Leader of Buckeye Firearms Association in Ohio, have hit the road for liberty.
The pair bonded last year over the first-ever recall of state officials after Colorado’s new Democratic legislature pushed the most radical gun control in the nation. Maloney, who lives in Ohio, didn’t know Knight at the time but hopped a plane and flew to Colorado to help. After they won, Knight kept in touch with Maloney, sending a Colorado flag as a token of thanks to commemorate their victory at the ballot box.
Now the two are racking up frequent-flier miles and blowing past painted highway lines in a rented black suburban as part of their “Get Out the Vote” trek for the 2014 midterms.
So far, they’ve been to Colorado, Ohio, New Jersey, Connecticut, and just arrived in the state of Iowa to knock doors for U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst.
...The dynamic duo has been busy phone-banking, greeting volunteers, pounding campaign yard signs into the ground, and going door-to-door to talk with voters.
Both men are running to become Board Members for the National Rifle Association (NRA) next year.
Knight’s and Maloney’s leadership signals a new day in Second Amendment activism with a roll-up-your-sleeves, get-it-done type of attitude that doesn’t wait for an invitation from a political party to get things done. Neither men were invited to be part of any official GOP “Get Out the Vote” program – they’re just two guys showing up to help get the job done.
About his activism, Maloney has written: “I am nobody special. I just couldn’t sit back and watch fellow Americans lose their fundamental gun rights… The next time you ask yourself if it’s worth it or struggle to justify the time away from your family, spend five minutes (in a state) where they have lost what you fight for.”
Both will work their way back to their home states of Colorado and Ohio, where they will spend Election Night back home with their families.
For now, they have a few more days to get out the vote.
October 29, 2014
WHO 1040AM
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Sean Maloney was a guest on WHO 1040AM in Des Moines, IA.
October 28, 2014
Yale Daily News - Pro-gun activists rally in Hartford
The Connecticut Citizens Defense League hosted the conference, where Second Amendment activists — Timothy Knight from Colorado and Sean Maloney from Ohio — spoke in favor of gun rights. Although neither speaker disclosed their political affiliation, the CCDL, which is a non-partisan organization that works to protect Second Amendment rights, has endorsed Republican Tom Foley for governor.
...Knight led the recall of two Colorado state senators, John Morse and Angela Giron, after they supported more stringent gun control laws last year in response to the Aurora, Colorado, shooting. Maloney, a leader at the Buckeye Firearms Association, said that he got involved with the Colorado recall because he could not stand by and watch passively as constitutional rights were curtailed.
...Both Knight and Maloney stressed that they are in Connecticut simply to motivate people to exercise their right to vote, not to support a specific candidate.
...Both Knight and Maloney are also running to serve on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association.
“Whether I’m on the board or not, I’m never going to stop my fight for freedom,” Maloney said.
October 28, 2014
WJJF 94.9 FMs "Lee Elci Show"
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Sean Maloney was a guest on the "Lee Elci Show" with host Lee Elci. The show is broadcast from Hartford, CT.
October 27, 2014
WTNH (ABC New Haven, CT) - Leaders of gun advocacy group visit Connecticut
“Get off the couch, get out, make phone calls to your friends, this is your opportunity, this is your chance for a recall,” said Sean Maloney of the Buckeye Firearms Association in Ohio who also came to help the effort.
October 27, 2014
Middletown Press - Connecticut gun rights activists urge vote for Tom Foley, not Joe Visconti
Sean Maloney, an attorney and 2nd Amendment activist and leader of the Buckeye Firearms Association in Ohio, was also there at Wilson’s invitation.
...Maloney told the group to influence their friends to vote Malloy out. “This is you chance for a recall,” he said. “Our civil rights are borderless ... we need to protect each other ... get out the vote ... you are not powerless."
October 27, 2014
WOIO (CBS Cleveland) - Local teachers training for active shooter situations
"We need our educators to use force and violence to stop the violence and save lives," said Jim Irvine, President of the Buckeye Firearms Association.
The Buckeye Firearms Association is an organization committed to training teachers to respond to active shooter situations.
"We've spent over a quarter of a million dollars to train 300 teachers," said Irvine.
The program is called F.A.S.T.E.R, and it's an intensive three day training that shows educators how to shoot, how to negotiate with a killer, and takes teachers through a simulated shooting.
"The common comment is, 'I'm a changed person. I'm a different person'," said Irvine.
The Buckeye Firearms Association keeps the schools confidential, but Irvine says 30-40 districts across Ohio, including some in Cuyahoga and Summit Counties have completed the F.A.S.T.E.R training.
There has been some opposition from educators who claim the training is unnecessary. Irvine points to the past as precedent, and says we should never stop striving to keep schools safe.
"Don't ever lose that sense of madness that we have to teach our teachers to kill kids that are coming to kill students," said Irvine.
October 27, 2014
WBNS (CBS Columbus) - More Than A Dozen Gun Bills Await Lawmakers After Election
But Ken Hanson from the Buckeye Firearms Association says all of this worry is overblown.
"My goodness when we changed carry in the car, people were going to be twirling guns on their fingers," said Hanson. "Well we can carry guns in restaurants and now people will be drinking beers and shooting each other. None of it every comes true."
Hanson says despite objections from the Fraternal Order of Police, each gun bill will have its day at the statehouse.
"I've called it an embarrassment of riches. we have a lot of gun bills," said Hanson.
October 23, 2014
Hartford Courant - Both Sides of the Gun Debate Ramp Up Their Activism in Connecticut
The Connecticut Citizens Defense League is bringing in two prominent 2nd Amendment activists--Timothy Knight, who led a successful movement in Colorado to recall pro-gun control legislators, and Sean Maloney, an attorney from Ohio--for a series of appearances in Connecticut, including a press conference Monday at the state Capitol.
"Both Timothy and Sean will have an itinerary that includes guest radio spots, visits to firearms retailers and visits with gatherings of 2nd Amendment supporters in certain locations,'' the CCDL stated in a press release announcing the visit.
October 23, 2014
New Haven Register - Race for Connecticut governor fueled by $1M in ads over gun debate
The Connecticut Citizens Defense League has invited Timothy Knight of Colorado and Sean Maloney, a Second Amendment activist and the leader of Buckeye Firearms Association, to come to the north steps of the state Capitol to rally behind Foley.
October 22, 2014
MediaMatters.org - Dana Loesch's New Gun Book Botches Quotes From The Founding Fathers
In a section titled, "In Their Own Words," Loesch writes, "Just to make sure everyone reading this book is well armed -- pun intended -- with the facts about the Founders and their intentions, the Buckeye Firearms Association compiled a list of quotes attributed to various Founders that demonstrated beyond any shadow of a doubt what our Constitution's drafters intended when they drafted and approved the Second Amendment."
Loesch added, "Do the new-century equivalent of sticking them onto your fridge: Post them to Facebook or Twitter."
October 18, 2014
Columbus Dispatch - Gov. John Kasich takes message to southern Ohio spots he lost in 2010
Shaun Maloney, an attorney with the Buckeye Firearms Association and elections coordinator for the NRA, credited the governor for having “the common sense and foresight and the vision to do what is right.”
Maloney noted that Kasich signed legislation allowing concealed weapons in establishments serving alcohol as long as the permit-holder doesn’t drink. Maloney said he hopes everyone in such restaurants is armed because they’d be much safer than if they had to “check their civil rights at the door.”
October 7, 2014
Dayton Daily News - No laws regulate air rifles, BB guns
“They’re designed to be the same style as a lot of other sporting rifles,” said Joe Eaton, a spokesman for the Buckeye Firearms Association. It’s a good trade-off, having those same features that people may use for practice.”
October 6, 2014
The Sportsman Channel - "Cam & Co."
Buckeye Firearms Association Vice President Linda Walker was a guest on The Sportsman Channel. Linda discussed the murder of an Arkansas realtor and the fact that National Association of Realtors has invited anti-self-defense rights extremists Gabby Gifford’s as their keynote speaker at their convention in November with The Sportman Channel's Cam Edwards on Cam & Company.
October 3, 2014
MediaMatters.org - "They've Got Us Hogtied": Inside The Gun Lobby's Strategy Conference
In Chicago, Sean Maloney of the Buckeye Firearms Association warned, "A universal background check equals universal confiscation. Look it up, it's history, it happens every time."
October 3, 2014
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Ohio's gun-lobby report card is all about ownership -- of state lawmakers: Brent Larkin
Report cards are out. Students have learned their lessons well.
As always, there are a few laggards. Some never get it.
But most are easily trained and don’t make trouble. Most importantly, they always do what they’re told, which conserves brain cells for thinking about other matters.
Ohioans may not be proud of their General Assembly, but the Buckeye Firearms Association sure is.
And when it comes to pleasing either the people they represent or Ohio’s most powerful gun lobby, many legislators will choose the later.
Every single time.
And that’s exactly why our legislators received, on balance, far better report cards than the ones released a few days earlier that graded Ohio’s schoolchildren. The kids didn’t do as well as the lawmakers, but at least their grades were honestly earned.
By my count, Buckeye Firearms endorsed in 74 of the 99 Ohio House seats that will be filled on Election Day. Sixty-nine of the 74 endorsements went to Republican candidates, five to Democrats.
Buckeye Firearms also grades most candidates (http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/buckeye-firearms-association-pac-announce...). Ten Democrats earned A’s; 68 Republicans got top grades. (Note: Not all candidates who received an A grade were endorsed.)
Eleven House candidates earned D grades. And four have been so naughty that the gun lobby had no choice but to flunk them. All four failures are incumbents. All are Democrats. All are black.
One is state Rep. Bill Patmon, the Cleveland legislator who had the audacity to introduce a bill that required guns to be stored in safe places so children can’t get their hands on them and kill themselves, or others.
Because they follow orders, children be damned, all those A students decided Patmon’s bill should not become law. So it won’t.
On the Senate side, the gun lobby endorsed 12 candidates, all Republican. Eleven of those candidates -- 10 of them Republican -- earned A’s. Two Democrats were graded D. State Sen. Michael Skindell, a Lakewood Democrat, got an F.
Unlike school, the Buckeye Firearms’ grading system probably also includes built-in expectations. So when legislators return to Columbus the second week of November, they will be expected to bring with them their gratitude. And that will require passing a law or two that eases gun ownership and concealed-carry restrictions.
They’ll have lots to choose from.
There are 20 gun bills pending in the Ohio House. Fourteen of those bills would expand access to firearms. That, in and of itself, speaks volumes about what legislators deem important.
Chances are, the very lame-duck legislature will see to it that one or more of those 14 bills becomes law.
Maybe it will be the bill that all but eliminates requirements for carrying a concealed weapon.
Maybe it will be the one that allows guns in schools and churches.
Maybe it will be the bill prohibiting guns from being melted down because they’re so precious.
Maybe it’ll be a stand-your-ground law.
Whatever this pathetic bunch decides, the decision will undoubtedly be a bad one.
“What scares me more than anything is the triumph of individual rights over the collective good,” said Lori O’Neill, a Cleveland-area resident and vice chair of the National Gun Victims Action Council.
Added Toby Hoover, head of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, “The pro-gun people have taken over the Statehouse. It’s scary.”
Very.
The gun lobby has probably become Ohio’s most powerful special interest group. Among the many candidates who grovel for gun group support are the state’s most important elected officials.
Except for the governor, the four others who occupy administrative offices have little or no impact on gun policy. Nevertheless, Buckeye Firearms handed out endorsements and grades for all five elected offices.
Spoiler alert: The gun lobby loves Republicans.
Gov. John Kasich received a B+, his Democratic opponent, Ed FitzGerald, a D. Attorney General Mike DeWine got a B, Democratic challenger David Pepper a C-. Secretary of State Jon Husted was favored with an A, Democrat Nina Turner a D. State Auditor David Yost and Democratic opponent John Carney received an A and D, respectively. And State Treasurer Josh Mandel was rewarded with an A, while Democrat Connie Pillich had to settle for a C.
Kasich was denied an A, even though as governor he’s signed every gun bill sent his way. And, in a nod to Republican extremists, a Kasich spokesman said recently the governor would be willing to study any proposed stand-your-ground law.
But gun lovers aren’t a forgiving bunch. Their long memories date back to 1994 when, as a member of Congress, Kasich voted for an assault weapons ban, earning him an F on that year’s National Rifle Association report card.
Twenty years later, the gun lobby has a governor it likes.
And a legislature it owns.
September 24, 2014
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Opponents of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's gun laws say ordinances would not survive court challenge
On Wednesday, Ken Hanson, legislative director of the Buckeye Firearms Association and an attorney specializing in gun rights, provided council with a point-by-point analysis of the proposal. (See his analysis in the document viewer below.)
The purpose of the state statute was to replace local gun laws that varied widely between jurisdictions with uniform statewide regulations, Hanson said, adding that the proposed ordinances fly in the face of that goal.
Many of the ordinances that duplicate state law provide no new tools to law enforcement officials and serve no valid government purpose except to allow the city to collect fines for violating a misdemeanor version of the statute, Hanson said.
"The city cannot take a felony and label it a misdemeanor," he said. "This is beyond a radical reversal of court precedent."
The gun offender registry raises its own questions, too, including how much of the information will be made public and what happens when an offender has his or her record expunged or moves out of Cleveland, Hanson said.
If the city does create the registry, it should conduct a periodic review of data to determine whether it actually reduces gun violence, he said.
September 10, 2014
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Buckeye Firearms gets behind Gov. John Kasich: Ohio Politics Roundup
Buckeye Firearms endorses Kasich: Republican Gov. John Kasich picked up an endorsement Tuesday from the Buckeye Firearms Association.
Gannett Ohio reports that the gun-rights advocacy group grades Kasich a B+ and Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald a D. The group endorsed every other Republican running statewide, but did back some Democrats in legislative races.
The Kasich endorsement is significant, given that Buckeye Firearms supported then-Gov. Ted Strickland – a Democrat – during the 2010 gubernatorial cycle.
September 9, 2014
Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum - Ohio gun group backs Kasich, GOP
Ohio's gun-rights group this week announced its endorsements, and not surprisingly, backed mostly Republicans across the state.
The Buckeye Firearms Association endorsed Gov. John Kasich and every other Republican running statewide this fall. The pro-guns group also mostly backed the GOP in statehouse races, but some Democrats did get its support. The entity did not endorse in every statehouse race.
The group gave Kasich a B+ grade compared to a D for Democrat Ed FitzGerald. Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine received a B grade compared to a C- for Democrat candidate David Pepper.
For a full list of the group's endorsements and what the grades mean, visit its website.
September 8, 2014
NPR.org - Kroger Policy Attracts Pro And Anti-Gun Advocates
Jim Irvine is chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association, an Ohio gun rights group. He doubts the Bloomberg-backed protest will get Kroger to change its policy.
JIM IRVINE: Business owners care more about making money and running a successful business at what they do. That's why they're involved in it. You know, at the end of the day, the Americans are free people. We think like that. So I think he's going to waste a lot of money, but he's got a lot to waste.
September 4, 2014
Columbus Dispatch - Judges authorize themselves to carry weapons without permit
Jim Irvine, director of the Buckeye Firearms Association, has no problem with judges arming themselves, in court and out, without obtaining concealed-carry permits.
The pro-gun group chafes at restrictions on where permit holders can carry their guns, but it agrees that courthouses, jails and prisons should be off-limits.
“If judges want to carry, that’s great,” he said. “Their job is unique. Maybe more judges should do that.”
August 31, 2014
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Larry Moore was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle. The show is syndicated Sundays at noon on WKFI AM 1090, WEDI AM 1130, WBZI AM 1500, FM 100.3 and on the Internet at www.myclassiccountry.com .
August 31, 2014
Columbus Dispatch - Forgetful gun packers get a break
A nongun owner might not understand how anyone could forget they were carrying a firearm, said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association. But to a regular gun carrier, being unarmed is what would feel strange. He compared it with the odd feeling of driving without your seatbelt.
“We’ve got millions of people carrying firearms every day in our country, so occasionally somebody’s going to forget something,” he said.
Irvine, an airline pilot, said lots of people are under stress when they travel. Forgetting to leave their gun at home might be one of the things that slip their minds.
“That stress causes people to do silly, stupid things,” he said.
August 17, 2014
HumanEvents.com - Police shoot, kill Ohio dad, 22, holding BB gun in Walmart
Sean Maloney, a legislative and region leader at Ohio-based Buckeye Firearms Association, said while it is impossible to know with 100 percent surety what happened that day, particularly before a complete investigation, the Crossman MK-177, which was the rifle that Crawford was holding is a BB gun with a prominent similarity to any sports rifle on the market.
“For example, the Crossman MK-177 is strikingly similar to the SCAR 308,” said the certified National Rifle Association instructor and current candidate for NRA board of directors. “It is very difficult to see the difference.” Although pellet or BB guns are certainly less lethal than a sports rifle, he said they fire-up with an air-driven projectile with enough force to do some harm including kill someone. “These pellets or BB’s are traveling at 12 to 15 hundred feet per second. That is lethal force.”
Buckeye is a grassroots political action committee dedicated to defending and advancing the right of Ohio citizens to own and use firearms.
Maloney, an attorney who assists those in need of Second Amendment protections, said air soft guns are different than BB guns because they do not actually fire a projectile pellet. The air soft firearms shoot little plastic pellets that sting but are non-lethal, he added. “Air soft guns are designed to be fired at each-other.”
In fact federal law prohibits manufacturers from selling air soft guns without a blaze orange solid plug permanently affixed to the muzzle end of the barrel so that law enforcement can distinguish the air soft gun from a real one, he said.
Maloney said he represented several conceal carry holders that have rightfully brandished their firearms in reaction to a fear of death or bodily injury from someone with an air soft gun or a BB gun that looked real.
The legal threshold is fear of serious bodily injury or immediate death whether it is a real gun, an air gun or a BB gun, he said. The instant case makes for a difficult situation for police officers who are being given real-time information and are immediately confronted with a threat of serious bodily harm or an imminent deadly threat because of a real looking firearm, he said. “The 911 call coupled with the realistic firearm used makes for a very volatile situation.”
The best advice that Maloney said he gives to his clients is to follow the instructions of the police. In all instances, whether it is at the side of the road or shopping at a chain store, there will always be time later to argue one’s innocence, he said. “If a police officer is telling you to drop it, even if it is a water gun, follow the instructions and drop it.”
August 12, 2014
WXIX (FOX Cincinnati) - Rise in firearms seen at TSA checkpoints in airports
Jim Irvine, President of Buckeye Firearms Association is also a pilot and says the increase comes from the stress of flying.
"Under stress people revert to their habits. So if your habit is my firearm is underneath this bag under my computer, that's where it's going to end up and you are not going to think about it," said Irvine.
August 12, 2014
Dayton Daily News - Experts: Air guns are not ‘toys’
“What’s the definition of a toy?” said Ken Hanson, legislative director with the Buckeye Firearms Association. “Would I give it to my kids and let them shoot at each other? No.”
But he added that he would not expect pellet and air guns, in most situations, to be capable of killing people.
“You would take a baseball and throw it at someone and do far more damage,” Hanson said.
...Hanson said such devices are not true firearms. They don’t fire projectiles with a combustible propellant, he said. The Crosman uses compressed air.
“As far as killing human beings, no, I’ve not heard of that,” Hanson said. “If you shot someone perfectly, I guess, like through the eyeball where there’s nothing resisting, and it went up into the brain cavity, I suppose there’s the potential for that.”
Such rifles can kill rabbits and squirrels, though.
“They’re legitimate hunting guns for small game — very small game,” Hanson said. “We’re talking really nothing bigger than a rabbit.”
The lethality of any projectile is a function of kinetic energy, he said — the weight of the projectile multiplied by the velocity squared of the projectile delivered, as Hanson described the physics involved when a weapon fires.
...“These guns, they would probably break the skin,” Hanson said. “They might just leave an angry welt.”
“The speed at which something is traveling (is crucial),” Ciyou said. “If you take a bullet and throw it at someone, it’s probably not going to hurt them.”
August 10, 2014
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Larry Moore was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle. The show is syndicated Sundays at noon on WKFI AM 1090, WEDI AM 1130, WBZI AM 1500, FM 100.3 and on the Internet at www.myclassiccountry.com .
August 2, 2014
WHIO 1290 AM's "Shootin' From the Hip" radio program
Buckeye Firearms Association Treasurer Joe Eaton was a guest on "Shootin' From the Hip" with hosts Jeff Pedro and Mark Avery. The show is aired on AM 1290 & 95.7 FM in Dayton. Click here to listen to the podcast. Eaton's segment begins at 2:00.
July 30, 2014
WRGT (Fox Dayton) & WKEF (ABC Dayton) - Controversial Ohio Gun Law
"The Sheriff still has all of the other restrictions as far as no felonies, no violence convictions and all of that which would eliminate someone from getting the temporary license," said Joe Eaton, Buckeye Firearms Association.
All that's needed for the temporary permit is an emergency protection order or signed affidavit saying the person fears for their life, no training required.
"Training any time you're going to be around or use firearms is a great idea, but however, requiring that for someone to keep themselves or their family alive is a hurdle we shouldn't put in there," said Eaton.
..."There is no high or low number for it if they feel that immediate need they have that ability," said Eaton.
July 28, 2014
Gannett Company newspapers - At issue: Open carrying guns
"To further the cause and help educate people, you're not going to do that in a positive way by threatening people by bringing an AR-15 into Target," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, who supports open carry. "From the pro-gun side, I cringe every time I see it."
..."A right not exercised is a right lost," Irvine said. "If you don't (open carry), you can lose that right. People don't know it's legal."
...Irvine said he's not surprised that people call police when they see someone openly carrying a gun — they think the activity is illegal. But dispatchers should be trained to ask follow-up questions and determine whether the behavior is benign or dangerous, he said.
Irvine likened it to someone carrying a baseball bat: "If he is bringing the baseball bat to adult softball, that's not threatening. If yelling he's at people, saying he's going to beat their heads in, that's a different situation. One is threatening, one is not."
July 25, 2014
WAKR 1590 AM
Buckeye Firearms Association Foundation President was interviewed about the news that the foundation had just completed training the 300th educator through its F.A.S.T.E.R. (Faculty/Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response) class.
July 25, 2014
WKRC (CBS Cincinnati) - Teachers on the front line
When classes resume in the fall guns will be in many Ohio schools.
Some educators packing heat started advanced training in the tri-state. Tracy's a teacher in northern Ohio. When classes begin this year she and 11 of her co-workers will be carrying guns. Concerned about safety, school administrators requested we not identify her.
"I want to be the best that I can when it comes to protecting my kids, my personal children, my classroom children and this is where I come to do it," Tracy said.
Tracy and a few dozen like-minded educators were taking their skills to the next level in the first level two training sessions for school officials at John Benner's Tactical Defense Institute.
"This is more about tactics than it is shooting. These people are training for one single event and that event hopefully will save lives," said John Benner, President of TDI.
More than 300 educators have completed the first level of training. All were licensed to carry concealed.
One of the most important things these school officials learned was how to shoot and move. Shooting a gun while moving with children to safety is entirely different than shooting on a line and shooting at a stationary target. Participants also learn about proper holsters and how to work as a team.
The 3 day class is sponsored by the Buckeye Firearms Institute which pays for training and lodging. All the students have to pay for is ammo and travel.
Many of the educators, like Tracy, said their world changed after the 2012 school massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary where 20 children and 6 staffers were shot by Adam Lanza. It took more than 14 minutes for the first police officers to enter that school.
"I've had people tell me, 'Oh, teachers can't do that. They sacrifice their lives for their kids all the time.' Look at sandy hook, that's a perfect example. I think there was four that literally sacrificed their lives, stood in front of their kids or tried to attack a guy with a rifle. That doesn't work very well," said Benner.
Carrying a gun was a life changing event for this teacher.
"I look at everything completely differently. Going into my house at night, going into my classroom, thinking through, 'Hey what are my options?' These are the tools I have, how am I going to use them to survive and go home so all my kids survive and go home," Tracy said.
Some school districts have established quick entry lock boxes in classrooms and in other locations around the buildings. Others require the staffers keep the guns on them at all times. It was also recommended the guns, when holstered, be kept in what's called a 'positive retention holster.' Some actually uses a type of finger release locking mechanism so no one can just walk up and take it away from the owner.
CLICK HERE to find out more about the Tactical Defense Institute.
CLICK HERE to find out more about the Buckeye Firearms Association.
July 9, 2014
WXIX (FOX Cincinnati) - FOX19 Investigates: Group seen openly carrying guns in East Price Hill
"If you have a specific purpose and you do it in a professional and polite way, I think there are benefits to come from it," said Joe Eaton of the Buckeye Firearms Association.
...
While some question the group's motives, Eaton supports their right to open carry.
"Simply because something is concerning does not mean it should be restricted," said Eaton. "Firearms are simply one of the most effective tools for our wives and our families to protect ourselves and that's the way we look at it on the gun rights side."
July 7, 2014
Gannett Company newspapers - Ohio's deer hunters may get silencer approval
Leading the exchange in favor of silencer allowance is the Buckeye Firearms Association which has been giving the state legislature an earful on the subject. While Ohio does allow firearms owners to possess silencers, it is one of 10 states to also prohibit their use while hunting.
July 6, 2014
PoliticsandGuns.com - The Polite Society Podcast
Buckeye Firearms Foundation President Jim Irvine was a guest on The Polite Society Podcast. Jim discussed the very latest on the move to arm teachers and school employees to protect school children through the Foundation's FASTER (Faculty / Administrator Safety Training & Emergency Response) program. Click here to listen to the podcast. Jim's segment begins at 1:01.
July 2, 2014
WTVN 610 AM (Columbus) - Target says 'no' to open-carry in stores
Joe Eaton with the Buckeye Firearms Foundation says Target, as a private property owner, certainly has the right to make this call.
"It is also the right of the gun owners in Ohio and other states to choose where they want to spend their money," he said.
Eaton doesn't believe the policy is an all-out ban on carrying firearms in Target stores, just not in the open.
"Gun owners need to look at when exercising a right is right and need to take into consideration being courteous ambassadors to the non-gun-owners that are out there."
He says openly carrying long-guns into retail establishments is likely the source of the policy.
June 27, 2014
NRAnews.com - "Cam & Co."
Buckeye Firearms Association Legal Chair Ken Hanson was a guest on NRANews.com. Ken discussed Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's proposal of new gun laws with Cam Edwards on Cam & Company.
June 26, 2014
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Cleveland's new gun proposals are just tough talk until legal shootout settles debate
Jackson's proposals received wide attention last week. News organization from the San Francisco Chronicle to Washington Times noted the proposals. Gun-rights advocates, who typically jump on such proposals, held their fire.
So, I asked Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, about Jackson's proposals. He told me the proposed gun restrictions would either duplicate what's already on the books, do nothing to reduce gun violence, or contradict existing gun laws. (I know gun advocates say that about virtually every proposed control measure.)
"Bottom line -- nothing they are proposing will stop/prevent criminals from committing crimes," Irvine said. "We have the mayor and chief of police holding a press conference to say they don't intend to follow the law. And then people wonder why the citizens of the city don't think they have to."
Irvine said city leaders never invite gun advocates to the table, which leaves them open to legal challenges. And gun advocates are happy to take them to court.
"If they want to pass illegal laws, be dragged into court again, and pay our legal bills, we will sue them again," Irvine said.
Asked to respond, Harper said, "We know that there is a fight ahead."
June 26, 2014
The Sentinel-Tribune - Editorial: Middle ground for gun laws?
But barely eight hours after starting phone calls to public officials about the gun ordinance, word (and my cell phone number) had somehow gotten to the Buckeye Firearms Association. The organization's president, Jim Irvine, was under the impression that Bowling Green was considering a ban on firearms in city parks. And he was anything but gray on the issue.
He was several minutes into telling me how criminals seek out gun-free zones like city parks to commit crimes before I could reassure him that Bowling Green wasn't considering a ban. The city was looking at allowing guns in parks - basically because groups like his would likely sue the city to get the current ban tossed.
Irvine said the Buckeye Firearms Association had sued and won the issue against Cleveland. But if Bowling Green changes its ordinance, similar action won't be required here, he said. "If the city gets into compliance on their own, there's nothing to do," Irvine said.
...
And groups like the Buckeye Firearms Association show no willingness to give an inch. Irvine already objects to not being able to carry his weapon in such places as buildings on fairgrounds.
"That's ludicrous," he said. "Why do I lose the right to protect myself?"
Both sides have pointed out that Bowling Green parks have not experienced any shootings with the unenforceable ban in place. And I have trouble believing that criminals seek out locations marked as gun-free zones, despite Irvine telling me, "That's how a mass killer looks at those signs."
...
When asked about the abnormally high rate of gun deaths in Ohio last year among children, Irvine agreed the number was high, but called it an "anomaly."
June 19, 2014
WOSU 89.7 FM (NPR Columbus) - Gun Violence in the US
Buckeye Firearms Association Treasurer Joe Eaton appeared as a guest on WOSU's "All Sides with Ann Fisher" discussing Buckeye Firearms Foundation's ongoing efforts to train willing teachers to protect our kids in schools through the F.A.S.T.E.R. (Faculty/Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response) program. Click here to listen to the podcast. Joe's segment begins at 17:00.
June 18, 2014
Washington Times - Cleveland mayor seeks registry for gun offenders
Buckeye Firearms spokesman Ken Hanson said a gun offender registry is not needed because the federal and state governments already have databases with the names of people who are not allowed to own firearms. He said the registries in those other cities have done nothing to decrease gun violence.
Hanson said there are already laws covering the prohibitions sought by the mayor. Requiring the reporting of firearm transfers to police and limiting the number of guns a person can buy is a violation of state law.
“I understand why they’re asking the questions,” Hanson said. “What I don’t understand is why the officials of one of the biggest cities in Ohio fundamentally misunderstand Ohio law.”
Jackson spokeswoman Maureen Harper said the city would not respond to Hanson.
June 12, 2014
Ohio Outdoor News - UPDATED: Supressor use for hunting in Ohio not getting silent treatment
While Ohio does allow firearms owners to possess silencers it is one of 10 such states to also prohibit them for use while hunting. Currently 39 states permit silencer ownership and use in one form or another.
Thus the Buckeye Firearms Association’s on-going efforts is designed to see that House Bill 234 makes it through both legislative chambers and signed into law by Gov. John Kasich.
...
Undeterred by any negatives- be they the hoops necessary to legally acquire a silencer, their cost and maintenance, even their bulbous looks - the Buckeye Firearms Association is pressing on and is making legislative headway.
Partly because the volunteer group has demonstrated to legislators that a non-silenced rifle has a decibel level of 160 to 170 dBs while a similar rifle outfitted with a device experiences a noise reduction to around 120 dB.
While 120 decibels is less than the pain threshold (130 decibels) it is still more than for either the noise erupting from a rock concert (110 decibels) or what roars from a motorcycle engine (100 decibels).
Just as importantly, says the Firearms Association, there is no case history recorded by the Wildlife Division of a poacher employing a silencer, either.
Other benefits cited by the pro-firearms group includes oft-times increased rifle accuracy and reduced muzzle blast.
Besides, making choices is what being an American firearms owner is all about, says Larry Moore.
“Exactly” says Moore . “We should have the freedom to make our own decisions.”
Moore is an official with the Firearms Association and is an expert on the topic who has offered testimony before the state legislature.
Besides, says Moore, if silencers are legal now than they also should be legally allowed for hunting, particularly with the so-called modern sporting rifles which increasingly are becoming popular with varmint hunters.
“It’s an option we should be allowed to have, no question,” Moore says. “There simply is no reason to deny us from being allowed to use suppressors for hunting, especially when there is no Ohio law preventing us from owning them.”
June 4, 2014
Gongwer News Service - Senate Concealed-Carry Bill Holstered Until Fall
Buckeye Firearms Legislative Chair Ken Hanson said his organization has no concerns with the committee's changes.
In response to Sen. Larry Obhof (R-Medina), Mr. Hanson said Ohio's firearms disability statute is clear that a governor's unconditional pardon relieves disabilities related to firearms.
May 29, 2014
WBNS (CBS Columbus) - Several New Gun Bills Worry Ohio Law Enforcement
"I've called it an embarrassment of riches," said Ken Hanson of the Buckeye Firearms Foundation. "We have a lot of gun bills."
Hanson says the FOP is over reacting to the gun proposals.
"My goodness, when we changed carry in the car they said 'well people are going to be twirling guns on their fingers,'" said Hanson. "They said when we can carry guns in restaurants people would be drinking beers and shooting each other. None of it every comes true."
May 29, 2014
WCPN 90.3 FM (Cleveland) "The Sound of Ideas" - Reducing Gun Violence
May 28, 2014
Columbus Dispatch - Bill aimed at clarifying gun laws in school zones passes House committee
Jim Irvine of the Buckeye Firearms Association said the bill simply makes the law easier to understand.
May 28, 2014
Ohio Public Radio - Proposed Changes To Gun Law Revives Familiar Debate
...[S]upporters of the law say reciprocity is only fair, and not really all that controversial. Jim Irvine is with the Buckeye Firearms Association.
“Different states have different standards for driver’s license, but we don’t say, ‘well, that’s tough - we’re not going to honor Indiana’s driver’s license because we don’t like that.’ We honor all drivers’ licenses. Yeah, there’s different standards, but unless there’s some indication that there’s a danger or a problem with some other states standards, why wouldn’t we accept it?”
The bill also lowers the amount of required training for first-time concealed carry weapons permit applicant from 12 hours to eight. Irvine says that change will actually encourage more people who are applying for concealed-carry weapons permits for the first time to get what he considers the most important hours of training – the first few hours.
“Twelve hours isn’t going to necessarily make them proficient. So the 12 hours doesn’t really solve our problem. Eight hours isn’t going to do that either. But let’s get them in, get them something, and then it’s up to the instructor to say, hey, you need this much more or that much more before I sign you off. And a lot of instructors don’t sign people off at the end of 12 hours – and you shouldn’t, if they’re not ready to carry a firearm yet, if they’re not ready to meet the standard.”
May 23, 2014
Ohio Outdoor News - A look back at Ohio's journey to straight-walled cartridge rifles for deer hunting
A guest op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Larry Moore was published by Ohio Outdoor News.
May 20, 2014
WRGT (Fox Dayton) - Gun-Rights Group Advocating For Trauma Bags In Schools
Keeping kids safe in our schools these days is as important as the curriculum. Now a group who advocates arming teachers is also encouraging schools to get trauma kits ready in case anything traumatic happens.
"Anything we can do to save our kids and make a safer area for them to be in, is excellent," said Joyce Vance who has been happy with the Sidney City School District's approach to protecting students.
"I feel comfortable that she's here," said Vance, referring to her granddaughter.
Not only are many staff members in each building trained to respond to an active shooter and have access to weapons; but each classroom has a small medical kit in case of any medical emergency.
"In the event of a gunshot wound or a large laceration, it can be put on and direct pressure can be put on the wound. That's a stop gap until we get medics into the situation," said Deputy Rick Cron, who leads the school response team.
Now district leaders plan on going one step further after recommendations from the Buckeye Firearms Foundation.
"We are well prepared but we need to be better prepared," said Superintendent John Scheu who says they plan to have trauma kits in each school, to include gauze compression bandages, even a chest seal and tourniquets, and train staff on how to use them.
"The tourniquet has saved many a soldier on the battlefield," Kron said.
The Buckeye Firearms Foundation hopes other a Ohio school districts will follow suit. Superintendent Scheu says he sees it as a one time expense that's worth every penny.
"Hopefully you would never have to use such a trauma kit but it's still being proactive and preparing for an emergency in which case I certainly think it would be appropriate to have the trauma kits available," Scheu said.
"Everything we can do to help the kids and save lives, that's what we want to do," said Vance.
May 19, 2014
Gannett Company newspapers - Working in Ohio? You could get CCW
Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, called it “a good bill.”
“It’s good common sense that addresses real problems,” Irvine said.
May 14, 2014
LibertyRadioOhio.com
Buckeye Firearms Association President Jim Irvine was a guest on "Liberty Radio Ohio." Jim discussed Buckeye Firearms Association's latest efforts to restore and protect gun owners' rights in Ohio and across the country. Click here to listen to the podcast.
May 14, 2014
The Sportsman Channel - "Cam & Co."
Buckeye Firearms Association Vice President Linda Walker was a guest on The Sportsman Channel's "Cam & Co." Linda discussed Buckeye Firearms Association's endorsement of SB 338 with host Cam Edwards. A segment filmed at the 2014 Buckeye Bash was also aired during the show.
May 14, 2014
Cincinnati Enquirer - Gun Bill: Work in Ohio? You could get a concealed carry permit
Jim Irvine, chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association, called it “a good bill...It’s good common sense that addresses real problems.”
May 13, 2014
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Senate gun bill makes concealed carry changes without 'stand your ground' language
The Buckeye Firearms Association said it would close a loophole that allows municipalities to lease public land, such as parks, to private individuals who then ban firearms.
"This is good, common sense legislation," Buckeye Firearms Association President Jim Irvine said in a statement. "It solves real problems for both citizens and law enforcement while maintaining appropriate safeguards to ensure the continued success of concealed carry in Ohio."
May 13, 2014
Columbus Dispatch - Senate bill may open COSI, Nationwide Arena to guns
Ken Hanson, a lawyer and legislative chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said the goal is to make sure the underlying owner of the property is the one subject to the concealed-carry law, not the entity that leases it. If the bill did apply to places such as COSI, he said, “Why shouldn’t people be allowed to carry guns at COSI?”
The new measure was endorsed by the firearms group shortly after it was introduced.
“This is good, common-sense legislation,” said Jim Irvine, president of the association, in a release. “It solves real problems for both citizens and law enforcement while maintaining appropriate safeguards to ensure the continued success of concealed carry in Ohio.”
May 4, 2014
PoliticsandGuns.com - The Polite Society Podcast
Buckeye Firearms Foundation President Jim Irvine was a guest on The Polite Society Podcast. Jim discussed the very latest on the move to arm teachers and school employees to protect school children. Jim's interview is followed immediately by an interview with a teacher named Julie, a graduate of Buckeye Firearms Foundation's FASTER (Faculty / Administrator Safety Training & Emergency Response) program. Click here to listen to the podcast. Jim's segment begins at 31:00.
May 1, 2014
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Bill Cunningham Show"
Buckeye Firearms Association President Jim Irvine was a guest on The Bill Cunningham Show to discuss the opening of the NRA Annual Meetings in nearby Indianapolis. Click here to listen to the podcast.
April 30, 2014
Canton Repository - Concealed Carry licenses continue to rise in Stark
Rick Kaleda, Northeast Ohio chairman for the Buckeye Firearms Association, said some sheriff’s departments throughout Ohio purposely made the concealed carry licensing process “cumbersome.” The way the law initially was written also was unclear.
“When it was first passed, it was one of the clumsiest laws in the country,” said Kaleda.
The organization is “dedicated to defending and advancing the right of citizens to own and use firearms for all legal activities, including self-defense, hunting, competition and recreation.”
according to www.buckeyefirearms.org.
“There was a lot of misinformation and there were a lot of scare tactics. One was an option for journalists to obtain the lists of people who obtained licenses. The intent was pure, but the way that it was used was abused. Some newspapers would print the lists.”
The part of the law that addressed carrying a concealed handgun in a car was not specific and some sheriffs who opposed residents having legal access to handguns dragged out the process, Kaleda said.“It doesn’t take months to do a background check,” he said.
In Mahoning County, where Kaleda lives, the sheriff’s department initially required documentation that no other county required — electric bills going back five years to prove a five-year residency in the county.
It took many people four or five months to get a concealed carry license that is now issued in a single day, he said.
“The people who were (issuing the licenses) went from handling it begrudgingly to handling it as the law required,” he said.
A DECADE AGO
Ohio’s concealed handgun law went into effect April 8, 2004. Residents wanting to carry a concealed gun must apply with their local sheriff’s department for a concealed carry license, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
In the first year, Stark ranked 20th of Ohio’s 88 counties for concealed carry licenses.
Since then, Kaleda said, there have been two major changes in the law, one addressing guns in restaurants and the other, guns in the home.
It is now legal to carry a handgun into a restaurant that serves alcohol if the carrier isn’t drinking, Kaleda pointed out, “where before, 80 percent of the places you’d go out to eat also serve alcohol.” The person who carries a gun for protection was limited in dining out.
That same licensed carrier also no longer has “a duty to retreat” in the event of a house or car break-in.
“There was a gray area as to when you were or weren’t permitted to use lethal force if somebody breaks into your locked car or your home,” Kaleda said, referring to Ohio’s Castle Doctrine law.
“People are taking more responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their families,” Kaleda said.
He added that now that Ohio residents realize licenses no longer are so difficult to obtain, they’re more apt to seek a permit.
“A lot of those things have been cleared up over the past 10 years,” Kaleda said. “People who have an interest in obtaining a license are feeling more comfortable about doing so and they are going to get their licenses.”
April 27, 2014
Gannett Company newspapers - More Ohioans take advantage of Ohio's gun law as it turns 10
“You, as a journalist should, not be able to look inside what’s in my house. So why should you have a right to look at list of concealed handgun licenses anymore than you have a right to find out I’m a member at this church or support this charity?” asked Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association.
Toby Hoover, founder of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said access to the records is too limited and doesn’t allow anyone to check the effectiveness of concealed carry licenses.
Investigations by The South Florida Sun Sentinel and The Indianapolis Star revealed people with extensive criminal records were still allowed to carry concealed records; similar investigations in Ohio would likely be hampered by strict restrictions on access to records.
However, Irvine said there’s no evidence Ohio sheriffs are not operating efficiently and effectively in handling concealed handgun licenses.
April 27, 2014
Gannett Company newspapers - 10 years later: fewer restrictions, more concealed guns
"When concealed carry passed, Bob Taft was governor. He had insane rules and restrictions put into the bill," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association.
...During the past 10 years, those limitations have been eliminated one by one.
...The biggest remaining restriction on concealed handgun licenses is "no gun zones" — or, as the Buckeye Firearm Association calls them, "victim zones."
Ohio law restricts concealed handgun license holders from having guns in schools, universities, places of worship, county buildings, day care centers, and private businesses or private parking lots with signs prohibiting guns. Much of the current proposed legislation focuses on reducing those restricted areas.
"A gun-free zone is a terrible thing," Irvine said, adding that criminals will target gun-free zones because they know they won't be stopped by a person with a gun. "Gun control is a poison, and it's killing our citizens."
Hoover disagrees, saying the zones give business owners the right to restrict firearm access on their property and other citizens the peace of mind.
Irvine said he doesn't support carrying concealed weapons in restricted areas, such as prisons, courtrooms and airports, but most spaces should be fair game.
Other off-limits areas just don't make sense: You can drop your child off at school while carrying a concealed handgun in your vehicle, but if he forgets his lunchbox, driving back into the school zone violates Ohio law. A bill before the General Assembly would change that.
"That's a pretty important fix there," Irvine said.
...Former Rep. Jim Aslanides, R-Coshocton, who sponsored the 2004 concealed carry law, said he initially thought 150,000 Ohioans would sign up in the first couple of years. However, that figure was closer to 68,000, according to counts from the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
It might be small, but it's growing, thanks to highly publicized violence nationwide, anti-gun sentiments from federal officials and more lax laws in Ohio, Irvine said.
April 27, 2014
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Crime drops as more Americans carry guns
A guest op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Foundation Board of Directors member Gerard Valentino was published by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
April 25, 2014
Gongwer News Service - Gun Rights Group Blasts Rules On Firearms In Foster, Childcare Homes
Rules prescribing safety measures for foster parents were delayed this week after gun advocates warned that restrictions on firearm storage would likely be found unconstitutional.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services' foster care rules were scheduled to come before the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review Monday, but the agency removed from the agenda.
ODJFS spokesman Ben Johnson said the agency identified a problem with one of the other rules in the package and plans to re-file them for a future hearing.
While ODJFS's safety regulations on foster homes already require providers to keep guns and ammunition "stored in an inoperative condition in a locked area inaccessible to children," the agency planned to revise the broader rule to include similar requirements for prescription drugs and to prohibit the use of unvented kerosene heaters.
Buckeye Firearms Association President Jim Irvine said during a recent public hearing on the rule that the gun provision resembled Washington D.C.'s firearm storage law, which the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled an unconstitutional violation of Second Amendment rights.
He cited the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller opinion and a subsequent court case that extended the ruling to the states. Mr. Irvine argued the ODJFS rule must specifically allow occupants to carry guns in foster homes for self-defense.
"This rule needs to immediately be removed or face a court challenge that is almost guaranteed to be a court victory for foster parents," he said in testimony.
Mr. Irvine also challenged an existing ODJFS rule that requires childcare providers working in their homes to keep guns and ammunition in locked storage areas out of sight of the children.
"By requiring separate storage of firearms and ammunition, (the rule) renders the gun inoperable and is thus unconstitutional under Heller," he said.
Mr. Johnson declined to comment on the group's concerns.
...In his testimony, Mr. Irvine included a table showing that unintentional firearm deaths to children aged zero to nine totaled only 36 in 2010, far fewer than other causes of death. Meanwhile, 609 children drowned that year, 923 died in auto accidents, and 1,070 were victims of unintentional suffocation, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control data he cited.
"Considering the table above, and the real dangers associated with various risks, there is no justifiable reason to place such onerous restrictions on firearms compared to other potential hazards," he said.
Given that foster children often come from violent homes, it is conceivable that they stand a greater risk of home invasion or criminal attack by an estranged parent, he said.
"Foster parents with a valid concealed handgun license can offer an extra safety net and foster rules should seek to enhance the extra ability, not suppress it," Mr. Irvine said. "The current rules prohibit the use of firearms in defense of foster children."
April 24, 2014
Dayton Daily News - Readers react to Bloomberg's anti-N.R.A. plans
From Larry S. Moore: The announcement of Bloomberg to spend $50 million this year to fight for more gun control is the latest in the liberal agenda and is money misspent. "We the people" stood against this same big money agenda in the recent Colorado recall of their Senate President and prevailed over their big money. "We the people" threw off the yoke of rich people dictating our way of life in 1776 when the Founding Fathers lead the colonies to victory over King George III.
The enormity of Bloomberg's ego is clearly displayed when he said he wouldn't have to stop at the Pearly Gates to heaven but walk right in because he deserves it. Could it be that he is met at those same Pearly Gates by our Founding Fathers and, perhaps Charlton Heston, with a different plan?
The money is clearly misspent and could be put to a lot better use in many other ways. Firearms education and training has led to the constant decline of unintentional firearm-related injuries and fatalities. The rate of decline over the last 20-years has been even more dramatic from 1441 unintentional injuries in 1991 to 600 in 2011. The number of unintentional firearm-related fatalities involving children 14 years of age and under has decreased by 74 percent over the last 20 years. In the past 10 years, firearm-related fatalities in the home have dropped by 33 percent, and by 50 percent in the last 20 years. This is during a time when firearms ownership, sales and concealed carry has skyrocketed.
Firearms education, in many cases by volunteer trainers, is the reason for these declines. Bloomberg should give them his $50 million to put his money to work on real gun safety measures rather than the false promises of gun control.
April 23, 2014
The Independent - Local firearms instructors say CCW training is crucial
Rick Kaleda is a NRA-certified firearms instructor as well as the Northeast Ohio chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association. He says four hours is plenty of time to prepare for a CCW permit. He said most gun owners shouldn’t need a class at all to get their concealed handgun license. He has taught military personnel, or people who are better shooters than he is, and the majority of his students already know the National Rifle Association material. He said the 12 hours of training turns out to be redundant and a waste of time and money.
“The basics of firearm safety are known by anyone who owns a firearm,” he said.
Other states such as Indiana and Pennsylvania require no training, he said. He also would like to see the background check process similar to the background check for obtaining a firearm.
“Our position is anything that makes it less intrusive for a responsible law-abiding citizen to obtain a license without increasing danger to the general public we support,” he said. “With that we’re perfectly comfortable if they were to remove the training requirement completely. The segment of the population we’re talking about are the most responsible citizens you’re going to find. These are people who are going to the trouble to get a license. They’re going to take responsibility to learn firearm safety.”
Kaleda said Ohio hasn’t proven to be any safer than states that don’t require training. The hours of training before applying for a CCW license makes it difficult for people who want to protect themselves, he said.
He said most people have a family member, friend or colleague who can teach them gun safety and how to use a gun, but the classes and training should be available for people who want it.
April 15, 2014
NRAnews.com - "Cam & Co."
Buckeye Firearms Association Vice President Linda Walker was a guest on NRANews.com. Linda discussed the 1st Annual Women’s New Energy Breakfast being held at the NRA Annual Meetings in Indianapolis on April 27 with Cam Edwards on Cam & Company.
April 10, 2014
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Rifles approved for Ohio deer hunting during gun season
The Ohio Division of Wildlife proposal was driven by the Buckeye Firearms Association, which wanted to provide additional gun-hunting opportunities for sportsmen. BFA officials had pointed out the rifles firing straight-walled cartridges have less recoil, are lighter in weight for both youth and older hunters and are more accurate than pistols firing the same cartridges.
April 8, 2014
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Bill Cunningham Show"
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Sean Maloney was a guest on The Bill Cunningham Show on the 10th anniversary of concealed carry in the Buckeye state. Click here to listen to the podcast.
April 6, 2014
Armed American Radio
Buckeye Firearms Association President Jim Irvine was a co-host on "Armed American Radio," the official radio program of The United States Concealed Carry Association discussing the 10th anniversary of concealed carry in the Buckeye state. AAR is syndicated nationally by Salem Radio Network.
April 6, 2014
WTAM 1100AM (Cleveland)
Buckeye Firearms Association President Jim Irvine was interviewed on WTAM about the tenth anniversary of concealed carry in Ohio.
April 6, 2014
Columbus Dispatch - Capitol Insider
An officer of the Buckeye Firearms Association says “the blood of the victims” of last week’s Fort Hood shooting, as well as those from previous shootings at the Texas base and U.S. Navy Yard in Washington, is on the hands of “our extremist anti-gun-rights” President Barack Obama and others who don’t allow armed troops on military installations.
“The United States policy of having ‘no-guns’ military bases ensures the time the active killer has will be much, much too long,” wrote Chad D. Baus, the group’s secretary and a firearms instructor certified by the National Rifle Association.
March 28, 2014
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Scott Sloan Show"
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Sean Maloney was a guest on The Scott Sloan Show . Sean discussed a WCPO article analyzing the number of people carrying concealed in Ohio. Click here to listen to the podcast.
March 23, 2014
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program
Buckeye Firearms Association Association Region Leader Larry Moore was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle. The show is syndicated Sundays at noon on WKFI AM 1090, WEDI AM 1130, WBZI AM 1500, FM 100.3 and on the Internet at www.myclassiccountry.com .
March 13, 2014
Gongwer News Service - Opponents Say Gun Storage Laws ‘Don't Work,' Call For Firearm Safety Education Instead
Despite a recent lobbying blitz to promote so-called gun storage safety legislation, opponents of the proposal have argued that the bill will not protect Ohioans as supporters suggest and could actually hinder their ability to self-protect.
Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary Chad Baus said the legislation, which would require Ohio gun owners to lock or store their firearms when there's a potential for a child to gain access to the weapons, is based on "several myths."
If passed, he added, the proposal (HB 31) could put gun owners who store unloaded guns as required by the bill at risk, saying "safe storage laws do not protect people, they don't stop crime, and accidents are already going down without these laws."
"Now we have to lock up an unloaded gun, which becomes basically a useless paperweight when it comes to protecting oneself. So we have to worry about making this firearm completely useless when it comes to self-defense," Mr. Baus said in an interview.
Earlier this week, proponents of the bill, which has received three hearings in the House State & Local Government Committee, urged lawmakers to move the proposal forward. (See Gongwer Ohio Report, March 11, 2014)
Instead of passing a safe storage mandate as proposed in Rep. Bill Patmon (D-Cleveland), however, Ohio lawmakers should focus on beefing up gun safety education, Mr. Baus said.
"Education is really the key: we teach kids 'don't touch a hot stove' - we don't ignore the fact that hot stoves exist," he said. "So kids need to be taught: don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult about guns, just like they're taught stop, drop and roll about fire and don't touch a hot stove."
Mr. Baus said BFA believes that current gun safety education in the state falls short, pointing to previous budget funding that he said was available to schools for gun safety programs, but went untouched before being removed.
"We should be teaching it in schools, we should be teaching it in our homes, we should be teaching it to kids whether or not we have guns in the home because they could come in contact with one somewhere else," Mr. Baus said, adding that this is a message kids as young as pre-school can learn.
Such education, Mr. Baus said, can squash the curiosity that sometimes leads children to pick up a gun.
"Curiosity comes into play when they've never been taught - that's when curiosity comes into play," he said. "Maybe I am curious about that hot stove if I don't know what's going to happen if I play with it, but if I know that it is going to burn me, that it's going to hurt me, then I'm not going to be curious about it.
"It's the absence of education that causes them to be so curious."
Mr. Baus added that the majority of gun owners who have situations in their house where children could get access to firearms already take, and should take, measures to protect against this.
"For young kids that we don't want to have access, yes we need to take safety measures, but...you can't legislate responsibility," he said. "Irresponsible people are going to be irresponsible."
Mr. Baus further said enforcement of similar laws in other states hasn't been very successful.
"It's not going to be enforced, it can't be enforced, all it does is maybe give them one more mechanism to try to charge someone with something after an accident happens, but guess what? We're supposed to be preventing accidents, this doesn't prevent it and they'll be charged with worse crimes anyway afterward is something bad happens," he said.
Individuals set on harming someone, Mr. Baus added, will continue to find ways to access firearms regardless of the proposed bill.
"Locks can be picked, trigger locks can be broken, cable locks that they put inside guns all you need is a cable cutter to pop those apart, we can take the steps we need to take but a person with criminal intentions is going to do what they are going to do," he said.
March 13, 2014
Gongwer News Service - Opponents Take Aim At Contentious Gun Bill; Supporters Blast ‘Stand Your Ground' Label
Buckeye Firearms Association Legislative Chair Ken Hanson took issue with comparisons to Florida law, as well as the characterization of the measure as "stand your ground" legislation.
"I have no idea what 'stand your ground' means because Ohio's the only state that treats this as an affirmative defense," he said. "Everyone loves to throw Trayvon Martin out, if you read Trayvon Martin jury instructions, stand your ground appears in three words out of 50 pages and it can never appear in Ohio law because in Ohio law it will still be an affirmative defense."
Mr. Hanson added that the bill is very clear that the only thing removed is the duty to physically retreat. Ohioans would still have to prove they didn't prolong or escalate the situation, they had reasonable grounds and an honest belief there was imminent danger of serious harm or death and that lethal force as used as a last resort.
Ohio is currently the only state where individuals have to prove to the court that they were acting in self-defense, he said. "In every other state and every other territory the prosecution must prove I wasn't."
Mr. Hanson called allegations that the bill will lead individuals to shoot those that they are threatened by "nonsense" and urged Ohioans to "read the bill." He added that "duty to retreat" language makes up just one part of this wide-ranging measure, which he said would bring Ohio's gun laws more in line with surrounding states.
"Every surrounding state has what we're trying to do. Ohio has always trailed the nation on gun laws. We've always been behind, we've always been in the last seven or eight states to do something," Mr. Hanson said, in reference to the legislation's provisions regarding training, reciprocity and background checks, among others.
"The surrounding states have had these same laws for 10 to 15 years, none of the surrounding states said 'oh we made a mistake we need to go back,' instead, what they say is 'okay, this is a good idea and we need to further loosen our law."
Mr. Hanson said BFA is continuing to push lawmakers to take up the legislation before lame duck so that they can be "held accountable."
March 13, 2014
WBNS (CBS Columbus) - Mom Of Teen Killed In Shooting Campaigns Against Ohio ‘Stand Your Ground’ Bill
Gun proponents contend [the bill] is being misrepresented.
“There's no way we're going to change the labeling it's just too convenient for people to use it as a shorthand,” said Ken Hanson, Buckeye Firearms Foundation.
Hanson says the bill has nothing to do with Stand Your Ground and instead focuses on eliminating Duty to Retreat.
“Can a person outrun a gun? Well, no, that's absurd to think about that. Well, then our law is absurd, said Hanson.
March 12, 2014
WCPN 90.3 FM (Cleveland) - 10 Years Of Conceal Carry Sees Scores Of Permits, Lingering Debate
Rick Kaleda of the Buckeye Firearms Association told Sound of Ideas host Mike McIntyre that these numbers speak for themselves, in demonstrating people’s interest in armed self-defense.
“We haven’t had the `Wild West’ shootout or the shootouts over parking spaces, or waiters being shot for bad service in restaurants as those who opposed…y’know, promised us that we would,” said Kaleda. “We’ve found that those are just ghost stories, and ghosts don’t exist. Those who were making those claims have proved themselves to be a not very clairvoyant group.”
March 12, 2014
WCPN 90.3 FM (Cleveland) "The Sound of Ideas" - A Decade Of Conceal Carry In The Buckeye State
March 11, 2014
WCMH (NBC Columbus) - Bill Would Require Gun Owners To Secure Firearms In Homes With Kids
"It is really not the government's business to intrude where a parent should be making the decisions," said Linda Walker, Vice President of the Buckeye Firearms Association. "I believe in just the same way we teach a child not to touch a hot stove, we can also teach the children not to touch the gun."
Others who want quick access to their guns for safety said that with the new restriction, they wouldn't be able to get to them quickly.
March 11, 2014
Columbus Dispatch - Bill allowing gun silencers while hunting passes out of committee
In early February, the Buckeye Firearms Association hosted about 20 lawmakers and legislative aides at the Black Wing Shooting Center in Delaware to demonstrate the effect of placing a silencer on a .45-caliber pistol and .308-caliber rifle.
Some lawmakers were unfamiliar with the impact of a silencer and were concerned their use would make it difficult to know if someone is hunting nearby, or illegally hunting on private lands.
An audiologist from Ohio State University, Eric Bielefeld, measured the sound difference between silenced and unsilenced guns, recording a 15 percent or more reduction in volume. It was enough, he said, to protect ears from damage but still loud enough to be heard from several hundred yards away.
March 4, 2014
NRAnews.com - "Cam & Co."
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Sean Maloney was a guest on NRANews.com. Sean discussed the news that Columbus City Schools had suspended a 10 year-old student for pointing a "finger gun" at school with Cam Edwards on Cam & Company.
March 3, 2014
MediaTrackers.org - Ohio Representative Aims to Clarify Concealed Handgun Law
Rep. Gonzales told Media Trackers that she drafted House Bill 454 (HB 454) to improve Ohio’s concealed carry weapon (CCW) law with the assistance of City of New Albany attorneys and the Buckeye Firearms Association, a Second Amendment advocacy group.
February 25, 2014
TheNewAmerican.com - Momentum Gaining to Allow Firearms on Campuses
Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association in Columbus, Ohio, expressed confidence that Ohio will shortly join the growing number of states allowing concealed carry permit holders (CCW for concealed-carry-weapon) on school grounds and campuses around the country. Following tragic shootings at Virginia Tech, Columbine High School, and Sandy Hook, legislators have been conflicted as to the best way to protect students from deranged criminals seeking instant fame through high body counts in their armed attacks on innocents. The momentum appears to be shifting toward common sense. Allowing permit holders in churches, day-care centers, and schools, according to Irvine, "[is] not only a good idea, it’s a mandatory thing if you want the kids to be safe. I think, in time, it’s going to be required."
February 24, 2014
Newsmax.com - Schools, Legislatures Move to Allow Guns on Campuses
"I think in time it's going to be required," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association in Columbus, Ohio. That state's General Assembly is reviewing legislation that could affect how schools and other places like day-care centers and churches allow the use of guns for protection.
"It's not only a good idea, it's a mandatory thing if you want the kids to be safe," Irvine, who educates school boards about the issue of guns in schools along with safety education and training, told Newsmax.
...
"The people opposed to it say school is the safest place your kid can be. True," Irvine said. "That being said, violence is the No. 1 cause of death for our kids in school. In fact, violence kills more of our children than every other cause of death combined in our schools. "
...
Irvine, who is a parent, says support for programs is rising in his home state as he explains education programs to school boards, and many educators — who might otherwise have been opposed — see the potential that guns offer schools as an extra layer of protection.
Irvine said it is wrong for school districts to look the other way as violence creeps into places many never imagined it could.
"The firearm is the only thing that [can] reliably stop an active killer in a school. Nothing else works reliably. And if you reliably want your kids to come home — and I do mine — you've got to protect them," Irvine said.
But he added, "We have 150,000 schools in this country, and there is no possible way we can afford to hire armed people for all these schools.
"The only reason this is controversial is because some people assess this emotional value to a gun. It's a tool. Some people use it for very bad things. If you want your children to be safe, you put someone in that school who is armed and able to respond quickly.
"Our country is sick of our kids dying in schools. Sandy Hook, because of the ages of those victims, hit us a lot harder."
February 23, 2014
Dayton Daily News- More than 1,600 school personnel apply for free firearms training
More than 1,600 Ohio school personnel have applied for free training from the Buckeye Firearms Foundation since the program was launched just over a year ago, according to data from the foundation.
The foundation has trained 167 teachers, administrators and other school staff and projects it will have trained up to 300 by the time classes are completed in 2014 in the Armed Teacher Training program.
The Buckeye Firearms Foundation, a nonprofit firearms educational organization, launched Armed Teacher Training in December 2012, just after a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., claimed 28 lives, including 20 children on December 14, 2012.
"We want to give them the problem solving skills to identify these situations to keep themselves and the children safe," said Joe Eaton, Southwest Ohio Region Leader for the Buckeye Firearms Foundation. "And then we want to give them the life-saving skills also that they can immediately implement, should they ever not only be in an active killer situation but any type of emergency, whether it's tornadoes, a car crash, a bus accident, injuries in the bleachers, anything along those lines."
February 23, 2014
"Buckeye Sportsman" with Dan Armitage
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Aaron Kirkingberg was a guest on Buckeye Sportsman, which is syndicated on the Rocket Media Radio Network to over two dozen stations around the state.
February 23, 2014
Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau - CCW at 10
Buckeye Firearms Association Legislative Chair Ken Hanson appeared as a guest on Statehouse News Bureau's "The State of Ohio" discussing pending legislation which seeks to make many improvements to Ohio's concealed carry laws, as well as pending gun control legislation. Click here to view the broadcast. Ken's segment starts at 5:20.
February 22, 2014
PoliticsandGuns.com - The Polite Society Podcast
Buckeye Firearms Association President Jim Irvine was a guest on The Polite Society Podcast. Jim discussed House passage of HB 203. Jim also discussed the very latest on the move to arm teachers and school employees to protect school children. Click here to listen to the podcast. Jim's segment begins at 26:00.
February 20, 2014
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Marc Amazon Show"
Buckeye Firearms Association Southwest Ohio Region Leader Joe Eaton was a guest on The Marc Amazon Show. Joe discussed the very latest on the move to arm teachers and school employees to protect school children. Click here to listen to the podcast.
February 20, 2014
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Picking up your kid at school? Keep your gun in the car, lawmaker says
The Buckeye Firearms Association supports the intent of the bill and is only seeking minor language changes, according to Ken Hanson, the pro-gun group’s legislative chair.
February 20, 2014
WBNS (CBS Columbus) - Ohio Teachers May Be Carrying Guns At School And Parents May Never Know
10TV spoke with two men who carry guns in schools.
One, a teacher in central Ohio. The other, a county employee in southeastern Ohio.
Both have permission from district school boards to be armed in the classroom.
They have asked that their identities be hidden for this story.
The pair say research shows if a shooter knows who is armed in school, it gives the shooter an advantage.
These men say they've been carrying weapons in schools for about a year because they want to make schools safer. They both carry a concealed gun on their belt every day.
The Buckeye Firearms Association offered 28 hours of training in which both passed high standards. They say the shooting standards are more stringent than what's required to become a police officer.
They know they may be faced with a life-threatening situation that requires a split-second decision.
Suzanne Fickes has school aged kids and she's not against guns, but says she doesn't have one either. She worries when a gun might be used.
Fickes says she worries about the moment when someone makes the call to open fire.
10TV asked both the teacher and county employee, “What would make you draw your gun in a school?”
The teacher responded, “If there is deadly intent being displayed toward the kids, that is the time to do what I have been trained to do.”
Meanwhile, the county employee said he would never pull out his weapon if there was not an active killer in the building. But it has crossed his mind that he may be forced to draw his gun on somebody he know. “It may be a child I know, but they may be killing other children I know.”
Since the Newtown, CT shooting in December of 2012, a recent report lists more than 40 incidents of gunfire on school grounds across the country. It includes a suicide attempt in a Cincinnati school last year. And before Newtown, there was Chardon High School, where a shooter claimed three lives.
It has been two years since the tragedy in Chardon and the state has organized safety summits, demanded blueprints of all school buildings, as well as emergency plans. A law has passed at the statehouse through one branch of government allowing guns in schools. This could all be viewed as a way to make sure that schools are the safest place for our kids, but also an admission that they're not.
Fickes believes administrators that carry guns will send a message that children may not be safe in school.
However, the school safety bill prohibits identifying the gun-carrying employee and protects employees and the districts from lawsuits.
Right now, individual school boards have to approve the person carrying on school grounds, but they don't have to tell the parents, even if it's their child’s teacher.
The teacher says it’s a “tough” call to inform parents that their kids are around a gun at school, but says he is still “willing to risk my life” to save others.
It is a point of controversy for some about carrying in the classroom. But there's little argument that the safety of our children is everyone's top priority.
February 20, 2014
TheBlaze.com - Group Pushes to Arm, Train Kentucky Teachers Just Like Airline Pilots
An Ohio firearms nonprofit group is helping Kalil and the Kentuckians who wish to be qualified. The group pays for tuition, ammunition and lodging for teachers, administrators, and other school staff to attend a 3-day class on how to limit the deaths from a school shooting.
“The response from schools, teachers, administrators and parents has been overwhelming. Districts that had someone in the first class have asked us to train additional people so that all their district’s schools are protected,” Jim Irvine, Buckeye Firearms Association president, told TheBlaze.
One Ohio school administrator told TheBlaze her school board approved her and several other individuals to carry on school grounds, knowledge that has been kept under close wraps.
“We don’t want people to know who these individuals are, to maintain their safety so they don’t become targets themselves,” said the administrator, who asked to be referred to as “Joanne” to conceal her identity. “But I’m so glad we’ve approved it — the training we received was really great.”
Some concerned parents say 55 hours of training just isn’t enough to trust teachers with guns around their children. Joanne pointed out that most schools don’t require even close to that number of hours of CPR or first aid training for their teachers.
“It may not seem like a lot of training, but it’s more than CCW [concealed carry weapon] requires, so [the POST program] is going above and beyond to ensure safe training is available,” she said. “In the classes they work on a mindset and present an eye-opening opportunity to think through an active shooter situation.”
(PHOTO CAPTION: Irvine said Buckeye offers “force on force” training. “As a pilot, I train in a simulator. It prepares us to deal with real emergencies. Force on force prepares the teachers to deal with real gunfights. This simulates a teacher stopping a killer in a school hallway.”)
Joanne said teachers who carry now in Ohio have passed higher standards for conceal carry than law enforcement has. “The goal is to eliminate as many injuries and killings as possible — to have someone inside the building to get there and respond more quickly could save many lives. Even if it’s three minutes, that leaves a lot of room for injury and death to occur, but if someone is right down the hallway it may make all the difference.”
February 17, 2014
Cincinnati Enquirer - Many states considered arming teachers in Sandy Hook aftermath
Gun advocates in Ohio, however, said many schools in the past year have armed staff, including some in the Cincinnati region. The Buckeye Firearms Foundation spent $140,000 last year on three-day courses that trained more than 150 teachers to carry firearms and respond to a shooter, said Jim Irvine, president of the lobbying group Buckeye Firearms Association, of which the foundation is a non-profit arm.
He said 30 schools in Ohio and at least one in Kentucky have armed teachers, though he wouldn't disclose where they were. They trained them at a facilities in Adams County and Medina. As with with the teacher gun training program Kalil is trying to implement in Kentucky, the Newtown shootings sparked the Ohio program, Irvine said.
"That event impacted our country," Irvine said. "It is like bombing civilians in Pearl Harbor on Sunday morning. It was so freakin' wrong. It's a call to action for our country. Schools need to face the idea and need someone to deal with the threat."
February 15, 2014
"The Big Outdoors" with Chip Hart
Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Larry Moore was a guest on The Big Outdoors to discuss House Bill 234 (Allow Noise Suppressors While Hunting) with host Chip Hart. The Big Outdoors airs on WLW 700 AM every Saturday from 5:00 to 5:30AM.
February 14, 2014
BizPacReview.com - Ohio Guard drill considered Second Amendment supporters as terrorist villains
Chad Baus, a spokesman for the Buckeye Firearms Association, called the information about the drill sobering.
"It is a scary day indeed when law enforcement are being trained that Second Amendment advocates are the enemy," he told Media Trackers.
February 13, 2014
FoxNews.com - Ohio National Guard drill's villain was school janitor who supports Second Amendment
Critics say it is telling that a government group’s chosen bogeyman would be Second Amendment supporters.
"They were characterizing gun owners and Second Amendment supporters as white extremists," Chad Baus, of the Buckeye Firearms Association, told FoxNews.com. "It was a month after Sandy Hook. There was a large debate where gun owners were being blamed. I think the timing of it was extremely important here."
February 12, 2014
VoiceofRussia.com - Ohio law enforcers consider right-wingers as potential terrorist threat
Chad Baus, Buckeye Firearms Association spokesman says that it's disturbing to find out that law enforcers are trained as if Second Amendment supporters are the enemy.
February 11, 2014
Cincinnati Enquirer - Bill in works to permit guns in bars
Allowing guns in bars has worked in Ohio since it went into effect in 2011, supporters of the law said. Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said he's not aware of any shootings as a result of concealed carry permit holders carrying guns in bars.
Since the law went into effect, he's not heard of any guns being stolen from cars. Before 2011 when gun owners had to leave their guns in their cars before entering bars, Irvine would get several calls a year about guns being stolen from cars.
The new law also clears up ambiguity in the law on whether a place met the threshold for a bar and could allow guns, Irvine said. For concealed carry gun owners like Irvine, it provides peace of mind that they're following the law.
"When I go out with my family, I'm able to protect them," Irvine said.
February 11, 2014
RT.com - Ohio National Guard portrayed gun rights supporters as domestic terrorists during drill
"[I]t is a scary day indeed when law enforcement are being trained that Second Amendment advocates are the enemy," added Buckeye Firearms Association spokesman Chad Baus.
February 11, 2014
WorldNetDaily.com - National Guard trains to fight 'anti-government' Americans
However, Buckeye Firearms Association spokesman Chad Baus told MediaTrackers, "It is a scary day indeed when law enforcement are being trained that Second Amendment advocates are the enemy."
February 10, 2014
OpposingViews.com - Ohio National Guard's Anti-Terrorist Drill Targets Second Amendment Supporters
However, Buckeye Firearms Association spokesman Chad Baus told MediaTrackers.org, "It is a scary day indeed when law enforcement are being trained that Second Amendment advocates are the enemy."
February 10, 2014
MediaTrackers.org - Ohio National Guard Training Envisions Right-Wing Terrorism
Buckeye Firearms Association spokesman Chad Baus told Media Trackers that "it is a scary day indeed when law enforcement are being trained that Second Amendment advocates are the enemy."
February 8, 2014
"The Big Outdoors" with Chip Hart
February 6, 2014
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Ohio wildlife officials propose regs allowing rifles in the deer woods
Chief Scott Zody said the Buckeye Firearms Association prompted the rifle proposal, and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation has endorsed it. The OFBF has long campaigned for a reduced deer population in Ohio to limit crop damage.
February 6, 2014
Charleston City Paper - Guns in bars: Because what the Lowcountry needs is more people from Ohio
Jim Irvine, the gun-toting president of the Buckeye Firearms Association in Ohio, is looking forward to summertime. He likes South Carolina's beaches, but his family skipped out on vacationing here last year because of what he called the "screwy laws" in our state. Those laws, however, are expected to change soon — and for the better, in his opinion. Republican Gov. Nikki Haley is set to sign a new law allowing concealed weapons permit holders to bring loaded weapons into bars and restaurants. It's similar to a law that went into affect in Ohio three years ago. "Now that I know this, I'm going to put South Carolina back on our list," Irvine says.
...Irvine tells a different story of his state's landscape in the wake of Ohio Senate Bill 17. "I'll tell you, before the law passed there was all this screaming and crying that there was going to be blood in the streets, that there were going to be shootouts in the bars, that fistfights were going to turn into gun fights every Friday night. I mean, the world was going to come to an end up here," he says. "And here we are a year and a half later and I can tell you nothing has changed."
...Jim Irvine of the Ohio gun group offers a version of the likely response from the new law's supporters should something similar happen here.
"There are guns in bars now in South Carolina," he says. "I guarantee you've covered stories where somebody shot somebody in a bar. You know what? It was illegal for him to be carrying a gun in there, it was illegal for him to be drinking with the gun, and it was illegal for him to shoot somebody over looking at his girlfriend or whatever stupid reason to shoot him. Stupid people do stupid things. They’re going to do it before the law passes, they’re going to do it after the law passes."For his part, Irvine says he hasn't been patronizing Ohio bars or restaurants that have signs banning firearms, and he certainly would never take his family to one. He's afraid such places attract criminals because they know there's less of a chance they'll get shot if they try to rob it. "Since I know that's where the criminal's going, I don't want to be there," he says.
The new laws in Ohio, though, have also kept Irvine away from bars, period. Since he can't drink while carrying his gun, he's been spending much more time drinking at home with his wife. "And you know what I've found? I save a lot of money," he says.
February 6, 2014
Cincinnati Enquirer - OH Bill: Let employees keep guns in cars during work
Chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association Jim Irvine thinks this a step in the right direction since other states have already changed this policy.
"If a gun is in my car that I bought, what gives (businesses) the right to tell me what I can keep in my car?" he told the Enquirer.
February 4, 2014
Columbus Dispatch - Legislators learn how silencers affect guns
More than 20 lawmakers or their aides gathered yesterday at Black Wing to learn a similar lesson and hear from an expert on how silencers, or suppressors, can affect the noise levels of hunting rifles. The event was organized by the Buckeye Firearms Association in an effort to gain support for House Bill 234, which would allow hunting with a suppressor.
February 3, 2014
WBNS (CBS Columbus) - Lawmakers Look To Ease Gun Suppressor Restrictions
Monday, Buckeye Firearms organized a fact-finding mission at Black Wing Shooting Center in Delaware.
The exercise was intended to educate, not advocate, the use of silencers on hunting weapons.
February 3, 2014
The Sportsman Channel - "Cam & Co."
February 2, 2014
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program
February 1, 2014
"Buckeye Sportsman" with Dan Armitage
January 30, 2014
Columbus Dispatch - Bill's foes question allowing guns in Ohio schools, churches
Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said before the hearing that the bill cuts down on "victim zones," or what he calls "the places where you're not allowed to defend your own life," where licensed gun-holders can't have weapons.
"Churches and day-care centers — they're private property," Irvine said. "Don't tell them it's a felony for their customers to defend their life and their property."
January 27, 2014
Guns.com - Newspaper group plans gun database, changes mind when email leaked
Buckeye Firearms Association, an Ohio-based gun rights group, obtained an internal email from Civitas Media, a large portfolio company of newspapers. In the email, Civitas Media’s director of content, Jim Lawitz, on Jan. 19, outlined a number of projects they were considering. One of these involved what appears to be an effort to build a database of CCW permit holders in the U.S.
...Civitas is a media portfolio company that manages nearly 100 daily and weekly newspapers in 12 states. These include such publications as the Dallas Post and the Jacksonville Journal Courier and have a combined circulation of over 1.6 million. Versa Capital Management, a large Philadelphia-based private equity firm, in turn owns them.
Of these papers, 38 are in Ohio, home to the Buckeye Firearms Association that obtained the internal document, which they posted on their website on Jan. 24 and asked Civitas for comment.
"The goal is to raise awareness because each and every time a newspaper organization does this type of thing, the public reacts very strongly to it," Chad Baus, secretary of the Buckeye Firearms Association, told FoxNews.com, "And yes, we do want it stopped. They're saying they're not going to publish the list, but once the list is compiled, what are they going to do with it?"
The database, if indeed created according to the internal email obtained by Baus, would be used to further "demonize gun owners," he said.
January 25, 2014
Fayette Advocate - Local Newspaper Owners Discussed Gun Permit Database
A local newspaper company that has newspapers in Fayette, Highland, and Madison Counties, to name a few, said in an email they were planning to launch an online database compiled of those who have a concealed carry weapon permit.
...When asked to discuss the email further, Lawitz said in a statement to the Buckeye Firearms Association, "We do not typically publicly comment on internal proprietary communication. However, we have no plans to publish any names on any lists. Further, we are open to discuss any published reports."
...According to research conducted by Fayette Advocate and the Buckeye Firearms Association, Civitas would have extreme difficulty creating the database because state law prohibits the copying of concealed carry weapon permits.
...The Buckeye Firearms Association said that the discussion to make the database is a ploy to target and attack gun owners.
...That point was made again in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, when Gannett Company’s The Journal News of White Plains, N.Y. decided to punish people who had nothing to do with the crime by publishing an interactive map with the names and addresses of handgun permit owners in New York's Westchester and Rockland counties.
Readers responded by publishing personal information about the The Journal News' staffers, much as Buckeye Firearms Association did in 2007, and other news outlets began documenting thefts of guns from homes on The Journal News map.
"Law-abiding gun owners who choose to exercise their Second Amendment rights do not deserve to be treated as though they are registered sex offenders, outed on a public list as 'undesirables,' which is why we react so strongly to even the 'idea' or 'discussion' of the building of a database," said Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary Chad Baus, who originally broke the story on BFA's website.
Baus added that the company should have thought through their plans since some of their newspapers are in rural parts of the state.
"The fact that this is being considered by a company that owns rural newspapers is amazing," he said. "The county where I work every day is served by a Civitas newspaper. We are a rural area where, for the majority of people, guns are a part of life. We use them to harvest food, for recreation, as investments, and yes, to protect the ones we love. It is pretty obvious to me that the corporate bigwigs at Civitas don't have a clue about the markets their newspapers serve, or they'd never have even discussed this idea."
January 25, 2014
FoxNews.com - Newspaper boss says gun permit database idea was misfire
Chad Baus, secretary of the Buckeye Firearms Association, told FoxNews.com he received the email from a confidential source within the company who was "concerned" about the media group's plans.
"The goal is to raise awareness because each and every time a newspaper organization does this type of thing, the public reacts very strongly to it," Baus said. "There's no other purpose for creating these lists but to target and victimize gun owners," Baus told FoxNews.com.
January 25, 2014
VoiceofRussia.com - Will concealed gun databases planned by US media victimize gun holders?
Chad Baus, secretary of the Buckeye Firearms Association, told FoxNews.com that whatever the intention behind the proposed plan, he wanted the effort to be stopped.
"They're saying they're not going to publish the list, but once the list is compiled, what are they going to do with it?" he said. "There's no other purpose for creating these lists but to target and victimize gun owners," Baus told FoxNews.com.
Baus is worried that gun owners might potentially become a target for would-be burglars. Some law enforcement officials agree that such databases "provide burglars with a roadmap of which homes to avoid and which ones to hit.
January 25, 2014
Dayton Daily News - More than 1,600 school personnel apply for free firearms training
More than 1,600 Ohio school personnel have applied for free training from the Buckeye Firearms Foundation since the program was launched just over a year ago, according to data from the foundation.
The foundation has trained 167 teachers, administrators and other school staff and projects it will have trained up to 300 by the time classes are completed in 2014 in the Armed Teacher Training program.
The Buckeye Firearms Foundation, a nonprofit firearms educational organization, launched Armed Teacher Training in December 2012, just after a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., claimed 28 lives, including 20 children on Dec. 14, 2012.
"We want to give them the problem solving skills to identify these situations to keep themselves and the children safe," said Joe Eaton, Southwest Ohio Region Leader for the Buckeye Firearms Foundation. "And then we want to give them the life-saving skills also that they can immediately implement, should they ever be not only in an active killer situation but any type of emergency whether it's tornadoes, a car crash, a bus accident, injuries in the bleachers, anything along those lines."
...Of Ohio school personnel who have sought training, 73 percent were teachers, 14 percent were administrators, 2 percent were other office staff, 2 percent were custodial and 1 percent were maintenance staff, the foundation data shows.
Armed Teacher Training is a 3½-day course that includes a review of previous school shootings, an overview of what generally happens in a mass shooting, firearm safety and first aid application in mass trauma situations, Eaton said.
The training also includes simulated attacks.
"The teachers can start seeing what they've practiced and learned over the past few days is effective in immediately diffusing situations," Eaton said.
Lisa Murphy a third-grade teacher in Warren County completed Armed Teacher Training last summer.
"It gave me a whole new perspective on what I needed to do to protect my children," said Murphy, who is also a firearms instructor.
Murphy said she developed a growing need a few years ago to learn more about using firearms to protect family and friends. The Armed Teacher Training is an extension of that, she said.
Teachers and administrators who carry guns should be "competent, educated and willing to create a safe environment for our children," Murphy said.
"I've heard the comment: 'Teachers have enough on their plates. They don't need one more thing to worry about.' I do understand that and I totally agree. Yes we do," Murphy said. "But the reason that we're teachers is because we care about the children and the children are first and foremost in our minds. So I will feel a lot better having my tools to protect my children than to have to sit back and go, I could have.''
Elizabeth Terry, who teaches at a Dayton area private high school, also completed the firearms training program last year summer. She said her school is considering allowing teachers to carry concealed firearms. Terry said she has a long history with firearms and views the training as another tool to prepare her to protect her students if necessary.
"You watch what happens in these other schools such as Newtown, and there's not a teacher out there, I guarantee you, who wouldn't stand in front of a bullet," Terry said. "All of them would do it because we feel very responsible for all of our students. But what if we could do more?"
January 25, 2014
BizPacReview.com - National newspaper chain plans state-by-state databases 'outing' gun owners
A multi-state newspaper chain is taking the first steps to create “state-by-state databases” of concealed carry permit holders, according to a leaked internal company memo.
...A confidential source within the company turned a copy of the email over to the Buckeye Firearms Association out of concern over what Civitas planned to do with the information.
...Chad Baus, secretary of the Buckeye Firearms Association, sees the possibility of the same thing happening here — but on a grander scale.
"The goal is to raise awareness because each and every time a newspaper organization does this type of thing, the public reacts very strongly to it," Baus said. "And yes, we do want it stopped. They're saying they're not going to publish the list, but once the list is compiled, what are they going to do with it?"
He's afraid that once the newspaper chain compiles its databases, they would be used to "demonize gun owners," he told Fox.
"There's no other purpose for creating these lists but to target and victimize gun owners," Baus added.
January 24, 2014
The Sportsman Channel - "Cam & Co."
January 24, 2014
NRAnews.com - "Cam & Co."
January 24, 2014
WZTV (FOX Nashville) - 'State-by-state' concealed weapon database considered
An email sent out by an editor with North Carolina based Civitas Media is drawing the ire of some gun-rights supporters. According to a Fox News report, the email states the newspaper chain is considering a "state-by-state database" on concealed weapons permit holders.
The newspaper chain has nearly 100 publications and 1.6 million readers. The email also says the new database project "examines the explosion of conceal and carry gun permits across the U.S."
Civitas' director of content told Fox News there are "no plans to publish any lists," but Chad Baus, the secretary of the Buckeye Firearms Association, has his reservations. "They're saying they're not going to publish the list, but once the list is compiled, what are they going to do with it?"
The database, if indeed created according to the internal email obtained by Baus, would be used to further "demonize gun owners," he said.
January 24, 2014
FoxNews.com - Newspaper chain plans 'state-by-state' concealed weapon databases
"The second project examines the explosion of 'conceal and carry' gun permits across the U.S.," wrote Jim Lawitz, Civitas' director of content, in an e-mail first obtained by the Buckeye Firearms Association. "Through public records act requests, we will attempt to build state-by-state databases that list those who have the right to carry a concealed weapon."
Chad Baus, secretary of the Buckeye Firearms Association, told FoxNews.com he received the email from a confidential source within the company who was “concerned” about the media group's plans. Whatever the intention behind the proposed databases, Baus said he wants the effort stopped.
"The goal is to raise awareness because each and every time a newspaper organization does this type of thing, the public reacts very strongly to it," Baus said. "And yes, we do want it stopped. They're saying they're not going to publish the list, but once the list is compiled, what are they going to do with it?"
The database, if indeed created according to the internal email obtained by Baus, would be used to further "demonize gun owners," he said.
"There's no other purpose for creating these lists but to target and victimize gun owners," Baus told FoxNews.com.
As a gun owner himself, Baus isn't concerned with potentially becoming a target for would-be burglars, but others may not feel the same way, he said.
"There are many people who choose for that information not to be public, whether for employment reasons or family politics," he said. "Many law-abiding people don’t want that information to be public."
January 24, 2014
DailyCaller.com - Newspaper conglomerate considers building massive database of gun owners
A U.S. newspaper conglomerate has considered building state-by-state databases of people who have the right to carry concealed firearms.
Civitas Media, which owns 88 newspapers in 12 states and more than 100 total publications, is planning to use public records requests to build their databases, according to an internal Civitas email obtained by the Buckeye Firearms Association in Ohio.
Civitas director of content Jim Lawitz emailed content directors, managers, and producers in a January 19 email, saying that exploring the "explosion" of conceal and carry permits in the U.S. will be one of the company’s short-term objectives.
"We are launching two enterprise projects across our newsrooms this month. The first will deal with the creeping influence of heroin in our communities. The deadly drug has quietly taken over, reaching across all age groups and eclipsing meth as the recreational drug of choice," Lawitz began.
"The second project examines the explosion of 'conceal and carry' gun permits across the U.S. Through public records act requests, we will attempt to build state-by-state databases that list those who have the right to carry a concealed weapon," Lawitz wrote in the email.
When reached for comment by Buckeye Firearms Association, Lawitz said the news conglomerate currently has no plans to publish the database.
"We do not typically publicly comment on internal propriety communication. However, we have no plans to publish any names on any lists. Further, we are open to discuss any published reports," Lawitz said.
January 22, 2014
WBNS (CBS Columbus) - Guns In Schools Bill Passes Ohio House
"As a parent, I would certainly want to know if my kid's teacher had a gun or not," said Worthington teacher and Vice President of the Ohio Education Association, Scott DiMauro.
DiMauro is against the bill, but the head of the Buckeye Firearms Foundation says hidden guns, in the right hands, are important for school safety.
"There's all sorts of emergency response plans that we, as parents, aren't really privileged to. And that's fine. That's good. What you want to know is that the district has done their due diligence and has adequate safety security plans in place," said Jim Irvine.
January 21, 2014
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Number of gun silencers skyrocket in Ohio, as legislators look to extend their use to hunting
That kind of safety improvement is likely why suppressors are all the rage in Ohio, said Rick Kaleda, Northeast Ohio's chair of the Buckeye Firearms Association. Another contributing factor could be the rising price of firearms and ammunition, Kaleda said.
"Because of that raise in prices, (a suppressor) doesn't seem so financially intrusive," he said, adding that he believes the bill could cause more clamoring for suppressors.
Kaleda and Becker believe the bill's biggest obstacle has come from those who liken suppressors to silencers seen in James Bond movies.
January 14, 2014
WKBN (CBS Akron) - Gun silencer registrations up in Ohio
But why the big increase statewide?
Buckeye Firearms Association Coordinator Rick Kaleda said that answer is simple.
"A lot more hunters are using suppressors for hunting nuisance game like coyotes and things like that. It's my understanding that most of those numbers are coming out of southern Ohio," Kaleda said.
Currently suppressors can only be used for nuisance hunting, but the Ohio legislature is considering expanding that to most hunting, which is something Kaleda thinks is pushing the higher sales.
"It's better for the hunter's hearing. Hunters typically, most of them don't like to wear ear protection because you have to be able to hear to hunt," Kaleda said.
He said it also cuts down on the noise from hunting for neighbors.
January 13, 2014
Dayton Daily News - Gun silencers popular in Ohio
Larry Moore, 63, of Jamestown, said he has hearing loss partly because he is a lifelong hunter and recreational shooter.
Moore, who testified in Columbus in support of H.B. 234, said guns may be the only consumer devices that are capable of creating noises above 150 decibels that the federal government does not require to have mufflers.
Moore said suppressors only are effective for rifles and handguns, which means they would not work with shotguns or muzzleloaders for deer hunting.
But he said more homes and housing developments are cropping up in rural areas, and suppressors would also help Ohio hunters avoid disturbing rural residents while taking down game.
"It primarily will help the guys who are squirrel hunting and coyote hunting," he said. "Coyote hunting is becoming increasingly popular, but it is done in the evening, late at night or early morning, so using a suppressor while hunting coyote would make you a good neighbor."
January 8, 2014
The Sportsman Channel - "Cam & Co."
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