For those of you who are new to this website, a brief Election Season history is in order:

A little over one year ago, several OFCC members formed the OFCC Political Action Committee (www.buckeyefirearms.org). Time was critical - there were only 60 days before the November 2002 elections. We told potential supporters that the time was ripe to make a difference, and to reinforce the General Assembly and Supreme Court with candidates who supported your right to self-defense.

In the weeks that followed, we were attacked by another Ohio "pro-gun" political action committee. We were accused of sending a "sleazy attack" letter about them months before we even existed. We were called "anti-gun" because we supported passage of HB274. We were ridiculed for our endorsement of Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor for Ohio Supreme Court. They said we were "total amateurs (who have no idea what they are doing".

We stood firm on our endorsement, and with your support, Maureen O'Connor was elected as a Justice. The OFCC PAC was soon proven to have been 100% correct. In 2003, Justice O'Connor authored the blistering dissent to the Ohio Supreme Court's majority opinion, which found Ohio's ban on concealed carry to be constitutional. Our other 2002 endorsee, Justice Evelyn Stratton, joined in the dissent. On the legislative side, Senator Lynn Wachtmann has credited the OFCC PAC with being the key difference in the narrow victory of another Senator that year, who provided several crucial pro-concealed carry votes for HB12 in preparation for its passage.

January 29, 2004
Deseret News

WASHINGTON — Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch says new Justice Department figures support longtime GOP claims that the best way to fight violence with guns is not to outlaw the guns, but to prosecute criminals.

Data released Wednesday showed that as federal prosecution of gun crimes increased 68 percent from three years ago under the Bush administration, violent crimes dropped 21 percent.

"Our law enforcement's tough-on-crime approach parallels what I have always advocated: protect the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms and and strictly enforce our gun laws," Hatch said.

"Because of the stepped-up prosecutions, there were approximately 130,000 fewer victims of gun crime and over 980,000 fewer violent crimes in 2001-02 than there were in 1999-2000," Hatch said.

"Enacting and vigorously enforcing stiff penalties for those who commit crimes with guns deters violent crime," Hatch added.

Hatch added, "This reduction in gun violence is a direct result of the nationwide implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods. In Utah alone last year, over 400 violent individuals were indicted under federal gun laws."

January 30, 2004
by Gerard Valentino

The recent debate over public records provisions in Ohio's concealed carry law
sent the media into full blown fits about infringing freedom of the press and
their self-proclaimed position as protectors of the common person from abuses
by Big Brother. Hearing them describe their defense of the commoner conjures up
images of valiant crusades headed by knights in shining armor - and reeks of
elitism and shameless self-righteousness.

It also requires we ask the question, if the media is watching big brother, who
is watching them? The sad, painful answer is that nobody protects us from the whim of
so-called journalists concerned more with pushing their own agenda instead of
reporting the news. The concealed carry debate is a glaring example of how
journalistic integrity takes a back seat to the leftist agenda of most
reporters.

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

January 30, 2004
Akron Beacon Journal

The only thing loaded about the concealed-weapon issue is the media and
certain elected officials. The Jan. 9 story about the new Ohio law
("Concealed guns a loaded issue'') amazed me. Too bad I have to wait until
April for the shootouts in the streets.

Our elected officials and the Beacon Journal insult all Ohioans with the
assumption that we can't be trusted with firearms. The fact that dozens of
other states -- most of the United States -- allow law-abiding citizens to
carry a concealed firearm doesn't seem to matter. We in Ohio will be the
exception and start shooting each other along the highways and streets.

Except that won't happen. It hasn't happened anywhere else, and it won't
happen here -- unless, of course, there's something different about Ohio that
I missed over the 14 years I've lived here.

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

January 30, 2004
Toledo Blade

I was offended by your "we know what is really good for you attitude." You spoke harshly and inanely against the concealed-carry law just passed in Ohio. When was the last time any of you walked the mean streets of Toledo?

Those of us who live and work in Toledo have been under fire from the criminals for a very long time, and it seems to be intensifying. If I, for one, could carry a weapon, I would feel 100 percent safer. I hope that the criminals will now think again before they rape, rob, or steal. Just think, the victim may now be armed and the criminal might get hurt. If they only have the brains to realize that fact, we all really might be safer.

Certainly, I understand your concern for the welfare of our police officers and support it. I am the father of a Toledo Police Department officer. Our police have been concerned about traffic stops for a long time, even before the new law. How many police officers have been shot by criminals carrying weapons unlawfully?

Do they face that much more danger by stopping the "pistol-packing grandma" who objects to getting a ticket?

The Blade needs to stop acting as if it is the only one with intelligence in this town. Stop trying to mold us into your idea of a "perfect society." Average Toledoans can think for themselves and form their own opinions.

JOHN J.N. FRY
Queen Street

Click on the "Read More..." link below for two more responses, published on February 1, 2004.

01-28-2004
Cincinnati Post

Getting weapons off the streets

The value of equipping police with non-lethal weapons has been shown at least twice this month.

Last week, Cincinnati police successfully used a stun gun on a suspect who was reaching for a gun as he struggled with officers who had run him down in a foot chase. It was the type of situation that could easily enough have forced officers to use deadly force. Earlier in the month police used a Taser, with no lasting harm, to subdue a man in a West Price Hill apartment.

The point is that stun guns, while not the end-all and be-all, can in certain situations be a useful addition to the law enforcement arsenal.

Of course, these incidents also drive home the danger that police face every day. Indeed, the most recent use of a stun gun to subdue an armed suspect came at about the time federal and local officials were issuing a disturbing report on the prevalence of guns on city streets.

It's impossible to know, of course, just how many people are carrying guns, legally or otherwise, at any given moment. But police arrest records provide one barometer. In 2000, Cincinnati police made 202 gun-related arrests and confiscated 805 weapons. In 2001, there were 247 such arrests and 919 guns confiscated. In 2002 the number of arrests nearly doubled, to 415, and the number of weapons seized jumped to 1,156. Last year was worse yet: 471 gun-related arrests, 1,508 guns seized.

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

January 28, 2004
Cincinnati Enquirer

WEST END - Mary Lockett's Dayton Street home in the West End has been broken into five times since Thursday.

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The burglars took countless items, including jewelry, china dishes and other family heirlooms. They were even bold enough to smoke half a pack of cigarettes and devour a pot of chili that was sitting on her stove.

"I want to find out why this is happening to me," said Lockett, 57. "Am I going to get my stuff back? And why can't the police control this?"

Questions like Lockett's abounded Tuesday night at St. Joseph's Catholic Church during the first of six monthly safety summits hosted by Cincinnati City Councilman David Pepper. About 50 people braved the cold to discuss crime in the West End.

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

The Ohio Attorney General's office is currently in the process of preparing for the state's new concealed handgun license (CHL) law to take effect on April 7.

One of the first actions by the AG have been to summarize the main provisions of the law, and to answer the most frequently asked questions about how the law will be implemented. This effort has been excellent as a means of putting to rest many of the rumors, fears and difficulties created by the twisted legaleeze in HB12.

In recent days, the AG has begun providing a "Concealed Carry Law Overview" to certified trainers who call with inquiries about how to get a training program started. This document serves as an excellent summary of the basics of Ohio's new CHL law.

The AG's office has also post a new Question & Answer section about Ohio CHL on their website.

CONTACT:
training@ofcc.net
http://www.ohioccwtraining.org

CLEVELAND, Jan 29 – Ohioans For Concealed Carry, Ohio’s largest
grassroots concealed carry rights organization, announced the
formation of the OFCC Education Foundation. The new organization is
responsible for the state’s largest concealed carry training network.

“When we started Ohioans For Concealed Carry our long term plans always
included a focus on providing quality education when the law was
passed,” said Jeff Garvas, president of OFCC. “The education foundation
is our attempt to meet the needs of concealed carry license applicants
while adhering to our strong convictions that quality education is the
key to firearm safety.”

When Michigan passed concealed carry legislation four years ago, nearly
71,000 applicants received training in the first year alone. Ohioans
For Concealed Carry expects the surge to exceed that number due to the
fact that a percentage of Michigan residents already had licenses prior
to their law being reformed.

In anticipation of the need to train literally thousands of potential
applicants, Ohioans For Concealed Carry trained nearly thirty
individuals to become NRA Certified Firearms Instructors last year. The
education foundation will continue that effort this year with instructor
classes being held in Columbus in the near future, and classes in other
cities being added based on student interest.

“The foundation will serve many roles,” said Greg Kopp, chairman of the
training committee. “Our primary goal is to make instructors and
affordable classes available in as many locations throughout Ohio as we
possibly can. Then, as a service to the community, we will make it
possible for non-profit groups, and individual and commercial
instructors to make their class schedules available to students through
our concealed carry training network.”

The concealed carry training network, where students, instructors, gun
range owners, and organized sportsmen clubs can register and find each
other, can be found at www.ohioccwtraining.org. Registration
through the website is always available and takes less than five minutes
to complete.

“We are very interested in hearing from existing OPOTA or NRA
instructors who would like to make a difference, as well as individuals
who would like to be notified when classes are available in their area,”
said Kopp.

###

Ohioans For Concealed Carry was formed in 1999 to reform Ohio's
concealed carry self-defense law. The organization has worked closely
with numerous lawmakers and contributed significantly to language found
in the current law. OFCC is committed to working hard to fix the flaws
in the current law. In addition to being the largest concealed carry
advocate in Ohio, the organization also formed the OFCC Political Action
Committee, credited with numerous political successes in November of 2002.

Whether a student or not, campus journalism is always good for a read...and sometimes good for a laugh. But as we read this story from the student voice of the Ohio State University, we're not laughing at the writer. Instead, we're laughing at Bob Taft's sudden conversion into a concealed carry advocate.

What to do about concealed guns
Taft hopes to ease concerns

The (OSU) Lantern (to read the complete story, free registration is required)
By Julie Slader
January 27, 2004

Gov. Bob Taft intended on taking a bite out of Ohio's crime on Jan. 8, when he signed a legislative bill to legalize the carrying of concealed handguns.

In an effort to prevent crime rates from rising, the Ohio legislature has followed the lead of 45 other states by upholding the Second Amendment as a constitutional right mandated by every law-abiding citizen.

Orest Holubec, spokesman for Taft, said the governor's decision to sign the bill was partially linked to the statistics of declining crime rates in other states.

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