Constitutional Carry in Ohio, some thoughts…

So Constitutional Carry or Permitless Carry as you may hear it called sometimes, is coming to Ohio… Are we really surprised about this?

If you look at the trajectory Ohio has been on since the 2020 protests; Ohio has told you in multiple ways that we were heading this direction.

Think about this… As soon as Gov. DeWine signs this new bill into law, which I completely expect that he will, Ohio will have become a Stand Your Ground AND a Constitutional Carry state in a little more than a year’s time!

Wow!!!

Since we are living in a time where EVERYTHING is so politicized, I like to try and silence all the noise and really dig into what these new laws are saying before I formulate my opinion.

I want to know exactly what the bill states, and then listen and read opinions and arguments on both sides. I think it is only right for everyone to do their own due diligence before deciding one way or another how this new law will affect yourself, your family, and your community.

I’ve read and watched alot of information these last few weeks about Constitutional Carry, and how it has worked in the other 21 states where it is law. I’ve also thought pretty intensively about how does this law change what I am currently doing or plan on doing.

So I wanted to just give some of my brief thoughts on each part of the law…

Permitless Carry — Good thing 👍🏾

Let’s not kid ourselves here… In most instances, gun laws in this country were created to regulate and prevent minorities like us from owning firearms period point blank! If you think anything other than that, I have some books for you to read 🤔.

Anytime a change is being made that will allow us to more easily and legally arm ourselves and have the ability to protect ourselves and our families from harm; I AM ALL FOR IT!

Removing the burden of having to go to the local Sheriff office, pay a fee (tax), and be subjected to more red tape just to exercise a right that was supposed to be guaranteed to us by the US Constitution… is a GOOD THING!

No Training Required — Not a good thing 👎🏾

After teaching the Ohio CCW Certification class to literally hundreds of students, let me tell you… Training should definitely be required before carrying a firearm!!!!

I have seen people from all walks of life break EVERY SINGLE FIREARM SAFETY RULE KNOWN TO MAN… And not even realize they are doing it!

Men, woman, ex-military, civilian, whomever — we can all stand to go through a refresher course every once in a while to ensure that we are handling and storing our firearms correctly. I have spent many hours training and I still pay for additional training every year because I understand that a lack of knowledge when dealing with firearms can have deadly consequences.

As the one who brought the firearm into the home, it is your responsibility to make sure all safety precautions are being adhered to while operating, cleaning, and storing it. The sad part is when we fail to do that, its usually the ones we love that end up paying the price.

There are accidental and negligent discharges from firearms every day in this country, and usually those disasters can be tracked back to a lack of education and knowledge on the part of the adult in the home. 😠

Not Required to Tell Law Enforcement You’re Armed During a Traffic Stop — A terrible idea 👎🏾👎🏾

I am legitimately flabbergasted that this bill even passed with this particular language in it!

Its always funny how certain people in this country claim to be “pro law enforcement”, and then do everything in their power to contradict that claim. 🤦🏾‍♂️

To me, this portion seems extremely counter-productive and dangerous for all involved!

Let me say this… If I am carrying my firearm (which I will be) and get pulled over by the police, after I put both hands on the steering wheel in clear sight and make sure NOT to make any sudden moves… I am immediately informing the officer that I have my firearm with me and I am an Ohio CCW license holder.

I dont give AF (excuse my language) what the new law says!!!!!!

Just like officers say “they just want to make it home at the end of the day“, SO DO I!

We just saw a black man last August get shot 20 times at Mt. Carmel Hospital because he had a handgun in his pants and police did’nt realize it until it was too late. Do you think I want that to happen to me??????????

I need that officer to understand from the get-go that I have a firearm, and I don’t want any mishaps or misunderstandings. Neither of us know each other or each other’s intentions, so I am extending an olive branch to the officer in an attempt to build trust during this encounter.

As far as I am concerned, it is MY RESPONSIBILITY during these police encounters to make sure that I drive away safely after we are done. And to date, I have been pulled over more than a few times in my life, usually with a firearm in the car, and I am still here to discuss it today.

Few Things to Keep in Mind…

First, this law IS NOT effective yet. There is definitely a misunderstanding of the timing on this, as I have come across several people who think this new Constitutional Carry law is now in place in Ohio… It is not!

This wont be effective until approximately 90 days after Gov. DeWine signs it into law. As as of right now, there is no scheduled date for that to happen.

So currently, you still need an Ohio CCW license to legally carry concealed in this state.

Second, the exceptions of certain misdemeanors, mostly all felonies, and some mental diagnosis will still prevent Ohioans from being able to legally carry concealed. So if a person was criminally or mentally disqualified from carrying a concealed firearm under the current Ohio law, they would still be unable to under the new law.

And third, although you may be allowed to legally carry concealed in Ohio without a permit when this new law goes into effect, your carry conceal status in most other states will not change. A lot of other states who have Constitutional Carry only allow it for citizens of that state. If you want to be able to legally carry concealed in states outside of Ohio, you will still need to have a valid Ohio CCW license that reciprocates with the state in question.

Final Thoughts…

You will notice in this post I never said “…this is how you should feel about this new law”? That’s because I want you to do the same process I did… Read the bill for yourself, and then decide what does this mean for YOU, and how does it effect YOU.

My views are not the same as yours, and my life experiences have been different than yours. Do yourself a favor and become knowledgeable of Ohio’s gun laws so that you can make them work for YOU! 😊