Bowling Green State University recently published a study concerning a law passed in June 2022 that permits citizens to carry firearms in public without a license. In the year since, we are told, there was “a significant decrease in crime incidents involving a firearm” in Ohio’s eight most populous cities. Gun zealots will surely herald […]
Permitless carry means more gun violence Read Post »
We have come to the point that when 18 people are massacred in Lewiston, Maine—or 49 in Orlando or 60 in Las Vegas—we accept it as a way of life. Well, you know, we have the Second Amendment, people say, as if words written over 230 years ago condemn us, without recourse, to gun violence.
Why do zealots rule when it comes to gun control? Read Post »
There’s something wrong in America: we’ve come to accept as unavoidable a staggering number of gun deaths annually. State legislatures, either stymied by the thought of judicial review or fearful of political fallout, are doing nothing, and Republican dominated legislatures promote gun proliferation. Ohio’s General Assembly wants to do away with permits for concealed carry.
Gun love making America more dangerous than war zones Read Post »
Toby Hoover, founder and former executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, explains what it takes to reduce gun violence and why groups like hers are not trying to take away anyone’s guns. Listen to the conversation
Are gun safety advocates trying to take away your guns? Read Post »
If you’re not outraged by the nation’s gun violence, you should be. If you’re outraged but doing nothing, recognize that your inaction contributes to the problem. If you’re a state or U.S. lawmaker who follows the gun lobby script, it’s time to acknowledge that gun violence is a public health issue. Here are suggestions for
Citizens and lawmakers all can work to combat gun violence Read Post »
If you pay attention to the reasoning given by legislators for the bills they propose, you’ll frequently see more anecdotes and personal opinion offered as support than statistics or other forms of evidence. Gun legislation provides a good example. Pending in the Ohio Statehouse is H.B. 178, which is sponsored by Republican representatives. The bill
No evidence needed when it comes to gun legislation Read Post »
Earlier this month, Gov. Rick Scott (R) signed a bill that promotes gun safety in Florida. The bill raises the age to buy firearms to 21, imposes a three-day waiting period on most firearm purchases and bans bump stocks, a device that essentially converts a semi-automatic rifle into a fully automatic rifle. The bill also allows
High school students know how to mobilize Read Post »
We’ve been taking two ineffective approaches to gun violence. The first is to debate whether we need more or fewer guns. Fearing criticism for not supporting the Second Amendment, legislators are easily persuaded we need more guns. The second approach occurs after a mass shooting. A new gun law is proposed. We argue its merits,
U.S. should study gun violence as a public health hazard Read Post »
Are we safer by making it easier for citizens to carry guns? The Ohio General Assembly thinks so. At least six bills seek to expand the rights of gun owners. There’s ample data to suggest that more guns don’t promote safety and that with more guns the number of unintended deaths increases. Legislators don’t
More guns alone not the answer Read Post »
Interested in making a difference in gun policy? Here’s your opportunity. Join the Ohio Coalition for Common Sense, a state initiative started by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, a Navy Captain and former astronaut. The Coalition brings together a broad cross-section of state leaders—business, law enforcement, veterans, faith, medical and civic
Join Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly and advocate for common sense Read Post »
Florida pediatricians had a good day in court last month when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit struck down on First Amendment grounds a statute that prohibited them from addressing gun safety with parents. The battle over a pediatrician’s right to freely practice medicine and protect the safety of children was one
First Amendment protects pediatricians’ right to ask about gun safety Read Post »
Some months back, four-year old Bryson Mees-Hernandez (that’s him, to the left) found a gun in his grandmother’s house in Houston and shot and killed himself. Bryson acted like a typical youngster. He found something new and interesting and played with it. What his grandmother did—allow a firearm to lay unlocked out in the open—was
Quick access to guns is killing our kids Read Post »