By Brian Horton
OFCC TeamLeader & CCW-Talk Moderator

I think that the DDN round table at Sinclair College went very well. Like Larry Moore I was pleasantly surprised that this
really was a fair discussion.

I thought Dr. Richard D. Stock, director of the University of Dayton’s Business Research Group, did a superb job of moderating by being fair and balanced with both sides and did a good
job of moving the discussion along and making sure every one on the panel was able to participate. I as well believe that the DDN really does want to know
what we think on the issue. I also believe that while Jeff Bruce is Editor of the DDN they won’t be publishing CHL lists.

Most people that were there were for keeping the records private. A few people said they should be open to the public but
make it so the media is not allowed to publish lists and that way a citizen has to go down to the sheriff’s office and make a request. Over all I think that there
were 3 panelists that did not really know much about
the issue or have strong opinions on CCW before the
evening started. By the end of the evening two of the
three thought the records should be closed and the
third seemed to be OK with CCW but thought that
basically all government records should be open.

Chief Julian Davis or the Dayton Police Department was
a pleasant surprise. Typically police chiefs of large
cities are anti CCW or hesitant to approve CCW. Chief
Davis stated several times that CHL holders are the
good guys and they aren’t worried about them at all.
He and Major Bush from Montgomery County Sheriff's
Dept. both supported CCW and closing the records.

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

In recent years, the pickings for Ohio gun owners have been slim when it came to the governors' race. Whether it was George Voinovich or Bob Taft, the OhioGOP simply has not had much to offer people concerned with the protection of our self-defense rights. Choices among Democrat contenders were even worse.

The 2006 GOP primary promises, for once, to offer gun owners a choice on the matter - a choice between a staunch anti-concealed carry candidate in Betty Montgomery, and two pro-concealed carry candidates in Jim Petro and Ken Blackwell.

A recent announcement makes it increasingly likely that should Betty Montgomery somehow come out victorious in the GOP primary, gun owners will still have a choice come November.

The Huntington (WV) Herald-Dispatch is reporting that Democrat congressman Ted Strickland is planning to announce his candidacy for the Ohio governorship, joining two anti-gun candidates, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman and former state attorney general Lee Fisher, in the primary contest.

The Republicans under former Gov. George Voinovich and Gov. Bob Taft have won four-straight gubernatorial races in Ohio. Some Democrats are looking to Strickland to change that.

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

Is this a joke?

We certainly did a double-take when we saw the Cleveland Plain Dealer editorializing that "Congress must give consumers the ability to protect their personal information, no matter who happens to possess it..."

It is difficult to reconcile this statement with the Plain Dealer's repeated abuse of the Media Access Loophole by publishing the private, personal information of consumers who obtain Ohio Concealed Handgun Licenses, just because they can.

"It's your personal information, but you don't control it" the Plain Dealer says. Well, according to the Ohio General Assembly, one's status as a CHL-holder is indeed personal information, but thanks to anti-gun entities like this newspaper, we definitely don't control it.

Following is are a few lines from the editorial, with only the words in [brackets] substituted:

"[CHL-holders] should be allowed to put freezes on their files, and to easily review and correct mistakes, as they can do with credit records. [News media and sheriffs] with sloppy security practices should face hefty fines.

Congress should approach the data collection industry with this goal in mind: [CHL-holders] should be far more aware of the information in their files than the enterprising thieves trying to prey on them.

A similarly surprising column can be found in the pages of the Akron Beacon Journal this week. Columnist Bob Dyer used his column this week to complain that public records requests were used by businesses to target him for solicitation after a traffic accident.

Two-time OFCC PAC endorsee and current State Senator Tim Grendell has announced his plans to enter the GOP-primary race for state attorney general. One or two others who have also expressed interest.

"I felt it was an opportunity for somebody from Northeast Ohio to step up to the plate and represent the people of Ohio in Columbus, while remembering Northeast Ohio in the process," Grendell, of Chester Township, told reporters.

Grendell, a former state representative, began his first four-year Senate term in January.

The office of Ohio Attorney General will open in 2006 election because current Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro is making a bid for governor.

Correction: When first published, this article mistakenly identified Representative Jim Trakas, also a two-time OFCC PAC-endorsee, as another candidate for state attorney general. Trakas, who is currently serving his fourth two-year term in the Ohio House, has announced his candidacy for Ohio Secretary of State. We regret the error.

The Associated Press is reporting that a gun-control group and its political action committee have paid a $12,000 fine to settle a campaign finance case from the 2000 election.

From the story:

At issue were ads and endorsements by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and its Brady Voter Education Fund involving various Democratic candidates in 2000.

The American Conservative Union, in a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, accused the Brady organizations of making illegal corporate contributions to the Democrats' campaigns.

The FEC disclosed the outcome of the case Thursday.

The Brady Campaign is the latest name for Handgun Control Inc., and fronts other extremist gun ban organizations such as the "Million" Mom March.

This is the kind of thing we are told by bureaucrats in the City of Clyde and Toledo to fear if guns are allowed in parks. The trouble is, all the gun control laws in the world didn't stop this 18-year old from getting a gun. Do they really believe a "no-guns" sign would have helped keep him out of this public park?

May 6, 2005
Newark Advocate

A 13-year-old Newark boy told police an 18-year-old man pulled a gun on him and made threatening remarks during a fight Wednesday at Flory Park.

A Licking County Juvenile Court probation officer happened to be passing by the park at about 2:30 p.m., saw the fight and broke it up.

A .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a single round of live .25-caliber ammunition was recovered at the scene, Newark Police Capt. Al Zellner said.

According to a Newark police report, the 13-year-old boy suffered apparent minor injuries from the altercation.

Click here to read the complete story in the Newark Advocate.

Cincinnati's WCPO.com is reporting that a University of Cincinnati student says she was grabbed, punched, and robbed while leaving class Tuesday night. According to the news story, the incident is the latest in several violent crime reports from on and around campus. The student spoke with 9News, but said she did not want to give her name or show her face, fearing for her own safety.

From the story:

She says she had just left a night class at Teacher's College around 9:15 p.m. Tuesday night when someone grabbed her from behind, only about 20 feet from the campus building.

The suspect allegedly put her arms around the woman's throat, held "something that felt like a gun" to her back, ripped the woman's jeans, punched her in the face and finally took off with her bookbag and cell phone.

The woman says she tracked down a nearby police officer, but it was too late to catch the suspect.

He's described as a white male who was wearing blue nylon sweatpants with white stripes.

The victim is shaken up and recovering at home, with some advice for other students.

"When you're walking to class, stay on the main paths in well lit areas. It's also a good idea to have a buddy with you. It's something I could have done to prevent this situation," she told 9News.

She says she's unsure if she'll continue classes at UC after the assault.

Last month a student was shot on Warner Street when he apparently tried to fend off a robber. That student is now recovering at home.

Why does the state of Ohio refuse to recognize the needs of college students to protect themselves? Why is the life of an 21-year-old college student on a campus like UC's any less valuable and in need of protection than when she is off-campus? Why are 18-year-olds any less trusted with firearms on college campuses than they are when serving in our armed forces?