February 16, 2004
Port Clinton News Herald (click for the full story)

PORT CLINTON -- Many women across the city are worried and fearful of the unidentified Port Clinton rapist, who has broken into homes and attacked victims twice over the past month.

In response, organizers are planning a "Safety Awareness Rally" Tuesday night with local law enforcement officials to try to empower the public.

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"We feel helpless. And how do we not feel helpless?" City Council President Linda Hartlaub said. "There is safety in numbers. And there is power in information.

"They're going to talk about the current situation. They're going to try to straighten out facts from rumors. They're going to give us tips to try to protect ourselves. And they're going to take questions and answers."

The rally will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Port Clinton Performing Arts Center. Police Chief Thomas Blohm is expected to attend, along with Ottawa County Prosecutor Mark Mulligan, officials from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, and Ralph Edmonds, the city police officer stationed inside the high school.

Hartlaub and Chris Galvin, who heads United Way of Ottawa County, came up with the rally idea while brainstorming over lunch Tuesday. The event is expected to last about an hour, and all are invited to attend.

Commentary:
It is maddening to watch the Ohio's Crime Clock ticks another few rapes higher. It is estimated that 157 rapes could have been prevented had Ohio HB12 not been delayed past June 2003.

This story highlights yet another reason of why the Ohio Attorney General's office has a responsibility to expedite the implementation of Ohio's new concealed handgun carry licensure system.

When it first became evident that a sexual predator and serial killer was on the loose in Lousiana, that state's Governor did the right thing: he told women to exercise their right to self-defense. Will the truth about the best methods for deterring a rapist, and exercising the human right of self-defense, be told at this "Safety Awareness Rally"?

Just in case it isn't, we thought we'd offer a little OFCC awareness event of our own - but ours would be more aptly titled the "Rape Prevention Rally".

Click on the "Read More..." link below for the OFCC Rape Prevention Rally.

As if Ohio law enforcement doesn't have enough to do, Toby Hoover's Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence is now advocating a course of action that will waste even more of cops' precious time, and perhaps endanger CHL-holders:

In a February 13, 2004 OCAGV media release, Hoover states as follows:

"If you see someone with a gun, continue to assume their activity is suspicious. There is no way for you to determine the 'law abiding' from those with criminal intent. Call law enforcement to investigate and leave the area."

Not only is the OCAGV guilty of openly encouraging the act of burdening Ohio law enforcement community with frivolous prank calls, they are shamelessly telling supporters to run away before the officers they called arrive on the scene. Could this be because prank callers might wind up being the ones charged with inciting a riot or disturbing the peace?

Before law enforcement officials get too worried about this new threat, there is something they should keep in mind:

In the six months leading up to passage of HB12, the OCAGV sent multitudes of email blasts encouraging people to "call Governor Taft and tell him you don't want hidden, loaded guns in your communities."

According to Taft's office, opponents of this legislation sent about 300 letters, and made about 400 phone calls to his office in the past six months.

How many proponent letters and calls, you ask? About 6200 letters, and about 4200 calls in the past six months alone.

While even one prank phone call to bother Ohio's law enforcers would be too many, it is clear that - to adapt a phrase from the most recent anti-concealed-carry letter by the Cleveland chapter president of the Brady Bunch's "Million" Mom March - these Ohio gun ban extremists' have neither bark nor bite. And that news should put officials worried about the OCAGV's pleas for prank calls quickly at ease.

February 15, 2004
Dayton Daily News

SOMETIMES I DESPAIR OF OHIO.

First, concealed weapons. Soon anyone in public places — supermarket, mall or movie, unless specifically barred — can be packing heat. And this is supposed to make me feel safe?

True, it will still be against the law to actually shoot me, but perfectly OK to carry the means to do so.

I am no longer listening to the claim that a "law-abiding citizen has the right to protect himself." From whom, for heaven's sake? Customers in stores? Restaurant patrons? Who among us feels so threatened that only a gun makes him or her feel safe? What is the rationale?

Ohio loses population every year. This is not good for Ohio. Our legislators should...stop making Ohio the last place on earth a person wants to live.

Carolyn Sieber
Washington Twp.

Commentary:
Carolyn claims people are moving away from Ohio due to issues like concealed carry. Aside from the fact that the population decline started long before this law was passed, and aside from the recent Zogby poll which found that right-to-carry laws have better than a 70% favorability rating, even among non-gun-owners, we wonder where she thinks these people are moving.

44 other states have some form of legalized method of bearing arms for self-defense, including every state that borders Ohio. Furthermore, census statistics prove they're moving to the South - where concealed carry has been law for years.

For her to ask who so many Ohioans are hoping to protect themselves from, she either:

a) doesn't read the Dayton Daily News very often, or
b) doesn't know anyone who's ever been the victim of an act of violence, or
c) believes Ohioans cannot be trusted with responsibilities most in the rest of the nation now enjoy, or
d) all of the above

This letter was edited to include Carolyn's comments on concealed-carry only. To view her entire letter, click here.

Legislators finally realized the claims of opponents were not consistent with the experience in 44 other states who had passed similar legislation, and passed House Bill 12 into law. But that hasn't stopped gun ban lobby and a few anti-self-defense cops (with the willing help of our sour grapes press) from using the same tired fear tactics.

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohioans fired up about gun law, but local sheriffs have concerns
"It is going to be like Dodge City out there," said Lake County Sheriff Daniel Dunlap. "I don't see how we are becoming a more civilized society by doing this."

In Lorain County, where Sheriff Phil Stammitti already is seeking $190,000 to avoid staff layoffs, spokesman Capt. Rich Resendez said the law is an underfunded mandate.

"It's going to be a lot of work," Resendez said. Sheriffs already are grappling with problems and the financial burden of monitoring sexual predators, he said.

Youngstown Vindicator: Law enforcement debates what the law will mean
"It sucks," Liberty Police Chief Anthony Slifka said. He dubbed concealed-carry one of the worst measures ever passed by the Ohio Legislature. Allowing even qualified citizens to haul hidden guns "is like taking gasoline into a bonfire," Slifka said.

"Putting more guns on a battlefield isn't going to save lives," he insisted.

"It puts us in a tough situation," said Niles Police Chief Bruce Simeone. "How do we know who the bad guys are if everybody has guns?"

Related Stories:
Most of Ohio's law enforcement community singing concealed-carry's praises

Tennessee's Eight Successful Years of CCW; Anti's STILL Warning of ''Wild, Wild West"