| Liberty Park Temporarily a Criminal Protection Zone |
|
|
|
| Written by Daniel White | |
| Wednesday, 14 June 2006 | |
|
For two years, the annual OFCC picnic has been held in Liberty Park in Powell, OH. Centrally located, it is an ideal meeting place for our members and supporters from across the state. Not to mention the fact that a park with the name "Liberty" is a fitting venue for a gathering of Second Amendment supporters. Imagine our surprise when, while attempting to reserve the facilities for our third year in a row, we were told that the park was now posted with "no guns allowed" signs and asked if our members would consider coming without firearms due to these newly posted signs! Liberty Park, like most public parks, has a rule prohibiting firearms that dates back many years. After seeing news coverage of last year's Party In The Park, the township trustees decided to post the signs due to that rule. Despite being the safest park in Ohio that day the news media clearly portrayed us in such a way that the township had a knee jerk reaction. Knee jerk reactions are a condition typically treated with stepping away from the situation, removing the emotional element, and evaluating it from a broader perspective, taking into consideration all of the facts. By the very nature of our legislative process, laws are enacted and changed somewhat regularly. Most of the time, changes go unnoticed by most people unless they are directly following a particular piece of legislation. Many of us who have read HB12 multiple times sometimes forget that not everyone is as familiar with all of the nuances contained within it. We are sometimes surprised when even people who have obtained a CHL don't know every aspect of the bill. Sadly, some people don’t even know things spelled out in the green pamphlet we all read from front to back. It is easy to understand how three township trustees did not realize that there was a provision in the bill prohibiting them from posting the signs, or more importantly, that local prohibitions are in direct conflict with a general law of the State of Ohio. We can’t fault elected officials who act on good intentions if, when presented with their mistake, they listen with open hearts and minds. Soon after discovering these signs, OFCC drafted and mailed a letter to all three of the township trustees and the park supervisor. We included not only the relevant text of the bill, but also relayed experiences other cities have had when they overturned existing laws, decided against pursuing ordinances banning, or (in the case of Clyde) found themselves the subject of a lawsuit and a temporary restraining order that required the removal of those signs and any enforcement actions until the case is settled. We eventually spoke with the township administrator, who had referred our letter to their legal consultants. They quickly determined that OFCC’s interpretation of Ohio law was correct, and that the Township is not permitted to post the park. Liberty Township has since removed the signs and welcomed not only our picnic, but also every single one of our guests – regardless what you might be carrying. Liberty has survived in Liberty Township thanks to the fact that everyone in the Township’s administration approached this issue with an open mind and a professional manner. During the entire process, every person we spoke with was polite, reasonable, and sometimes apologetic because they were told to relay the bad news to us. Unlike experiences we've had with a few larger cities, Liberty Township was willing to admit and correct their mistake when presented with a calm and precise argument of the facts that precluded their actions. We are happy to have our picnic in their fine park, and they seem happy to have us. If we get lucky, they might even make an appearance at the picnic. If they do, be sure to show them that we appreciate the speed and ease with which they corrected an oversight and help us to show them that gun owners are no different than their neighbors, friends, and family. |