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 bulletproof backpacks to a lawsuit over the names of DUI offenders, these articles should be a part of your required reading!

What follows is several days of headlines accompanied by short, concise pro-gun analysis.

8/20/07: National: Bullet-Proof Backpack Is The Latest Rage In Back-To-School Fashion

From the article:

The latest back-to-school fashion accessory this fall is a backpack with a bullet-deflecting lining. It's the invention of a pair of Boston-area dads who started to worry about their children's safety after the Columbine school shootings in 1999.

The backpack, which goes for $175, is lined with a bullet-proof plate that weighs about as much as a water bottle. The light metal plate also protects against machetes and hatchets.

It is sad that we have to worry about the safety of our children at school, but we do. We must allow teachers and other faculty members to carry concealed firearms in order to protect our children. The backpack may save your child (in the unlikely event they are wearing it at the moment of attack), but it will not stop a threat from hurting other children.

8/16/07: Broadview Heights, Ohio: Brecksville Man, 19, Acting Strangely, Dies After Breaking Into Condo

From the article:

Martin ran through a bedroom window and into a condominium where a couple in their 80's were sleeping in an adjacent bedroom. Martin took off his pants and underwear, said he needed to take a shower, and assaulted both of them. He tried to run out through another bedroom window, which he cracked, and then left the way he came in.

A witness said Martin scaled the same fence but it broke and he fell onto the pavement. He then took a piece of the broken wood and used it to stab and hit himself.

Thankfully, the victims were not injured. This helps prove that anything can happen anywhere. even in "safe" communities like Broadview Heights.

8/16/07: Cincinnati, Ohio: Mayor Won't Use Pistol to Start Race

From the article:

Mayor Mark Mallory is refusing to fire a starter pistol to kick off an upcoming road race, saying he doesn't like the gun's symbolism in a city that set a record for homicides last year.

Mallory said he'll blow a whistle at Saturday's Rhythm Race 5K instead. A pistol filled with blanks is traditionally used to start races and track meets.

"I think the symbolism is just bad," he said. "It's just something I don't do."

Now that is just stupid. The only thing that Mayor Mallory accomplishes by not using a starter pistol, is that he shows people how out of touch with reality he truly is.

8/15/07: Columbus, Ohio: Teen Hid In Closet During Robbery

From the article:

According to Columbus police, a 16-year-old girl was alone at a home on Live-Moor Drive in east Columbus when she heard someone kick in the back door, 10TV's Brittany Westbrook reported.

Also from the article:

"Based on my quick assessment, these suspects are working in tandem and they know what they are going after," said Columbus police Sgt David Sicilian. "They go in boldly, in the middle of the day; they go in and take as much as they can. It seems like a pretty organized little ring we are working with."

Is it just me, or do home invasions seem to be happening more and more? We must fight for our right to use firearms for self-defense and we must make sure that we are able to protect ourselves and our families from a home invasion.

8/8/07: Cincinnati, Ohio: Enquirer Files Suit Over DUI Names

From the article:

The Enquirer filed suit against the Ohio Department of Public Safety and its director, Henry Guzman, on Tuesday, seeking the names of all Ohioans convicted of drunken-driving offenses.

Also from the article:

But state officials have declined to provide access to the names in its database of records dating to 1973, citing state and federal privacy-protection laws.

Lets get this straight. We have to fight tooth and nail to try to totally protect the names of people with a CHL, but the names of people who broke the law (got a DUI) are protected. That is outrageous!