By Linda Walker

• June 4, 2008, 5:15 AM, Drivemere Ct., Hilliard, suspect: male, 5’6”-5’9”, skinny, less than 160#, suspect had knife.
• September 12, 2008 5:30 AM, Smiley’s Ct., suspect: male, suspect had possible firearm.
• October 1, 2008 4:45 AM, Wakeford St., suspect: male, had “belly”, 5’5”, wearing dark clothing, suspect had knife.
• October 5, 2008 5:00 AM, suspect: White Cedar Ct., suspect: male, 5’7”-5’9”, Hispanic, stocky build, wearing jeans and a hoodie, no indication of weapon.
• October 23, 2008 11:00 PM, Busch Blvd., Suspect: Male, Black, 5’6", stocky build, 190 pounds, wearing a black hoodie with a bandana over his face. Suspect had a handgun.
• October 24, 2008 9:20 PM, King Ave., Suspect: Male, 5’6"-5’7", stocky build, with a bandana over his face. Suspect had a handgun.
• November 2, 2008 early morning hours, Marlowe Ct.

ALL victims of a serial rapist on the loose in Columbus!

The gun ban lobby is fond of exploiting statistics about (26 year-old) "children" using guns (in gang-banger shootouts), but we're guessing they won't have much to say about the Ashtabula teen who used a gun to stop a home invasion.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor -- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be -- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks -- for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation -- for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed -- for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted -- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

The Senate Judiciary on Criminal Justice Committee, chaired by Sen. Tim Grendell (R-18), will hear proponent, opponent and interested party testimony on Rep. Bruce Goodwin's HB450, legislation that would restore gun rights to members of the armed services or the Ohio National Guard who are between the ages of 18 and 21, on Wednesday, December 3 at 10:00 a.m. in the Senate Building's Finance Hearing Room.

The Chairman has indicated that the bill may receive a vote out of committee!

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 an armed teenager fighting of home invaders to a gun in a school, these articles should be a part of your required reading!

What follows is several days of headlines accompanied by short, concise pro-gun analysis.

By Dean Rieck

Five years ago, I was not a gun rights supporter. I was not an NRA member. I didn't even own a gun.

In fact, I bought into the common notion, nurtured by nanny state zealots and perpetuated by the media and Hollywood, that guns are bad. And except for the police and military, only bad people have guns.

Boy was I wrong.

Want to know what changed my mind? I went to see Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine." I thought it was funny. But I also thought it was dishonest.

Sportsmen Dismayed by Overthrow of Congressman John Dingell

The United States Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) expresses its dismay today over the news that U.S. Representative Henry Waxman (D- CA) toppled Representative John Dingell (D- MI) as Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep. Dingell has been a tireless champion of sportsmen issues for decades, while Rep. Waxman has a long history of supporting the causes of extremist animal rights and anti-firearm groups. Given the recent call by President-elect Barack Obama for a broad and bipartisan approach to governing, this action raises serious doubts in the eyes of sportsmen.

“Rep. Dingell understood and cared about sportsmen and their devotion to conservation,” said USSA Vice President of Government Affairs, Rob Sexton. “On the other hand, Rep. Waxman, an environmental activist, has consistently earned a 100 percent rating from the leading anti-hunting group in the country, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which has sought to use the Endangered Species Act to stop hunting.”

By Jim Irvine

When seconds count, police are only minutes away. It’s an old cliché, but every day we have a “news” story that illustrates it's truth.

What if a school full of children are being murdered by a killer with a gun? What if police were there, but they waited outside? What if your child died as a result? For too many parents, these are not "what if" questions. They are living with the grief. With that knowledge, why would you just wait and hope it does not happen to your child? Love requires that you get involved on your child’s behalf.

The situation – a killer is in a school or church or other gathering place. He has a gun and is killing innocent, unarmed people. Seconds go by and another life is lost. If one was killed as you started reading this story, it may be time for another to be shot. At Virginia Tech, a person was shot every 15 seconds. More than 3 out of 4 died every minute. When will society decide that enough is enough? Sadly, I fear it will not be in time to save the innocent lives lost to the next mass murderer. But there is a solution.

We all understand that police can not be everywhere, but why would police wait after arriving on the scene of an ongoing school shooting? Because they were told to. New information is changing how police respond.

The Ashland Times-Gazette is reporting that National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre told a crowd at Ashland University last week that historic victories for gun rights occurred in 2008, but the fight for firearm freedoms must continue to preserve the Second Amendment.

Speaking at the Major Issues Lecture Series at the John M. Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs, LaPierre told listeners that despite the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down a handgun ban in Washington D.C., which affirmed the individual right to keep and bear arms, there is a battle for firearms ownership in America. He said an "elite ruling class" of anti-gun politicians has "declared war on our individual rights" by trying to restrict Americans' ability to keep and bear arms.

By Chad D. Baus

I'm not sure students are still taught about American patriot Paul Revere's famous "Midnight Ride" in our public school system, but I am sure about this -

"The British are coming (again)!"

And just like the British army occupying Boston began confiscating the inhabitants' firearms in 1774, the new occupiers have similar goals in mind.

At an Ohio campaign rally in October, 2008, candidate Barack Obama promised Americans "I will not take your rifle away." But less than 48 hours after he was elected, and before all the votes were counted, President-elect Obama immediately announced plans to do just that.