| Patience is a virtue...and you'll need it in line on Thursday! |
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| Written by Jeff Garvas | |
| Wednesday, 07 April 2004 | |
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Tomorrow, April 8, 2004, Ohio's concealed carry law takes effect. Ohio will finally become a shall issue state. Congratulations! It is you, our members, who gave us the financial resources and the political backing to allow Ohioans for Concealed Carry to be successful in our goal to reform Ohio's laws. Over the past two weeks, Ohioans for Concealed Carry has been working tirelessly with the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association (BSSA) to investigate reports of Sheriffs telling reporters and constituents that they would not be accepting applications on April 8. On Monday, March 29, amidst widespread reports of potential delays, OFCC publicized a statement by Buckeye State Sheriff's Association (BSSA) Executive Director Bob Cornwell on our website, and also to state media: 'Sheriffs have a "duty under the law" to accept applications on April 8 from "everyone who shows up and files one", and to issue licenses to qualified applicants, within 45 days. Sheriffs must also be prepared to issue temporary emergency licenses to those meeting the requirements, on April 8.' The Ohio Attorney General's office has done an amazing job of authoring and designing all of the paperwork required for House Bill 12. All 88 counties have applications, the AG pamphlet, and everything they need to accept applications today. OFCC wants to stress to everyone that it is not possible for Sheriffs' to process 100,000 applications on the first day. The Sheriffs' are undertaking a new responsibility, with new forms, new machines, and new background check procedures. Like all humans, it takes time to learn a new job. If you are applying Thursday, we are asking you to help out your Sheriff. Please have a completed application, proof of training, and a 2x2 color photo ready for the Sheriff. We are also asking everyone to be patient, understanding, polite, and professional. You are representing all gun owners and there may news media present, and you may even wish to decline to appear on camera for privacy reasons. Make sure you portray yourself with the professionalism that we are known for. Remind others in line to do likewise, and tell them about our website. Understand that due to the task the Sheriffs' will be undertaking, there will be some problems. There may be major headaches, long lines, and potential delays. Relax. It's taken us 10 years to get to this day. It will take a few days to work out all the kinks. Even though we expect most Sheriffs to do their best, there are a few Sheriffs' who are claiming they will not obey the law on April 8. We have obeyed unfair concealed carry laws we did not agree with for years, and we demand all Sheriffs obey the new law on Thursday. We take every instance of a Sheriff refusing to accept applications seriously. There is no requirement to have a whole new office set up on Thursday. Sheriffs' do not need their "new machines" to accept applications. There is no excuse for not accepting or delaying acceptance of applications. By law, the Sheriff has 45 days from the date an applicant submits the required documents and payment to perform background checks and issue a license, or deny the applicant. There is nothing in the law that allows Sheriffs to delay the date they start accepting applications to extend that 45 day period. While we are doing everything possible to avoid these occurrences, be assurred that OFCC will be ready to pursue any necessary courses of action to ensure that every Sheriff comply with the law. They will do their job, like it or not, even if it takes a court order. We appreciate all the feedback we have received in the past two weeks on the progress (or lack of progress) that Sheriffs are making. Please continue to keep us posted on who is doing a great job, and who is not. We may not be able to respond to every email, but we will follow up with every Sheriff. Though a few individual Sheriffs are very opposed to civilians with firearms, OFCC would like to remind applicants that the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association (by a strong majority vote of the 88 sheriffs) fought diligently for Ohio's new concealed carry law, alongside OFCC. Thank them for standing up to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, and others in the profession who have played politics with the lives of innocent civilians for over a decade. While the fight to reform this law is anywhere near over, the BSSA and those of you who have supported this organization financially will undoubtedly make progress much more likely in the future. Thank you on behalf of the founders of Ohioans For Concealed Carry and the people that have made this organization what it is for the past five years. Sincerely, Jeff Garvas, President & Founder Ohioans for Concealed Carry |