By Chad D. Baus

There are mounds of evidence that most members of the pro-gun community care deeply about the rule of law. We spend lots of money to ensure we are in compliance with the law. We spend lots of time discussing the law in discussion forums, and even more time and money trying to improve laws in our state capitols. It is never pleasant when we have to air dirty laundry, or have it aired for us in an instance where a good guy does bad.

But after having had two unfortunate opportunities to discuss Ohio's concealed handgun license (CHL) law with law enforcement officers during traffic stops in the past six months, I am convinced it is time to air some dirty laundry.

I call my experiences "unfortunate" not because of the nature of the stops (one resulted in a warning for not using a turn signal at 1:00 a.m. on a deserted Oregon, OH street, the second earned me a citation for exceeding the speed limit on a rural Fulton County road while checking for a vibration on a vehicle at my car dealership).

No, I say my experiences were unfortunate because, in both cases, at the conclusion of the stops the officers involved thanked me for promptly informing them that I was a CHL-holder and that I was carrying, and informed me that most people do not comply with the legal requirement in Ohio to inform an officer that they are legally carrying!!

By James D. Cool

Have you ever thoughtfully considered just how we got to where we
are regarding the gun issue? Our nation was founded and evolved as a
uniquely free society during the same time period that modern firearms
were invented and became readily available due to the industrial
revolution. Combine those two events with our founding fathers'
genuine fear of tyrannical government along with a need for protection
on a dangerous frontier and you have the answer - a modern society
with an estimated 250 million guns.

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