Buckeye Firearms Association's Ken Hanson participates in ABC Town Hall debate on the Sandy Hook Shootings

The shooting at Sandy Hook has ignited a fierce discussion about guns and school safety. On Thursday evening, December 20, Columbus' ABC Channel 6 held a town hall to bring together advocates on both sides of the issue. In advance of the event, we were told this town hall might be picked up by as many as 100 stations around the country.

Buckeye Firearms Association Legal Chair Ken Hanson and Attorney Derek DeBrosse represented the pro-gun rights side of the issue. Toby Hoover, Executive Director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, and a representative from the liberal activist group Progress Ohio represented the anti-gun rights side of the issue.

Despite what you've seen coming from the mainstream media in the last few days, most Americans are fed up with the passive, do-nothing approach to violence in our schools, churches, and public places. It's time we made our voices heard and say we're not going to stand for this anymore. It's time for solutions that actually stop cowardly mass murderers.

President Obama and other anti-gun rights extremists see this horrible tragedy as nothing more than a political opportunity to push their laundry list of anti-gun nonsense, including weapon and magazine bans that have been proven an utter failure.

At the event, Ken Hanson made the announcement that Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA) has launched a pilot program to provide firearm training to teachers free of charge.

"Teachers and school board members have been asking us for years about training to prepare for an incident like Sandy Hook. So our educational Foundation will sponsor an Armed Teacher Pilot Program for a comprehensive 3-day training class at Tactical Defense Institute in West Union, Ohio. Based on the response to this pilot program, we will roll out classes to other training facilities."