Get up-to-the-minute news on pro-gun law, politics, and events in Ohio PLUS the 38-page "Grassroots Action Guide" FREE!
Article Archive
CAN WE TRUST REPORTERS?
Submitted by cbaus on Sat, 01/10/2004 - 13:30.The Ohio Newspaper Association (and many of the Ohio newspaper editors they represent) doesn't seem to trust their readers.
The Akron Beacon-Journal says "the easier it is to get and carry a handgun, the more likely there will be accidental shootings and arguments that turn into fatal encounters."
The Dayton Daily News says "many so-called law-abiding people have been known to beat their spouses, drink and drive or get in fights in parking lots. Now these people will be able to legally have a gun hidden in their jacket."
The Columbus Dispatch says "many people who become criminals do not intend to commit a crime. Normal temperance can be overcome by circumstance and emotion, making a gun lawfully hidden under a shirt or in a purse potentially deadly to everyone around, whether by intent, momentary lapse in judgment or accident."
The Cleveland Plain Dealer says "the ones who need protecting aren't the folks who tuck a Glock under their armpit every time they step out to walk the dog or buy a quart of milk. [We] can't help thinking that folks who carry concealed weapons aren't the ones quoting Gandhi." Well, actually, we DO enjoy Gandhi - 'Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.' Gandhi, Chapter XXVII, "The Recruiting Campaign," in his autobiography, My Experiments with Truth.
Since many of these editorial boards enjoy using anecdotal stories to make their claim that the average Ohioan cannot be trusted with a firearm, Ohioans For Concealed Carry would like to use their own logic to ask the question:
Judging from these headlines, CAN WE TRUST REPORTERS?
Ohio newspaper editor arrested, charged with kidnapping
Well-known Cincinnati WCPO reporter arrested, charged with sexually molesting children
ABC Toledo news anchor arrested for DUI
WKBN Youngstown news anchor resigns over nude photos
TV weatherman pleads guilty to vehicular assault in Cleveland
Central Florida news anchor arrested for stealing store items
Denver news anchor arrested for buying drugs
Seattle tv reporter charged with molesting young
boy
San Francisco Chronicle reporter arrested for alleged sex abuse
New York City newscaster arrested for impersonating a federal agent
Miami Channel 7 weather reporter arrested on DUI charge
Former Las Vegas Journal Review reporter arrested on lewdness count
Concealed Gun Critics Probably Won't Launch Referendum Drive
Submitted by cbaus on Sat, 01/10/2004 - 10:43.Governor Bob Taft has signed into law the plan Ohio legislators have approved to legalize concealed weapons. Opponents of the measure are now admitting they’re probably going to have to give up fighting it, even though the Ohio Constitution theoretically gives them the power. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports.
Click here to listen to this 4 minute Ohio Public Radio report via Real Audio streaming.
Related Story:
Why is the Summit Co. sheriff ''terrified''? Why is Akron's mayor ''sad''?
Submitted by cbaus on Sat, 01/10/2004 - 08:54.According to the Akron Beacon Journal, Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander says the new concealed carry law "terrifies our people.''
"... In the worst-case scenario, a deputy walks up to a car and asks for a driver's license, and the driver says, 'Oh, by the way, I've got a gun,' and hands the gun out the window, barrel first. My God. The policeman's partner sees the gun come out of the car...''
He doesn't finish the sentence, but his point is clear: When an officer sees a gun pointed at his partner, he will open fire and ask questions later.
"I just think it's going to take the average street cop's job up to a new level of heightened awareness,'' Alexander said. "You talk about elevating the terror alert. I think we just elevated it up to orange (for police). When it goes to the next one, I'm going to Cuba.''
But according to Col. Randy Thorp of the Licking Co. sheriff's department, deputies are already trained to approach cars as if the occupants are armed. Thorp is confident the new law won't change how sheriff's deputies approach their duties on the streets.
"It's not going to change the way they handle situations. They are trained to always be observant. That won't change," Thorp said.
"The officer safety issue is how weapons will be carried and displayed and how the notification to the trooper during a traffic stop is made, and all of those issues have been addressed," says Rick Zwayer of the Ohio Highway Patrol in Columbus.
Newark Police Sgt. Brian Webster agreed, saying officers should assume they are possibly going to encounter an armed person on any traffic stop or call for service -- law or no law.
"We're a microcosm of what's going on nationally. Criminals could see it as a deterrent," Webster said.
Citizens have a constitutional right to carry concealed firearms, notes Columbiana County Sheriff Dave Smith, adding that he's not worried about law-abiding gun carriers. It's the people who don't bother with permits to pack that concern him, he said.
Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.
