by Kelsey Osterman

By now, you've heard the stories: Florida boy suspended for pointing his finger like a gun. Rhode Island student suspended for bringing quarter-sized gun keychain to class. West Virginia middle schooler arrested for wearing a National Rifle Association t-shirt.

Coast-to-coast, it seems our nation's schools have grown so gun-shy that every implementation of a "zero tolerance" policy entails a massive overreaction on the part of the school.

It's gotten so bad that one member of Congress, Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas), actually introduced legislation to prevent schoolchildren from being punished for "harmless expressions of childhood play" like using an imaginary gun.

Even Ohio state Sen. Charleta Tavares (D-Columbus) proposed legislation earlier this year that would overturn the Buckeye State's law that requires schools to adopt zero tolerance policies.

"We're looking at using common sense," Tavares told The Columbus Dispatch. "A gun-shaped edible snack is not a weapon. Children bringing Midol or their own medications for their illness is not drugs."

If anyone was still wondering why Congress prohibited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from using tax dollars to fund gun control advocacy research, and why the White House has called for $10 million in new funding for such research to help the administration "transform" the country's gun laws, the authors of a recent "study" that characterizes gun-owning whites as racists have bent over backwards to explain.

Without offering any proof to support their theory, the authors of Racism, Gun Ownership and Gun Control: Biased Attitudes in US Whites May Influence Policy Decisions proclaim that "The public health importance of gun reform in the US is clear," and "attitudes towards guns in many US whites appear to be influenced . . . by illogical racial biases," so "greater control of firearms is the most logical direction for public health policy." Furthermore, they say, because "there remains considerable resistance in the US to even cursory gun controls," "gun control policies may need to be implemented independent of public opinion."

Though he didn't get everything right in his article about the AR-15 for Business Insider on November 8, Brian Jones included a number of facts that are beyond dispute. He noted, for example, that the AR-15 is "America's most popular rifle," which is certainly the case, based upon recent firearm manufacturer reports showing that between 300,000 and 500,000 AR-15s are made annually for sale to the public. Jones also mentioned that "Much of what makes the AR‑15 so popular is its adaptability. Modern AR‑15s feature a rail system that allows for custom sights, scopes, and accessories to be placed on the gun."

But since Jones made clear that the occasion for his article was the misuse of an AR-15 in the Los Angeles airport the week before, fairness would dictate that he should have also mentioned the ways in which AR-15s are used by good people for perfectly good reasons.

For starters, Americans own about five million AR-15s and it should go without saying that virtually all AR-15s are never misused.

by Greg Ellifritz

One of the most common question I get from readers is "How do I choose the right AR-15 rifle?" The options are overwhelming to many new rifle shooters and lots of folks need some guidance. It really isn't all that hard. Here are some tips to get you set up right and save you some money in the process.

Brands

If you want an AR-15 don't buy the cheapest rifle you can find. The parted-out "Frankenguns" generally don't hold up well. Expect to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $900-$1200 for a high quality new AR-15. For an entry-level rifle, consider brands like Colt, Smith and Wesson, Spike's Tactical, and Stag Arms. In my experience, the Colt and Smith and Wesson rifles tend to be the most reliable of the lower-priced AR-15s. Most Bushmaster, DPMS, and Rock River rifles also work well, but I see more problems with those rifles than the Colts or Smith and Wessons.

Deer-gun season remains open through Sunday, Dec. 8

COLUMBUS, OH – Hunters checked 22,620 white-tailed deer on Monday, Dec. 2, the opening day of Ohio's deer-gun hunting season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

The deer-gun season remains open through Sunday, Dec. 8. Hunters are encouraged to take to the field to enjoy the six days remaining in the deer-gun season. Hunting is the best and most effective management tool for maintaining Ohio's healthy deer population.

Approximately 420,000 hunters are expected to participate in this year's season. Find more information about deer hunting in the Ohio 2013-2014 Hunting and Trapping Regulations or at www.wildohio.com.

So far this season, hunters have harvested 109,932 deer compared to 113,107 at the same point in the season last year, which represents a 3% difference.

Outgoing New York Police Department Commissioner Ray Kelly has long been anti-gun. And, as a minion of anti-gun New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, he is, naturally, an outspoken proponent of Bloomberg's gun control initiatives and agenda. But guess what? When he leaves office and reverts back to just being an "average citizen," Kelly wants for himself, what he would quickly deny to you: Self-defense in the form of armed protection.

According to a NYmag.com article, Kelly has requested a team of six NYPD detectives to keep him and his family safe back in civilian life. And get this: it's reported that each detective would make $120,000 a year, and the taxpayers--the very ones he wants unarmed--will be required to pick up the entire bill!

The following letter to the editor of the Akron Beacon-Journal was written in response to that newspaper's editorial calling on legislators to support HB 203 (Concealed Carry & Self-Defense Law Reform) because of opposition from John Gilchrist, representing the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.

The editorial board noted that Gilchrist "emphasized that changing current Ohio law would be an invitation to trouble."

Following is the response written by Buckeye Firearms Association's Chad Baus, as published on November 26:

A Nov. 15 editorial ("Advice to retreat") cited testimony by John Gilchrist, legislative counsel to the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, in its reasons for encouraging legislators not to support House Bill 203, which would eliminate Ohio's "duty to retreat" from a life-threatening encounter.

by Chad D. Baus

Two home invasions in recent weeks have made headlines in Ohio.

WBNS (CBS Columbus) reported recently that a 69-year-old Vietnam veteran defended himself and his best friend during violent home invasion.

From the article:

Elec Reed and Ed Finnell have been best friends for nearly half of their lives.

"Eighty percent of the people in the neighborhood think we're real brothers, just the best of friends," explained Ed Finnell.

Several months ago, he had to watch helplessly as his friend was attacked by a stranger in their home.

"All the sudden, he locked the door and just started beating on us. As I say, we didn't have nothing for protection."

Something changed shortly after that incident.

"It made my partner decide to get a gun. He knows that I've been to Vietnam, so I can shoot pretty well for an old man."

He never expected he'd have to use it so soon.