Gahanna News
October 8, 2003

By Jef Benedetti

Walking to support a cause will get a new twist at 2:00 p.m. Sunday in Veterans Memorial Park, 73 Johnstown Road, in Gahanna.

Columbus areas gun advocates for carrying concealed weapons will hold a 'Defense Walk' to protest obstruction they say they believe is happening with the pending legislation in the Ohio Senate to allow Ohio residents to carry a concealed weapon.

Ohio House Bill 12, which would allow residents to carry concealed weapons, passed out of the Senate Judiciary-Criminal Justice commitee in March.

Robert Maroldy of Gahanna spoke about the event Monday night to Gahanna City Council. Maroldy said about 100 people showed up for a similar event last month in Cincinnati.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

Gahanna event designed to display support for legal concealed weapons
Saturday, October 11, 2003
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

They will gather Sunday, openly wearing their handguns for a march through Gahanna.

Robert Maroldy of Gahanna and Gerard Valentino of Pickerington said they are demonstrating their support for changing Ohio’s law to allow people to carry concealed weapons.

They hope that as many as 150 sympathizers show up for the "defense walk," starting at 2 p.m. Sunday at Veterans Memorial, a park off Granville and Mill streets in Gahanna. Similar events are planned in Dayton and Lima.

About 80 people, many of them wearing guns, marched on Sept. 28 in Cincinnati. There were no arrests.

"Our goal is to have a very peaceful, nonconfrontational event," Valentino said.

Gahanna Police Chief Dennis Murphy said Maroldy and Valentino have cleared the event with him. He said there will be extra officers on duty.

Murphy said he has no problem with the group exercising its First and Second Amendment rights. Murphy has testified at the Statehouse in favor of a law that would require those carrying concealed weapons to be licensed and trained.

Valentino said anyone bringing a handgun must have it in a holster and openly displayed. Each person will decide whether to load the gun. Valentino said his handgun will be loaded.

The Ohio House passed a bill that would allow people to carry concealed weapons once they are trained and licensed. There are 45 states with similar laws.

Husted’s rival as speaker drops out
Dayton Daily News
October 2, 2003

COLUMBUS | State Rep. Jon Husted's chief rival in the bid to be the next House Speaker backed out of the race and threw his support behind Husted, increasing the likelihood that the next House speaker and Senate president could both be from the Dayton area.

"I am no longer a candidate for speaker and I will be supporting Jon," said state Rep. Chuck Blasdel, R-East Liverpool. "It appears very clear to me that Jon has the votes. And since he has the votes it is important for us to unify as a caucus as we go into an election cycle."

At this point, no one else is running for the job, both Blasdel and Husted said.

The speaker, Senate president and governor are considered the Statehouse's "Big Three," powerful politicians who are able to shape legislation and policy and have a strong voice in how the state spends its money.

While Husted, R-Kettering, is lining up support to be speaker, state Sen. Jeff Jacobson, R-Butler Twp., is positioning himself to capture the Ohio Senate presidency. The two positions become open in January 2005.

The majority caucuses in the House and Senate pick the speaker and president. Much of the vote counting occurs well before the November elections, but after the elections, the majority and minority caucuses in both chambers will meet to choose their leaders.

Click here to read the entire story in the Dayton Daily News.

The fight to restore the right to bear arms for self-defense has always been about two key issues:

1) Allowing citizens the right to choose not to be a victim.

2) Lowering violent crime.

Amongst the many 'Defense' Walk headlines, Ohio newspapers are filled with stories of continued victimations by criminals who could care less if concealed weapons are illegal, and who are well aware that their victims are unarmed.

Bob Taft recently said his priorities on other things besides the debate over HB12, the concealed carry reform bill. Republican Sen. Carnes says some members of his party's caucus are reluctant to commit to a veto-override, citing "party solidarity."

Click on the "Read More..." link below, and it'll be more than clear that wherever Taft and certain Republicans' priorities are, they are NOT with the defenseless victims and potential victims of our state.

Jury decides a homeless man's fear can't excuse a loaded gun at Hopkins

10/11/03
Cleveland Plain Dealer

A Cuyahoga County jury deliberated less than two hours yesterday before rejecting a novel defense offered by a homeless Cleveland man arrested carrying a loaded gun at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

Robert Igoe, who has a history of mental instability, had a new, loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and 70 more live bullets in his backpack when he surrendered to police Jan. 29.

During his two-day trial that preceded his conviction on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon, he and defense lawyer Mark Rudy conceded Igoe had the gun. But they mined a section of Ohio's concealed-weapons statute that allows an "affirmative defense."

The statute says a defendant can argue that fear of being attacked while doing legal business justifies a "prudent person" who legally obtains a gun to carry it in dangerous circumstances. The defense may be used, for instance, by someone who carries a gun while toting a big bank deposit through a crime-ridden neighborhood.

Click on the "read More..." link below for more.