How Anti-Gunners Shot Themselves In The Foot At Ohio State

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posted on December 2, 2016
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The aftermath of the attack this week at Ohio State University illustrated, yet again, three truths about the gun debate:

1. Some people will jump the gun at every opportunity, blaming firearms, firearms owners and the freedom to own firearms for any and every criminal attack—even those not involving firearms;

2. While anti-gun media and politicians try to exploit tragedy to push their anti-gun agenda, very often it’s the presence of a firearm that ends these attacks and saves innocent lives; and

3. The American people instinctively understand this and agree with the NRA—not with the blame-guns lobby—that the best weapon to stop killers isn’t some silly “gun-free zone” or law that the lawless will ignore, but rather the Second Amendment freedom to fight back and survive

Let’s look at each of these in turn.

At 9:56 a.m., after a Somali student and wannabe terrorist named Abdul Razak Ali Artan rammed his Honda Civic into a group of pedestrians at Ohio State University, then began slashing and stabbing students with a butcher knife, OSU Emergency Management tweeted a “Buckeye Alert” warning of an “active shooter on campus.”

And within minutes, the “blame gun owners and ban guns” crowd used this tidbit of erroneous information to launch an Internet blitzkrieg against firearms and the freedom to own them. 

Vox headlined their story about the attack “the Ohio State shooting.” 

Not to be outdone, Yahoo News claimed the attack “spurs a look at Ohio gun laws.” 

Former vice presidential candidate and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine tweeted, “Deeply saddened by the senseless act of gun violence at Ohio State this morning ...”

Not to be outdone, Connecticut U.S. Senator Chris Murphy tweeted that he was “furious” about the Ohio State “school shooting.”Guns had nothing to do with the Ohio State attack—but everything to do with stopping that attack.

After Ohio Governor John Kasich tweeted that “our hearts and prayers go out to the Ohio State University,” Cosmopolitan editor Amy Odell replied, “Now’s a good time to review your stance on gun control.” 

Shannon Watts, the head of Michael Bloomberg’s “Moms Demand Action” gun-ban group, sent a tweet tagged “Ohio State University” that said, “For school shooting victims it's not too soon to discuss our nation's lax gun laws—it's too late.” 

There was just one small problem with this whole narrative: The attack, in which 11 innocent people were injured, had nothing whatsoever to do with firearms

Or, to be more precise, the attack had nothing to do with firearms, but ending the attack had everything to do with firearms. 

Because what ended the attack wasn’t a “Gun-Free Zone” ... or more gun control ... or another so-called “gun safety” law. What ended the attack was a good guy with a gun: Officer Alan Horujko, who shot Artan and stopped him dead in his tracks. 

And maybe the only other good news that came out of this attack is that it may have spurred faster action on restoring the right to carry on Ohio college campuses.

Ohio House Bill 48, which was passed by the (Republican) House last year by a vote of 68 to 29, would end Ohio’s current statewide ban on concealed carry at college campuses by allowing universities to permit the practice. 

Now, legislation from Ohio Rep. Ron Maag (R) would pave the way for university officials to allow Right-to-Carry permit holders to be armed on Ohio college campuses. As cincinnati.com reports, the legislature could vote on expanding the right to carry to college campuses in Ohio—thereby allowing for one more deterrent and defense against terrorist attacks like the one we saw this week at OSU.

USE YOUR POWER!

Ohio residents, it’s imperative that you urge your lawmakers to take action to ensure that a 21-year-old college student with a Right-to-Carry permit isn’t forced to surrender his or her God-given right to self-defense by simply setting foot on an Ohio college campus. To find and contact your elected representatives in Columbus, click here.

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