By Ken Hanson

By publishing lists of persons who have obtained concealed handgun licenses, newspapers such as the Sandusky Register have taken private, non-public record information and made it public. Specifically, because of their actions, the general public may now know who owns and may or may not carry a gun. Additionally, the general public now knows who is not carrying a gun in their day to day activities.

Beyond the fact that The Register has now made public that which statutorily was not to be public, what harm can come from this? Buckeye Firearms Association previously brought you the story of a prison guard who was tracked down by a former inmate by using a concealed carry license list published in the local paper. However, beyond this explicit example, the general public remains largely unaware of just how much harm can come from this.

So, as a service to our readers, we have prepared an example by using Sandusky Register Editor Matt H. Westerhold. We have selected him simply because the paper has pointed to him as the one “responsible” for the decision to publish the lists. However, it would have been just as easy, and valid, to do it with Register publisher Doug Phares or Register owner David Rau (or, for that matter, decision-makers at the Cleveland Plain Dealer, NBC24 Toledo, the Lorain Morning Journal, the Sidney Daily News, the Toledo City Paper, the Troy Daily News and the Warren Tribune-Chronicle, who have also irresponsibly acted to release this private information on at least one occasion in the past).

Click 'Read More' for the entire commentary.

By Chris Chumita

In 2003, the Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership (JPFO), released an amazing documentary called Innocents Betrayed. Now in 2007, the JPFO has produced another Oscar worthy and hard hitting documentary. This time, they are exposing the truth about the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Their new documentary is appropriately named The Gang.

Click "Read More" to read the entire review.

By Ken Hanson

Sandusky Register Editor Matt Westerhold, apparently with a straight face, published an editorial today entitled “It’s about the secrets, not about the gun owners”. Apparently hoping we forgot his history at the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, where he attacked gun owners' privacy in similar fashion, Mr. Westerhold bemoans that he did not seek this fight, but at the same time he would be irresponsible to duck it.

Sorry, Mr. Westerhold, it is very much about the gun owners and their rights to privacy.

Mr. Westerhold openly concedes that Ohio law says that concealed carry lists are not public records. Think about that for a moment. The people, by and through their elected officials, have determined, as a matter of law, that these lists are not public records and the release of these lists is not in the public interest. Not some administrative agency trying to shield their meetings or who they meet with, not some bureaucrat trying to hide the fact he gave a no-bid contract to his brother-in-law, not a renegade school board member trying to change curriculum… The people, by and through their elected representatives, made a decision. Those who exercise a right, like praying, writing an idiotic editorial or obtaining an abortion, are not required to face public scrutiny. These are not public records, and their release is not in the public interest. So Sayeth The People.

By Chris Chumita

The City of Cleveland has a long anti-gun history. Prior to the successful passage of HB347, Cleveland imposed just about every anti-gun law possible. From gun registration to a so-called "assault weapons" ban, Cleveland had them all.

On March 14th, HB347 became law, and it made the gun laws uniform throughout the state. However, Cleveland saw this as an opportunity to flex their anti-gun muscles and are challenging HB347 in court.

Recently, Michael Dolan, Councilman for Ward 21, resigned from city council. Since there was more than a year left in his term, a special election must be held in order to replace him. Dolan quickly appointed a possibly anti-gun candidate to be his replacement until the election. However, the other candidate is pro-gun, pro self-defense, and his victory could begin the process of changing Cleveland's anti-gun culture.

If you live in Cleveland's Ward 21, vote for freedom. Vote for your gun rights. Vote for Charles Peter Pluto on July 3rd!

Click "Read More" to read the entire article.

In a target=_BLANK>recent editorial, the Sandusky Register argued that ALL government information should be public and appears to support the idea that government shouldn’t be able to keep some information private. This argument is a red herring, designed to mask an anti-gun political agenda that involves targeting citizens who have a legal concealed handgun license (CHL) by publishing their name, age, and county of residence.

Government makes decisions all the time to keep government information private if there is a chance that publishing that information could harm citizens. For example, a Social Security Number is government information, but it is kept private to avoid identity theft. Those who have obtained a restraining order from a government entity, such as a court, are not subjected to having a new address or phone number published in order to protect the victim.

The argument for open government records is the public’s “need to know.” But the public has no need to know when it comes to legally concealed weapons by law abiding citizens. And since there is a precedent for protecting citizens by keeping certain information private, there is no reason to publish this information in a newspaper.

But since the Sandusky Register argues that ALL government information should be public, and that this information is fair game for publication, it is time to put this theory to the test.

Late last week, the Associated Press reported that police had found a loaded gun in the car of a man accused of threatening a woman on the Shawnee State University campus in Portsmouth, Ohio.

What the AP did NOT note is that this was yet another example of how impotent gun ban laws are at stopping violent criminals.

Click 'Read More' for the story.

By John Salyers and Chad D. Baus

In spite of many state legislators, county sheriffs and even Governor Strickland himself attempting to talk sense into him, Sandusky Register Editor Matt Westerhold has launched an all-out assault on the privacy and security of over 2,600 concealed handgun license holders in several Northern Ohio counties.

Citing a phantom "right to know", Westerhold, editor and self-appointed public records watchdog at The Register, published the list of CHL-holders from Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca counties.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The decision to make the lists available to readers was
made by the Register's managing editor. All inquiries should be directed
to 419-609-5866 or mattwesterhold@sanduskyregister.com Please oblige Mr. Westerhold by submitting a letter to the editor on this issue.

Matt Westerhold transplanted his anti-concealed-carry agenda from his former job at the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, where he also ordered the publishing of law-abiding CHL_holders' names. More information on Westerhold will be made available in the coming days.

The "logic" behind his latest attack on gun owners' privacy was expressed in a June 10 editorial entitled "Taking aim at the public record".

By Mark Reising

On Monday June 18, I attended a picnic fund raiser for State Representative Danny Bubp (R-West Union) of Ohio’s 88th District. I was representing Buckeye Firearms Association to provide a visible show of support for Representative Bubp, and to thank him for his support of our goals in the past and his support in fixing all problems with our firearms laws in the future. Bubp is a member of the House Criminal Justice Committee. He has co-sponsored several important bills for us, including last year's HB347 which eliminated the “plain sight” requirement and established uniform firearms laws throughout Ohio. He has also co-sponsored two bills this year which are of interest to all firearms owners.

Click ‘Read More’ for the entire commentary.

June 7, 2007
World Net Daily

By Sandy Froman

Philosopher George Santayana said that those who cannot remember the
past are condemned to repeat it. It's true. One of the reasons to study
history is to avoid repeating past mistakes. When it comes to freedom,
we cannot afford to forget the lessons of the past. So you and I need to
know the history of gun control, because history teaches us there is a
terrible price to pay when we lose our right to keep and bear arms.

Over 200 years ago, when the Founding Fathers drafted the Second
Amendment, no one questioned the need for private gun ownership. The
Framers considered private firearms to be essential to protecting
personal liberty, both as a means of opposing foreign threats and also
as a check against excessive government power. The Framers were
passionately devoted to the idea that a self-sufficient armed citizenry
is the best means of preserving liberty.

But many on the left do not want you to know this. They keep the truth
from being taught in public schools, and they even write books laden
with falsehoods in a dishonest attempt to rewrite history.

Click here to read the entire article from WorldNetDaily.com.

By State Representative Lynn Wachtmann

For years, governments have enacted laws that state one’s home is a place where one should be free of prying and violent attack. Known as “Castle Laws,” they are often based on English Common Law from the 1700s. However, over the years many of these laws, while acknowledging the safety and protections of the home, have placed a burden on a person to retreat before being permitted to use force to defend themselves.
Click ‘Read More’ for the entire column.