Op-Ed: Violent crime has decreased in Ohio despite concealed carry law

by Sean Maloney

I read with interest articles pertaining to the commonsense piece of legislation Senate Bill 239, which will allow responsible law-abiding citizens with concealed carry permits to protect themselves while in a restaurant that serves alcohol, if the person also chooses not to consume alcohol. The bill also defines a new commonsense approach concerning how to carry your means of self protection in your car.

Then, unexpectedly, out came the old scare tactics from Mark Drum, legislative chairman for the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, who said because of the bill, "they (drivers) can twirl the gun in their fingers while they're driving down the highway." I am hopeful Mark Drum understands that the Ohio concealed carry permit holder is far more responsible than he is. If you remember, those same reckless, biased statements were used to try and keep Ohioans from exercising their God-given right to self protection, when concealed carry in Ohio was first introduced. Drum's scare tactics, and baseless predictions of blood running down Ohio streets, didn't prove to be true. In fact, since concealed carry went into affect, Ohio doesn't have the shootouts; the rage-induced gun battles along Ohio's highways; the accidental shootings; and the return to "Dodge City" -- all predicted by Drum and others like him in their opposition to concealed carry in Ohio.

Factually, FBI statistics show violent crime has decreased in Ohio for the third straight year. Yes, that's right -- crime decreased in spite of predictions by the media, politically-motivated law enforcement groups and anti-gun extremists, who claimed that permissive self-defense laws would lead to the end of civilized society as we know it.

Click here to read the entire op-ed from The Newark Advocate.