Pro-Gun Punditry: Wednesday's Buckeye State Roundabout

By Chris Chumita

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 all worthy of mention.

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

From another mayor leaving Bloomberg's anti-gun group to another failure of the system, these articles should be a part of your required reading!

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

3/15/07: National: A Fourth Mayor Quits Bloomberg Anti-Gun Group

From the article:

Mayor Mary Wolf of Williamsport, Pa., said in an interview yesterday that she withdrew from Mayors Against Illegal Guns because she thought it was attempting to erode all gun ownership, not just illegal guns.

Slowly, more and more mayors are learning the truth about Mayor Bloomberg's anti-gun organization. Hopefully more mayors will follow in the footsteps of Mayor Wolf.

3/21/07: Roanoke Virginia: Roanoke.com Drops List Of Gun Owners

From the article:

One day after igniting a firestorm of criticism, The Roanoke Times decided Monday to remove from its Web site a list of Virginians licensed to carry concealed weapons.

Also from the article:

The list, which included both the names and street addresses of about 135,000 Virginians with permits to carry concealed weapons, was linked to a column by editorial writer Christian Trejbal that ran in the Current section.

Hundreds of readers complained on the newspaper's message board and to a gun-rights group that publishing the names of concealed-weapons permit holders violated the privacy of law-abiding citizens and gave potential criminals information that would help them find victims.

It looks like another newspaper/web site finally "gets it." Hopefully, the Ohio papers follow Roanoke.com's lead and stop publishing the names of Ohio CHL holders.

3/15/07: New York City, New York: 4 Dead Following NYC Pizzeria Rampage

From the article:

A gunman rampaged through a strip of restaurants and bars in a trendy Manhattan neighborhood, killing two unarmed volunteer police officers and a pizzeria employee, the mayor said.

The Buckeye Firearms Association would like to send our prayers and condolences to the families of the fallen police officers. This tragedy may have been avoided if New York City's anti-gun policies did not disarm their auxiliary (volunteer) police officers and provided them with the proper equipment. Also, the city's restrictive gun laws did not prevent this incident, because gun laws do NOT prevent crime.

3/12/07: National: Parker Decision: Celebrate, But With Grave Concerns

From the article:

This decision is better news for the right to keep and bear arms than was the Fifth Circuit's Emerson decision. Although the Emerson case contains an excellent and correct analysis of the Second Amendment, the decision did not strike down any laws and the armed citizen still lost. In this recent Parker case, the statute was declared unconstitutional and the armed citizens won.

Our joy must be tempered by two potential factors:

Take a second to read the Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership's concerns over the Parker decsion

3/12/07: Columbus, Ohio: Columbus To Hire More Police, But How Many Are Enough?

From the article:

Response times for emergency runs can be as long as 20 or 25 minutes in large precincts such as the 18 th, and some callers don’t see a police officer for more than an hour, said Jim Gilbert, president of Capital City Lodge No. 9 of the Fraternal Order of Police.

You CANNOT wait 20-25 minutes for a police officer if you are being robbed, raped, or attacked. That is why we must be always be ready to protect ourselves.

3/12/07: West Carrollton, Ohio: Search Continues For West Carrollton Shooter

From the article:

Nearby residents, like Robert Cox, can't believe it happened in their neighborhood. "I'm a hunter, so I've heard gunshots before. But in an apartment complex ... that's not supposed to happen."

That is the point, it CAN happen anywhere. That is why we must fight for our right to carry firearms for defense at home and in public.

3/11/07: Rocky River, Ohio: Home Invasion Leads To Police Chase

From the article:

A woman said she heard someone knocking at the door of her Hilliard Avenue home at about 11 a.m. She couldn't answer right away and a few minutes later she surprised a burglar standing in her kitchen, she said. She said she screamed and the man ran away.

Is it just me, or do home invasions seem to be happening more and more? As this incident proves, they can even happen in cities that are known to be very safe.

3/11/07: Oakland, California: Woman Fatally Shot In Front of Horrified Oakland Churchgoers

From the article:

Horrified parishioners watched a man pull out a gun and open fire on a churchgoer as she tried to run away, fatally wounding her just before services began Sunday morning, police said.

Even with stories like this, the gun-grabbers in Ohio insist in keeping places of worship as a criminal protection zone. When will they learn that criminals only see places or worship as an opportunity, and not as a sanctuary.

3/11/07: National: THE ALL-AMERICAN GUN

From the article:

The fascinating firsthand historical accounts that Cramer provides indicate that guns were cheap, readily available and essentially everywhere. Given America's historical amnesia, Cramer's book helps to remind us about that part of our history many now find improbable.

The rabid defender of the Second Amendment, Dr. John Lott gives us an excellent review of Clayton Cramer's new book, "Armed America: The Remarkable Story Of How And Why Guns Became As American As Apple Pie."

3/7/07: Ann Arbor, Michigan: Police Officer May Face Discipline

From the article:

An Ann Arbor police officer faces possible disciplinary action after officials say he left his loaded gun and equipment belt unattended in a jurors' restroom at the Washtenaw County Circuit Court last week.

Remember that according to the gun-grabbers, only police officers are responsible enough to carry guns.

3/7/07: Avondale, Ohio: Off-Duty Cop's Gun Stolen

From the article:

An off-duty police officer's service gun and city-issued radio was stolen late Tuesday from the trunk of his car, Cincinnati police said today.

The safest place for gun is on hip of CHL-holder or a police officer-NOT locked up in a vehicle..

3/6/07: Chicago, Illinois: UPDATE: Off-Duty Chicago Officer Shoots 1 Attacker

From the article:

An off-duty Chicago police officer was leaving a Lincoln Park bar early Sunday when police said he was accosted by about eight men spoiling for a fight.

Also from the article:

Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said department authorities had not spoken to the officer. After viewing surveillance video from a nearby business and interviewing witnesses, they had ruled that if the officer deliberately fired his gun, he acted in self-defense and within department guidelines, Bond said.

If this happened in Ohio, the victim would have been killed. When this incident occurred, Ohio law would have disarmed CHL-holders and off-duty police officers whenever they entered a establishment that serves alcohol. We need to pass a law that allows CHL-holders to carry in establishments that serve alcohol as long as they are not intoxicated.

3/6/07: Cleveland, Ohio: Teen Rape Suspect Released Due To Overcrowded Facility

From the article:

A teen accused of raping his teenage girlfriend is now accused of shooting his alleged victim with a shotgun after he was released on house-arrest.

Also from the article:

Officials said the magistrate released the 17-year-old for home detention because the suspect had only a previous misdemeanor charges.

Once again the system fails to protect the victim. The home monitoring company is drawing some heavy criticism for not alerting the authorities as soon as they noticed that the suspect left his house. Does anyone really believe that Cleveland would have called up a few police officers to go find the suspect had they called?