by Chad D. Baus

The Center for Consumer Freedom has published a video comparing convicted Ponzi scheme operator "Bernie" Madoff with Wayne Pacell, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

The video points out that HSUS gives less than one percent of its massive donations to local pet shelters, but, it has socked away more than $17 million dollars to its pension fund, and says that if you want to help your local pet shelters, you must give directly to your local shelter.

So long as we're discussing this corrupt organization, and I realize it's been four years, but I'd still love to know why Rush Limbaugh recorded two public service announcement messages for HSUS in 2009 - an inexplicable act, given his long-time opposition to animal rights extremists.

by Chad D. Baus

Remember that Obama administration claim, repeated ad nauseum during the media push to use the horrific massacre in "gun free" Sandy Hook Elementary to pass gun control, that 90% of the American people support an expanded background check bill?

The statistic was debunked any number of ways during the run-up to the vote on S. 469, but that didn't stop Obama and the media from continuing to use it.

Nor have the media made the connection between poll numbers taken since the bill was rejected and the fact that the 90% claim could never have been true.

According to a national survey by the Pew Research Center and the Washington Post, 20% say are very happy the legislation was blocked, while 19% say they are relieved.

Got that? This poll found that 39% of respondents are glad things turned out the way they did. It doesn't take a math genius to observe that, for the President's claims to have been true, that number should only be 10%. But don't count on the media to point that out.

by Chad D. Baus

The Springfield News Sun reported recently that an area fire department is allowing its personnel to carry concealed guns for personal defense.

From the article:

The Bethel Twp. fire department is the only Ohio department allowing firefighters to carry guns, the president of the state fire chiefs' association believes.

The department's chief said a crisis last week is one reason why.

Five unarmed emergency personnel — on what they thought was a routine medical run in Georgia — were taken hostage by a gunman.

The man was shot dead by SWAT officers, who stormed his house after the 2½-hour standoff Wednesday. The firefighters suffered minor injuries.

"Here's a perfect example of why we took on this stance — to give us the ability to have an exit strategy," Bethel Twp. Fire and EMS Department Chief Jacob King said.

by Greg Ellifritz

I recently became aware of a published legal opinion from the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office. I've copied the full opinion below, but the Cliff's Notes version is that if you shoot a commercially purchased or homemade exploding target in Ohio, you could face felony charges!

I know these binary explosive targets are legal under Federal law, but this opinion says they aren't under the Ohio Revised Code. This opinion will likely depend on the explosive components of the individual target and may not hold up to a court challenge, but i wouldn't risk it. My best advice: Don’t blow anything up with Tannerite in Ohio!

OHIO STATE FIRE MARSHAL GUIDANCE ON EXPLOSIVE TARGETS

Information is provided for Ohio Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Fire agencies.

July 2012

In response to some of the questions raised about the regulation of “explosive targets” (ETs), in the State of Ohio (example: products sold under the name “Tannerite”) please note the following information from the Ohio Revised Code and the Ohio Fire Code:

by Chad D. Baus

WBNS (CBS Columbus) is reporting that an eastside apartment resident fired at burglars inside his home early Wednesday morning, April 24.

Under Ohio's Castle Doctrine law, if someone unlawfully enters or attempts to enter an occupied home or temporary habitation, or occupied car, citizens have an initial presumption that they may act in self defense, and will not be second-guessed by the State.

A recent Castle Doctrine case in Toledo is also making headlines.

[Editor's Note - several Buckeye Firearms Association leaders are on hand in Houston this week for the NRA meetings. If you see them, be sure to say "hi!".]

by Jim Shepherd

[Today begins] the one hundred and forty second edition of the NRA's Annual Meeting & Exhibitions. The booths are up, prepped and ready for a crowd anticipated to be larger than last year's 72,000+ in St. Louis.

It will be the equivalent of a three day love fest for firearms and the Second Amendment-on the inside.

Outside the convention center, the storm of controversy over firearms rights continues as the mainstream media has already started whipping their favorite target, the nameless, faceless National Rifle Association.

The realization that many of today's so-called journalists have taken the anti-gun movement's dogma as absolute truth makes it easier to understand why they are so quick to brand nearly five million fellow citizens as "the cause of the violence problem in America" while routinely giving passes to governors who make statements knowing they are patently false. They're equally quick to hop on any story that portrays gun owners as less-than-desirable citizens.

I don't know about you, but I really don't consider myself part of "America's problem" with anything except aging. And I'm certainly not buying their whining about not being able to pass anti-gun legislation when "90% of Americans want something done about guns."

by Chad D. Baus

The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that Devante L. Michael, 19, and Alexander C. Pinkston, 22, were sentenced to 20 years in prison after both men pleaded guilty in March to aggravated robbery and felonious assault with gun specifications. Last October, then men attempted to rob a man who, as it turned out, wasn't just another helpless victim.

From the article:

The scars on his torso are a constant reminder of the armed robbery in which Chuck Blevins was shot last year.

Blevins, who has a concealed-carry permit, responded by drawing his gun and returning fire, wounding both of the men who were robbing him on a Near East Side street corner.

He lifted his shirt yesterday in a Franklin County courtroom to show a judge the entrance wound, the exit wound and the scars from the surgeries he endured. Surgeons repaired his stomach and removed part of his upper colon where the bullet tore through, he said.

by Chad D. Baus

The Toledo Blade is reporting that a local gun shop's sponsorship of a youth baseball team in Bedford Township, just across the border from Toledo in Michigan, has some parents crying foul about "the message it sends."

From the article:

Todd Bruning wanted to sponsor the Cubs because his two children play on the team. But when players got their jerseys Thursday, some parents were upset that the name of Mr. Bruning's business — Todd's Guns of Lambertville — adorned the front of the shirt.

Coach Barry Walters said he wouldn't let his son wear the jersey. He disagrees with gun shop advertising with a kids' team, especially after the Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut that left dozens dead at the elementary school.

"Don't use my kid as a billboard to promote guns," he said.

by Jim Irvine

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) has released the concealed handgun license (CHL) statistics for the first quarter of 2013. Almost every record regarding concealed carry was broken last quarter. No matter how you measure it, despite what President Obama and Bloomberg say, Americans don't want more gun control, they want more guns, and the ability to carry them in more places.

Demand for CHLs skyrocketed in the first three months of this year. Demand was up a whopping 87% over the same period last year, which had been the all-time record for a first quarter. Demand even exceeded the initial surge from the very first quarter of the CHL law back in 2004. Ohio sheriffs issued 37,777 CHLs during the quarter, including 31,407 regular CHLs, 6,354 renewals, and 16 Temporary emergency Licenses (TEL’s). Demand was so high that it exceeded the entire yearly totals for 2005, 2006 or 2007.

2012 was a record setting year, with 76,810 CHLs and renewals issued by Ohio sheriffs. We are just shy of the half-way point in only the first three months of 2013. The second quarter is normally the busiest of the year for CHL licensing. If that holds true this year, we will have set a new record for total licenses issued in a year in the next 60 days. That is an amazing increase in demand.

It is always difficult to assign specific reasons for behavior, but there is no denying that we have seen strong demand for CHLs since Governor John Kasich signed SB17 (Restaurant & Car Carry Rules Fix) and HB54 (Restoration of Rights) legislation into law. In December he signed HB495 (Concealed Carry Modernization) again making the program function better. As we have seen many times in Ohio, when the law is improved, the demand for training and licenses increases.

Since the Sandy Hook killings, President Obama, along with leaders of the Democrat Party in Washington and Mayor Michael Bloomberg have continued their strong anti-gun rhetoric. They were successful in forcing votes on several anti-gun bills/amendments in the U.S. Senate. They seemed convinced that they would succeed, and it's probably safe to assume that many citizens feared they would enact gun control measures. That fear helps drive gun and ammunition sales, as well as people getting a CHL. As they continue to keep demanding that law-abiding citizens must give up their rights, expect to see heavy demand for firearms-related purchases. It seems the record sales in the firearms industry is one section of the economy that President Obama can rightly take credit for. Many gun stores across the country now display his image with the words, "Salesman of the Year."

At the end of the March, there was an all-time record of approximately 351,249 Ohio residents licensed to carry concealed firearms. The total number of persons with Ohio concealed handgun licenses continues to climb above the quarter of a million mark set a year and a half ago. Some will say that the huge numbers are because of renewals, and there were over 6,000 renewals in the quarter, but there were over 31,000 new licenses issued. Even without the renewals, that would still have been an all-time record.

Approximately 9,540 licenses expired during the quarter. We are now into the quarter that the first renewals for people who obtained their license in the initial surge will be expiring. Over 70% of all licenses issued have been renewed. Over 22,000 CHLs will expire during the second quarter this year, so sheriffs will continue to be busy. Anyone needing to renew should contact their sheriff early in case they need to wait for months to get an appointment.

There were 16 temporary emergency licenses (TEL) to carry a concealed handgun issued in the quarter, about average compared to prior years. TELs are only valid for 90 days and cannot be renewed. TELs are issued to persons who need to carry a firearm for protection, but don't have time to obtain the required training. Applicants must apply with their sheriff, pay a fee and pass a background check. The 90 days allows them time to obtain training and apply for a regular license. After issuance, a person must wait four years before they qualify for another TEL.

Even with record number of CHLs, there were only 64 licenses revoked during the quarter, the lowest quarterly number in over a year. Prospective students are reminded that the application contains an affidavit where the student swears that he/she has received the appropriate training. Signing a false affidavit can subject persons to felony prosecutions and a permanent loss of firearms rights.

Less than six tenths of one percent of all CHLs have ever been revoked for any reason, including death or moving out of state. Big media love to make a big deal about the exceptional cases where a CHL breaks the law, but say almost nothing about the more than 99% of law-abiding license holders, many of whom have used their gun to protect life.

by Chad D. Baus

The Huffington Post is circulating an email to Ohio residents seeking to "document the nationwide impact of gun violence."

Wednesday, April 24, 2013
A Message From The Huffington Post

Hello from HuffPost Open Reporting -

This is a one-time email to our readers in Ohio.

We're working on a project to document the nationwide impact of gun violence, and we need your help.

Since the shooting in Newtown, Conn., on December 14, The Huffington Post has tracked and recorded more than 2,240 deaths across America as a result of gun-related homicides and accidental shootings.

If you or someone you know has ever been affected by gun violence, we want to hear your story.

Give us a call at 860-348-3376, and you can record your story in your own words. Please be sure to include your name and phone number. Or you can send us a note at openreporting@huffingtonpost.com (or just reply to this email).

We will never publish your name or any identifying details without your permission.

Thanks for your help,
The HuffPost Open Reporting Team

While we suspect that this liberal news media outlet is seeking to collect the same type of anti-gun rights rhetoric that BarackObama.com and the President's campaign arm Organizing for Action sought to collect back in February, we thought it might be worth sending them a little information on the other side of the coin - namely on how the use of guns has contributed to saving and protecting lives.

Research shows firearms are used to protect lives as many as two million times every year. "Armed citizen" accounts are published in gun rights magazines monthly. There are also entire websites and blogs devoted to sharing these stories.

Here at BuckeyeFirearms.org, a complete list of known incidents involving Ohio CHL-holders defending themselves is available here.

And yet the BarackObama.com folks haven't see fit to post even one "gun violence" story that shows the benefits of an armed citizenry, nor do I expect The Huffington Post to.

Since I have little expectation it will ever be published at HuffPo, I thought I'd share a message sent to openreporting@huffingtonpost.com by Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine: