Columbus Dispatch prints two CCW-related letters to the editor

The Columbus Dispatch has published two letters to the editor dealing with the concealed carry reform debate(subscription site - paid access only), now headed to the state Senate.

In his pro-CCW letter, James Cleary points out that concealed-carry is not a threat to police, since "it's the bad people who might have a gun under their car seat that the law enforcement officers have to worry about." And because "they can't always tell who that bad person is, they always need to be careful. The concealed-carry bill would make no difference in the way they do their job."

In his anti-self-defense letter, Michael Lehv suggests that few in Ohio feel the need to carry a gun, and that this legislation is promoted by people on an ego-trip. He questions why, if the law would be good for Ohio's most defenseless citizens, the A.A.R.P. and N.O.W. do not support it.

OFCC PAC Commentary:
We'd like to thank Mr. Lehv for pointing out the bias that the A.A.R.P. and N.O.W. obviously have against conservative issues such as CCW reform. Since crime reduction with CCW reform is proven FACT, he has unwittingly pointed out that these two groups do not have in mind the best interests of the persons they claim to represent.

Click on the Read More..." link below for archived versions of both letters.

Concealed-carry is not a threat to police
Saturday, March 15, 2003

Many states have tried to enforce gun control via regulation. The truth is that there are so many guns in circulation that a bad person can always get a gun.

The concealed-carry bill has again come to the table which has people scared who shouldn't be. Those who want to use a gun in a bad way will gain access to a gun or already carry one.

It's the people who want to use that gun in a good way to guard themselves and to protect you that the bill is about. If the bill passes, it doesn't give everyone the right to buy a gun and stick it in their pocket.

It does give law-abiding citizens the chance to gain certification and a license to carry that weapon. States that have legalized concealed-carry have experienced dramatic drops in gun-related crime. I recently have encountered three robberies in really nice sections of town. This has taught me that it's good to be cautious at all times.

Two of the major opponents of the concealed-carry bill are the police and State Highway Patrol. Those people have to always be cautious and assume that everyone they encounter on the job, especially in vehicle stops, could be a threat.

It's the bad people who might have a gun under their car seat that the law enforcement officers have to worry about. Since they can't always tell who that bad person is, they always need to be careful.

The concealed-carry bill would make no difference in the way they do their job.

JAMES CLEARY
Whitehall

Few in Ohio feel the need to carry a gun
Saturday, March 15, 2003

The "gun boys'' in the Ohio General Assembly are at it once again.

If the need for a law permitting the carrying of concealed guns is driven by self-defense, then logically, those representing the most vulnerable among us should be lobbying for it. We should expect the AARP and the National Organization for Women to be pushing for concealed-carry to protect senior citizens and women. We should observe residents of high- crime urban areas urging its passage.

Certainly we should expect our chambers of commerce representing businesses vulnerable to robbery, and the banking lobbies, to be rallying for such laws.

But that's not the case. If anything, these organizations oppose such legislation.

What is the case, judging from the lawmakers promoting these bills and the frequent letter-writers supporting them, is that this is a major issue predominantly for males living in rural areas.

A cynic might be tempted to conclude that what's really behind concealed carry is the macho thrill of strapping on one's "piece,'' strutting into town and hoping for some hapless soul to rub one the wrong way.

Or maybe it's the adrenaline rush of being able to whisper to someone in the check-out line, "Don't worry, I'm packin'.''

Or is concealed carry all about the threat from dangerous wildlife lurking in Ohio's rural areas?

Perhaps the solution is to enact these laws on a population-density basis and keep everyone happy.

MICHAEL S. LEHV
Columbus