Concealed carry: Why the uproar? (Ohio)

[shadowrider]

April 8, 2012, marked the anniversary of a law that affects the lives of more than 270,000 Buckeyes.

Ohio’s concealed-handgun license law turned 8 years old on that Sunday afternoon.

Notably absent from the festivities were blood in the streets, Wild West reenactments and an epidemic of accidental gun injuries. To understand the significance of this event and why today it seems completely unremarkable, simply Google “Ohio concealed carry 2003” and prepare to be astonished.

• “The widespread carrying of concealed handguns, however, will result in far more cases of senseless killings that occur simply because a loaded gun was readily available.” — Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, March 4, 2003.

• “Imagine your child’s class is visiting the Statehouse on the same day a group known for violence is scheduled to attend in protest.” — State Highway Patrol, March 5, 2003.

• “If 200,000 to 300,000 citizens begin carrying a concealed weapon, common sense tells us that accidents will become a daily event.” — Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, March 5, 2003.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2012/04/30/concealed-carry-why-the-uproar.html

None of it happened. Gimme some more of that backlash, yessiree.

[Simo 1939_1940]

1. Tsk, tsk, tsk shawdowrider........

It's not nice to rain on the parade of The Little Boys and Girls Who Cry Wolf.

[shadowrider]

10. I'm surprised, well, not really, none of the "just wait it'll happen" crowd has shown

up on a thread that proves their fears are unfounded.

[doc03]

2. I have a CCW and haven't carried it more than maybe 6 times in the last

3 years. Most other people I know with a CCW don't carry a weapon either. Far fewer people applied for them then
was originally thought. Of that 270,000 I doubt 70,000 actually carry a weapon on a daily basis. I have no problem with the CCW law, if you think you need a weapon to defend yourself go ahead and carry one. Myself I think carrying a gun
may put you harms way more than not having one.

[safeinOhio]

4. Sounds a lot like me.

I have one, but don't need to carry when I go to work, to the coffee shop, church or the grocery store. Mostly, I'll put a small cal. gun in my pocket, 22 or 32 when I go on a hike or bike ride in case I'm attacked by dogs.

4 times in my life I had a gun pulled on me. That was back in the late 60s and I didn't have a gun on me and I survived with only a small scare from a bite when I took a gun away from a guy that pulled it on me. As I look back, in all 4 cases, fast thinking was much more valuable than a carry gun.

Like you I know many folks that have a CCW and rarely if ever carry. I think "shall issue" is a great law. I would, however increase the time and scope of the required classes.

[gejohnston]

5. I prefer pepper spray

for dogs, never mind what animal control told Zimmerman.

[safeinOhio]

6. If you use pepper spray for dogs, I'd suggest

buying bear spray. When a pitbull is on a nut, not much will stop it. My ex shot a pitbull with her duty 40 cal and the bullet bounced off it's head.

My instructor told me when attacked by a dog, he and other cops would hold their handgun out toward the dog. When the dog went to clamp down on the hand and gun, that was the time to pull the trigger. Makes a lot of sense to me. That way if the dog doesn't go for you, you don't shoot it. I've had owners sit on the porch and laugh when their dog went after me on my bike. Once I stopped, put the bike between me and the dog and pulled my handgun, they started screaming at the dog to stop.

[spin]

7. The local police have also said told me that pepper spray is not all that effective ...

against Pit Bulls. I've heard stories where dogs of different breeds have been hit multiple times with handgun rounds before they stopped their attack. Much depends on shot placement and it's hard to hit a dog that is running at you at full speed in a vital area.

I had a friend in high school who was attacked by a German Shepard and he used a pocket knife to slash the dog's throat. That was many years ago but I think he was bitten on his left wrist which he extended when the dog rushed him. He also was lucky to have been carrying a gravity knife as in those days most pocket knives required two hands to open.

I know that Pit Bulls are amazing tough animals. Once when I was visiting my daughter I walked outside and found their Pit Bull at the door. He had managed to escape the fenced in yard and had disappeared for a few hours, He was acting normally but I thought I seen blood on his stomach. On closer examination, he had an 8" gash in his stomach. My son in law had worked in an emergency ward and was able to shave the dogs belly and staple up the wound. While he did this the Pit merely laid on his back wagging his tail. He didn't seem to feel any pain.

We got some antibiotics and the dog healed up without any problem. We figure that he had an encounter with a wild boar and was fortunate that the tusks merely tore a deep hole in his skin without doing any damage to the internal organs.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Like the saying goes, if it feels good, do it.

[jeepnstein]

8. There was much Fear and Loathing...

when the law first took effect. Some of the crap I heard circulating around the law enforcement community was just out of this world. Some of the larger departments really polished up the old jack boots for a while. What our department did was have our training officer sit us down at our annual qualifications and explain the law and how we should handle encounters with lawfully armed citizens. His point was that the person we encounter with a valid permit was probably packing before the law passed and had to lie to us about it. The old law allowed an affirmative defense on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon and was really a mess so making a charge stick on someone who was otherwise reasonable and prudent at the time was nearly impossible. Under the new law they could disclose that they were armed and it really did make life easier for everyone.

Eventually our department made all of us get our CCW and our off-duty carry must comply with Ohio law, which is a huge step forward from back in the days when we were basically an privileged class by virtue of having a commission and a badge. These days the biggest problem I encounter with concealed carry is convincing folks that the thing is useless if it's bouncing around in a glove box and not under your direct physical control.

[slackmaster]

9. Some people just want to be uproared