Letter to the Editor: ''No gun'' signs give wrong message

July 14, 2004
Sidney Daily News

To the editor:

I read Toby Hoover's letter congratulating your newspaper for illegally publishing the names and addresses of the CCW holders in Shelby County. Why would someone give congratulations on a criminal act? Her letter is typical of the anti-gun movement.

They rely on fear mongering to scare people. Ms. Hoover stated that the new law increased the safety risk to the public. That is not true. Every state that has passed CCW has shown a decrease in violent crime.

Ms. Hoover also says that there is a "boycott" of places posted with no gun signs, and that is also not true. I personally will not do business with an establishment that is posted, and have told them that. The results are that the more truth these establishments receive the more the signs come down. In a two-week period here in Ohio, five different violent crimes occurred on properties marked "no guns."

It seems that the criminal element tends to ignore the law, so the only thing that these signs accomplish is disarming the honest citizen. And based on these FACTS you will continue to see more and more signs removed.

As far as her contention that open carry would be a better alternative, that is ridiculous. Then the criminal element would again have the upper hand, being able to pick and choose based on who is or isn't carrying. Now they have no idea, and that uncertainty may just provide enough second thoughts to dissuade an attack.

Ms. Hoover speaks of mass violence and shootings. Well, that is occurring as we speak...in places where guns carried by law abiding citizens are banned. The Kansas City shootings ... 9-11 ... Columbine, all preventable by one armed citizen. Yet Ms. Hoover wants stricter gun laws, ignoring the fact that the highest crime rates in the United States are in the exact places with the strictest anti-gun laws.

One more thing, she gives statistics on the number of people who do and do not have concealed carry licenses, those numbers are misleading. Americans support concealed carry laws, and even if they didn't, the wants of the many should never ever circumvent the rights of the few or even the one.

Steve Lewis

Related Story:
Toby Hoover congratulates newspaper under investigation for law-breaking

Special Prosecutor Appointed to Investigate Release of Protected Records