Henry Ford said “you can have it any color you want as long as it’s black.” Well, an Ohio bill seeks to do the same about BB guns.
COLUMBUS – Toy guns in Ohio would have to be brightly colored under a bill intended to address police-shooting deaths.
Officers in Beavercreek and Cleveland this year shot and killed two Ohio African-Americans who were holding BB guns: in August, John Crawford III of Fairfield and, last month, Tamir Rice, of Cleveland.
State Rep. Alicia Reece, D-Bond Hill, on Monday introduced what she calls “John Crawford’s Law” with support from 13 Democrats. The bill would make it illegal for Ohioans to sell or openly expose a BB gun, air rifle or airsoft gun unless it featured bright colors. Areas that would be off-limits for openly carrying a BB gun include streets, sidewalks, front yards, parks, driveways, cars and schools.
“This legislation is necessary to make sure that a tragedy like the one that took my son John Crawford III’s life never happens again,” said a statement from John Crawford Jr., father of the man killed by police after he took a pellet gun he took off a shelf in a Beavercreek Wal-Mart.
None of the General Assembly’s majority Republicans have signed on to the measure, and it’s not likely to pass before the legislature’s session ends on New Year’s Eve.
Some elected officials have sought to take action following Ohio’s second such shooting this year, when 12-year-old Tamir was shot two seconds after a cruiser responded to a report that he was waving a real gun.
Gov. John Kasich joined Reece and other African-American Democrats Friday in launching a statewide task force to reform relations between police and communities, especially people of color. Attorney General Mike DeWine said he would instruct the Ohio Peace Officers Training Commission to make recommendations for changes in officers’ training.
Source: http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/story/news/state/2014/12/09/bb-guns-hot-pink-police-shooting-bill/20132871/
My condolences to Mr. Crawford, but come on! My cousin was killed by a drunk truck driver, you don’t see me trying to ban beer, bars, or trucks.
Now you may think why does a site about the 2nd Amendment worry about BB guns, simple, if they can regulate the color of BB guns, they can regulate our real guns. If they can indoctrinate our children into hating BB guns, chances are they won’t buy real guns in the future.
Ironically, I didn’t play with a BB gun as a kid, and my father never took me to a gun range, so even the children of independents like me can grow up to become proud gun owners. But personally, I believe it’s better to raise your kids pro-gun than hope they’ll become pro-gun someday.