OHIO RED ALERT
Lock Up Your Safety HB 526 (WOMER BENJAMIN) and SB 230 (DRAKE) may
become law

Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408

http://www.gunowners.org

January 18, 2000

Dear Ohio gun rights supporter:

I’ve got bad news: Your self-defense gun rights are in grave danger.

PLEASE– RIGHT AWAY– CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR
BY EITHER E-MAILING THE ATTACHED PRE-PRINTED MESSAGE or you can call
614-466-3357 to be connected to your state Representative or
614-466-4900 to be connected to your state Senator.

In the days and weeks ahead, anti-gun advocates and leadership
flunkies may pass HB 526 — a Lock Up Your Safety bill– out of an
Ohio state House committee and on to the floor unless you and other
gun rights activists flood the capitol with protests.

Governor Taft, dubbed by many grassroots gun owners as “Governor Gun
Control,” doesn’t seem to remember who his grandfather and great
grandfather were. They stood up for the Constitution. He doesn’t.

Taft, and his anti-gun flunky, Speaker Jo Ann Davidson (R-24), has
stood publicly in the way of concealed carry and your right of
self-defense.

Now Governor Bob “Gun Control” Taft, III has found new water
carriers: Rep. Ann Womer Benjamin (R-75) and Senator Thelma Drake
(R-22).

Rep. Ann Womer Benjamin is Chairman of the House Criminal Justice
Committee. Sen. Grace Drake is a failed Congressional candidate who
is term-limited and probably trading this attack on your rights for a
cushy, tax-payer-funded job in the Taft Administration.

The goal is to restrict the right to keep and bear arms in the
privacy of your home.

On the whole HB 526 and SB 230 are horrible bills that will:

** Force dealers to offer so-called trigger locks and other
devices for sale with the guns they sell. This could actually make
new gun owners less safe because many guns can still be fired with a
trigger lock in place. (Using trigger locks can create a false sense
of safety.)

** Effectively force you to lock up your guns … and punish you
if don’t and some young person effectively steals it.

** Punish you as criminal if a “child” gets a hold of a gun, even
if no one is hurt.

** Punish you as a felon if a “child” gets a hold of your gun and
someone is hurt.

There is no provision for self-defense. Thus if your son or daughter
who you’ve trained and educated in the safe, ethical use of firearms
uses your gun to stop a criminal home invader from killing their mom
or brother or sister, he or she and you can be punished as criminals
by the state of Ohio.

The bottom line is that ANTI-GUNNERS IN THE STATE CAPITOL want to use
HB 526 and SB 230 TO MAKE YOU DEFENSELESS IN YOUR OWN HOME.
Anti-gunners want an intruder breaking into your home or threatening
your family to find you fumbling with your gun — your safety –
because it is locked up and useless.

Anti-gunners have a low opinion of your right of self-defense.
Here’s what a one-time HCI spokesman, former San Jose, CA Police
Chief Robert MacNamara, said about this type of bill:

“You can’t have it two ways. If you really safeguard your gun
so that innocent people in your house — your children or visitors or
someone else — can’t get hurt with it, then they won’t be able to
get that gun for the kind of emergency that they bought it for in the
first place.”

That’s why experts call HB 526 & SB 230 the Lock Up Your Safety
bills.

And unless you contact your State Senator and your State
representative right away, I’m afraid the Lock Up Your Safety bills
will start rolling toward Final Passage votes in both bodies.

Here’s what is going on…

Liberals like Sarah Brady hate the fact that firearms are used to
prevent tens of thousands of murders, rapes, thefts and assaults
every year.

Liberals hate the fact that most of the time, the mere possession of
a gun by a citizen scares off most attackers. And Sarah Brady and the
anti-gunners hate the fact that accidental injuries by firearms have
been going down for years, even as gun ownership rises.

You see, anti-gunners know they can never take our guns as long as
the facts show that GUNS SAVE LIVES! In fact, guns are used by
law-abiding citizens more than two million times per year in
successful self-defense cases.

Guns are also used by children to DEFEND themselves and their
families.

And of course, that’s what HB 526 & SB 230 is all about. Gun haters
hope one day to force you to Lock Up Your Safety with “trigger locks”
or other such ways. They’ll do it by threatening to haul you into
court and treat you like an enemy of the state.

Anti-gun spinmeisters claim HB 526 & SB 230 will protect children
from very rare accidental shootings (Of course, many of the shootings
they cite are not accidents, but crimes, and are not committed by
children, but by 17, 18 and even 19 year olds!).

IF PASSED, LOCK UP YOUR SAFETY GUN CONTROL WOULD MAKE YOUR GUN
VIRTUALLY USELESS WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST– to use deadly force to
protect yourself, your family or your property.

No murderer, burglar or rapist will wait for you to get a gun out of
“storage” or get a “trigger lock” off.

And you and I both know police may not get there until it’s too late
– even if you can call the police.

Americans overwhelmingly reject this kind of
Big-Brother-in-your-bedroom gun control, yet anti-gunners keep coming
back hoping to ram this new gun control down your throat.

Normally, I’d say you had nothing to worry about.

However, with the powerful Chairman of the House Criminal Justice
Committee — Rep. Ann Womer Bejamin (R- 75) — carrying Governor Gun
Control’s “water,” anti-gunners and weak-willed politicians have a
good chance of passing HB 526 to the floor for passage.

As you can see, your rights are in grave danger.

Only you and your family and friends can persuade the legislature to
stop the “Lock Up Your Safety” bills from becoming law.

Right now, if you and your family and friends do not call your State
Senator and State Representative, anti-gunners and mushy-middle
politicians will likely think that you don’t care if your guns are
useless.

They may think they are politically safe to wipe away your right to
self-defense.

RIGHT AWAY, PLEASE, TAKE ACTION. THERE’S NO TELLING WHAT WILL
HAPPEN… OR WHEN.

1) CONTACT YOUR State Senator right away (see the enclosed roster).
Make it clear that Ohio gun owners DO NOT support Lock Up Your Safety
gun control like SB 230 or any other gun control.

2) CONTACT YOUR State Representative right away (see the enclosed
roster). Make it clear that Ohio gun owners DO NOT support Lock Up
Your Safety gun control like HB 526 or any other gun control.

3) PLEASE HAVE YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS DO THE SAME.

If you want your self-defense gun rights, you and other 2nd Amendment
Supporters must now stand up for them.

Sincerely,

Dennis Fusaro
Director of State Legislation

Any ?s Call GOA
Guns Save Lives

*** COPY-N-PASTE *** COPY-N-FAX *** COPY-N-MAIL ***

The Honorable _______________________________
Ohio Senate
Columbus, OHIO 43215
PHONE: 614-466-4900 / FAX 614-466-8261

Dear Senator ____________________:

As you know, firearms are used in successful self-defense cases in
excess of two million times per year.

I respectfully ask you to oppose any and all forms of Lock Up Your
Safety legislation — such as SB 230 — that is proposing to force
gun owners like me to lock away guns or install so-called “trigger
locks.”

If passed, these ill-conceived pieces of legislation would try to
make a gun virtually useless when I need it most– to protect my
family or property when absolutely necessary and legal.

As my elected representative in the Ohio Senate I also ask you to
oppose all other forms of gun control that may be hidden in SB 230 or
in other bills.

Furthermore, the laws of Ohio should address real crime and
punishment issues, not gun owner regulation. You and other
legislators need to stay focused on getting tough on crime– not
regulating to death my fundamental freedoms.

Citizens should have their right to carry a firearm for self-defense
restored. This is the Constitutional way to reduce crime!

Thank you for your consideration. Please write me and tell me what
you will do.

NAME: _____________________________________________

ADDRESS: _____________________________________________

CITY/ST/ZIP: _____________________________________________

*** COPY-N-PASTE *** COPY-N-FAX *** COPY-N-MAIL ***

The Honorable _______________________________
State House
Columbus, OHIO 43266
PHONE: 614-466-3357 / FAX 644-8744 or 644-9494

Dear Representative ____________________:

As you know, firearms are used in successful self-defense cases in
excess of two million times per year.

I respectfully ask you to oppose any and all forms of Lock Up Your
Safety legislation — such as HB 526 — that is proposing to force
gun owners like me to lock away guns or install so-called “trigger
locks.”

If passed, these ill-conceived pieces of legislation would try to
make a gun virtually useless when I need it most– to protect my
family or property when absolutely necessary and legal.

As my elected representative in the Ohio House I also ask you to
oppose all other forms of gun control that may be hidden in HB 526 or
in other bills.

Furthermore, the laws of Ohio should address real crime and
punishment issues, not gun owner regulation. You and other
legislators need to stay focused on getting tough on crime– not
regulating to death my fundamental freedoms.

Citizens should have their right to carry a firearm for self-defense
restored. This is the Constitutional way to reduce crime!

Thank you for your consideration. Please write me and tell me what
you will do.

NAME: _____________________________________________

ADDRESS: _____________________________________________

CITY/ST/ZIP: _____________________________________________

Ohio House Roster

District maps at: http://www.house.state.oh.us/reps/

Fax for all Reps: 614-644-9494 [include name and district number]

All area codes are 614.

Dis Name Phone E-mail

01 Willamowski 466-9624 [email protected]
02 Terwilleger 644-6027 [email protected]
03 Logan 466-8022 [email protected]
04 Gardner 466-8104 [email protected]
05 Distel 466-1405 [email protected]
06 Myers 466-8100 [email protected]
07 Amstutz 466-1474 [email protected]
08 Smith 466-7954 [email protected]
09 Boyd 644-5079 [email protected]
10 James 466-1414 [email protected]
11 Jones 466-5441 [email protected]
12 Barnes 466-1408 [email protected]
13 Pringle 466-5921 [email protected]
14 Jerse 466-8012 [email protected]
15 Trakas 644-6041 [email protected]
16 Kilbane 466-0961 [email protected]
17 Flannery 466-3454 [email protected]
18 Sullivan 466-4895 [email protected]
19 Miller 466-3350 [email protected]
20 DePiero 466-3485 [email protected]
21 Beatty 466-5343 Rep21@mail.house.[email protected]
22 Miller 466-8010 [email protected]
23 Salerno 466-1896 [email protected]
24 Davidson 466-4847 [email protected]
25 Goodman 644-6002 [email protected]
26 Tiberi 644-6030 [email protected]
27 Robinson 466-2473 [email protected]
28 Mead 644-6005 [email protected]
29 Schuck 466-9690 [email protected]
30 Britton 466-1308 [email protected]
31 Barrett 466-1645 [email protected]
32 Vyven 466-8120 [email protected]
33 Luebbers 466-5786 [email protected]
34 Winkler 466-8258 [email protected]
35 Clancy 466-9091 [email protected]
36 Schuler 644-6023 [email protected]
37 O’Brien 644-6886 [email protected]
38 Allen 466-1607 [email protected]
39 Roberts 466-2960 [email protected]
40 Jacobson 644-8051 [email protected]
41 Mottley 644-6008 [email protected]
42 Corbin 466-6504 [email protected]
43 Netzley 466-8114 [email protected]
44 Sykes 466-3100 [email protected]
45 Williams 644-5085 [email protected]
46 Coughlin 466-1177 [email protected]
47 Sutton 644-6037 [email protected]
48 Roman 466-1790 [email protected]
49 Ford 466-1401 [email protected]
50 Perry 466-1418 [email protected]
51 Olman 466-1731 [email protected]
52 Mettler 644-1695 [email protected]
53 Redfern 644-6011 [email protected]
54 Healy 466-8030 [email protected]
55 Schuring 752-2438 [email protected]
56 Stevens 466-9078 [email protected]
57 Hood 466-1464 [email protected]
58 Cates 466-8550 [email protected]
59 Jolivette 644-6721 [email protected]
60 Krebs 644-5094 [email protected]
61 Metelsky 466-5141 [email protected]
62 Bender 644-5076 [email protected]
63 Taylor 466-1957 [email protected]
64 Patton 466-9435 [email protected]
65 Gerberry 466-6107 [email protected]
66 Verich 466-5358 [email protected]
67 Ferderber 466-3488 [email protected]
68 Grendell 644-5088 [email protected]
69 Young 644-6074 [email protected]
70 Callender 466-7251 [email protected]
71 Bateman 466-8134 [email protected]
72 Vesper 644-6034 [email protected]
73 Hartley 466-3787 [email protected]
74 Widener 466-2038 [email protected]
75 WomerBenjamin 466-2004 [email protected]
76 Austria 644-6020 [email protected]
77 Evans 466-1482 [email protected]
78 Householder 466-2500 [email protected]
79 Hartnett 466-5802 [email protected]
80 Peterson 644-6711 [email protected]
81 Calvert 466-8140 [email protected]
82 Buehrer 644-5091 [email protected]
83 Hoops 466-3760 [email protected]
84 Buchy 466-6344 [email protected]
85 Jordan 466-1507 [email protected]
86 Brading 466-3819 [email protected]
87 Core 466-8147 [email protected]
88 Stapleton 466-3506 [email protected]
89 Damschroder 466-1374 [email protected]
90 Gooding 644-6265 [email protected]
91 Sulzer 644-7928 [email protected]
92 Ogg 466-2124 [email protected]
93 Harris 466-1431 [email protected]
94 Carey 466-1366 [email protected]
95 Aslanides 644-6014 [email protected]
96 Hollister 644-8728 [email protected]
97 Metzger 466-1695 [email protected]
98 Krupinski 466-3735 [email protected]
99 Wilson 466-8035 [email protected]

Ohio Senate Roster

District maps at: http://www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/

Fax for all Sens: 614-466-8261 [include name and district number]

All Area Codes are 614.

Dis Name Phone E-mail

01 Wachtman 466-8150 [email protected]
02 Latta 466-8060 SD02@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
03 Johnson 466-8064 SD03@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
04 Nein 466-8072 SD04@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
05 McLin 466-6247 SD05@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
06 Horn 466-4538 SD06@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
07 Finan 466-9737 SD07@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
08 Blessing 466-8068 SD08@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
09 Mallory 466-5980 SD09@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
10 Kearns 466-3780 SD10@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
11 Furney 466-5204 SD11@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
12 Cupp 466-7584 SD12@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
13 Armbruster 644-7613 SD13@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
14 White 466-8082 SD14@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
15 Espy 466-5131 SD15@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
16 Watts 466-5981 SD16@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
17 Shoemaker 466-8156 SD17@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
18 Gardner 644-7718 SD18@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
19 Schafrath 466-8086 SD19@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
20 Carnes 466-8076 SD20@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
21 Prentiss 466-4857 SD21@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
22 Drake 466-7505 SD22@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
23 Brady 466-5123 SD23@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
24 Spada 466-8056 SD24@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
25 Fingerhut 466-4583 SD25@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
26 Mumper 466-8049 SD26@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
27 Ray 466-4823 SD27@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
28 Herington 466-7041 SD28@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
29 Oelslager 466-0626 SD29@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
30 DiDonato 466-6508 SD30@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
31 Hottinger 466-5838 SD31@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
32 Latell 466-7182 SD32@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
33 Hagan 466-8285 SD33@mailr.sen.state.oh.us