By: Anthony Morelli
One ordinary person made a heroic move that preserved the Second Amendment.
He saw something wrong, and he did something about it.
And in the process, he managed to get gun control repealed in a dramatic way.
Some states across the country have passed laws that prevent municipalities within their state from enacting gun control laws.
They do this because frequently “red states” have blue cities within them that are far more liberal than the rest of the state, and the leaders of these blue cities will try to ban guns.
But the statewide law is supposed to take precedence over whatever ordinances the city puts in place, and so passing a law to preempt those gun control actions should be effective.
However, even this doesn’t always stop municipalities from enacting gun control and essentially daring the state to do something about it.
In other cases, a municipality may not even realize that the gun control law they are enacting is a violation of state law.
That appears to be what happened in Ohio. But thankfully, one citizen stood up, took action, and did something about it.
According to The Truth About Guns, “Until last week, the Canton, Ohio, Park Commission had banned firearms in city parks. However, according to a news item from the Buckeye Firearms Association, on October 22, the commission voted to update its park rules by removing the restriction on guns in parks after a local resident pointed out that the restriction violated state law.”
This is obviously a very welcome development for gun owners in Ohio, but it didn’t just happen on its own.
It took the efforts of one man to notice something wrong, and to raise a stink about it to the authorities.
The article continues, “According to a story posted at cantonrep.com, Canton resident Daniel Gates brought the discrepancy to the attention of Parks Director Doug Foltz. Foltz said until Gates contacted him, he was unaware that state law permitted firearms in public parks.
“As for Gates, he was gratified that the Parks Commission changed the law, even though it had been in effect for a very long time.”
“The Canton, Ohio, story highlights the importance of lawful citizens pointing out unjust and illegal firearms laws at every level. Such laws affect many people, yet, as in this case, a single gun owner can make a difference in bringing such laws to light.”
This should give other gun owners hope that through peaceful political action, they can make a difference and help protect freedom for themselves and their neighbors.
Often it can seem like the political system is an unchangeable behemoth that ordinary citizens cannot have any significant effect on.
But that is only at the federal level. The truth is, most laws are made at the state and local level, and individuals certainly can have a big impact on that.
Daniel Gates of Canton, Ohio, recognized that, and he did something to get a law changed that was a clear violation of Ohio’s pro-Second Amendment law.