All Politicians are not the Same - an Interview with State Sen. Tim Schaffer

By Gerard Valentino

Our second interview of pro-gun politicians is with State Senator Tim Schaffer, a long time defender of the 2nd Amendment, and friend to gun owners in Ohio. Senator Schaffer followed a productive career in the Ohio House, where he voted in favor of each pro-gun bill that was introduced, with his new position in the Senate.

In his short time in the Senate he has started off much the way he ended in the Ohio House, with resolute support of self-defense rights and Ohioans right to keep and bear arms.

Chatting with Senator Schaffer left no doubt about his strong feelings for gun rights and gun voters based on his statement that, “pro-gun voters mean the world to me, they are resolute, dependable, they say what they mean, mean what they say and are dedicated to preserving constitutional rights.”

In all the years Buckeye Firearms Association has dealt with politicians, we have never heard a better description of the people that make up our movement.

Sen. Schaffer further stated that the 2nd Amendment is, “an integral part of stable non-negotiable tenants in public policy that have to preserve the right to bear arms, and the interpretation of laws has to keep self-defense of law abiding citizens at the forefront of the legal process.”

Thus he offered support to the biggest self-defense issue facing Ohio today – the passage and implementation of Castle Doctrine legislation that has proved effective in numerous other states.

As we know, Castle Doctrine is a bit of a misnomer since it also covers protecting law-abiding citizens that use self-defense outside the home. Plus tort reform that keeps criminals from suing law abiding citizens that rightfully use deadly force. It was reassuring to see an Ohio politician that doesn't have blinders on and looked at the successful Castle Doctrine laws in other states.

Ohio, however, has yet to get on the Castle Doctrine bandwagon, leaving law-abiding citizens with the ridiculous responsibility of proving that someone breaking into their house while they are home was there to do them severe bodily harm. We are also left with the onerous requirement to retreat first, before defending ourselves, if we are attacked outside our home - a requirement that was created long before guns were a player in violent crime and don’t account for the fact that it is impossible to outrun a bullet.

Jim Irvine, Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman, is fond of reminding gun owners that not all politicians are the same, despite the anecdotal evidence to the contrary. Just as our interview with Governor Strickland proved, some politicians are die hard defenders of the 2nd Amendment and the right to self-defense. Senator Schaffer continues his tradition of defending such rights in his position in the Ohio Senate.

Without politicians who understand that more guns do equal less crime and that self-defense isn’t a fringe issue, but fundamental to our way of life, we would have long since lost even more of our civil rights. Politicians cut from the same cloth as Senator Schaffer keep the short sighted gun grabbers at bay.

Gun-rights are a non-partisan movement based on allowing people the right to self defense without onerous regulation by a legal system designed to get convictions, not find the truth. Despite the anti-self defense movement’s claims to the contrary, the right to keep and bear arms, as part of the Bill of Rights is a civil right as important to the American way of life as any other. Politicians like Senator Schaffer understand that fact and fight for not only gun rights but the way of life they represent.

He is a prime example held up for scrutiny whenever someone at Buckeye Firearms is told, “all politicians are the same.” They aren’t, some are unwavering in their support of our rights and Senator Schaffer is a leader among the enlightened that understand how gun ownership equals freedom.

Now if we can get State Senators who think like Senator Schaffer to band together and force the Senate leadership to act on the important self-defense bills of our time then due to the Governor’s promised support we could easily become the next state to pass Castle Doctrine. The votes are there in the House and Senate, the shame is that the legislature refuses to move a bill that would protect all Ohioan’s, and tip the balance in favor or law abiding citizens in a deadly encounter.

While Senator Schaffer stands with self-defense advocates and has a strong desire to protect Ohioans unless the legislature chooses to move the bill he may never get the chance to cast his vote in favor of SB184, which he co-sponsored.

At times, friends of the gun movement, like Senator Schaffer are limited in what they can do since the Senate leadership won’t always move a bill and give them the ability to vote in favor of our self-defense rights. Still, nobody should forget that there are down to earth politicians willing to stand up to the anti-gun establishment media, and let their pro-gun feelings be known.

Senator Schaffer falls into that category.