Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA) is proud to announce endorsements for a host of local, statewide and federal offices in the March 6, 2012 primaries.

As a political action committee, BFA has been issuing endorsements in every election season for the past ten years. Through a system of weighing candidate surveys, voting records (where applicable) and personal commitment to the cause, candidates are graded on the traditional A, B, C, D or F scale, in addition to being considered for an endorsement. This year candidates who receive an "A" grade based only on our questionnaire will be noted with an "Aq" grade. This replaces the "B*" score from prior elections.

"Every year gets tougher as more candidates want our endorsement," said Jim Irvine, BFA Chairman. "Shooting is as popular as ever, and few candidates want to be labeled as 'anti-gun' or 'anti-self-defense.' Voters who value freedom can use our voter guide to help them decide which candidate best represents their views on this critical issue."

Buckeye Firearms Association endorsements are focused primarily on state-level races. We also endorse in some local races. Buckeye Firearms Association does not endorse in all federal office elections. We may issue endorsements to candidates for federal office that we have endorsed in prior elections or a candidate we have worked with on Second Amendment issues. Buckeye Firearms Association also reserves the right to address any political race with such importance, we feel compelled to endorse.

The endorsement committee is currently focused on contested primary races, given that voters are given a choice in those races. Candidate surveys are still being received and scored, and more grades and endorsements can be expected in the coming days.

Click here to view BFA's 2012 Primary grades and endorsements.

by Scott L. Bach

When an arsonist lights a match that burns a building, is the match at fault? Are match manufacturers responsible for the fire? Should laws be passed prohibiting you from having and using matches, or restricting which types you can have, and in what quantities?

The obvious answer to these questions is no. The same match that is misused by the arsonist lights the fireplace that warms us, and the stove that feeds us. The match has no mind of its own. It is not an evil invention. Its purpose is to ignite, nothing more. If it is misused, the solution is to punish the individual wrongdoer. Everyone else should be left alone.

The same is true of firearms.

Firearms are employed every day by police, military, and law-abiding private citizens to deter crime, participate in competitions, hunt, and in the gravest extreme, to save the life of a victim of murder, rape, or serious assault. Most often, the mere presence of a firearm is enough to stop criminal activity in its tracks.

To the woman whose clothes are about to be torn from her body by a knife-wielding rapist in a deserted parking lot, a handgun in the purse is a lifeline. It is a genuine equalizer that may mean the difference between her life and her death. It gives her a chance when she otherwise would have none.

Every police officer who has made an arrest or stopped a crime understands this principle. Every soldier who has known battle understands this as well. And every private citizen who has ever faced a violent criminal alone, and knows the feeling of an impending, untimely death at the hands of a merciless savage, understands the importance of being able to own and carry a firearm, whether or not he or she ever has to fire it.

by Chad D. Baus

The Marietta Times is reporting that the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is voicing concerns about HB422, legislation that seeks to repeal requirements that a concealed carry licensee inform an approaching law enforcement officer that the licensee is a licensee and is carrying a concealed handgun.

From the article:

House Bill 422, jointly sponsored by Reps. Ron Maag, R-Lebanon, and Andy Thompson, R-Marietta, would amend the current state code to remove a requirement that during a traffic stop drivers must notify police officers if they're carrying a firearm.

"The patrol has concerns from a public safety viewpoint, not only for our officers, but also for motorists and their passengers," said Lt. Anne Ralston, spokeswoman for the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

She said rules in the state law that govern licensing to carry concealed firearms have been through several changes over the years and HB 422 is the just latest proposal for a change.

"Currently when I have contact with a motorist who has a concealed carry permit, the motorist is required to say 'I'm a concealed carry permit holder' when I approach the vehicle," Ralston said. "The patrol has a primary concern that repealing the requirement could impact officer and driver safety."

She said representatives from the patrol would be making those concerns known to legislators in the next few weeks when hearings on HB 422 are expected to take place.

And so, after sitting on the sidelines for four years under Strickland, the OSHP once again supports restricting your firearm rights, as they so often did during the Taft years.

Self-defense in modern society is about far more than carrying a gun, it's also about developing situational awareness. This means knowing where you are and what's going on around you at all times.

One vital element of situational awareness seldom taught in concealed carry classes is how to spot a concealed handgun. Just as you hope to have the element of surprise if you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, you want to avoid being surprised by an armed attacker.

Based on the experience of Robert T. Gallagher, former NYPD detective, Anti-Robbery Tactical Unit, this detailed illustration, titled Spotting a Hidden Handgun, explains some of the visual cues that reveal when someone is carrying a handgun.

You can also use this information to avoid providing others with the same visual cues which may alert them that you are carrying concealed.

by Aaron Kirkingburg

State Representative Ron Maag introduced House Bill 422 and House Bill 425 this week to help strengthen the right of Ohio Concealed Carry licensees', as well as out-of-state visitors, to protect themselves without unintentionally becoming a criminal. Both of these bills will address real problems within Ohio's CCW law. Those of us here at Buckeye Firearms Association would like to express our gratitude, on behalf of all CCW licensees across the nation, for Mr. Maag's willingness to stand up for better laws, that will protect each and every one of us!

by John Lott

Just a few days before Christmas, Meredith Graves made a mistake that could end her medical career and send her to prison for at least 3 1/2 years. The 39-year-old fourth-year medical student was carrying a permitted concealed handgun when she saw the sign at the 9/11 Memorial saying "No guns allowed." She did the responsible thing and asked a security guard where she could check her weapon. Unfortunately, while her Tennessee concealed carry license is recognized in 40 states, New York isn't one of them. Meredith was arrested.

A week earlier, Californian Mark Meckler told LaGuardia Airport officials that he had licensed handgun in a locked safe in checked baggage. At virtually any other airport in the country, checking a gun locked in a box wouldn't be a problem. Meckler was arrested and charged with second-degree possession of an illegal weapons. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

by Louis Williams

One of the biggest reasons people want to have a firearm is for personal protection, that is, for the defense of themselves, their families, or others for whom they have responsibility. This is no idle dream - in a typical week in the United States there are about 300 murders, 15,000 violent assaults, 1,700 rapes, and 7,800 robberies. These numbers come from FBI statistics.

Does possessing and/or carrying a firearm change the odds? This number is hard to pin down because many cases go unreported. But in a typical week 20,000 or more acts of violence are prevented because the prospective victim is protected by a firearm. In at least 90 to 95 percent of these cases the gun is not fired.