On Tuesday, March 23, Ohioans For Concealed Carry began receiving reports that Discount Drug Mart, an Ohio-owned and operated discount chain in northeast Ohio, had begun posting discriminatory signs against CHL-holders.

As will be our policy for all future sightings, we quickly brought this matter to our members' and supporters' attention, along with information on a shopping alternative, since national competitor Walgreen's has indicated they will NOT be posting such signs.

Two days later, on Friday, March 24, following announcement has been issued by Discount Drug Mart to concerned customers:

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To: Ohioans for Concealed Carry Organization and concerned citizens
From: Discount Drug Mart

This is in regards to an article written on Wednesday, March 24th on
the news website located at http://www.ofccw.org. In this article, it is
stated that Discount Drug Mart had made a decision to hang signs indicating
that concealed weapons would not be permitted inside our stores.

We would like to assure Ohioans for Concealed Carry as well as any
concerned citizens that no such policy had been enacted. No signs were
printed, nor any directives given to our store management to make such
signs. If anyone has evidence that signs of this nature are in fact at any
of our store locations you are encouraged to let us know.

The management of Discount Drug Mart understands the arguments both
for and against the concealed carry issue, but we feel it is not our place
to take a position on this issue. We hope to serve everyone in our
community, be they a permit holder or no.

We hope that this has cleared up any misunderstanding on this issue,
and that you will give us your continued patronage. If you have any further
comments on this issue, please feel free to contact us.

Tom McConnell
Chief Financial Officer
Discount Drug Mart Corporate Offices
211 Commerce Dr.
Medina, OH 44256

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We are encouraged that Discount Drug Mart's management has heard the message we've been sharing on What Business Owners Need to Know About CCW. This corporation is making a responsible decision. There are no credible studies that show increased dangers to businesses because of concealed carry, yet many prove the benefits.

March 26, 2004
Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune

Northwest Ohio gun dealers have been flooded with customers interested in training classes required to get a concealed-carry permit.

Permit applications will be available at the Seneca County Sheriff's office beginning April 8. Applicants must complete the 12-hour class and pass a background check to get a permit.

Seneca County Sheriff Thomas Steyer said permits will take up to 45 days to process but he has not decided if successful applicants will pick up permits or receive them in the mail.

Rick Osterwalder, owner of Route 53 Recreation Inc. north of Tiffin, said 40 people signed up for the $125 classes this weekend. Route 53 Recreation provides facilities for Saturday's eight-hour instructional class and written test. The other four hours of training at a shooting range will be Sunday at Izaak Walton League.

"Boy, we've been getting a lot of requests for it," Osterwalder said of the training class.

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

March 26, 2004
New Philadelphia Times-Reporter

It’ll be close, but the Tuscarawas County Sheriff Department should have all the necessary tools to process permit applications for the concealed carry weapons law that goes into effect April 8.

The applications were received and are available in the lobby at the sheriff’s office from 8 to 4 Monday through Friday, Sheriff Walt Wilson said Thursday. People also may get the application from the Ohio attorney general’s Web site at www.ag.state.oh.us.

“We have (the information needed) and we’re getting (the rest), but it’s going to be down to the wire,” Wilson said.

The sheriff’s office still doesn’t have the 31-page Ohio Concealed Carry Law Pamphlet from the attorney general, he said. However, it is available at the attorney general’s Web site.

And although it seems like everything will be in place for April 8, no appointments for processing applications will be made until that day, Lt. Lon McEnroe said. Wilson assigned McEnroe to oversee the implementation.

“We don’t know what to expect as far as numbers (of people applying) go,” Wilson said, “so we shuffled duties a little bit in the office.”

McEnroe said he will try to accommodate various schedules, such as having application appointments in the evening and possibly on weekends.

Appointments must be made between 8 and 4 Monday through Friday.

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

UPDATE: Click on the "Read More..." link below for an attorney's analysis of this latest move by the Ohio Newspaper Association.

The Ohio Newspaper Association is continuing it's war against some of their most responsible readers.

Apparently, this organization hasn't even a shred of the concern expressed by this Ft. Wayne, IN newspaper, which changed it's mind about intentions to publish lists after hearing from over 3000 people, 95% opposed to such an invasion of privacy.

The Delaware Gazette, an ONA member, quotes ONA "legal counsel" advising newspapers to collect the names of every person who applies for a concealed handgun license.

"Editor Larry Gibbs said the Gazette will request copies of all applications made to [Delaware Co. Sheriff] Myers’ office, as advised by legal counsel for the Ohio
Newspaper Association. A decision about printing applicants’ names and addresses has not been made." (the decision HAS been made at the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Columbus Dispatch, and Elyria Chronicle - these Rotten Apples committed to publishing names within hours or days of the passage of HB12)

"'If we do decide to print the information, we will treat it like all other public records,' Gibbs said. 'We’ll list all applicants; we won’t pick and choose."

How nice. Mr. Gibbs assures that even people who would severely endangered by being listed in such a manner will get no consideration. As noted above, the Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel's main reason for deciding not to publish was the potential for "outing" a victim of violence who is doing everything she can not to be found by her stalker.

What if the violent stalker who was shot by this Indiana woman had known in advance that she was carrying? ''God's grace'' (and concealed firearm) saves Indiana woman's life

The editor of Ohio newspapers that do publish these lists, and the leadership of the Ohio Newspaper Association, could care less about women like this who live in Ohio, and they could care much less about their readers' opinions: Rotten Apples and Sour Grapes

You can make a difference in Ohio: Join the Ohio Media Monitoring Task Force

Related Stories:
CAN WE TRUST REPORTERS?

Op-Ed: If the media is watching Big Brother, who is watching them?

UPDATE!! Discount Drug Mart: There will be no corporate policy on signs

To: Discount Drugmart

I shop at your store frequently in Chesterland and Mentor.

If you continue to post signs turning away citizens who have had proper training and taken on the huge responsibility of carrying a concealed handgun, LEGALLY, then I will be among them!!

Guess what, people who ILLEGALLY carry, will STILL wind up in your store and they don't really care what you say. I guess it's ok to do business with them.

Think about what you are doing.

Thank you,

D. B., Chesterland, Ohio

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