May 20, 2004
Drudge Report

Warns Officials To Look for People Wearing Bulky Jackets on Warm Days; Smell of Chemicals; Trailing Wires from Jackets Bombers May Disguise Selves As Pregnant Women

New York - The FBI has disseminated to 18,000 law enforcement agencies an intelligence bulletin advising police officials to be on the lookout for suicide bombers attempting to strike inside the US, TIME's Elaine Shannon reports today on TIME.com. The lightly classsified bulletin, headlined "Possible suicide bomber indicators," and circulated earlier today (May 20) via the FBI's secure Law Enforcement Online (LEO) Intranet, warns local badge-carriers to look for obvious signs of trouble - people wearing heavy, bulky jackets on warm days, smelling of chemicals, trailing wires from their jackets - and, as well, more subtle ones, such as tightly clenched fists. Someone who never shows his palms could be gripping a detonator rigged to go off when a button is released. "If you shoot him, you're still not safe because his hands relax and the bomb explodes," says a counter-terrorism official, TIME reports.

The FBI bulletin also notes that suicide bombers may disguise themselves in stolen military, police or firefighter's garb or as pregnant women, TIME reports.

Commentary:
This is an issue that has long been a concern for citizens in Israel. That country has responded by encouraging citizens to be trained in defensive firearms use. Here is one example of how such action saves lives:

Alert customer shoots terrorist in Efrat supermarket

An alert customer shot dead a terrorist who tried to set off an explosive device in a supermarket a few minutes ago in Efrat. The town is in Gush Etzion, a block of Jewish communities in Judea, south of Bethlehem.

At least one small explosion did take place, leaving one customer lightly wounded but causing no casualties, said Jerusalem Post reporter Margot Dudkevitch. Nails from one of the explosions littered the floor.

Further tragedy was averted when a woman shopping in the packed supermarket
apparently saw the terrorist trying to set off a second explosion and shot
him twice in the head from close range.

The FBI has also issued warnings that terrorists plan to target American shopping malls and city busses. And yet some mall managers would rather disarm their customers than allow a law to work that just might save the lives of countless people should an attacker attempt to detonate an explosive. In addition, some public transportation bureaucrats seem intent on violating state law by extending bans beyond what is allowed by Section 9 of House Bill 12.

Given the fact that the millions upon millions of CHL-holders in our nation are known as the most law-abiding of citizens, while terrorists continue to prove their exhibit their desire to murder innocent Americans at will, why are some Ohioans more concerned about law-abiding citizens than they are about terrorists?

Click here for more on how Ohio's new CHL law is important to protecting Homeland Security.

May 21, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

Woman misses point on concealed carry

First of all, we are not supporters of Ohio’s concealed-carry law, and we do not advocate anyone carrying a handgun for "personal protection." But we are concerned about the feelings of Susan Morelli-Wolf, who wrote thanking the Ohioans for Concealed Carry for posting a list of businesses that are barring guns (letter, Monday).

It is not the person with the concealed-carry permit and a clean background who is going to enter a business and harm this woman. It is the criminal with a gun who wouldn’t have such a permit or even apply for one who will enter and commit a serious criminal act.

The concealed-carry law still needs work and we will see it changed. But nice people, such as Morelli-Wolf, need to rethink the way the world is before believing a sign on a business will keep guns and dangerous crime on the outside.

Terry and Barbara Dountz
Grove City

May 20, 2004
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette

Signs won't keep criminals out

Your citizens, quoted in the article about concealed carry permits, strike me as very naive. The waterbed store manager put up a sign banning weapons so people would know it was illegal to carry a gun in his store so he wouldn't get robbed. Does he think someone bent on armed robbery will be deterred by a sign banning weapons? Does the gas station attendant really believe not allowing concealed carry will keep a crook from concealing a weapon prior to shooting her? Do any of you really believe a thug will get a permit before concealing a pistol? Let's try thinking, folks. With a little more thought and understanding of the criminal mindset, perhaps we wouldn't need so many guns.

Frank St. Clair
Lexington, Ky.

This week, a new policy of banning firearms in FirstMerit Bank's Ohio branches began to be enforced. Signs were posted in several branches, with word that they will be posted in all Ohio branches. The bank has not had signs posted in their Pennsylvania branches, although that state has had a concealed carry law since the late 1980's.

We could have told them gun prohibition wouldn't work - Ohio earned one of the highest rates of bank robbery in the nation under the recently repealed, 150-year old concealed carry ban.

May 21, 2004
Akron Beacon-Journal

Akron police are investigating an armed robbery at the FirstMerit Bank branch at 1060 Kenmore Blvd. About 2:30 p.m. Thursday, a man entered the bank, handed the teller a note that said he had a gun and demanded money.

After getting the cash, the robber fled and was last seen in the area of West Wilbeth Road and 15th Street Southwest. A Summit County sheriff's canine unit assisted in searching for the robber. No one was injured in the holdup.

The robber is described as a white male in his 30s, 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, with sandy blond hair, a mustache and goatee. He wore a plaid shirt with a light-colored shirt underneath, light-colored pants, white tennis shoes and a baseball cap.

Related Story:
Ironic timing for FirstMerit bank to begin posting discriminatory signs