From: dennis@bluemoon.rn.com (Dennis Carney)
Subject: PROponent March 1992 -- Article "RON SHAW (Dewey Stokes Connection?)
Organization: Blue Moon BBS ((614) 868-998[024])
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 92 01:28:25 EDT

The following article is from the March 1992 issue of the PROponent,
the monthly newsletter published by The Peoples Rights Organization
(PRO), a pro gun, pro constitutional rights group based in Columbus,
Ohio.

As a member of the PRO -- Electronic Information Committee,
I am posting this article for information only. Questions or
comments may be directed to:

PEOPLES RIGHTS ORGANIZATION
5 E. Long St., Suite 412
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 268-0122

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(Begin article "RON SHAW" from March 1992 PROponent)

 
RON SHAW...

     Republican candidate for Franklin County Sheriff in the
upcoming primary election, Ron Shaw spoke at the March PRO meeting.
He began with a brief description of his background of 7 years as
a Chief of Police and FBI Academy training.  He also described his
five point plan to reorganize the Sheriff's department.  This
included getting together an advisory board of businessmen etc. to
make the operation more efficient, changing corrections deputies
back to full service officers with full arrest powers, and
upgrading jail space including utilizing the holding cells on
weekends and evenings that are normally used for prisoners when
they appear in court during the day, so violent offenders will not
need to be turned away.  He very strongly indicated his goal is to
"get politics out of the sheriff's office."
     PRO members and the PRO leadership are a little skeptical
about some of this.  Sure, it is no secret Sheriff Smith is a
political animal, but we don't see how politics can be taken out of
any elected office.  Saying you are going to, is in our minds just
playing more politics.  Also, while there needs to be some
attention given to corrections service as a "deadend job", as
taxpayers we wonder about the cost and wasted resources of full
service deputies babysitting prisoners.  Also, our police contacts
refute the claim the violent prisoners have been refused space in
the jail.
     The key issue in the minds of many PRO members, however, is
gun control.  Mr. Shaw appears to be moderately pro-gun.  He has
been a deer hunter since 1970 and expressed his opinion that the
Second Amendment clearly grants an individual right to own a gun.
He also said it is time for parents to take responsibility for the
acts of their children.  However all here is not sweetness and
light.  He also said he supports a seven day waiting period so some
guy can't get mad at his wife and go out and buy a gun and kill
her.  He also got the FOP endorsement and generally defended the
job Dewey Stokes and Larry Deck are doing.
     Needless to say, PRO members gave Mr. Shaw a royal grilling on
these issues.  It was pointed out that wife shooters usually have
a record of violence long before they build up to murder.  Mr. Shaw
agreed but said nothing more.  When several members tried to elicit
a comment on how waiting periods prevent women and those who have
been threatened from exercising their right to self-defense, from
Mr. Shaw came only silence.  When a PRO member testified that he is
alive today because there was no waiting period... still more
silence.
     Since Mr. Shaw could not or would not logically defend his
support of waiting periods, PRO members naturally suspected that
some kind of deal was struck with the FOP in exchange for their
endorsement.  He was asked point blank if he had a tit for tat
arrangement with the FOP and he flatly denied it.  Nevertheless, we
would not expect Mr. Shaw to be biting the hand that endorses him
even without a deal.  Spouting an FOP line to get elected is one
thing, but spouting it at a legislative hearing after you are
sheriff is quite another.  The last thing we need is Dewey Stokes,
Larry Deck and the Franklin County Sheriff all testifying from the
anti-gun side of the table.  We need a closer look at Mr. Shaw's
gun control position.
     If some of these charges and counter-charges in the Sheriff's
race are confusing, Sheriff Smith will be at the April PRO meeting
to give his views and answer your questions.

 
(End article "RON SHAW" from March 1992 PROponent)

This is from:
    dennis@bluemoon.rn.com
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