Columbus Assault Weapon Ban

[Geezah]

I sent an email out ot Mayor Coleman on this and recieved a reply today, this is what I sent.

Dear Mayor Coleman,



I am writing to urge you not to sign the new Assault Weapon ban into law, I think if you do some research you will find that this is nothing more than a feel good law similar to the Federal ban that expired last year. The Federal ban expired with those that choose scare mongering as a tactic to get their way, telling the media that the streets will run red with blood, this has yet to happen, and am confident it will never happen.

As a law abiding citizen and member of the NRA and Ohio Gun Collectors Association the only people this law will affect are law abiding citizens like me, as criminals have a bad habit of ignoring laws that are put in place.

As I understand it, Mayor Coleman you will are planning on running for Governor next year, and I would like to give you my full support but I'm afraid I would have to choose another candidate if you support those that wish to stamp on our 2nd Amendment rights. I understand you will make the right decision and I look forward to giving you my full support next year.



Many thanks and regard

(insert name here)

this is the response I got today,

(insert name here),

Thanks for writing. I thought I'd attach our official statement on the matter.

Official Statement on NRA canceling Columbus Convention

My job as mayor is to keep the citizens of our city safe and put criminals behind bars. We are going to support our police who sought this ban to help them take criminals and terrorists off the streets.

I believe in Second Amendment rights, and I support the rights of Ohioans to own weapons for sporting purposes and personal protection. The Columbus law only bans military-style assault weapons.

I welcome the NRA to Columbus because our city is a great place for their convention. However, we will not let them or any other special interest group dictate the policies of our community. I won’t let them put a gun to our heads and dictate the policy of Columbus. This ban and similar ones like it are reasonable restrictions that have had widespread community support in Columbus for more than a decade.

This is a matter best handled at the local level. Ohio has a strong tradition of allowing local communities to make decisions on important safety matters and many Ohio communities have taken steps to fight crime. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Dayton have similar bans and I believe those communities made the choices that best suit the wishes of their citizens.

-30-

Nice to know where he stands on it.

[haspelbein]

Now we also know that he doesn't know what the law actually bans.

[Geezah]

Now we also know that he doesn't know what the law actually bans.

Yep, I just found out my P226 is an ASSault Weapon

I also streched the truth on my email

[Cybercop]

I'd like to add that "The Police" didn't seek this ban a quasi political body call the FOP did. For what it's worth the FOP has never polled the membership on the issue of supporting firearms bans. And I don't suspect they ever will, because they won't like the anwser! I'm trying to see if I can get enough support from some of the membership that we can influence to local, that should at least get someones attention. Don't go pounding the local police (just yet anyway,) we have problems too and were working on them.

Jim

[Glock and dagger]

I thrive on dissecting kommie letters, so here's mine.

My job as mayor is to keep the citizens of our city safe and put criminals behind bars. We are going to support our police who sought this ban to help them take criminals and terrorists off the streets.

(should read:)

My job as master of the Kolumbus communist colony is to kontrol the subjects of our kommunity, regardless of their safety, and to put those who resist in the Gulags. We are ordering the SS of this kommunity who were accomplices in our recent viktim disarmament edikt, and assist them in rounding up all those who do not comply for incarceration as traitors to our new order.

I believe in Second Amendment rights, and I support the rights of Ohioans to own weapons for sporting purposes and personal protection. The Columbus law only bans military-style assault weapons.

(Should read:)

I believe the Second Amendment applies ONLY TO US, and therefore insist that all those who does not fall into that category turn them in or face the consequences. The Kolumbus law is the correct model for you paeons, so get in line, and grovel before us. Know your place.

I welcome the NRA to Columbus because our city is a great place for their convention. However, we will not let them or any other special interest group dictate the policies of our community. I won’t let them put a gun to our heads and dictate the policy of Columbus. This ban and similar ones like it are reasonable restrictions that have had widespread community support in Columbus for more than a decade.

(Should read:)

I welcome the NRA to join in the line to turn their firearms in. The sooner they comply, the easier it will be on the rest of the kommunity. As we have proven in the past, it is our way, or no way. The will of the people means nothing to us, because they are barbaric, uninformed imbeciles, and we can't have any of those idiots running around armed. They will ruin our plans to create a criminal-run kommunity. For all those who think you are doing the right thing by supporting our edikts, you are no better than those who didn't, and we expect you to grovel, as well, suckers.

This is a matter best handled at the local level. Ohio has a strong tradition of allowing local communities to make decisions on important safety matters and many Ohio communities have taken steps to fight crime. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Dayton have similar bans and I believe those communities made the choices that best suit the wishes of their citizens.

(Should read:)

This matter is best handled by us. Up until this point, Ohio has long history of refusal to obey us, but that comes to an end, now. Our version of policy has already been approved by several other leaders in other kommunities, and they have done a wonderful job subjugating the subject of those kommunities to their whims. This gives us great confidence that Kolumbus will be no different than Kleveland, Cincinnazi, The Glass Curtain and the highly successful crime zone, Dayton.

That is the way it will be. Cooperate with the SS, or die!

Fuhrer Kolemann

[Ursus americanus]

I have contacted both my state representative (Larry Wolpert) and State Senator (Steve Stivers) requesting Ohio pass pre-emptive legislative action to prevent local civil governments from passing more restrictive laws concerning our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. As yet I have not received a response.

HOWEVER, my cousin did the same to his legislatures and here is the response he received from Jim McGregor

Dear Mr. xxxxxx,

Representative Jim Aslanides is developing legislation to improve our Concealed Carry law. That Bill will contain language to make uniform Ohio law regarding the right of ownership. Of course, as you point out, our constitution already recognizes that right, but, apparently, it needs to be reinforced by a law. I support the Bill and, if it passes, it will override counter productive laws such as Columbus just adopted.

If Police Officers are ever out gunned, it is the fault of the elected leadership of the City, Village, or County where that happens. Elected leadership should be held accountable before an officer armed with a handgun finds himself or herself facing a criminal with a rifle. In Gahanna, where I was Mayor for 18 years, we allowed our officers to acquire a semi-automatic weapon of their choice; at their expense. Our only requirement was that the rifles use frangible .223 bullets. Our studies found that the frangible bullets were safer to discharge in the confines of a city than a 9mm handgun. The bullets brake apart upon impact. The parts discharge their energy into the main target. Little energy remains in the bullet parts and they are generally unable to penetrate unintended secondary targets such as the wall of a home. The officers were glad to spend their own money to purchase the firearm of their choice. The rifle is customized to fit them; a small woman or large man can pick a rifle that they are comfortable with. The officer can scope the rifle left handed or right handed. The rifle comes to work with them and goes home with them. If needed, the officer has confidence in his or her rifle and it is well maintained. In Gahanna, no officer will be outgunned. Nor will an officer have to wait upon a sergeant to arrive with a long gun. We trust each officer to use his or her rifle in their own discretion. The argument of an officer being outgunned is an argument against poor management, not an argument against legitimate ownership of firearms. Thanks so much.

Sincerely,

Jim McGregor

Somebody get's it!

[Ursus americanus]

On another note, I contacted the Columbus City Council today and according to the "ban" citizens have from between August 10th through Novermber 9th to register any weapons that fal within the "ban".

However - and I asked this specifically and this was the answer I was given by the city council's office "police officers residing in Columbus are exempt from registering any personal firearms covered by the ban whether they use them in official cpacity of their jobs or not".

What ever happened to the ideal that ""Governments (derive) their just powers from the consent of the governed"? How can the police have more freedoms or powers than the people?

[jburtonpdx]

What ever happened to the ideal that ""Governments (derive) their just powers from the consent of the governed"? How can the police have more freedoms or powers than the people?

Carefull there are people out there that will remember that you do not worship the great and almight police. What next are you going to classify firemen as human also?

The job that is done by police sucks - they go places and do things that most of us would not do. Most of them are underpaid and overworked - I have respect for the fact that they get up and go to work every day. The fact of the matter is that it is a job that they can take or leave and while they may deserve more money and thanks for the work they do, they do not deserve special treatment under the law. We are supposed to be a classles society, obviously we are not.

Speak your mind and vote - write (with paper, and sign it, include your home address and phone numbers) to your legislatures, have it delivered return reciept. Volunteer some time every month to your cause.

[TunnelRat]

I'd like to add that "The Police" didn't seek this ban a quasi political body call the FOP did. For what it's worth the FOP has never polled the membership on the issue of supporting firearms bans. And I don't suspect they ever will, because they won't like the anwser!

Are all sworn officers automatically members of the FOP?

If not, then the FOP speaks for its members.

[AlanM]

The Ohio FOP is a union. As such, all LEOs are probably required to be members. I could be wrong.
Here's their site:http://www.fopohio.org/

ARM

[Mark J]

In Columbus, all sworn members from the ranks of police officer to commander are required to pay FOP dues. That is because the FOP negotiates the contract for all cops except the deputy chiefs and chief. Actual membership in the FOP is optional for a one time fee of $10. Once in you can quit the FOP, but will still pay dues to them. You will however, lose union representation for everything except the contract.

It should be noted that no one asked for the opinions of rank and file FOP members or of police officers before the department and union management declared they (the department and union) were in support of the ban.

In February at the open council meeting, I testified against it as a private citizen.

It should be noted that at that meeting, as in this post, I stated the opinions expressed were my own, and may not be those of my employer, which I did not name in either case. Neither did I publicly criticize or ridicule the division or any of its members- I merely stated facts.

[SMMAssociates]

With respect to the Columbus Police Officers being exempt from the Columbus AWB, it's possible that they are expected to provide at least some of their own weapons. (Long guns, backups, whatever.)

Otherwise, I suspect the exemption was to keep them from bolting the FOP or making a lot of noise about how even their duty weapons are banned should they retire or want a spare....

Generally, the FOP or another union (there are a couple) are the bargaining agent for a given PD. Once in a while more than one union is involved. Membership and dues usually are as presented here.

I expect that it would take a month of Sundays to de-certify the FOP even if everybody in the union told them that they wanted out.

And, of course, the FOP is going with most unions - towards the Dems....

The members need to take back their unions.

[Mark J]

Unless there was a very recent change, the law exempts law enforcement officers and members of the military acting within the scope of their duties. I am sure that does not cover, for example, an AR or AK the officer owns but is not permitted to carry for duty use. This is the only time I have heard cops are exempt from the law and think the original info on it came from an ignorant staff member. I don't believe it.

[TunnelRat]

Unless there was a very recent change, the law exempts law enforcement officers and members of the military acting within the scope of their duties. I am sure that does not cover, for example, an AR or AK the officer owns but is not permitted to carry for duty use. This is the only time I have heard cops are exempt from the law and think the original info on it came from an ignorant staff member. I don't believe it.

Didn't the federal "Assault Weapon" ban exempt cops? Otherwise, what was all the fuss about LEO-Only, 10+ round magazines?

Also the Toledo Saturday Night Special law exempts police officers.

[SMMAssociates]

Tom:

As I have it, the now-deceased Federal AWB's exemption required fun things like the Chief's signature....

IOW, "required for duty"....

This is fairly standard stuff, actually.

At one time - it's been more than 30 years - I could buy about any gun I wanted at a nice discount by just showing my rent-a-cop badge. If I wanted something exotic, I needed a letter from the Chief of Police here in Youngstown. Odds are I could get it if I wasn't asking for something too strange, depended on who the Chief was.

The Regular Officers could do the same.... A buddy of mine was with YSU's PD, and had a full-auto Uzi. Not a problem.... No blood in the streets either. His Chief would have signed onto letting me buy one if he forgot that I didn't work there. (Very long story....) 'Course, that wouldn't have worked because I didn't work there....

( I forget the NFA "effect", but this did short-circuit a lot of the "Letter from God" stuff the ATF required.)

I really don't have a problem with LE exemptions for NFA weapons, destructive devices, etc. Not that I wouldn't like one for fun (I've shot full-auto M16's and a Schmeisser), but I could live with the play-to-pay system we have if it wasn't such a paperwork-intensive thing. What I don't believe in is the idiotic AWB that Clinton or Columbus passed....

I did get a comment on full-capacity (or high capacity) magazines from an LEO buddy many years ago. I still think he's right, but I don't think there's ever been one case where it mattered: "If he has to stop and reload more often, we have a better chance of popping the BG between magazines. However, the apparent direction of the Columbus law makes no differentiation between actually having an oversized magazine v.s. simply being able to use one 'cause somebody in Pakistan is selling them.

Regards,