By Chad D. Baus

During the last week of June, Sandusky Register Editor Matt Westerhold launched an all-out assault on the privacy and security of approximately 2,700 concealed handgun license holders in several Northern Ohio counties by publishing their private information - information which Ohio legislators have deemed confidential. In doing so, Editor Westerhold unilaterally made this information public record, despite the people of Ohio, through the General Assembly, deciding that this information is NOT public record.

In spite of many state legislators, county sheriffs and even Governor Strickland himself attempting to talk sense into him, citing a phantom "right to know", Westerhold, editor and self-appointed public records watchdog at the Register, published the list of CHL-holders. Westerhold claimed he did it "in the public interest", attempting to paint his actions as an exercise in legal "free speech", which has previously been held to mean that journalists cannot be prosecuted for releasing information that was intended to be confidential, classified, or even top secret.

But when it comes to Editor Westerhold's views on free speech and public records, the two weeks following the release of these law-abiding gun owners' confidential information of have been extremely enlightening.

By Gerard Valentino

Buckeye Firearm’s Chairman, Jim Irvine, is fond of saying that all politicians are not the same, despite people’s belief to the contrary. As proof that not all politicians are the same, Buckeye Firearms Association has set up interviews with pro-gun legislators, and other elected officials who believe strongly in the right to bear arms.

Thankfully, our current governor, Ted Strickland, is a strong supporter of self-defense and sporting rights, including his strong belief that guns are one of the best tools law-abiding citizens can utilize for self-defense.

Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Governor Strickland in his Statehouse office.

The Governor instantly made me feel welcome. He is obviously a person who is comfortable in his own skin. He is polling better than 50% approval ratings across every demographic group. Most people are happy with the job he is doing.

Being familiar with the rapid progress the revamped Ohio Department of Natural Resources has made with concealed carry for hunters, I had high expectations of Governor Strickland, I was not disappointed.

For 45 minutes, we talked about key self-defense issues facing Ohio’s gun owners and sportsmen. They include Castle Doctrine, protection from having guns confiscated during an emergency (referred to as “Katrina” or “emergency powers” reform), fixing transportation issues by finally defining “loaded” as it pertains to the Ohio Revised Code. The last issue is clearing up the misunderstood Class D liquor license problems.

The Sandusky Register has been extremely stingy on the number of letters to the editor published in response to its privacy-invading actions. But to date, each and every letter published has been supportive of gun owners.

Does anyone believe The Register would be holding back letters supporting their position if they were receiving them?

The following three letters appeared in the Thursday, July 5 edition of the newspaper, and are notable in that all three were written by women who, judging solely by the content of their letters, are NOT concealed handgun license-holders. These letters prove it isn't only gun owners who are outraged by the actions of the Sandusky Register editor Matt Westerhold, who is maintaining a confidential list of Ohio CHL-holders in five northern Ohio counties on the paper's website.

On the wrong side

Privacy vs. Democracy. The editor of the Sandusky Register seems to be
on the wrong side.

I believe in the privacy of a person. But apparently the editor of the
Sandusky Register does not.

Matt Westerhold needs to look at the crime in these Ohio counties.

The conceal carry permit holders are law abiding citizens. They have had
criminal background checks and training.

Since you printed the names of the conceal carry permit holders, you are
putting them and their families in danger of theft or, maybe, for their
lives. How will you feel when someone has to lose their life over your
decision to print their names?

By John Longenecker

For a long time, many, many Americans have believed that Liberalism is a mental disorder. Savage wrote a book on it. I wrote a book on it. Dr. Laura has commented on excess baggage messing up relationships. Lots of authors have noticed, and correctly, I believe, that there is a marked difference between the origins of conservative values and origins of liberal values, that difference being that conservatives are more mature and liberals are more adolescent. (Which explains the double-standard: the liberals view themselves as teens to be tolerated and view conservatives as adults to be accountable, or adult.)

Americans believe this because, and this is one of the features of many impairments, Liberals seem to be out of touch with reality.

Americans are just as perceptive as always, sensing when someone is a little ‘pixilated’, out of kilter or otherwise impaired so. [We can say most Americans since we know how so-called extremist values are actually Mainstream values. I give Talkradio a great deal of credit for that, because Talkradio is a medium where people can compare notes in real time.]

Reality distortion devices erected by an impaired person in order to cope are common, but when they enter the political arena and begin to formulate policy – even insist on it – they are operating on a great deal of personal misinformation input.

In this, I say that Liberals have not assimilated.

Click 'Read More' to read the entire article.

The Cybercast News Service has published an excellent story informing its national audience about the privacy-invading actions by The Sandusky Register, and about the response by gun rights groups in Ohio.

From the story:

An Ohio newspaper's decision to publish the non-public records of concealed carry permit holders drew a strong response, and one gun rights advocacy group published personal but public information about the newspaper's editor.

The Sandusky Register on June 24 published the names, ages and home counties of the almost 2,700 concealed carry permit holders in its circulation area. Ohio gun laws restrict public access to concealed carry records but allow the media to access them.

Click 'Read More' for the entire story.

By Jim Irvine

SB184 and HB264 have been assigned to good committees. SB184 is in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, which is chaired by our good friend Tim Grendell (R-18), and HB264 is in the House Criminal Justice Committee, chaired by our long time supporter Bob Latta (R-6).

Looking at the list of co-sponsors, it is important to know who our strongest friends are. These are the people who are leading the fight to reform our current ill-conceived firearms laws.

What does having your name on the list of co-sponsors mean, and why is it so important?

Click ‘Read More’ for the entire story and all original co-sponsors for Ohio's Castle Doctrine legislation.

Dillon Sportsman Center, east of Newark, is holding their second Ladies Night on Monday, July 9 at 5:00PM-9:00PM. This is an opportunity for ladies, at no cost to them, to be introduced to some of the shooting sports. The evening is geared towards beginners, but all levels of experience are welcome to attend. Women will have the oppurtunity to shoot rifles, shotguns and handguns.

Buckeye Firearms Association leader Linda Walker, and volunteer Clint Lake will be on hand to discuss concealed carry with the ladies, instruct pistol shooting and to answer any firearms related questions the ladies may have.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for further details on the class, and information on how to sign up.

July 4, 2007
Sandusky Register

Choya Hawn, 51, Erie. That is how my name appears on the Register's Web site along with the names of the other holders of Concealed Carry Permits issued by Erie County. Since you are convinced the public needs to know such information, allow me to expand. I am a 27-year veteran of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. I have served 21 years as a certified firearms Instructor for the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, and I am a five-time Gold Medallist in the combat pistol event at the Ohio Police and Fire Games. However, in May 2004 I retired from the Highway Patrol and became a regular citizen. Unlike most citizens, I have nearly three decades of law enforcement experience and firearms training, but I am still required by law to obtain a CCW permit to carry a firearm.

Click 'Read More' for the entire letter to Editor Matt Westerhold.

By Rick Jones

With the upcoming holiday, lets look at what it might mean to some people…a day off with pay, just a day off, family, friends, cookouts, reunions or just a day to lounge and watch the fireworks. As for me, I think of our Constitution, our founding fathers, our Bill of Rights, our military men and women who are performing their duties to protect our freedom.

“FREEDOM”. We say it often, exclaiming our rights by the Constitution and Bill of Rights, but is it really free? Daily, there are people who are ready, willing and able to chip away at
our most basic freedoms as guaranteed by the 1st and 2nd Amendments to the Constitution, and it is these people who we must fight against. The one that is the most often spoken of, is the 1st Amendment…the right to free speech, the right to
choose the way we want to worship, the right of free press, the right of peaceable assembly, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. This freedom in the 1st Amendment is the main reason that our forefathers came to this country… to get away from a ruler who wouldn’t allow such freedoms. The 1st Amendment was of the utmost importance to our
founding fathers, and that is the reason it is listed first!

With such freedoms now in place, how will you be able to protect them? It is with the 2nd Amendment that these freedoms are protected!

Ottawa County Sheriff Robert Bratton has posted The Sandusky Register's June 6 request for the list of concealed handgun license-holders on the official website of the Ottawa County Sheriff.

The request letter reveals that the Sandusky Register didn't stop at asking for the private information allowed journalists in the media access loophole. Rather, the newspaper asked for the home address of each and every licensee!

Click 'Read More' for the complete story, and for text of the Sandusky Register's revealing letter.