Chardon, Ohio...

I received this in today's email from Bob at Ohio Ordnance Works.  It bears reading.  A voice of reason.

Firearms, whether directly or indirectly, impact everyone’s life in some way. In the wake of the recent events at Chardon High School, the impact of firearms was felt on an entire community when a fatal shooting occurred in the high school- which is in the middle of this idyllic town, not far from my home, other homes, offices, and other schools.
Being a resident of Chardon almost my entire life and an alumni of the high school, I was shaken that such violence could happen in our community. Chardon was a place I have always felt safe from the kinds of evils that happen elsewhere in the world. In one morning, that peace of mind was stolen. The little town on the hill known for snowfall and maple syrup, where you could leave your doors unlocked and roam the streets safely at night, became the epicenter of a national news story. Somebody, or something, had to be the cause of this unsettling- and someone or something had to bear the blame.

As always with these kinds of unthinkable violent acts, the involvement of a gun caused a strong response. There seems to be an emotional connotation attached to any conversation involving firearms, and the nature of the discussion leaves no middle ground. People either want them or hate them, and both to the extreme. After the events of the past week, the time had come to reassess the role of firearms in my life, and whether or not I would condemn them as a vessel of death and destruction or reaffirm their need as a fundamental right and last line of defense.
To research firearms statistically is not an easy task, but one that is necessary if you are going to truly form an educated opinion on the subject. I looked for evidence that was empirical and unbiased, though finding it proved difficult.
First of all, are people carrying around more guns these days?

Read the whole thing here.

Like I said, a voice of reason.  Yes, I realize that reason means nothing to some folks.

Stay safe.