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Second Amendment March
April 2010
| Tragedy Proves Parks Not Safe |
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| Written by Daniel White | |
| Wednesday, 07 May 2008 | |
Unfortunately, it often takes the most heinous of crimes to remind us just how untrue the anti-gun rhetoric is. As many of you know, right now OFCC is embroiled in a case before the Ohio Supreme Court, fighting against the City of Clyde (and all anti-gun municipalities) who passed an ordinance banning firearms in their public parks (in violation of statewide preemption). The anti-gun crowd will have you believe that you don't need your gun in a park and that banning guns make people feel safe. Of course, feeling safe and being safe are actually two different things entirely. Today, the newscasts are rife with stories about the woman who was abducted from the Lorain County Metro Parks’ Carlisle Reservation, shot in the back, and raped. Fortunately, she was spotted by a passerby as her abductor apparently was trying to dump her in the river. After being spotted, he drove off with two Good Samaritans in pursuit and in contact with the police. Her abductor was eventually arrested back in the Metropark by two park rangers after a chase involving a Highway Patrol plane, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Elyria police, and Oberlin police. Hopefully, the woman will recover and her attacker will receive the maximum penalty allowed by law. While it is unknown if the victim would have been able to defend herself from this brutal attack if she had a firearm with her, it is important to note that had she chose to carry one, she would have been able to. The Lorain County Metroparks does have a park rule listed on many signs claiming firearms are not permitted in the park, but that prohibition is reportedly not being enforced subsequent to statewide preemption being passed. There is no guarantee that will continue to be the case should OFCC lose in the Ohio Supreme Court and local governments be permitted to pass a patchwork quilt of local gun laws at the whim of any anti-gun local official in office. The Court needs to remember that there are more to parks than kids playing baseball, and that your right to self-defense should not be further limited on the flimsy excuse that a sign banning firearms makes some people feel safe. Reality teaches us otherwise. |
