2009 - BFA in the News

Note: some websites change or deactivate stories after we link them here.

December 29, 2009
NRANews.com

Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus was a guest on NRANews.com Wednesday, December 29 at 10:40 p.m. Chad discussed his article "OOPS: Associated Press publishes fair and balanced article on increase in gun-related officer deaths" with Cam & Company host Cam Edwards.

December 27, 2009
Armed American Radio

Buckeye Firearms Foundation President Jim Irvine was a guest on "Armed American Radio," the official radio program of The United States Concealed Carry Association. AAR is syndicated nationally by Salem Radio Network.

December 16, 2009
NRANews.com

Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine was a guest on NRANews.com Wednesday, December 16 at 9:40 p.m. Jim discussed his article "NRA members smarter than newspaper writers" with Cam & Company host Cam Edwards.

December 8, 2009
NRANews.com

Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine was a guest on NRANews.com Tuesday, December 8 at 10:40 p.m. Jim discussed his article "Stickups and burglaries are on the rise – in the workplace" with Cam & Company host Cam Edwards.

December 3, 2009
Lorain Morning-Journal - Woman bags 10-point buck; female hunters on the rise

Linda Walker, central Ohio chair of the Buckeye Firearms Association, attributes the rise of women hunters to the changing of the times.

"As women evolve and society has changed, women have had to take on a traditionally male role," Walker said. "This is another extension of that in my opinion."

Walker is a firearms instructor with the BFA. She said women have been coming to more involved in the sport of shooting.

"It's really cool," Walker said. "As women are getting into firearms, hunting is a natural progression into that."

Walker isn't a hunter, but she said her sons and husband go out every year.

"My son's fiancee took up hunting and she was out hunting last night with him," Walker said. "They both got to take a shot at deer, and she said her adrenaline was just pumping. She loved it."

...Many hunters are encouraged by the Buckeye Firearms Association to donate their kill to the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry program this Saturday. There is no processing cost for the hunter if the meat is donated to a participating meat processor. To find a location, visit www.fhfh.org.

November 23, 2009
NRANews.com

Buckeye Firearms Association Legislative Chair Ken Hanson was a guest on NRANews.com Monday, November 23 at 9:30 p.m. Ken discussed the announcement that Buckeye Firearms Foundation and USCCA have filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court McDonald case with Cam & Company host Cam Edwards.

November 23, 2009
Armed American Radio

Buckeye Firearms Foundation President Jim Irvine was a guest on "Armed American Radio," the official radio program of The United States Concealed Carry Association. Jim discussed the announcement that Buckeye Firearms Foundation and USCCA have filed a brief in a U.S. Supreme Court case with host Mark Walters. AAR is syndicated nationally by Salem Radio Network.

November 22, 2009
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer Gerard Valentino was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle discussing the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals' ruling in support of Cleveland's local gun control laws. The show is syndicated on AM 1500 Xenia, AM 1130 North Dayton, and AM 1090 Wilmington.

November 17, 2009
HumanEvents.com - Pacifism: A Refuge of the Simple Minded

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer Gerard Valentino published on this national website.

November 14, 2009
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Ohio appellate court ruling on gun rights strikes a blow for self-governance -- editorial

Perhaps the most telling response to Thursday's appellate court decision came from the legislative chair of the Buckeye Firearms Association: "The Supreme Court will reverse it." Let us hope that certainty is misplaced.

November 12, 2009
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Cleveland officials cheer appellate court's ruling in firearms case; gun-rights advocate expects reversal from Ohio Supreme Court

Ken Hanson, the legislative chair for Ohio's gun-rights advocating Buckeye Firearms Association, expressed little concern even before reading the court's 20-page ruling.

"The Supreme Court will reverse it," Hanson said.

November 8, 2009
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer Gerard Valentino was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle discussing issues important to Ohio gun owners. The show is syndicated on AM 1500 Xenia, AM 1130 North Dayton, and AM 1090 Wilmington.

November 6, 2009
700AM WLW's "The Scott Sloan Show" radio program

Buckeye Firearms Foundation Region Leader Collin Rink was a guest on "The Scott Sloan Show" yet another multiple victim public shooting in a place where guns are banned with host Scott Sloan. The radio station broadcasts from Cincinnati.

November 1, 2009
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer Gerard Valentino was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle discussing issues important to Ohio gun owners. The show is syndicated on AM 1500 Xenia, AM 1130 North Dayton, and AM 1090 Wilmington.

October 25, 2009
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer Gerard Valentino was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle discussing issues important to Ohio gun owners. The show is syndicated on AM 1500 Xenia, AM 1130 North Dayton, and AM 1090 Wilmington.

October 21, 2009
NRANews.com

Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer Gerard Valentino was a guest on NRANews.com Wednesday, October 21 at 10:20 p.m. Gerard discussed how an abduction and robberies at or near Ohio campuses have exposed need to lift the concealed carry ban with Cam & Company host Cam Edwards.

October 18, 2009
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer Gerard Valentino was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle discussing issues important to Ohio gun owners. The show is syndicated on AM 1500 Xenia, AM 1130 North Dayton, and AM 1090 Wilmington.

October 13, 2009
WTAM 1100 AM (Cleveland)

Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine appeared as a guest on the Bob Frantz show discussing a bar shooting in Toledo that gained national headlines.

October 11, 2009
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer Gerard Valentino was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle discussing issues important to Ohio gun owners. The show is syndicated on AM 1500 Xenia, AM 1130 North Dayton, and AM 1090 Wilmington.

October 8, 2009
Columbus Dispatch - NYC mayor's crusade finds lax gun shows in Ohio

Gun-rights supporters say there is no need for more laws.

"No one condones gun sellers breaking the law," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association. "But the argument that there is a loophole is not correct. If current laws were enforced, there wouldn't be a problem."

Gov. Ted Strickland, who is strongly backed by the NRA, is not calling for a new law.

"The governor believes this is an enforcement issue," Strickland spokeswoman Amanda Wurst said. "The laws on the books should be more tightly enforced."

October 8, 2009
WLWT (NBC Cincinnati) - Sharonville Gun Show Visited In NYC Gun Probe

The Buckeye Firearms Association calls the Bloomberg report questionable, and said additional laws to close the gun show loophole are a waste.

"We have so many levels of checks. We have so many levels of laws. We just don't need any more. Let's enforce the ones we have," association member Collin Rink said.

October 8, 2009
Cleveland Plain Dealer - NYC's Bloomberg blasts gun shows in Ohio, elsewhere

Jim Irvine of the pro-gun Buckeye Firearms Association said Wednesday afternoon that he hadn't read the report yet, but added that it's easy to dismiss Bloomberg as an extremist who "fabricates and distorts the facts" to push a "hack-job, half-truth" anti-gun agenda.

Gun shows are "absolutely a good thing," Irvine said. "What's bad is when people break the law, and those people should be punished."

His organization also cited a 2001 Bureau of Justice Statistics report based on interviews with 18,000 state prison inmates. Less than 1 percent said their "crime guns" came from gun shows, the Buckeye Firearms statement said.

October 7, 2009
WBNS 10TV (CBS Columbus) - Illegal Gun Sales Investigation Centers On Ohio

Ken Hanson, the lawyer for the Buckeye Firearms Association, was angry but said the people committing a crime by selling should be prosecuted under existing law.

October 7, 2009
Cincinnati Enquirer - Stings expose 'gun show loophole'

Collin Rink, Cincinnati Region Leader for the Buckeye Firearms Association, a group that defends Ohioans' rights to keep and bear arms, said buying and selling guns is no different than any other property and thus buyers should not be subjected to background checks.

He took Bloomberg to task for the investigation.

"I suppose as elected official, he can try to use whatever influence he has, but the influence he has in Ohio is pretty much none," Rink said.

October 5, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Another Pro-Gun Mayor Wises Up to Bloomberg's "Mayors Against Guns" Charade

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus published on this national website.

October 5, 2009
Marietta Times - More gun permits issued

Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks said the demand for concealed carry permits is fueled by concerns of more restrictive gun control.

...Mincks said there are still some who want to carry a gun for protection. Since the law allowing hidden guns went into effect, he said there has been no incident locally involving a permit holder defending himself.

"I support concealed carry 100 percent," Mincks said. "We have not had any problems with the people from this county."

Through June, 158,000 Ohio citizens were licensed to carry handguns, according to Buckeye Firearms Association.

October 2, 2009
Statehouse News Bureau

Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine was interviewed by Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler regarding the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to hear another landmark gun rights case.

October 1, 2009
The Outdoor Wire - Supreme Court Set To Hear Second Amendment For Second Time

Response to the high court's indication of an intent to hear McDonald, is positive in the firearms community. "We are delighted that the court has agreed to take this important case," said Jim Irvine, President of Buckeye Firearms Foundation. "Rights affirmed by our Constitution should apply equally to everyone, no matter where they live."

September 30, 2009
Fulton County Expositor - County follows state's increase in concealed handgun licenses

According to Chad Baus, vice chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, two factors have contributed to the increase in CHLs: an improved law and what he calls "The Obama Effect."

When the original law passed, there were several "poison pills" inserted by former Governor Bob Taft, Baus said. They included stipulations to carry a gun unconcealed in a car and allowing newspapers to publish lists of licensed holders. He said the increase in license applications was apparent after those stipulations were modified in 2007.

But what further spurred the demand was what Baus terms President Barack Obama's "abysmal" history on gun ownership and its related lifestyle. As an Illinois state senator, Obama voted for a 500 percent tax increase on ammunition and made his dislike of concealed carry weapons clear.

In fact, he said, the dramatic rise in CHLs began around the time the president was elected in 2008.

"There's enough on the record to make people afraid ... that gun bans could be coming," Baus said. "My own experience as an instructor is that the numbers have certainly gone up."

The Archbold resident teaches concealed carry classes at the Fulton County Sportsmen Club, and said clients are concerned about their Second Amendment rights.

"Most have said, 'I need to take the opportunity before I lose the opportunity,'" Baus said.

September 27, 2009
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer Gerard Valentino was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle discussing Ohio's concealed carry law. The show is syndicated on AM 1500 Xenia, AM 1130 North Dayton, and AM 1090 Wilmington.

September 26, 2009
(Medina County) Gazette - Mayor: Anti-gun group misused my name

Mayor Dale Strasser says he is a member of the National Rifle Association and has never supported any gun control organizations. So he was surprised to discover that pro-gun control organization Mayors Against Illegal Guns said he was a member in its promotional materials.

"My name should have never been on that material," Strasser said. "They used my name without my consent."

Along with Strasser, several other mayors throughout the state have said their names were used by MAIG without their permission, according to an article by the Buckeye Firearms Association.

September 24, 2009
(Willoughby) News-Herald - Concealed carry numbers high caliber stuff (On new record target)

Demand for concealed carry permits is on the rise with Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray saying figures point to nine consecutive quarters of growth.

The Buckeye Firearms [Association] further says that this year's Second Quarter represents the third consecutive quarter in which demand for concealed carry permits has more than doubled from the same period one year ago. The 17,921 permits issued represents a 106 percent increase, the [Association] says.

Also, during the second quarter some 4,825 concealed carry permits were renewed; which is about 68 percent of the licenses expiring during the period.

For the period April through June, a total of 22,768 concealed carry permits were issued, exceeding what was issued for all of 2008, the [Association] says.

There are now more than 158,000 Ohioans with concealed carry permits.

Less than one-half of one percent of issued permits have been revoked. And among the reasons include the license-holder dying or else moving out of state, the [Association] says.

Ohio is now in its sixth year of the concealed carry law with minimal troubles or increases in gun-related crime. That dispels the fear mongering that the anti-gun crowd kept saying during the debate on concealed carry.

September 18, 2009
WOIO Channel 19 Action News (Cleveland)

Buckeye Firearms Association was credited in the 5:00 news broadcast involving firearms laws in Ohio and Maryland.

September 18, 2009
NRANews.com

Buckeye Firearms Association Central Ohio Region Leader Linda Walker was a studio guest with Cam & Company host Cam Edwards on NRANews.com Friday, September 18 at 9:20 p.m. Linda was in Washington D.C. to accept the NRA's 2009 Sybil Ludington Women's Freedom Award. Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad Baus was also a guest on NRANews.com at 11:20 p.m. Chad discussed the news of more northeast Ohio mayors suspicious about how their names were added to NYC Mayor Bloomberg's gun control list with Cam & Company host Cam Edwards.

September 14, 2009
NRANews.com

Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad Baus was a guest on NRANews.com Monday, September 14 at 9:40 p.m. Chad discussed questions over whether Mayor Bloomberg is adding mayors to his gun control front group without permission with Cam & Company host Cam Edwards.

September 10, 2009
NRANews.com

Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad Baus was a guest on NRANews.com Wednesday, September 10 at 5:00 p.m. and again at 11:45 p.m. Chad discussed the fact that another Mayor has notified Buckeye Firearms Assoc. of her decision to resign from Mayor Bloomberg's gun control front group with Cam & Company host Cam Edwards.

September 10, 2009
Columbus Dispatch - Shooter incident stirs gun debate

"What they want to do is fix it so that nobody can have guns," said Gerard Valentino, secretary of the Buckeye Firearms Association.

"Unfortunately, there are going to be criminals who do things with guns." But the 36-year-old Pickerington resident questions why city officials never mention the cases in which citizens use guns to protect themselves and save lives.

Coleman and the city "are doing everything they can to limit people's ability to protect themselves," Valentino said.

September 9, 2009
NRANews.com

Buckeye Firearms Association Southwest Ohio Region Leader Joe Eaton was a guest on NRANews.com Wednesday, September 9 at 10:20 p.m. Joe discussed Buckeye Firearms Association's launch of the launch of the biggest "where to hunt" database in America with Cam & Company host Cam Edwards.

August 18, 2009
Gongwer News Service - House candidate quits gun control group

Walton Hills Mayor Marlene Anielski, a Republican candidate for the 17th Ohio House District seat, resigned from a gun control group organized by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, according to the Buckeye Firearms Association.

Ms. Anielski said she became concerned about the direction of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which she said is looking to "shift blame" for violent crime to law-abiding gun owners.

"I am dedicated in defending and advancing the right of Ohio citizens to own and use firearms for all legal activities, including self-defense and competitions," she wrote. "We need to defend our Constitutional rights to keep and bear arms."

Ms. Anielski is running for the House seat being vacated by Rep. Josh Mandel (R-Lyndhurst), who is a candidate for state treasurer.

August 16, 2009
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Larry Moore was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle discussing the pending changes to Ohio's concealed carry law. The show is syndicated on AM 1500 Xenia, AM 1130 North Dayton, and AM 1090 Wilmington.

August 4, 2009
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Big Show with Bill Cunningham"

Buckeye Firearms Association Southwest Ohio Region Leader Joe Eaton was a guest on The Big Show with Bill Cunningham to discuss the USA Today article "More seek concealed weapons permits."

August 4, 2009
Hamilton Journal-News - Best to keep guns far from kids, some say

When it comes to gun safety and kids, there is serious disagreement — some people advocate letting children become comfortable with firearms, while others say to keep them far away.

"It's about education and parents instructing kids properly," said Hamilton police Detective Dan Stevenson. "Take the mystique away from them." In his view, exposing children to firearms and firearm safety early on could save their lives.

Hamilton police officer Bob Gentry, who teaches local safety classes, agrees. "Take your family out and let them see how it works," he said.

But for parents who feel uncomfortable about exposing their children to guns, the next choice is to keep the weapons as guarded as possible.

"If you're going to have any type of tool, it's the responsibility of the parent to protect the children," said Joe Eaton, Southwest Ohio Chair of Buckeye Firearms Association. "The firearm should be locked away and inaccessible, and separate from ammunition."

August 3, 2009
Marion Star - Marion men attended protest of fed power

The Ohio Liberty Council is a coalition of grassroots groups including the Ohio Freedom Alliance, the Buckeye Firearms Association and Taxed Enough Already organizations. The council was formed to "get all liberty-minded groups and individuals in Ohio connected and communicating on issues and activities," according to the council's Web site.

Similar events took place nationwide April 15 and July 4 as a throwback to the original Boston Tea Party, when colonists protested the British government in 1773. ...The Associated Press reported thousands attended the rally.

August 2, 2009
Associated Press - Columbus rally draws large crowd

A rally attended by thousands Saturday at the Ohio Statehouse protested federal government power under President Barack Obama and called for the passage of a measure to assert states' rights.

The new Ohio Liberty Council staged the rally to protest what the council views as the usurping of power by the federal government in areas such as health care and energy.

The council called for passage of an Ohio Senate resolution to assert states' rights in areas that the U.S. Constitution does not grant the federal government the power to oversee.

The council consists of such groups as Americans for Prosperity, the Buckeye Firearms Association and the Ohio Freedom Alliance.

August 2009
Cincinnati Magazine - Suburban Legends: 15 Truths About Life Outside I-275

The Myth: Everyone owns a gun
The Reality: It's unlikely everyone outside the I-275 loop is packing heat, but there is no to prove or disprove the myth. That's because there are no federal, state, or local requirements to register most guns, says Joe Eaton with the pro-gun lobbying group Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA). According to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives the federal government requires a criminal background check on anyone who purchases a gun from a licensed dealer, but personal information is used to initiate the search and isn't kept in a national or state registry. Certain firearms, such as machine guns and short-barreled shotguns, must be registered with the feds, but a registrant's information is protected from general disclosure similar to that of taxpayer records. While you might assume that more people in the exurbs and rural areas hunt compared to denizens of the inner city and suburbs, a surprising number of suburbanites like to take a shot at Bambi, says Collin Rink, the BFA's Cincinnati region leader. He notes that Madeira has a deer-check station—where hunters must register their kill. "A lot of people are shocked to find out there's one less than five minutes from the Kenwood mall," he says.

July 27, 2009
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader Larry Moore was a guest on "The Great Outdoors" with host Calvin Pyle discussing the pending restaurant carry legislation in Ohio, as well as the failed attempt to pass national CCW reciprocity in the U.S. Senate. The show is syndicated on AM 1500 Xenia, AM 1130 North Dayton, and AM 1090 Wilmington.

July 23, 2009
WYTV (ABC Akron) - Senate Says No to Concealed Weapons Change

Rick Kaleda with the Buckeye Firearms Association says this proves once again how out of touch Washington is with its constituents. "As American citizens we have the right to protect ourself, whether we're in our state, whether we're in our country. Those boundaries shouldn't be restricting us."

...Ohio currently has a reciprocity agreement with 18 other states, meaning if you're legal in Ohio, you're legal in those states as well. Some of our closest neighbors in Pennsylvania don't fall under that agreement, so if they cross the border and are caught with a firearm, they face penalties.

But Kaleda says most people who carry the permit follow and know the law. It's the criminals that don't. Kaleda says, "So laws aren't gonna restrict how they behave. All we're asking is that they relieve the restriction on how the law abiding citizen has to behave."

June 20, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Across the Fruited Plain: Concealed Carry Confidentiality

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus published on this national website.

June 20, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Gangs Behind up to 80% of US Crime, yet Gun Ban Lobby Focuses on Law-Abiding

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus published on this national website.

July 13, 2009
WTVN (610AM) Columbus

Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine was interviewed for an on-air segment regarding changes to firearm laws contained in House Bill 1, the budget bill.

July 13, 2009
WTAM (1110AM) Cleveland

Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine was interviewed for an on-air segment regarding changes to firearm laws contained in House Bill 1, the budget bill.

July 2, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Video Review: "Advanced Fighting Pistol - Close Quarters Combatives" from ITC

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer Gerard Valentino published on this national website.

July, 2009
S.W.A.T. Magazine - Form Follows Function

Article by Buckeye Firearms Foundation Secretary/Treasurer Gerard Valentino about the SIG P229 in .357 SIG published in this national magazine.

July, 2009
Columbus Board of Realtors Magazine - Member News

Linda Walker, RE/MAX Champions, has been selected by The National Rifle Association to receive the 2009 Sybil Ludington Women's Freedom Award. This award recognizes exceptional accomplishments of modern heroines through their legislative activism as well as advocacy, volunteerism, and education of others to the goals of the Second Amendment and the NRA.

June-July, 2009
Gunsmoke - Buckeye Firearms Assoc. Chairman Jim Irvine featured in Ohio Rifle & Pistol Assoc. member newsletter

Feature interview was published in the June-July 2009 issue of Gunsmoke, the membership newsletter of the Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association (ORPA).

June 30, 2009
NRANews.com

Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus was a guest on NRANews.com Tuesday, June 30 at 10:40 p.m. Chad discussed the Lima News article "Concealed carry five years later - Why it works" with Cam & Company host Cam Edwards.

June 29, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Across the Fruited Plain: Where the Fight for Shall-Issue Still Rages

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus published on this national website.

June 28, 2009
Columbus Dispatch - Machine gun fun?

Recreational gun use is a "way of life" in Appalachia, said Rick Jones, who attended the machine-gun shoot yesterday as part of the Buckeye Firearms Association, a political organization that lobbies for self-defense, hunting and sporting rights.

"We use guns for defense and a way to put food on the table," Jones said. "We know what's right and what's wrong and there's nothing wrong with it."

"It's a perfectly recreational family activity," he added.

June 25, 2009
Fulton County (OH) Expositor - Walker, Baus lead concealed carry class in July

This year's Sybil Ludington Women's Freedom Award-winner, Linda Walker will return to to Fulton County in July. Saturday, July 18, she, along with Chad Baus, will be conducting a firearms concealed carry class at the John Dale American Legion Post #143 in Fayette, located at 424 S. Fayette St.

In order to register for the class, please access their email addresses; Linda at [email protected] or Baus at [email protected]. Exact times for the class and other necessary items will be answered by contacting them.

Linda is a 1978 graduate of Evergreen High School. Formerly Linda Recknet, she married James Walker III who graduated from Evergreen in 1979. Linda's parents are Howard and Mary Reckner of Delta. Jim is the son of Diane and Hames Walker II of Lyons. Linda and Jim have lived in central Ohio since 1983.

...Commenting on her selection [for the NRA's prestigious Sybil Ludington Women's Freedon Award], Walker said, "I have spent several years working on Second Amendment rights, building relationships with the Legislature, working hand in hand with the NRA and educating both youth and adults in shooting sports and concealed carry. To be recognized for my efforts by the NRA is very humbling and it feels wonderful. I look forward to continuing the message that our Second Amendment rights are sacred. Without the Second, we would not have our other Constitutional rights.

"It is with great honor I accept the prestigious Sybil Ludington Women's Freedon Award. I have large shoes to fill by the American Patriots who precede me in earning this award," she added.

"It is a great honor and privilege to be recognized and awarded the NRA's Sybil Ludington Women's Freedon Award. Being the highest award the NRA presents to women for their Second Amendment activism, it is very humbling to be amongst the ladies who precede me, as their accomplishments are great.

"My name will be attached to this award, but it is not only myself who has earned this honor. My fellow Buckeye Firearms leadership team and my co-instructor Clint Lake have all earned this award equally with me. All of these fine, upstanding gentlemen entered my life in 2005. They have all taught me a great deal about legislation, politics, gun rights and education. I am a very privileged lady to have these gentlemen in my life. I will forever be indebted, inspired and in awe of my Buckeye Firearms brothers.

"Last and certainly not least, I would like to thank my husband Jim, my sons Dakota and Zak, my son and daughter-in-law James and Kelly, and my granddaughters MaKenzie and Elise, who have allowed me to take time away from our family life to afford me the opportunity to "make a difference". It is because of them and their future that I do all of this," said Linda.

June 18, 2009
Fulton County (OH) Expositor - Walker receives NRA's highest woman's honor

The National Rifle Association has selected Buckeye Firearms Association Central Ohio Chair to received the 2009 Sybil Ludington Women's Freedom Award. This is a singular national-level recognition by the NRA of their women's membership.

According to the NRA Web site, "the Sybil Ludington Women's Freedom Award recognizes exceptional accomplishments of modern heroines through their legislative activism as well as advocacy, volunteerism and education of others to the goals of the Second Amendment and the NRA on a national level. Its name comes from a heroine of the American Revolution."

The Sybil Ludington Women's Freedom Award has been awarded since 1995. Past recipients have included such noteables as Marion P. Hammer, the NRA's first woman president, Suzanna Gratia Hupp, who became a gun rights advocate and Texas legislator after her parents were murdered by a spree killer inside a "no guns" zone.

"A positive presence in the Ohio Statehouse, Linda Walker contributes greatly to legislative work and was instrumental in the passage of SB184, Ohio's Castle Doctrine, referred to as 'one of the most sweeping firearm reform bills in the United States.' Her work on the leadership team of Buckeye Firearms Association has helped make it one of the foremost grassroots organizations for the Second Amendment in America," read an NRA press release announcing the award.

"The National Rifle Association relies on the dedication and determination of patriots like Linda Walker," NRA Executive Director Kayne Robinson said. "Whether Linda is acting within her role as an NRA Certified Instructor or as Election Volunteer Coordinator in the great state of Ohio, she is spreading her passion and expertise, and everyone who values the Second Amendment owes her their gratitude."

As an NRA Certified Instructor in multiple disciplines, Linda has instructed hundreds of students in Ohio concealed carry over the past three years. She holds a regular schedule of classes, meeting the education requirement to apply for an Ohio concealed handgun license.

Linda has a very strong presence in her community and state and helps organize events where she passes her wealth of knowledge of firearms to a wide range of groups including children, women and politicians. Linda has worked diligently assisting local Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops, recruiting parents, churches and businesses alike to help with the scouting programs. She's also a strong advocate in firearm legislation and a teacher of the next generation of safe firearm owners, she is an invaluable asset not only to her state, but the Second Amendment itself. Linda also serves as NRA's Election Volunteer Coordinator for the 12th Congressional District for the State of Ohio.

Linda also serves as NRA's Election Volunteer Coordinator for the 12th Congressional District in Ohio.

She is the Central Ohio Chair of Buckeye Firearms Association, Ohio's foremost 2nd Amendment rights organization. She is on the board of directors of the Licking County Republican Patriot's Club, as the political programs chair. Yet, firsta nd foremost, sheis an NRA certified instructor in multiple disciplines, instructing Ohioans on concealed carry weapons classes.

Linda will return to Fulton County this summer to conduct a concealed carry class.

June 4, 2009
Chillicothe Gazette - Concealed weapon licenses on the rise

The Buckeye Firearms Association indicated the 139 percent increase in licenses issued compared to the same period in 2008 and the fact that already more licenses have been issued than were approved in all of 2006 shows gun owners are sending a message that they will defend themselves if necessary from crime.

"License holders, like gun owners in general, are not the extremists the anti-gun crowd tries to paint," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, in a written statement to the Gazette. "They are honorable citizens who want protection from real dangers. They understand that police are not there to protect them from a rape or murder any more than they can prevent someone from running a red light.

"Responsible people wear a seat belt to protect themselves in a car accident, and they carry a gun to protect them from a criminal attack."

June 1, 2009
WHLO's (640AM) "Matt Patrick Show" radio program with host Matt Patrick

Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine was a guest on the "Matt Patrick Show" with host Matt Patrick discussing the 139% increase of Ohio concealed handgun license applications in the first quarter of 2009.

June 1, 2009
Lima News - Editorial: Concealed carry without problems

Jim Irvine, chairman of the pro-gun group Buckeye Firearms Association, attributed the pace of people seeking gun permits to fears about crime in this weak economy and fear that the Obama administration might strengthen gun control laws.

..."The strong demand marks the eight consecutive quarters that licenses issued increased compared to the prior year," Irvine wrote in a column released last week. "License-holders, like gun owners in general, are not the extremists the anti-gun crowd tries to paint. They are honorable citizens who want protection from real dangers. They understand that police are not there to protect them from a rape or murder any more than they can prevent someone from running a red light. Responsible people wear a seat belt to protect themselves in a car accident, and they carry a gun to protect them from a criminal attack."

May 31, 2009
Newark Advocate - More Ohioans arming themselves, seeking licenses to carry concealed

When someone wants to acquire a CCL, which allows citizens to tote handguns in public, they must complete a 12-hour training course with a certified instructor like Linda Walker.

"We went from teaching one class a month with 10 or 12 students to two or three classes per month, cutting it off at the first 20 paid (customers)," said Walker, who is a certified instructor at her training school, On The Defense.

What changed, Walker said, was the election of a president that she says the gun-rights community fears will roll back advancements they've made in state and federal regulations.

Obama's victory in the November elections was a gut shot to gun owners everywhere who have been fighting for expanded rights, said Walker, who also is the central Ohio chairwoman of the political action committee Buckeye Firearms Association.

"It doesn't have to do with Obama being a Democratic president," she said. "It has to do with Obama's views on the Second Amendment."

...The people in Walker's classroom and Richardson's office are not from any one demographic, both said. People range from novices to enthusiasts, Walker said.

She estimated about one-third of her graduates are women. Walker has taught people from age 21 -- the minimum age requirement -- all the way up to age 88.

May 28, 2009
Columbus Dispatch - Concealed-carry permit applications jumped first quarter of year

County sheriff's offices issued 16,323 licenses in the first quarter of the year, a 139 percent increase over the same period a year ago, according to statistics released this month by the Ohio attorney general's office.

It was the second straight quarter in which the number of licenses issued more than doubled from the previous year, said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, a pro-gun lobbying group.

The two quarters include the period of Barack Obama's election and inauguration and mirrored an increase in sales of guns and ammunition reported across the nation.

If the pace set in the first quarter continues, 2009 will be the busiest year for concealed-carry licenses in Ohio since they became available in 2004.

"It's a combination of fears about the economy causing an increase in crime, and fears that the Obama administration is going to put huge new restrictions on getting firearms or carrying them," Irvine said.

...Regardless of the reason for the increase in concealed-carry licenses, Buckeye Firearms' Irvine is encouraged by the development.

"Gun ownership and concealed carry are becoming a more mainstream idea," he said. "It is considered a responsible thing to defend yourself or your family from a criminal attack."

May 28, 2009
WKBN's (570AM) "Mangino" radio program with host Robert Mangino

Buckeye Firearms Association Southeast Ohio Region Leader Joe Eaton was a guest on "Mangino" with host Robert Mangino discussing the 139% increase of Ohio concealed handgun license applications in the first quarter of 2009.

May 1, 2009
Newark Advocate - Alexandria woman honored by NRA

The National Rifle Association has selected Linda Walker, of Alexandria, to receive the 2009 Sybil Ludington Women's Freedom Award, which recognizes legislative activism as well as advocacy, volunteerism and education.

"I have spent several years working on Second Amendment rights, building relationships with the Legislature, working hand in hand with the NRA and educating both youth and adults in shooting sports and concealed carry," Walker said in a press release.

As an NRA certified instructor in multiple disciplines, Walker has instructed hundreds of students in Ohio on concealed carry during the past three years. She holds a regular schedule of classes, meeting the education requirement to apply for an Ohio concealed handgun license.

May 1, 2009
Fulton County (OH) Expositor - Ammunition shortage fires up gun owners

Chad Baus of Archbold is vice-chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association. He has a theory about the high demand for ammo.

"There are a number of things at play," he said. "The major thing is the election and people's fears on future anti-gun rulings by the Obama administration. There was talk in the last general assembly, and 18 states considered legislation requiring microstamping."

Microstamping laws would require each round of ammunition to have a unique and traceable serial number, a plan many gun rights activists oppose.

"Add that to the cost of ammo going up, that got people worried even before the election," Baus said of higher metal prices.

He said at one time he knew people buying cases of ammo, often spending up to $1,000 each. Now stores are limiting ammo purchases.

"People are stocking up and keeping their inventories higher than they normally would," said Baus. "Manufacturers say they are working 24/7 and there is no decrease in production. I've seen some pretty crazy prices and people willing to pay them."

The association has tracked gun sales, permit applications and other gun and ammo figures. Their data claims an increase in all of them just following the presidential election.

"I honestly don't see any evidence of conspiracy by the administration to slow down supply, I just think this is market forces at work," Baus said.

For regular citizen gun owners, the issue is frustrating and difficult.

Baus said he went to a gun show to get materials to reload his own ammo. After finally finding a seller as soon as the show opened, the stock was already sold.

"People are now seeing the wisdom of keeping ammo on hand," he said.

April 27, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Media Peddles "You Might Be a Crazy Mass-Murderer If..."

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus published on this national website.

April 9, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Pro-Obama Faux Gun Group: "We Were Used!"

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus published on this national website.

March/April 2009
Ohio Valley Outdoors - "What Concealed Carry Instructors are Saying"

Buckeye Firearms Association CEntral Ohio Chair Linda Walker was quoted in this magazine concerning the surge in gun and ammo sales, and the increased number of people taking CCW classes.

March 19, 2009
North Royalton/ Strongsville Sun Star - Strongsville bans selling guns in residential areas

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said the legislation could have unintended consequences.

The association is a grassroots group which defends Ohioans' rights to keep and bear arms.

"If I wanted to sell a gun to another Strongsville resident and we can't do the sale in my house or in their house, what we will have to do to comply with this ordinance is go to some public place -- like the parking lot of any business -- and we will do the transaction there, so then it will be legal," Irvine said. "How will that make the city better or safer and what problem will it solve?"

...Irvine, who hosts a weekly radio talk show, Firearms Forum, on WHK-1420 AM, said the city's ordinance will be a topic of discussion at 8 p.m. Sunday.

March 16, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - The Fog of War: Examining the Media's Treatment of the Alabama Massacre

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus published on this national website.

March 13, 2009
WKYC (NBC Cleveland) - ODOT removes 'No Guns' signs from state rest stops, visitor centers

COLUMBUS -- Chad Baus of the Buckeye Firearms Association has confirmed that the Ohio Department of Transportation has completed the removal of the "No Guns" signs at all state rest stops and visitor centers.

Last fall, to comply with the implementation of Senate Bill 184, ODOT had ordered all "No Guns" signs at state rest stops and visitor centers removed.

The law, which regulates carrying concealed weapons throughout the state, took effect Sept. 3 and exempted buildings that are used primarily as a shelter, restroom, parking facility for motor vehicles, or rest facility.

But BFA members who carry concealed weapons (CCW) in Ohio continued to report to BFA that they were seeing the signs at state highway rest areas and visitor centers.

BFA members said the signs effectively required them as CCW holders to disarm themselves when they stopped to use the state restroom facilities.

BFA heard earlier this month from ODOT Assistant Legal Counsel Heather Sullivan that "the districts have reported all of the signs are down."

March 10, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Across the Fruited Plain: The people fighting for your gun rights

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus published on this national website.

March 2, 2009
Ohio Public Radio, Statehouse News Bureau - More Ohioans taking advantage of state law and getting concealed-carry permits

Buckeye Firearms Foundation Secretary/ Treasurer Gerard Valentino appeared on this Ohio Public Radio news report examining reasons behind the increase in number of concealed handgun license applications in 2009.

March 1, 2009
WCMH TV (NBC Columbus) - Columbus Residents Protecting Their Families And Homes

Buckeye Firearms Association Central Ohio volunteer Clint Lake appeared on the 11:00 nightly news to address the problems of robberies that are occurring in a Columbus neighborhood.

February 28, 2009
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Gun-rights group sues Cleveland to halt firearms laws arrests

An Ohio gun-rights group wants Cleveland police to stop arresting people on local firearms charges.

The Buckeye Firearms Foundation Inc. has sued the city, saying it continues to enforce local laws that conflict with state and federal statutes. The case was filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court last week in an attempt to void 20 local laws, some dating to 1976.

The suit says that the state already has decided the gun issue but that Cleveland allows police officers to arrest people who legally possess weapons under Ohio law but do not have city-issued permits to carry a gun. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent further arrests.

Robert Triozzi, the city's law director, called the lawsuit "more of a publicity stunt than a legal maneuver," adding that it continues a court fight started two years ago. He said none of the city's laws conflicts with state or federal laws.

The city has claimed that gun control is a "home rule" issue and that cities should be free to enact their own ordinances.

The suit says Cleveland cannot limit or restrain state or federal gun laws. It cites a state law that went into effect in March 2007 that says unless prevented by Ohio or U.S. law, a person may own and possess firearms.

That law, according to the lawsuit, nullifies the city's codes. On the day the law took effect, Cleveland sued the state, pushing its home-rule argument.

In January, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Timothy J. McGinty ruled against the city. The city appealed the decision to the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals, where the order is being reviewed.

In the meantime, L. Kenneth Hanson, the attorney for the gun-rights group, said the city should stop enforcing the laws, including one that forces residents to obtain identification cards to possess guns. If residents don't have such cards but do have concealed-carry permits, they could face a $1,000 fine.

Hanson said neither state nor federal laws ever discuss an "identification card."

Triozzi says the local laws are made to ensure safety. Hanson, however, said recent shootings are "pretty compelling evidence that these laws don't work."

February 27, 2009
Gongwer News Service - Gun Rights Group Files Lawsuit Challenging Cleveland's Enforcement of Local Weapons Ordinances

A not-for-profit group has filed a lawsuit against the City of Cleveland over its continued enforcement of local ordinances that restrict gun ownership and concealed carry despite a state law that preempts such measures.

The Buckeye Firearms Foundation, Inc. has asked a Cuyahoga County common pleas judge to prohibit the city prosecutions of "law-abiding gun owners" and to declare 20 ordinances unconstitutional.

The state preemption law (HB347, 126th General Assembly) already has survived one test at the Ohio Supreme Court.

Justices issued a 4-3 opinion last year that held state law gives holders of concealed weapon permits the ability to carry handguns in any municipal park, notwithstanding city ordinances against the practice.

Despite that decision, the foundation's lawsuit said Cleveland continues "to charge and aggressively prosecute individuals who have committed no crime," and that Mayor Frank Jackson has ordered police to maintain enforcement of the ordinances.

"The mayor said, 'I don't care what state law is.' We say, 'tell it to the judge,'" said Jim Irvine, the foundation president.

"We are a nation of laws, not of men. But apparently the men running our city don't think rules apply to them," Mr. Irvine said in a news release.

"The vast majority of police officers support a citizen's right to keep and bear arms. It's unfortunate that these fine men and women have to report to a chief who is defying the law," he said.

February 26, 2009
WKYC (NBC Cleveland) - Buckeye Firearms Foundation sues the City of Cleveland

The Buckeye Firearms Foundation, Inc., an Ohio not-for-profit foundation affiliated with the Buckeye Firearms Association, has filed a lawsuit to stop the city "from prosecuting law-abiding gun owners under local ordinances that restrict gun ownership and concealed carry," a Buckeye Firearms statement reads.

The lawsuit, filed late Tuesday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and assigned to Judge Brian J. Corrigan, seeks "a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction to stop the city ... and also declare 20 different local ordinances unconstitutional on the grounds of state pre-emption of firearm laws," the statement reads.

...House Bill 347, the pre-emption law, became effective in March, 2007.

It was to replace a patchwork of varied and confusing local rules with uniform laws throughout the state regulating the ownership, possession, purchase, other acquisition, transport, storage, carrying, sale, or other transfer of firearms, their components, and their ammunition.

The issue of statewide pre-emption was challenged by the City of Clyde and the case went all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court.

In its decision, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld the state pre-emption law.

February 23, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Mandatory Gun Education - in Schools?

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus published on this national website.

February 23, 2009
Dayton Daily News - 'License bingo' a popular pursuit for gun owners

"Literally, we call it 'license bingo' because you have square one, two and five but you need square three and four," said Ken Hanson, legislative director for the Buckeye Firearms Association and a certified instructor for Ohio and Utah.

February 19, 2009
Athens News - Athens County, like rest of nation, stocks up on guns

"Everybody knows that when the economy goes bad, crime goes up," said Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine.

Irvine said it's natural for people to want to protect themselves and said the demand for both guns and concealed-carry permits has increased exponentially in the past few months.

The demand for concealed-carry classes is also on the rise, Irvine said.

...Athens County experienced an increase in permits last year, issuing 180 concealed-carry licenses in 2008 compared to 87 in 2007.

Irvine credits this increase to more people buying firearms for the first time because of uncertainty about the economy and future legislation.

"What we're seeing today is a whole lot of people buying their first gun," he said.

There's also a growing concern among firearms enthusiasts that under Obama, the federal government will place heavier taxes on ammunition.

Irvine said another reason why a lot of gun owners are "buying in bulk" is because the price of ammunition has nearly doubled in the past two years.

February 11, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Did the 2008 Elections Give Gun Control a Mandate?

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman Chad D. Baus published on this national website.

February 2, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Review: Smith & Wesson SW1911PD - A Modern Old Gun

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer Gerard Valentino published on this national website.

January 10, 2009
Buckeye Ag Radio Network

Buckeye Firearms Association Southwest Ohio Region Leader Larry Moore appeared as a guest on the syndicated radio show Buckeye Sportsmen with Dan Armitage discussing coyote hunting/trapping and the Greene County Park and Recreation Sportsmen Seminar Series. Click here for a list of more than 20 stations that Buckeye Sportsmen can be heard each weekend.

January 5, 2009
USConcealedCarry.com - Gear Review: Milt Sparks Versa Max "Simply the Best Holster Out There"

Op-ed by Buckeye Firearms Foundation Secretary/Treasurer Gerard Valentino published on this national website.

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