Following in the footsteps of such great violence-free cities as Chicago, Washington, DC and New York, Frank Jackson, the mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, has proposed his city enact a series of new gun laws that he claims will reduce the “scourge of gun violence.” The proposals are very much in line with what we’ve seen before, aimed at killing the gun culture in America rather than actually targeting criminals and reducing violence. Included in hizzoner’s proposal: a ban on toy (“replica”) firearms, a 90 day waiting period between firearms purchases, and a sex offender-esque list for “gun criminals” in the city. There’s just one problem: what they’re doing is against Ohio state law . . .
The legislation would restrict gun owners from leaving firearms in a place accessible to minors; create a registry in the city of Cleveland that would compel convicted gun offenders to register with police once a year for four years; and limit gun purchases to one firearm per person per 90 days.
The new ordinances might also incorporate past laws including: Requiring school officials to notify police when a prohibited weapon is found on school property; allowing people to voluntarily surrender guns to police; and banning the sale and manufacture of gun replicas.
But Ohio law dictates that guns can only be regulated through state and federal statutes — and not on a municipal level, Ohioans for Concealed Carry president Jeff Garvas said.
“The United States Constitution, Ohio Constitution, state laws or federal laws are the only means by which regulation may be imposed on firearms in the state of Ohio,” Garvas wrote in a letter Friday to Cleveland law director Barbara Langhenry.
As we’ve seen time and again, gun control advocates don’t really care about little things like laws — they just want to force their will on people. In this specific case it looks like the new laws will pass, but Ohio-based gun rights groups will be Johnny-on-the-spot with the lawsuits and restraining orders. Again. Still.
In the end, all that Mayor Jackson is doing is forcing both sides of this debate to spend more money in court on a battle where the outcome is already known. Cleveland will be wasting taxpayer money that it desperately needs on a lost cause, and the Ohio gun rights groups will be victorious in the end no matter what happens. Other than the political brownie points and maybe a photo op or two, it’s a pointless effort, Then again, that’s not a bad description of gun control in general.