Toledo bar patrons forget guns are illegal there; Gun ban extremists forget to have some class

By Gerard Valentino

A wild shootout at a bar in Toledo, Ohio is making the rounds on YouTube and several other websites. As usual, the anti-gun crowd is using such a case to push their biased and misguided agenda. Luckily, in this case nobody was hurt, which has to be a disappointment to them since they like to use the death of others in their emotion based arguments against guns.

The recent exploitation of the tragic death of the gun-toting soccer mom from Pennsylvania is also proof that the anti-gun leadership has yet to find a tragedy they won't try to exploit.

One anti-gun organization had the gall to refer to such a tragic event as "ironic" – a sick, disgusting and contemptuous way to describe the tragic death of two people. This from a group that claims to truly care about the safety of the general public and claim to be on the side of compassion. We can only guess they would have preferred a staggering body count in the Toledo bar shoot-out to better exploit it for their own gain.

Still, their choice to prey on people's emotions instead of using logic in the debate over gun rights is effective because many people don't take the time to properly investigate the crazy claims used by the anti-gun side of the debate. With each news story in today's 24 hour news cycle world getting less and less total coverage, the anti-gun leadership has perfected using the inflammatory sound-bite to push their agenda.

Countering the anti-gun leadership's exploitation of the Toledo shoot-out and other similar cases is really very simple.

Just remind everyone that selling drugs and carrying guns in bars is already illegal – and look how well that worked out.

Criminals will carry wherever and whenever they want, without regard for the law. To claim otherwise is to live in a dream world, or to take liberty with logic. They know honest people, on the other hand, will do everything possible to avoid breaking the law. That is why the pro-gun community refers to places where honest people are disarmed as victim disarmament zones, or criminal protection zones.

Remember that in nearly every spree killing in American history the perpetrator took advantage of the fact that nobody could stop them because honest people were disarmed by law. That's true in every single school shooting and nearly all workplace shootings.

But, disarming honest people at work and school isn't enough for the anti-gunners among us - now they want to disarm us everywhere else. Plus, they choose to use the tragic murder of a gun-toting soccer mom, and a shoot-out between murderous drug dealing thugs in their fear-mongering propaganda. To say that reflects badly on their motives and agenda is an understatement.

One thing that is clear in the debate is that the pro-gun side uses the honest use of guns in self-defense, by law-abiding Americans to push an agenda based on people taking responsibility for their own actions. In contrast, the anti-gun side uses the brutal murder of honest people and the actions of thugs, cop-killers and socio-paths to push their agenda. Throwing their lot in with the dregs of society doesn't seem to cause the leaders of the anti-gun movement shame. Either does parading a victim of violent crime, who they probably worked to disarm, in front of the media, or trumpeting the death of a law-abiding soccer mom.

The same is true of anti-gun politicians who accept the protection of armed body guards while denying your right to defend yourself and those you love with a gun.

As we continue our battle for liberty and the right to carry a gun for self-defense, we can look back on our actions with pride. Our side celebrates when honest people take responsibility for their own actions, and when Americans exercise their rights in a peaceful lawful manner. Protection of the innocent is key to the survival of the pro-gun movement.

There is no question, the fear-mongering and hateful actions of our adversaries reflects poorly on them, and poorly on their message. It's our job to make sure we remind those undecided on the gun issue of the overriding difference in the pro-liberty based message of the pro-gun side, compared to the anti-freedom and exploitative actions of those willing to disarm honest people.

By using the tragic deaths of law-abiding citizens and the actions of common street thugs to push their agenda, the anti-gun, anti-freedom side bases their message on hate and living in fear.

The simple fact is we are just, we are right, and our outlook for America is positive and based on compassion for our fellow citizens.

We can't say that about our adversaries.

Gerard Valentino is Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer, and author of the Valentino Chronicles (paperback) now available through Amazon.com.