Pro-Gun Punditry: Wednesday's Buckeye State Roundabout

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 a shooting outside of Akron University to the winner of the JPFO's "Name the BATFE mascot contest", these articles should be a part of your required reading!

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

2/12/08: Akron, Ohio: Police Investigate Shooting Outside Akron University

From the article:

Police said a vendor was making a delivery when a suspect attempted to rob him near the loading dock and shot at him.

The illusion of safety that is created by "gun free zones" is shattered yet again. When will people finally accept the fact that criminals do not obey the law, and that "gun free zones" only disarm the law-abiding?

2/12/08: Cleveland, Ohio: Accused Gun Dealer Arrested In Cleveland

From the article:

McBee is accused of selling guns in Cleveland, including a Mac 10 submachine gun marshals confiscated during a previous arrest. He has convictions for felonious assault, burglary and drug trafficking, which makes it illegal for him to have a gun.

Thankfully, the U.S. Marshals got McBee off of the streets. It is predators like him and not your average gun owner who is terrorizing our streets with guns.

2/11/08: Hilliard, Ohio: When Protection Orders Don't Help

From the article:

"Usually, we encourage people to take that step, but we realize it can cause more violence. … A protective order is a piece of paper, and a bullet can go through it and a knife can slash it."

In a paper published last year, Judy Postmus of Rutgers University evaluated the research on protection orders and the negative assumptions surrounding them, including the belief that they aren't useful.

Protection orders are just pieces of paper and offer no real protection. This is why a temporary emergency license should always be offered whenever someone requests a protection order.

2/11/08: National: Four More Senators Send Letter to Secretary Kempthorne Requesting the Interior Department Change Its Policy Regarding Firearms in National Parks

From the article:

As part of the ongoing NRA-ILA effort to change the National Park Service rules to allow Right-to-Carry in our national parks and wildlife refuges, four additional Senators have written to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne urging him to remove restrictions on the carrying and transportation of firearms by law-abiding gun owners.

This is GREAT news! Hopefully, our national parks will no longer be the perfect hunting grounds for human predators who want to prey upon defenseless tourists.

2/10/08: Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Police Might Arm Themselves With Military-Style Tactical Rifles

From the article:

The city would join hundreds of departments across the country that have increased their firepower with the AR-15, a civilian version of the military M-16 rifle. SWAT teams already use the weapon. The rifles allow officers to keep distance between them and a gunman and are more accurate than shotguns.

Also from the article:

Councilman Kevin Conwell, who chairs council's Public Safety Committee, said he will work to block the proposal if and when it's made. Many residents don't trust police and don't want them to have more powerful weapons, he said. "Over my dead body, that's how bad I feel about that," Conwell said. "They need a better relationship with the community. There's a lack of trust."

It is about time that Cleveland is considering arming their patrol officers with AR-15s. They have been outgunned for a long time, and it has nothing to do with the lifting of the assault rifle ban. Having a better relationship with community will not change the fact that the criminals are ILLEGALLY using powerful rifles and that Cleveland's officers are outgunned.

2/8/08: National: OBAMA ON SUPERDELEGATES, MCCAIN

From the article:

Asked if the nation should do more about gun control in light of recent shootings, Obama said that he would try to close the gun show loophole. "I think makes sense even to those who care deeply about the right to bear arms," he said.

Obama, McCain, and Clinton agree on closing the non-existent gun show "loophole", which may be the first step toward banning all private firearms transfers.

2/7/08: Lorain County, Ohio: Officers Carry Out Arrests In Lorain County Animal Poaching Bust

From the article:

"For the most part, they didn't leave their vehicles to kill deer," said Reda. "They shot at least 32 deer with rifles and bows from cars and trucks, or while standing in the road. They often switched vehicles to escape detection. Although they sold some of the processed venison, they wanted big bucks.

Poachers give real hunters a bad name. Hopefully they will be severely punished if they are found to be guilty.

2/7/08: National: We Have A Winner!

From the article:

It seems that the poor little Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives doesn't have a cute little mascot -- you know, like Smokey the Bear or Charlie the Tuna? -- to represent them in the mass media. We took pity on them and asked artist Brian Axtell to create one _for_ them -- a vicious rattlesnake we feel is entirely appropriate because it's a faithful representation of the heart, soul, and spirit of a deeply criminal organization within the federal government.

However, when the time came to bestow a name upon the insidious serpent, we thought it would be a whole lot of fun to share the task with you. We asked for your help, and 250 of you answered the call. A winner has now been duly selected.

Congratulations to the lucky winner! The new BATFE"s masoct will be named "Parasitis." I also cannot wait to see the pupper designed by Brian Axtell, his creations are amazing, and you can check them out here!