Another Plain Dealer news story fit for the editorial page

June 20, 2004
Cleveland Plain Dealer

Ohio concealed-weapon law carries its own smoking gun

John Campanelli
Plain Dealer Reporter

Is that a dozen handguns under your coat or are you just happy to see the loophole in Ohio's concealed-carry law?

The state's new law, which allows permit-holding citizens to carry a hidden handgun, doesn't say you can't have more than one.

Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro's office confirmed what will no doubt worry almost everyone: Nowhere in the legislation's 99 pages is there any language limiting the amount of heat a citizen can pack.

Two guns, four guns, six guns, a dozen all legal. Really, the only thing limiting the number of guns you can carry is how many you can carry, physically, until you topple over from the weight of the lead.

The loophole, whether an oversight or intentional, is one of the many flaws of the legislation, says Seven Hills lawyer Stephen C. Miller, who teaches the concealed-carry law's required safety course at Stonewall Ltd., a Broadview Heights gun store and range.

"They tried to reinvent the wheel and they made a square," says Miller.

By allowing people to carry more than one gun, the state's lawmakers have put police officers, who usually carry only one weapon, at a firepower disadvantage, Miller says.

"The quickest way to reload is not reloading. It's grabbing another gun."

The character in these illustrations, whom Miller calls "Captain Ohio," is weighed down with 12 hidden guns that could carry a total of more than 100 rounds. That's quite a portable arsenal, fully legal under state law.

And characters like Captain Ohio aren't entirely fictional.

"If it can be done," Miller says. "It will be done."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4694

Commentary:
Accompanying the print version of this story was a Rambo-style cartoon caricature covered with guns, entitled "Captain Ohio".

No, this wasn't published on the editorial page, despite opinionated comments like "Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro's office confirmed what will no doubt worry almost everyone" and despite working hard to conjur up a new "loophole" in Ohio's concealed handgun license law for the anti-gunners to claim needs fixing.

And no, we have no explanation for why someone who represents a Cleveland firearms store is consistently arguing points to the media that sound more like they're coming from a Million Mom Marcher.

What we can tell you is that this reporter didn't bother to do any research to see if there are any examples of CHL-holders causing problems in other states due to carrying more than one firearm (there aren't).

We can also tell you that this reporter did not bother to find out if any other states have restrictions on the number of firearms a licensee can carry, nor did he research to see if Miller's claims that police officers are "usually" not carrying backup is true (it isn't).

Mr. Campanelli told OFCC today that he supports the right to CCW, but that he "personally finds it odd" that legislators did not insert language restricting the number of firearms a person can carry. He stands by his statement that this part of the law will "worry almost everyone", since he talked to "a lot of people" before writing the story and they were all concerned. He didn't feel it was necessary to do the research mentioned above because his story "was just about this one issue."

Does the derogatory "Captain Ohio" graphic Mr. Miller uses in his classes at Stonewall suggest the gun store only wants you to purchase one firearm as well? If so, that's some business plan.

A Stonewall Ltd. representative confirmed for OFCC today that attorney Stephen Miller is employed by the club to teach all classes at Stonewall. The representative we spoke with agreed with Miller - he too didn't think there was any need for licenseholders to carry more than one firearm, and he too thought it put police at a disadvantage!

Ironically, this Stonewall representative has chosen not to get a CHL...because the law is "too restrictive".

For more on Stonewall's attitudes toward Ohio's new concealed handgun license law, consider these comments from an April 4, 2004 Plain Dealer article:

Ohio's concealed-carry law is among the worst ever written. At least that's the first thing I and a roomful of others at a local shooting range are told as we're about to undergo training required by that law.

"It's a terrible bill, guys," said Diane Donnett, owner of Stonewall Ltd. "The state tried to reinvent the wheel here - and they made it square."

Sound familiar? It gets worse:

"The strongest message instructors gave was to think hard before applying for a permit because it could bring more hassles than the privilege (or "right" depending on a person's Second Amendment philosophy) would be worth.

Then, an attorney Donnett had enlisted for the training told the class he wasn't politically correct and that "idiot lawyers" wrote the concealed-carry law.

He described a nervous tango during traffic stops that is likely to go on between police and those carrying concealed weapons:

You tell the officer at your window that you have a permit and are carrying a concealed gun. From then on, the officer is anxious and so are you.

The attorney suggested that the driver offer to step out of the car, let the officer handcuff him or her and then take the gun.

Is it any wonder that the number of applicants in Cuyahoga Co. is low? Between Stonewall, Sheriff McFaul and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the appearance is given that an entrely different law was passed than the one the rest of state is now enjoying.