| Man Carries Concealed Weapon Through Airport |
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| Written by Jeff Garvas | |
| Friday, 17 June 2005 | |
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By Larry S. Moore, OFCC Senate District 10 Coordinator This story has been revised since it was initially reported. Channel 5 News, Akron, is now reporting the man forgot the gun was in his carry on luggage. The initial story headlines made it sound worse. Either way, the man is in serious trouble thanks in part to zero tolerance laws. Air travel with guns can be a real pain. Hunters and target shooters are constantly reminded in various gun magazines about the restrictions and best methods for "how to" without problems. Even the few pilots who are trained and cleared to carry in the cockpit can not carry through the airport. Anytime I see a headlines about a man with a gun in an airport, school, etc. I cringe. Most of us probably have the same reaction. Many of us understand how you can forget about having a gun in your luggage or car trunk when firearms are part of your daily life. Guns can also be forgotten when they are not carried regularly. My company forbids any firearms in vehicles on company property. I ALWAYS drive around the company parking lot and park next door where guns are not prohibited. Even before our ccw law, I followed this routine even when there was no firearm in the vehicle. It served me well one day when I got called to work for an emergency. I forgot I still had my shotgun from a Saturday morning pheasant hunt in the trunk on Saturday evening. There are no screeners at work so it is unlikely the shotgun would have been discovered. Still, good habits averted a potential problem. As a CHL holder, we have accepted responsibility for carrying our firearms just as we have taken responsibility for our self-defense. We have a responsibility to develop good habits. This not only applies to our tactical training, firearms handling, and concealment techniques, but to our general awareness of where we are traveling and where we have our firearm. I really prefer my firearm to be on my person. The feel is reassuring and I am less likely to forget it is there. Everyone of us has a responsibility to our brothers and sisters in the ccw movement to prevent this from happening. We all know it is a rare occurrence for a CHL holder to be in trouble. That is why it is news. I tell students in my hunter education classes that once they leave here, I want to see their photo with a nice buck, not as the victim of a hunting incident. The same is true for all CHL holders. I don't want my photo on the evening news with a caption "Another stupid gun owner forgets". Hopefully, we will all take a lesson from this unfortunate instance and re-examine our habits. |