Cleveland, Ohio is hosting the Republican National Convention this week. Ohio is an ‘Open Carry’ state, which means guns can be carried openly on one’s person. The law that allows that come with lots of caveats – don’t point the gun at someone, loaded or not. Firearms may not be taken into courtrooms, jails, schools, bars or parts of airports. And not inside the Convention Center in Cleveland. With 3 more police offers murdered just this morning in Baton Rouge, the Police Union petitioned Ohio Governor* John Kasich to suspend the Open Carry permission in the security zone. No can do, came the reply : he does not have legal authority to do that (a bill eh signed into law. Does that make sense?). Does it make sense that the list of 72 items prohibited in in the ‘event zone’ include umbrellas with metal tips and tennis balls, but not guns? Of course not. Can I bring a gun that shoots tennis balls? wondered Stephen Colbert out loud on his Late Show on Friday night.
*Kasich, a former 2016 Republican candidate for President, is unlikely to appear at the Convention, even though it is in his home state! He not supporting Donald Trump.
