Letter to the Editor: Coalition tries to deny citizens their rights

6:09pm Monday, July 26, 2004

July 26, 2004
Sidney Daily News

To the editor:

In response to Toby Hoover's letter, I would like your readers to know that the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence is a gun control advocacy group and seeks every opportunity to deny all citizens their Second Amendment rights.

The idea that a citizen who has submitted to a thorough background check, has been fingerprinted, has successfully passed a training course taught by certified weapons instructors, and has legally followed all the requirements to obtain a concealed carry permit is somehow now a danger to the community is ludicrous. Gun control groups such as [hers] have used scare tactics and fear to bolster support for their cause for years. The danger does not lie with those permit holders.They were responsible citizens before they obtained their permits and remain so afterwards.

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

Think about this: as you drive on the highway you share that highway with criminals and would-be criminals who are illegally carrying and concealing weapons on their persons and in their vehicles. These people pass you on the street, and sit close to you and your children in that fast food restaurant that you visited when you shopped out of town or locally. But you won't know it. In Sidney with approximately 20,000 residents, there may be approximately eight officers on duty at a given time to protect those 20,000 residents. Law enforcement cannot be everywhere at the once. Statistics have shown that in states that have concealed-carry laws, crime rates have gone down. Responsible citizens have a right to protect themselves. It is not a special privilege, as Mr[s]. Hoover claims.

As for Mr[s]. Hoover's comments about permit holders boycotting businesses, I will say this: people, whether they are permit holders or not, make decisions every day about where to eat, what automobile to buy, where to shop, and what businesses to patronize-based on the services they received in the past, how a product they bought performed, and what charities or causes to fund based on their religious and moral beliefs.

Your paper published the names and addresses of the permit holders in Shelby County because you asked for that information and it was provided by Sheriff O'Leary. If it is determined that he broke the law by doing so, I am sure he will be prosecuted accordingly.

Nancy Steinke
Anna

Commentary:
The Sidney Daily News is one of four Ohio newspapers to have abused the media's exemption to a provision in Ohio law which protects the identities of concealed handgun license-holders.

The newspaper is now under investigation by a special prosecutor for having published the street addresses of CHL-holders. The information was provided after a request to Shelby Co. Sheriff Kevin O'Leary, who claims to have misunderstood "county of residence" to mean "street address".

no person shall release or otherwise disseminate

If the Sheriff or newspaper are found to have violated the law, the offense is a felony:

ORC Sec. 2923.129 (E) Whoever violates division (B) of this section is guilty of illegal release of confidential concealed handgun license records, a felony of the fifth degree.

The Sidney Daily News is a Brown Publishing newspaper, and the editor is Jeff Billiel, (937)498-5962.

align="right">
Billiel claims he publishes these names because "there are many people in the community who feel they have a right to know who may be carrying a concealed weapon", yet the paper hasn't published even one letter from a local citizen supporting its activities.

It is NOT a felony to publish Billiel's home address, and the pro-self-defense community most definitely feels they have a "right to know" who is violating their privacy and endangering their well-being:

The following information is provided by www.anywho.com
Jeffrey Billiel
17047 Dingman Slagle Rd.
Sidney, OH
(937) 492-8482

Letter to the Editor: ''No gun'' signs give wrong message

Letter to the Editor: [Publishing my private] info was 'shameful'

Letter-writer responds to Sidney Daily News' act of publishing CHL-holders

BSSA tells O'Leary ''county of residence'' means ''county of residence

Special Prosecutor Appointed to Investigate Release of Protected Records