by Chad D. Baus

After failing to scare business lobbyists into the fight in 2003, and after loosing in the legislative arena just weeks ago, gun ban lobbyists are now hoping to convince business owners to discriminate against employees and customers who choose to obtain a concealed handgun license (CHL) for self-protection, as witnessed in the Jan. 26 letter to Crain's Cleveland Business magazine from "Million" Mom March president Lori O'Neill.

O'Neill states that with passage of HB12, "Ohio employers have an additional burden to deal with" - "armed employees and customers entering their work zones." But as families of victims of two recent Ohio public shootings at Case Western Reserve University and Watkins Motor Lines trucking company are painfully aware, there is no new burden at issue. With or without this law, there will always be instances of persons bringing firearms into public places. Sadly, in our state's past, the persons who did so nearly always meant to do others harm, and cared nothing for signs, company policies, or legal prohibitions.

While it is true that www.OhioCCW.org will list the names of businesses that ban guns, this does not represent a "threatening or noisy" boycott, as O'Neill suggests. The purpose of the list to inform CHL-holders about which businesses to stay away from when armed. We certainly don’t want people to unknowingly violate the law.

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Homicide rate increasing
January 30, 2004
The (OSU) Lantern

Thirty days into January, Columbus has already seen six homicides. At this rate, the city may accumulate even more murders than last year, when it reached 112 - one of the highest murder rates in the last two decades.

"If we look back in the files over the last couple decades, it's just been a rollercoaster," said Sherry Mercurio, spokeswoman for Columbus Division of Police.

The rate peaked in 1991 with 139 homicides, but it's a hard crime to predict, Mercurio said.

"The best predictor of homicides in any year is the rate of the previous year," said Paul Bellair, associate professor of sociology. Bellair has completed research on crime within urban neighborhoods and young adults.

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Feb. 02, 2004
Akron Beacon Journal

Restaurants, county keep guns at bay
New concealed-carry law leaves prohibiting firearms up to operator

Restaurant owner Ed Davidian said when it comes to his Country Diners, guns will be joining cigars and pipes on the list of unwelcome items.

"We're a family type of restaurant. I don't see where a gun is necessary in our businesses. I just don't see that,'' Davidian said.

And Summit County Executive James B. McCarthy said he wants there to be no doubt in anyone's mind: Leave your guns at home if you're heading for a county building.

McCarthy signed an executive order last week prohibiting guns in all county buildings and vehicles and on county property.

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