By Chad D. Baus

Many readers of this website will recall the media bias that was exposed in NBC Cincinnati (WLWT Ch. 5) reporter Eric Flack's undercover piece on the non-existent ''gun show loophole'' on November 19. Fast forward one week later, and it was ABC Cincinnati's (WCPO Ch. 9) turn for a special report on firearms ownership.

But the difference between the way both news stations handled the subject could not have been more stark.

Click 'Read More' for the entire story.

By Howard Nemerov

The purpose of this study is to determine the relative criminality of concealed carry licensees versus the general population of Ohio. In order to do this, we will compare the number of concealed carry license suspensions and revocations to the FBI arrest data for the entire state, yielding proxies for the violation rates of licensees and the general population, respectively.

With each succeeding year of reporting data, the results become more reliable. There are now two full year’s of data (2005 and 2006) plus partial data for 2004, when the concealed carry law went into effect in the second quarter of the year. While two and three-quarters years of data is too short to note any trends, the results are relatively consistent across the reporting years.

For the year 2006, there was a dramatic increase in the numbers of license revocations. As noted by Buckeye Firearms Association:

There was an increase in the number of revoked licenses in the first quarter. Over half (fifty-three of the one hundred and three) of the revocations were in Cuyahoga County. There were also increases in several nearby counties.¹

At first glance, this is a cause for concern. However, further research uncovered an unusual problem that caused an anomalous increase in revocations having nothing to do with licensee malfeasance.

Recent improvements to law spark surge in demand for concealed handgun licenses

By Jim Irvine

Attorney General Marc Dann has released the concealed handgun license (CHL) statistics for the third quarter of 2007. With a whopping 37% increase in demand over the prior year, there are now over 100,000 people licensed to carry concealed firearms in Ohio. Every business day, another 75 people receive their CHL in Ohio.

Taken from the most recent “Page Nine” Alan Korwin’s “The uninvited Ombudsman Report”

$3 Billion Guntax
The lamestream media told you:
Nothing.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
The National Shooting Sports Foundation reports that the 15-year total excise tax on guns and ammo, which is dedicated to conservation measures, has just topped $3 billion. The incredible achievement was missed by lamestream news outlets everywhere. State wildlife conservation and habitat restoration programs get the money, the single largest source of conservation funding.
Gun-tax collections by the Treasury Dept., paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers and passed on to consumers, was a whopping $76.6 million in the second quarter of 2006, up 36% over the same period a year earlier. The reason the stunning increase was missing in "news" reports was unknown, but maybe they lacked space, one expert suggests.
Although the tax increase is huge, it is also a sign of robust health in the gun industry, a fact that lamestream reports keep hidden from people who don't receive Page Nine reports (or info from NSSF), both of which are free.
.
"Strong handgun sales, up 44.8 percent, long-gun sales, up 37 percent, and ammo sales, up 29.2 percent," lead the surge, reports NSSF. "It is projected that $715.5 million in sales was generated in the quarter, not including retail markup or final retail sales." In other news, people are still fighting over Anna Nicole's baby.
Click on 'Read More' to continue reading.

By Chris Chumita

There are more stories pertaining to our gun rights in Ohio then we can possibly draw attention to with individual daily commentary. But they are all worthy of mention.

What follows is our review of headlines from around the state though a pro-gun rights lens.

From a rape on campus to another attack on gun shows, these articles should be a part of your required reading!

Click "Read More..." for several days of headlines accompanied by short, concise pro-gun analysis.

By Chad D. Baus

Despite almost a year's worth of history lessons by pro-Second Amendment groups across the country, opinion polls prove there are still too many pro-gun Republican voters planning on giving their primary vote to Rudy Giuliani.

I've never been one to buy into election year conversions on gun rights. I find it incredibly insulting when a politician expects America's hunters, sportsmen, concealed handgun license-holders and gun owners to fall for a couple of drunken one-liners in an election year, as though we're all as easy as that airheaded college girlfriend who watches as their date gropes and fondles waitresses, but forgives him as soon as he says "I love you baby. Now go get me another beer."

But for those who have been convinced by Rudy's supposedly newfound belief in gun rights, perhaps they'd like to know what he and his campaign apparently thinks of them, if they've ever attended one of the nation's many gun shows...

Click 'Read More' for the complete commentary.

By Ken Blackwell
Townhall.com

The debate over individual gun rights just has become a front line issue in the 2008 presidential campaign. The United States Supreme Court decision to hear arguments on District of Columbia v. Heller, the D.C. gun ban case, guarantees it.

...With nearly 100 million American gun owners and a fluid nominating process in both primaries, Second Amendment voters matter. In fact, their votes could be the deciding factor in the volatile Iowa and New Hampshire contests propelling the winner into the pivotal South Carolina and Florida primaries.

Second Amendment voters are strict constitutionalists and will be closely watching how the presidential candidates address the gun issue.

The president is sworn to uphold “the right of the people to keep and bear arms.” The duty to protect the Constitution and uphold the law requires a firm, clear belief one way or the other on the rights of Americans to buy and own a gun.

Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, John McCain, and Mike Huckabee are staunch Second Amendment advocates and all oppose most restrictions on gun rights including D.C.’s. Rudy Giuliani favors some restrictions but opposes the D.C. gun ban. He thinks the Supreme Court should strike it down permanently.

Now let’s hear what Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards have to say. What do they believe the framers meant by the “people”? The answers will speak volumes about their views on a wide range of issues...

By Jim Irvine

Recently the city of Cleveland gave out $100 gas
and grocery gift cards to anyone turning in a
handgun. The anti-gun people (including the
media) act like this is a great thing. The
pro-gun people generally claim it is worthless.

I’ll explain why it is dangerous.

Click on ‘Read More’ for the entire commentary.

By Dick Martin
Chillicothe Gazette

Some years ago I made a trip to South Dakota seeking pheasants, mule deer, ducks, prairie chickens, and rabbits. The trip was a good one and I made a fine bag, but on our first morning the friend I was hunting with made it very clear about one thing. "If you see a coyote, shoot it! Don't worry about losing a pheasant or a duck, shoot the coyote. We kill every one we see." As luck would have it, I saw one that very day, a big dog coyote that jumped out of knee high grass. It took four rounds of magnum 4's to put him down, but I got him and got a slap on the back and a "Well done," for my efforts, too.

A lot of people have that attitude about coyotes, and since they've multiplied so well in Ohio, maybe more of us should share that attitude. I personally believe, though without much proof, that they're making serious inroads into our small game population, not to mention other species. There's little question that they feed mainly on mice and other small rodents, since those are most available, but I'm quite sure that in the spring when they have pups, a baby or half grown cottontail is easy pickings and a good meal for the young.

In fact, while rabbits are plentiful in areas where there's good cover and thus hiding places, I think the population is down substantially in our area. In the past two weeks I've seen just one road killed rabbit, and dozens of raccoons, skunks and opossums. Last year dog hunters found fewer cottontails most days and those without often hunted hours to jump one or two. Great horned owls, foxes, and hawks get their share too, but I think coyotes get more.

...So, what can you do? Hunt or trap them, and have a good time seeking a challenging predator and making some money in process. Coyotes have no season or limit, so you can try for them anytime, unless other seasons interfere, and prime pelts are worth $15-20 at the local fur dealers.

Click here to read the entire story from the Chillicothe Gazette.

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