David Kopel is one of the leading voices in the pro-gun movement. And he'll be talking to Jim Irvine on the Firearms Forum radio show this coming Sunday.

David is a research director at the Independence Institute and the author of No More Wacos: What's Wrong with Federal Law Enforcement and The Cowboy: Should America Adopt the Gun Controls of Other Democracies?

He is an expert on firearms policy, juvenile crime, drug policy, criminal sentencing, and environmental law.

Don't miss the next Firearms Forum, Sunday 10pm on 1420AM. Or you can listen online at http://whkradio.townhall.com/

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence hailed the 2008 presidential election as "a decisive victory for common sense gun laws." Sarah Brady said: "There is no indication that any candidate, at any level, lost their election because of their support for reasonable gun measures."[1]

But what exactly qualifies as "common sense gun laws" or "reasonable gun measures?" A recent paper answered this question by noting certain correlations for states considered the "best" by Brady in terms of how many "common sense gun laws" they have passed:

• Brady's highest-rated states have the highest average violent crime and murder rates. These states also have the lowest levels of gun ownership.
• Only 2 of these states have shall-issue concealed carry laws.
• Brady's "failed" states (not enough "reasonable gun measures") have the lowest violent crime and murder rates, and the highest levels of gun ownership.
• All have shall-issue concealed carry laws.[2]

Click here to read the entire op-ed by Howard Nemerov.

By Ted Nugent

One sector of the American economy that is booming is the absolute orgy of guns and ammunition sales. I am pretty certain President Obama will not say anything positive about this economic news.

I have read more than one report that shows how the surge of civilian firepower sales began back when it appeared that Obama was likely to be elected. The already-brisk guns and ammo market blew up another 25% once he was elected. Reason: freedom lovers do not trust liberal President Obama. His nomination for Attorney General, Mr. Eric Holder, proves that distrust is justified.

Both President Obama and Mr. Holder are avowed gun-control zealots--typical of the loony, anti-freedom wing of the Democratic Party. Do not believe President Obama's or Mr. Holder's thinly veiled statements about supporting an individual's right to own guns, but rather review their previous career long, freedom-restricting, gun-grabbing statements.

Mr. Holder has a long, ugly record of attacking freedom. He has consistently supported gun bans, raising the age that someone can purchase a weapon, supporting registration and licensing, waiting periods, and his all-time favorite-the felon's dream of gun-free zone sheeple.

Click here to read the entire op-ed at HumanEvents.com.

Project WILD-certified educators may apply to create outdoor classrooms on their school grounds

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Ohio teachers who have successfully used Project WILD in their classrooms can now provide students additional hands-on learning about wildlife and habitat through grants available from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Grants totaling $500 each will be awarded on a competitive basis to 20 schools currently participating in Project WILD, a supplemental environmental education curriculum for grades K-12. Project WILD uses wildlife and wildlife management techniques to teach traditional school subjects such as math, science and language arts. Teachers can use the new grant money for materials, equipment and activities to develop WILD School Sites on their campuses.

By Chad D. Baus

While the major media focus continues to be on the Obama administration's infancy, the choosy newsreader can also find a number of stories covering various aspects of the Republican party's attempts to "rebrand" itself in the wake of major losses at the ballot box, both in Ohio and nationally, over the past two election cycles.

As party leaders continue their soul-searching, they need to consider the reasons for which they lost their hold on what has historically been one of the most loyal voter segments - gun owners and hunters - and make plans to regain their trust.

Spend $1 million on habitat mission for third straight year; State Meeting this weekend

Waldo, Ohio - For the third consecutive year, Ohio's Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) chapters have surpassed the $1 million mark in expenditures, spending $1,066,731 on the organization's wildlife habitat mission in 2008. Ohio PF/QF celebrated these accomplishments at the Annual Ohio PF/QF State Meeting on Saturday, January 24th, at the All Occasions in Waldo.

During the year, Ohio chapters completed 949 habitat projects impacting 6,001 acres; planted 18,685 trees and shrubs for winter cover; engaged 1,224 youth in mentor hunts, 487 youth in target shooting, 194 youth in conservation camp and 2,563 youth in other related outdoor events; issued $1,510 in sponsoring educational workshops and offered 18 scholarships for $4,550. Additionally, a 90-acre property in Union County became the second property in the nation donated to PF/QF's Forever Land Trust, and a pilot program in northwest Ohio called the Ohio Upland Habitat Initiative (OUHI) was launched to focus habitat funding in a specific focus area.

By Gerard Valentino

Of all the issues being debated in today's marketplace of opinion, one issue remains inviolate – the belief that everyone is free from bodily harm. Whether it takes the form of being beaten, murdered, raped or unfairly searched is irrelevant - any attack, no matter how placid, on a person's own body is, by definition, immoral.

How that right is protected is where the true arguments begin, and where the arguments will continue in today's political world.

By Doug Giles

I understand it when the idolatrous PETA people who worship jackrabbits over Jesus get their panties in a wad over hunting. I expect it, I like it and—truth be told—I'd really miss it if they did not pop a blood vein in their forehead when smacked with the facts.

However, lately I've been getting hate mail and weird looks from "Christians" who ardently believe that God, Jesus, Moses, John, Paul, George and Ringo (I know, they get them confused) are, supposedly, vehemently opposed to hunting animals (they're right about McCartney). I have even had some sassy Christians say that fishing is evil because it hurts the fish. No kidding? I wouldn't have thought that a hook in the mouth would hurt. They, therefore, conclude that since fish hooks hurt that Jesus would never fish nor be friendly toward those who do.
Really?

Hey, St. Dillweed, have you ever actually read the gospels or do you just smoke ganja and make this crap up as you go? FYI: The majority of Jesus' chosen disciples were fishermen, and the fish they gathered didn't die of old age.

Click here to read the entire op-ed at TownHall.com.

By John Longenecker

I write almost entirely for non-gun owners. Reasonable non-gun owners may feel different about becoming an armed citizen when they see a great disparity between the predictions of the gun owners and the failures of the predictions of the anti-gun owners. The comparison cannot be an even-handed one as some might wish, but frank and honest because of one reason: it’s important. The dire predictions of the anti-gun movement have never come true, while the fears and apprehensions of the liberty movement have all come true. More of these will materialize in 2009, we believe, and this alone can be a very thoughtful analysis from every adult.

One of the questions about gun ownership is whether gun owners are safe in any given community. The question has been how gun-toting citizens behave when not confronted by crime. How do they handle traffic stress? How do they manage a family discussion when they have a gun on their hip? How do they function in the workplace when armed throughout the work day?

Click here to read the entire article.

On January 15-18, Buckeye Firearms Association Central Ohio volunteer Clint Lake attended the 2009 SHOT Show in Orlando, FL. Following is Part 1 of a blog on his experience.

By Clint Lake

Greetings from the 2009 Shot Show in balmy Orlando, Florida! The good news is that it is warmer than in Ohio. I'm going to change the format this year for my blog and cover only the newest of firearms in these categories: Mouse Pistols, Non-Mouse Pistols, Rifles and conceal carry accessories. Today I will be covering Mouse Pistols.

Probably the biggest buzz of the Shot Show this year was around the smallest pistols. I believe this is because there is a large segment of gun owners who are women and their ranks are growing by the month. Being an NRA instructor I continually see the unfortunate tradeoff women take between concealability, stopping power, and difficulty of trigger pull. With these factors in mind, and the fact that it is, by nature, a more challenging task for women who are new ‘conceal carriers’ to hide a pistol 'on person', the major manufacturers have developed some really quality pocket pistols.