June 30, 2006
By Howard Nemerov

A recent Associate Press article notes that the preliminary FBI crime report for 2005 indicates a rise in violent crime. Quoting a college criminal justice professor, the article claims the increase is due to government’s waning support of law enforcement. Even more interesting is their attempt to link this with the National Rifle Association’s increased political power:

Criminal justice experts said the statistics reflect U.S. complacency in fighting crime, a product of dramatic declines in the 1990s and the abandonment of effective programs that emphasized prevention, putting more police officers on the street and controlling the spread of guns.

“We see that budgets for policing are being slashed and the federal government has gotten out of that business,” said James Alan Fox, a criminal justice professor at Northeastern University in Boston. “Funding for prevention at the federal level and many localities are down and the (National Rifle Association) has renewed strength.”[1]

Click here to read the entire article from Howard Nemerov, an accomplished writer and good friend to Buckeye Firearms Association.

NOTE: Nemerov will appear on NRANews.com's Cam & Company Friday June 30 at 4:20 p.m. to discuss this article! The archived broadcast will be available throughout the weekend and Monday until 3:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to overturn a recently enacted law requiring safety trigger locks on all hand guns sold in the United States.

The Republican-controlled House handed a victory to opponents of gun control by a vote of 230-191.

Rep. Marilyn Musgrave argued that the added cost of the trigger locks is passed on to gun owners and that they "do not stop accidental shootings."

Last fall, President George W. Bush signed legislation giving gun makers broad protections from civil lawsuits, but that law contained the mandatory trigger lock provision.

While this is a step in the right direction, the amendment still needs has not reached the Senate.

By Jim Irvine

WDKA News reports that earlier this week a man shot and killed a carjacker. He was driving away, but contrary to OSHP advice, that is not how he survived.

From the story:

Starr, 29, of Cambridge, said he saw a head in his rearview mirror as he drove away. "Then I saw the gun coming around," he said. The car was moving while the men fought, then it crashed into a ditch.

A steel rod was placed in Starr's thigh because the bullet broke his leg bone in half, he told The Columbus Dispatch from Grant Medical Center in Columbus.

There was no word on if the carjacker was carrying his gun in “plain sight” as the OSHP and Governor Taft insist all concealed handgun licensees do when in a vehicle. As the attacker was wanted for robbing a restaurant, he did not qualify for a license.

Click on 'Read More' to continue reading.

First it was smart guns with secret rings and bracelets. Then came the fingerprint and palmprint technologies. Get ready for password lists and keypads on your firearms next.

An article Password-protected bullets in New Scientist describes a recent patent to do just that.
From the article:

"The way to make firearms really safe, says Hebert Meyerle of Germany, is to password-protect the ammunition itself." . . .
"When they are sold, cartridges could be programmed with a password that matches the purchaser's gun. An owner could set the gun to request the password when it is reloaded, or to perform a biometric check before firing. The gun could also automatically lock itself after a pre-set period of time has passed since the password was entered."

"The system would undoubtedly cost more than a conventional gun, but many firearm enthusiasts would surely pay a premium for such added security."

By Jim Irvine

Senator Mike DeWine has become the first U.S. Senator this campaign season to earn the endorsement of the Brady Campaign, a leading anti-gun and anti-self defense organization. Not many people have a stronger anti-gun record than DeWine’s opponent, Congressman Sherrod Brown, but DeWine can claim that dishonor.

Quoting the Brady Campaigns Peter Hamm, the Cleveland Plain dealer wrote:

"Sherrod Brown has a perfectly fine record on our issues, so we are by no means saying anything critical of Mr. Brown," Hamm said. But DeWine's record really wowed the group.

Quoting Sarah Brady, the Cincinnati Inquirer wrote:

Sarah Brady, who is honorary chairwoman of the campaign, said that in a political world where many pander to special interests, DeWine "consistently and reliably does the right thing for his country and for the people of Ohio."

If anyone would know about political pandering and special interests, it’s Sarah Brady. Too bad neither she nor DeWine know the first thing about firearms or what is right for the victims of violent crime, including such basic things as survival.

Click on 'Read More' for furthers details on Senator DeWine’s anti-freedom stance.

By Jim Irvine

In a Plain Dealer editorial Monday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer again uses puns to downplay the importance of firearms issues in their editorial “Playing with Guns.”

In boring fashion, they again make fun of the firearms issue, but mistakenly get more right than they intended.

From the story:

Ted Strickland numbers gun enthusiasts among his biggest supporters. And given the Democratic nominee for governor's Appalachian roots, there's nothing surprising about that.

True! With the failure of Republican Governor Bob Taft and the Republican controlled Senate to pass much needed firearms reform, Ted Strickland is calling a spade a spade. A Democrat noting that Governor Taft is a failure. Nope – nothing surprising about that.

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Commentary by Larry S. Moore

(This commentary has also been published at Ohio Outdoor News)

HB 347, which is stalled in the Ohio Senate, would have corrected two key problems with Ohio’s concealed carry law. However, the deficiencies in Ohio’s firearms laws go well beyond HB 347. The problems also go well beyond the scope of concealed carry and impact anyone who hunts or is a recreational shooter.

The bill will fix the troublesome vehicle in plain sight and lock box problems with concealed carry. Plain sight has been of special concern to many motorcycle riders. The current law discriminates against women by not allowing purse carry of their concealed handgun. Many women do not regularly wear clothing where a handgun can be carried in a belt or shoulder holster.

Click 'Read More' for the full op-ed.

By Chris Chumita

If you can’t beat them, join them. Or at least make them think that you did. That seems to be the latest game plan of the gun-grabbers. The anti-gun and anti-hunting organizations are changing their tactics after a series of humiliating defeats at the hands of gun owners.

What better way to defeat the gun lobby than to fool unsuspecting gun owners into thinking that you are one of them? Not only will you being taking monetary donations from real pro-gun organizations, but you could get gun owners to vote for anti-gun candidates by making some key endorsements. That appears to be the strategy of at least one organization, the American Hunters and Shooter’s Association (AHSA). The scary part is that it might work.

When you first look at their web site, the AHSA appears to be a pro-gun organization. However, the devil is in the details. Not only do you not get a clear picture on how they stand on many gun issues, the entire web site is filled with “code” words that set off red flags in the minds of Second Amendment activists. Here are some examples from their web site (emphasis added):

“AHSA is committed to advancing common-sense gun policy initiatives that will have an immediate impact on violence, crime, accidental injury and death and make our country safer.”

The fact that Ken Blackwell (R) and Ted Strickland (D) are both strong pro-gun candidates continues to make news. On Wednesday, the Columbus Dispatch ran a story commenting on such.

From the story:

In their showdown to outgun each other for Ohioans’ votes on Nov. 7, Strickland and Blackwell eagerly burnish their gun credentials. But with both boasting endorsements from pro-gun groups, the oft-contentious gun-owner rights debate appears headed for a draw in the governor’s race.

Bill Peirce
, the Libertarian candidate is also a strong pro-gun candidate.

This is a big change from four years ago when there were no strong candidates running for our state’s top position. Many on the anti-gun, anti-self defense and anti-freedom side are frustrated and confused. How could this happen?

Click on 'Read More' to continue reading this story.

By Jim Irvine

Today is the first full day of summer, which is another way of saying the days are now getting shorter. Before the rain turns to snow, we have several months to enjoy some good weather and great times.

Kids are out of school. It’s time to head to the beach, visit Cedar Point or Kings Island and celebrate July 4th. Many of us will travel to other states, visit our local county fair, and do all the things we can cram into our few months of warm weather. Summer is a time to relax a little and have some fun.

Summer is also a time when crime increases. If you have a CHL, it becomes harder to conceal with summertime clothing. Carrying a firearm and obeying all the laws is certainly not always convenient. Most of the times it’s not necessary. But like insurance, you need to carry it all the time, because you can’t predict what day you will need it.

If you will be traveling to other states, make sure you know the laws before you go. Many states honor your Ohio CHL, but you must obey their laws while in their state. There are many resources to keep you informed. Buckeye Firearms has reciprocity cards which list all the states your OH CHL is honored. Check your local gun store or ask us if you need one. The
Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States
has a one page summary of each states firearms laws. For further information, consult Packing.org or the official web site of the states you plan to visit.

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