Pro-Gun Punditry: Wednesday's Buckeye State Roundabout

There are more stories pertaining to our gun rights in Ohio then we can possibly draw attention to with individual daily commentary. But they are worthy of comment.

What follows is our weekly view of headlines from around the state though a pro-gun rights lens.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for seven days of headlines accompanied by short, concise pro-gun analysis.

Wednesday from Columbus: Democrats’ state leader considers resigning

Entering an election year that offers Democrats their best shot in 16 years at ending Republican dominance of state goverment, the Ohio Democratic Party appears poised for a shake-up. Dennis L. White acknowledged yesterday that he might resign as the party’s state chairman before his term expires in June. If that happens, former U.S. Rep. Dennis Eckart, of Cleveland, and Montgomery County Democratic Chairman Dennis A. Lieberman said they want the job. And Eckart said he will challenge White if he decides to run for another four-year term as chairman. White, 51, said he plans to talk with the party’s two candidates for governor, Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman and U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, of Lisbon, about whether he should continue as chairman. "I’ve not made a decision," White said. "I’ve got to sit down with Mr. Coleman and Mr. Strickland. . . . Either one of them is going to be my governor, and I’ll support them in whatever they decide they want me to do. I’m going to do what’s best for the party."

While Bob Taft's conviction on campaign finance law violations and the investment scandals at the Bureau of Worker's Comp have certainly provided an opening for Democrats to challenge the Ohio GOP's dominance, this discussion shows that things are not all well on the left side of the aisle. Later in the story Paul Tipps, Ohio Democratic Party chairman from 1974 to ’82 admitted that despite all of the scandals, "this is a difficult time for the [Democrat] party." Can pro-gun candidate Ted Strickland bring them back together? Time will tell...

Thursday from Columbus: Ohio Democrats face uncertainty

On Wednesday, the Columbus Dispatch reported that White might step down early -- if the candidates for governor want him to resign. By midmorning, White said the news report was not correct and he fired off a letter to the party's governing board announcing plans to complete his term.

If there is anything the OhioGOP can say in defense of its own problems this year, it is that the other side appears to be in even more disarray.

Friday from Columbus: Girl expected to recover from gunshot

Knox County Sheriff David Barber was relieved yesterday that his duties did not include dealing with the coroner. A 9-year-old girl narrowly escaped death Wednesday evening when her older brother shot her in the face while playing with a gun he mistakenly assumed was empty. The round from a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol struck Meagan Miller in the right cheek and exited under her left ear, the sheriff said. "She was a very lucky little girl. If the bullet had gone upward, she probably wouldn’t be here," Barber said. The Utica Elementary School third-grader was in critical condition yesterday at Children’s Hospital in Columbus, but was expected to recover fully, her family told school officials. The girl’s 14-year-old brother has not been charged. The shooting was "definitely accidental," Barber said. The youth removed the magazine from the handgun thinking that made it safe, but apparently did not realize a bullet remained in the chamber, he said.

It is an absolute travesty that the state of Ohio provides funding for Eddie Eagle training in our schools, but that so few school boards are taking advantage of it. "Stop, Don't Touch, Leave the Area, Tell an Adult" was the answer here yet again.

Friday from North Royalton: PETA OFFERS $2,500 TO NAB NORTH ROYALTON DOG KILLER

A family’s 4-year-old basset hound, Cledus, was shot three times with an air rifle on June 12. After suffering from a series of infections, Cledus succumbed to his injuries in late August. Police have yet to make any arrests in connection with the shooting. That is why PETA is offering as much as $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this violent crime.

No word on how much they are paying the captors of the two PETA members who are up on 25 felony counts of animal cruelty and obtaining property under false pretenses after authorities found them dumping the dead bodies of 18 animals they had just picked up from a North Carolina animal shelter in a Dumpster (according to The Associated Press, 13 more dead animals were found in a van registered to PETA.)

Saturday from Cincinnati: Attorney staying in race to replace DeWine in Senate

Ohio's political landscape became more unsettled Friday when Cincinnati attorney Paul Hackett announced that he will continue his campaign to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine despite Rep. Sherrod Brown's recent entry into the race. The decision sets up a potentially bruising Democratic primary between Brown, a seven-term congressman from Avon and former Ohio secretary of state, and Hackett, an Iraq war veteran who drew national attention when he nearly won a special election in August in one of Ohio's most conservative congressional districts. "I'm in this. The water's good. Come on in, Sherrod," Hackett said Friday. "It's going to be fun." Brown responded that he wasn't surprised by Hackett's decision. "I plan to win the primary," he said. "This race is about Mike DeWine and beating Mike DeWine. . . . I'm the candidate who can beat Mike DeWine."

Before we even get to DeWine (who is himself challenged by at least one pro-gun candidate on his side of the ticket), the table is now set. Democrat voters are finally going to get to choose between a pro-gun candidate and an anti-gun one.

Sunday from Hamilton: Bill Rentschler: Off my chest: Primary battle would aid DeWine

A hard-driving citizen-politician from Southwestern Ohio, who served recently as a Marine major in Iraq, has been poised to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Mike DeWine in 2006, as predicted earlier in this column. Attorney Paul Hackett’s gameplan has been somewhat muddied by the announcement of respected U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown of Mansfield, former Ohio secretary of state, that he now plans, somewhat unexpectedly, to enter the fray for DeWine’s Senate seat. This presages a primary battle, which Hackett sees as a classic example of Ohio Democrats shooting themselves in the foot and thus damaging their chances of victory.

There sure have been a lot of Democrats in Disarray stories this week...

Sunday from Marion: Morrow County Republican Women try their hands at self-defense

Keep your cool and call for help. That was the message Morrow County Republican Women took home from a 2-hour seminar on Women's Self-Defense held recently at Mills Rest Ranch in Mount Gilead. Answering an invitation from the club, certified karate instructor Kim Denty and Morrow County Chief Detective Paul Mills gave 30 women a taste of karate and other martial arts techniques as they presented several basic lessons in self-defense at the seminar. Attendee Ruby Jackson said people are not aware of their surroundings. "I believe that people are talking too much on their cell phones and aren't aware of what is going on in the parking lot or at their car," she said. And as the women tried a few simple self-defense maneuvers in case of an assault or attack, they realized how ill prepared they were for a real-life situation. "That's what we want you all to realize. The more you learn, the more you
realize how little you know about self-defense," Denty said.

If, as the story seems to indicate, there was no discussion of the option to obtain a concealed handgun license for self-defense, then this karate intructors' words about "how little you know about self-defense" may prove to be self-descriptive.

Monday from Akron: LTE: Concealed-carriers can't catch a break

Predictably, incidents of permit holders being involved in gun-related crimes are rare. The only problems, then, are when those with the Beacon Journal's editorial mind-set attempt to vilify anyone who feels the need to protect him- or herself.

No matter how many readers communicate their frustration with the bigotry against gun owners exhibited by the establishment media, they just won't stop.

Tuesday from Dayton: Overnight Shooting Leaves Home Invader Hospitalized

Authorities said a man was shot several times after he tried breaking into a Dayton home. The shooting happened around 1 a.m. Tuesday. Police said the man who was shot was banging and kicking at the front door. They said when the homeowner refused to let him in, the man kicked in the a front window and crawled into the home, where the homeowner shot him. Medics took the man to a local hospital, where he is listed in fair condition.

It is amazing that in a country with so many gun owners there are still people stupid and crazy (most likely combined with being high) enough to try and break into a house they know is occupied. Yet another innocent life saved because of the Second Amendment.