From: dennis@bluemoon.rn.com (Dennis Carney)
Subject: PROponent -- Article "HILLIARD GUN BAN..."
Organization: Blue Moon BBS ((614) 868-998[024])
Date: Sat, 05 Sep 92 01:03:04 EDT

The following series of articles are from the August 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.

These articles are being posted 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
Fax (614) 275-0092

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HILLIARD GUN BAN...

       On June 15, 1992, a disturbed, depressed, suicidal man
reached out for help.  His lonely, hurting cry was answered by, no,
not helping hands or a sympathetic ear, but by a Columbus SWAT
team.  Wayne Browning, 28, went to his consignment shop, The Gun
Club and Trade Show, on this particular Monday morning and felt the
need for help.  He called the Suicide Prevention Hotline.  In the
conversation that followed, Browning asked for help.  When the
Suicide Hotline found out that Browning was at his gun store, they
panicked.  Instead of sending an ambulance to take Browning to the
hospital, the Columbus SWAT team was sent to render aid to the
distraught store owner.  5 1/2 hours later, Browning finally
surrendered to the police.
       After he gave himself up to police, Browning was ordered to
spend 10 days in the Central Ohio Psychiatric Institute for
evaluation.  His shop was closed down by the city of Hilliard, and
its inventory returned to their owners.  Criminal charges have been
filed against Browning including inciting to riot and disorderly
conduct.  A trial date has not been set.
       "Local businesses and homeowners were evacuated from the
area to remove them from the threat of danger if Browning had used
his arsenal of guns."  This is an exact quote from the Hilliard
Northwest News, a local paper.  A more accurate statement would be:
Due to the panicky actions of the Suicide Hotline, a disturbed man
was faced with police armed with automatic rifles endangering the
surrounding community in response to a citizen crying out for help.
       While the Hotline does excellent work in saving lives, this
seems to be one of those few times that they made an error in
judgement.  Instead of sending an ambulance, they succumbed to
Hollywood hype and overreacted to a man calling for help.  When
they found out that Browning was in his gun shop, they sent in
armed troops instead of medical help.  Browning was expecting an
ambulance, but got the SWAT team ordering him to cease and desist.
       When he looked out of his door, Browning expected to see the
flashing lights of an ambulance; instead he saw armored troops
conducting an evacuation.  Yes, he panicked, and held the SWAT team
at bay for over five hours.  This man said that he wanted help.
What he got was arrested.  This was due to the Hotline overreacting
and sending troops instead of medical help.  Medical help that
Browning had called for and requested.  That he had called out for
in his time of need.
       Law and Safety Director, Charles Schneider, said in the July
22 article that Browning had his Inventory taken away and had also
been evicted from the building.  He went on to say that "Although
it wouldn't have made much of a difference in the case of Browning,
Hilliard does not currently have a waiting period before purchasing
weapons."He continued with "There has been no discussion among City
Council or the city administration about instituting a mandatory
waiting period.  It is possible Hilliard officials could begin
examining their own gun store regulations in light of Dublin's
action. (Editor: See last issue.)
       Schneider concluded his remarks by saying "He believes
communities and gun store owners would be better served by a set of
federal regulations instead of local governments setting different
standards. (Editor: Thus the need for H.B. 434, which would preempt
local laws, and put firearm laws in the hands of the state.)
       As Columbus discovered, the loss of a gun show is costly.
Estimates have ranged from $16 to $24 million dollars a year when
the Ohio Gun Collectors Association (OGCA) was forced out of
Columbus by the restrictive ban enacted in 1989.  These millions of
dollars went mostly into the pockets of local businesses.  Hotels,
motels, restaurants, gas stations and stores.  Waitresses, waiters
and maids received tips for their services.
       OGCA had over 20,000 members from all over Ohio, the nation,
and the world.  These members came from all over six times a year
to spend money at the OGCA shows and in Columbus.  Part of our
city's budget crunch can be directly laid at the feet of councilman
John Kennedy and former mayor Dana Rinehart.  They are the ones
that instituted the Columbus ban and waiting period on firearms.
       While the PRO-Hilliard Gun Shows are nowhere near as big as
the OGCA used to be in Columbus, PRO does help Hilliard in many
ways.  First, we advertise our gun shows in national publications
such as Gun Week and Shotgun News.  These papers are distributed
all over the country.  Secondly, we advertise in the local papers.
This brings the name of Hilliard to the minds of everyone that sees
our advertisements.  We have also done extensive radio ads in the
central Ohio area.  This is free advertising for the city of
Hilliard, as PRO pays for all of the advertising.
       Thirdly, our PRO shows bring over 20,000 people into the
city of Hilliard during our six shows a year.  These people come
from all over Ohio and neighboring states.  They come to the gun
show, then leave to buy gas and a meal before returning home.  PRO
has over fifty dealers that bring their wares from points far away
that spend twelve nights in Hilliard motels during the year.  They
also buy from four to six meals a weekend at area restaurants.
       PRO also has a booth at the Franklin County Fair.  While
this does not directly benefit the city of Hilliard, PRO booth
workers purchase pop, ice, cigars and gas in Hilliard.  No fair, no
expenditure of funds in Hilliard.  The County Fair, like the PRO
Gun Shows, helps to put the city of Hilliard on the map.
       While this amount of people is just a drop in the bucket to
Columbus, it would seem to be a sizeable contribution to a
community such as Hilliard.  PRO helps promote Hilliard.  PRO puts
money into the coffers of the city of Hilliard through bed taxes,
city taxes and just by bringing 20,000 people a year into the
community.
       PRO has never had contact with Hilliard city officials, but
have found the city a receptive community to hold our gun shows.
We have even been approached by the mayors of other suburbs around
Columbus to hold our shows in their communities.  We like having
our shows in Hilliard at the County Fairgrounds.  Many residents of
Hilliard attend our shows, and many have become members of PRO.
PRO has not thought of moving because we have established ourselves
in the community of Hilliard.  So much so, that we have purchased
ad space in the Hilliard Wildcats sports program.
       In the near future, PRO will establish dialogue with Mr.
Schneider, representatives of Hilliard City Council and of the
Franklin County Fair Board to see if PRO can continue to hold gun
shows in Hilliard.  We will do our utmost to stay in Hilliard with
our successful gun shows.

...

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    dennis@bluemoon.rn.com
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