Toledo Blade article on concealed carry offers lessons in politics

By Jim Irvine

There is a good article by Robin Erb in today's Toledo Blade about the concealed carry debate.

I recommend clicking on the above link to read it, but I want to focus on one quote and why it’s so important to gun owners.

What irks members of Clyde council is that the controversy being played out in their small town has very little to do with their residents, said Vice Mayor Steve Keegan, who has lived his entire life in Clyde.
"Not one person in this town has come up to me and said, 'I want to carry a gun into the park," he said.

There is a VERY important lesson here for all gun owners.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

We know that there are residents of Clyde who support the right of concealed carry license holders to defend their life, even in Clyde’s park. We have talked to them, even if Steve Keegan has not. And we know that every anti-gun legislator has pro-gun constituents.

Too often, people think that because their representative is a “lost cause” it’s not worth contacting them. Not true. You must contact anti-gun elected officials and politely tell them your thoughts. Your calls and letters, combined with my visits in the state house, and our strong grassroots support of endorsed candidates on Election Day, can and do change how they act.

Getting an anti-gun person to simply vote against a good bill, but not stand up and grandstand against it, and not urge others to vote against it, and not give “good” quotes to the media about how “none of my constituents want this” is an important step in the right direction. You may not see the direct results, but taking away just one anti-gun vote is important.

When I travel to Columbus to meet with legislators, it makes me cringe to hear a legislator tell me that they “have not received a single call in support of gun rights.” I know that they have constituents who support me, but now I also know they didn’t take the time to get involved.

Representative Aslanides (R-94) will soon introduce a bill that will fix many of the problems Ohio gun owners face. If your Representative has not signed their name in support of this importation legislation, they will need to hear from you.

The last argument I hear is that it doesn’t matter, because they will just lie to the press about never being contacted. Generally speaking, that is not true, but if it happens, contact us and let us know. Send us a copy of the letter you mailed, and any response you received. Give us dates. We will highlight the false statements, and let the reporter know that they have been misled. People will read about it right here. It can and does make a difference, but it all starts with you being involved.