By Chad D. Baus

During oral arguments last month on a case challenging the City of Clyde's ban on concealed carry in its public parks, Republican Paul Pfeifer proved himself dangerously out of touch.

Pfeifer remarked that he just couldn't understand why someone would want to lug a gun around in a park, especially in the summer when it would be harder to conceal. He mocked persons who would chose to exercise their Constitutional right to bear arms for self-defense, evoking an image of a jogger strapping a gun to his jogging shorts. He ignorantly suggested that pedophiles are a greater danger in city parks, drawing laughter when he suggested a bullwhip might be a more appropriate weapon.

Last week, Fernando Gonzalez had just finished a jog with his dog in the Swan Creek Metropark when he was stabbed in the face by a violent, cold-blooded criminal.

By David Kopel

Imagine an election race of Pat Robertson versus James Dobson, each of them appearing at organic grocery stores and Starbucks throughout Massachusetts, with each candidate insisting that he alone deserves the vote of gay-marriage advocates. An equally silly spectacle is taking place these days in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky, as Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama compete for the pro-gun vote.

Mr. Obama supports the Second Amendment – or so his surrogates have been claiming all over Pennsylvania, the state with the highest per-capita membership in the National Rifle Association. The effort was set back last weekend with the publication of Mr. Obama's remarks claiming that people in small towns in Pennsylvania and other Midwestern states "cling" to guns because they are "bitter" that the government has not solved their economic problems.

Mrs. Clinton shot back with an excellent speech in Valparaiso, Ind., recounting that her father had taught her how to shoot when she was a little girl. "People enjoy hunting and shooting because it's an important part of who they are," she said. "Not because they are bitter."

Founded in 2004, the United States Concealed Carry Association fills a much needed void in the gun community by bringing together concealed carry enthusiasts from all over the country. Until its creation the landscape was dominated by organizations like the National Rifle Association or state level hunting groups. While both have a place in the gun owner community, neither type of group is a solid resource for the millions of concealed carry license holders across the United States.

Even the mainstream pro-gun magazines that are geared towards tactics aren’t specific to civilian concealed carry.

The United States Concealed Carry Association, founded by Tim Schmidt, fills that role by bringing together handgun trainers and pro-gun advocates to create a resource that covers all aspects of the concealed carry lifestyle.

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 planned attacks on two schools to a very important pro-gun bill, 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 Gerard Valentino

The organization Mayors Against Illegal Guns is in the news again for announcing an ad campaign to raise awareness of how illegal guns are often used in crimes. While everyone agrees that stopping the flow of guns to criminals is of vital public interest, the organizations stated goals are worthy of a “Captain of the Obvious” award.

Led by the rabidly anti-gun Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, the group’s stated goal is to keep guns out of the hands of criminals or the mentally ill. As if anyone in America is saying they are for putting more guns in the hands of criminals.

By Steve Chapman

When a rash of gun murders takes place, it makes sense for the police to do one of two things: renew tactics that have been effective in the past at curbing homicides, or embrace ideas that have not been tried before. But those options don't appeal to Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis. What he proposes instead is a crackdown on assault weapons.

I'm tempted to say this is the moral equivalent of a placebo—a sugar pill that is irrelevant to the malady at hand. But that would be unfair. Placebos, after all, sometimes have a positive effect. Assault weapons bans, not so much.

If there are too many guns in Chicago, it's not because of any statutory oversight. The city has long outlawed the sale and possession of handguns. It also forbids assault weapons. If prohibition were the answer, no one would be asking the question.

Click here for the entire op-ed in the Chicago Tribune.

By Jim Irvine

Ohio Attorney Marc Dann (D) has posted the 2007 Annual Report on Ohio’s Concealed Handgun License law.

Concealed carry has been legal in Ohio for over four years now and over 107,000 Ohioans are licensed to carry a gun. Add to that the people who can carry in Ohio on licenses issued by 25 other states, and it is safe to say that most people cross paths with a license holder on a daily basis.

As in every other state that passed a concealed carry law, none of the fear mongering predictions came true. There have not been widespread shootouts at fender benders, blood in the streets, shootouts ala the OK coral, fist fights turning into gun fights, scared people shooting innocent bystanders (either accidentally or on purpose). Kids have not got their hands on guns being carried concealed. Road rage has not turned into high-speed shootouts. License holders have not become cowboys or vigilantes. And no police have been shot by license holders during traffic stops.

None of the predictions made by the anti-self-defense nuts have come true. Not one.

By Larry S. Moore

It seems lately that colleges and guns are in the news. All too much of this news has to do with the variety of deranged individuals who have preyed upon their fellow students on campus. It has to do with the anti-gun community disgusting and rather morbid attempts to turn the death of innocent students into fund raising events. And it has to do with some courageous students taking a stand for their right to self-defense while attending college.

So, here is some good news about college students, young guns and the shooting sports that most of the mainstream media will ignore.

The collegiate college clay target championship was the largest in their 40 year history! (See press release from NSSF) Go forth and shout the good news for the shooting sports and responsible gun ownership.

So have you seen this reported on the local or national evening news? College kids and guns don’t make the news unless it is controversial. No AP stories are circulating either. No national championship parades. The saddest part of this is that the respective college football stadiums or basketball arenas will not be filled to capacity to welcome home the team.

By Chad D. Baus

Gun ban extremists and others who oppose the right of self defense are fond of saying that when a person is in danger, the best thing to do is to call 911 and let the police take care of it.

But what happens when you dial 911 and the police tell you to wait...and wait...and wait?

One Columbus-area business owner was wise enough to have made his own plans for that very eventuality...

Buckeye Firearms Association volunteer Bob Harsanje recently attended the signing ceremony for Senate Bill 209, legislation which will, among other things, create mobility-impaired access lanes on various public hunting lands of the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

The bill also will allow mobility impaired, licensed individuals to hunt from such lanes with a special permit via electric-powered all-purpose vehicles or in a stationary road vehicle.

"This legislation represents a continuation of our efforts to enhance opportunities for persons with disabilities to hunt and fish," said Jim Marshall, assistant chief of the Division of Wildlife.