Too many Buckeyes walking about in ''Condition White''
By Tim Inwood
I know I will be preaching to the choir with this article. I hope that you will share this with family members and friends who have not taken the time to evaluate why they have not gotten their concealed handgun license.
My fellow Buckeyes sometimes puzzle me. Of late we have been bombarded with stories to convince us that the nation and our state is currently awash in violent crime. We watch television footage of school shootings, hostage takings and the bloody aftermath of robberies, crimes of passion, etc. Random acts of violence are happening all around us. However, too few of us seem to be taking the logical steps to counter this "growing trend" of violent crime.
'What?', you ask, 'there is something I can do?' Of course! The logical step to fighting crime is getting your Concealed Handgun License so you can defend yourself and your family. You have to
remember when the flag goes down and the criminal or criminals are upon you, a policeman is not going to be there to "protect and serve". He will be there later to record what happened and deal with the aftermath. But you will be the one who will have to deal with the crisis of the moment. You have to ask yourself, do you wish to be unarmed or have the option and the ability to defend yourself?
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Let's look at some numbers. The Census Bureau says that in 2005 there were 11,464,042 people living in the state of Ohio. In 2004 24.3 percent were under 18. I don't have a figure for people under 21 years of age, so to make it simple we will say 25% are under 21 and that the population is now 11.5 million people. I will even be generous and say another 25% are disqualified from getting a CHL due to some disability like having a criminal record, mental illness, immigration status or other reason they would not qualify. That would make a full half of the population who could not have a CHL. That leaves us with 5.25 million Buckeyes who should be able to qualify for an Ohio Concealed Handgun License. Yet by December 31, 2005 just 67,984 people in Ohio were holding a CHL. Now, when counting the number of legally armed Ohioans it is important to keep in mind that
thousands have out of state licenses. For example, a large number of Ohioans carry here on a Florida non-resident license, because it offers reciprocity with more states than Ohio does. Even so, when compared to the more than one-half million people who obtain hunting licenses each year, these numbers are still relatively small.
It is clear the vast majority of people in Ohio are not choosing to exercise their right to defend themselves. This truly strikes me as odd and poorly thought out, if not just an act of down right
stupidity. Think about it. How valuable is your life? Your spouse, children? How much do you love them? What will you do when you are walking out of the mall, etc. wife and kids in tow, when some thug sticks his pistol in your face and demands your money? We know as of late the new trend is that they will shoot you at the end of the
robbery. This is especially true if it is some gang-banger who is expected to kill someone has part of his initiation into the gang. In this moment do you wish to be like sheep standing naked before the
wolf? Have you no concern for those with you? What is holding you back from taking the steps to be responsible for your life?
Don't let a mistranslation of the Ten Commandments be your excuse.
Many people take the commandment "Thou shall not Kill" very literally. The problem is, it's a mistranslation. The original Aramaic is "Thou
Shall not do murder". So don't let that stop you.
You might then say, well I don't like the flaws in the current law. Granted there are too many victim zones and the open carry provision
is silly. But the first step in fixing the law, HB 347, is in the works and Senate Presiden Harris has promised it will be voted on in the state Senate before the end of the year. So don't let that be the road bump to your safety.
The other reason you might not have your CHL is you bought into the fibs told by Sarah Brady, Toby Hoover and the news media about how having a gun makes you more likely to use it on an aquaintance, or the liability issues of carrying a gun. Folks, don't let their lies, made-up numbers, and ridiculous, illogical propaganda fool you. If the day comes that you are facing down a criminal Toby and Sarah's advice is not what you want to be armed with. That can get you killed. I can
guarantee you they will not be there behind you to watch your six either. You will be on your own...so take along your friends Smith & Wesson instead of Hoover & Brady and be safe.
When you really stop and think about it, there is no good reason to not get your CHL. I am including some links to stories just in the Cincinnati area about senseless shootings of people in recent months. Many were going about in "condition white", oblivious to what was going on around them and walked right smack dab into a criminal intent on doing them harm. They made the mistake of walking about unprepared for life in a dangerous world. Unarmed like sheep among the
wolves...no surprise they were maimed or slaughtered.
So are you walking about in "condition white"? If your answer was 'yes' then please, for your own sake rectify that and get your CHL. Do it for
yourself and your family. Be responsible for your own life. Don't be counted among the sheep.
Tim Inwood is the current Legislative Liaison and Past President of the Clinton County Farmers and Sportsmen Association, and a volunteer for Buckeye Firearms Association.
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