Recently I have been accused of not stopping to smell the flowers. Well I've given that some consideration and decided that I start a post for only good news. So if you have some good news to share here it is. Please remember that what is good news to some might not be good news to others. Here is some of my own: Personally: Well I had one new chick born and my chickens are laying loads of eggs, the goat is milking well, we are all healthy, I bought a new stainless steel milk bucket, which I have been wanting forever, my tomatoes have some tomatoes on them, Some new beans are coming up, the chickens didn't get all my grapes, my apricots are getting ripe, and the weather this year has been nice and cool. Politically:Ruling suspends gun law Law enforcement officials concerned

By Dan Horn The Cincinnati Enquirer

Vernon Ferrier can carry his gun to work today without worrying about breaking the law.

Because of him, so can almost everyone else in Hamilton County.

Mr. Ferrier and three other Cincinnatians won a court victory Tuesday that left the county with no concealed weapons law for at least the next three weeks.

Judge Robert Ruehlman's decision means Cincinnati police and the Hamilton County sheriff can no longer arrest people for carrying hidden guns.

It also means Cincinnati is about to become a battleground in the national fight over gun control.

WHAT IT MEANS . The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and Cincinnati Police Division - the largest law enforcement agencies in the county - cannot arrest anyone for carrying a concealed weapon. . The order is in effect for three weeks, at which time the judge will hear more arguments before making a final decision. . The city and county could appeal a final order in state court, or they could immediately try to move the case to federal court.

"This is pretty significant," said Tim Smith, an attorney for Mr. Ferrier and the others. "It's an important issue."

Mr. Ferrier, a Hyde Park hairdresser, said he and the others filed their lawsuit this week in hopes of overturning Ohio's law on carrying concealed weapons.

They contend the law is unfair because law-abiding citizens cannot get permits to carry a concealed gun. Instead, they must get arrested and go to court to prove they have a good reason to carry a gun.

"This is long overdue," Mr. Ferrier said of Judge Ruehlman's decision. "I should have just as much right to defend myself as the police or anyone else."

The judge granted a temporary restraining order that bars enforcement of the law until he hears more arguments on Aug. 11.

"I've always had problems with this statute," the judge said.

His decision immediately stirred both anger and praise. Some welcomed it as a great defense of the U.S. Constitution, while others condemned it as an invitation for criminals to take up arms.

"This misdirected ruling opens the barn door for every violent criminal to carry a weapon and get away scot free," said Keith Fangman, president of the Fraternal Order of Police.

"If any of our officers or innocent citizens are killed because Judge Ruehlman allowed violent criminals to carry guns, he's going to have blood on his hands."

Sheriff Simon L. Leis also raised concerns about safety. "We just hope no one gets hurt," said sheriff's spokesman Steve Barnett.

Other law enforcement officials said the decision could wreak havoc with the justice system.

Prosecutor Mike Allen said it may affect hundreds of people who are either in jail or facing criminal charges for violating the concealed weapons law.

He said he would not be surprised to see defense attorneys rushing to the courthouse this week with Judge Ruehlman's court order in hand, hoping to free their clients.

"This is unprecedented," Mr. Allen said. "There's going to be a lot of confusion. It's not an order that is easy to understand."

Much of the confusion centers on whether the judge's decision applies only to the sheriff and police division, or to all county law enforcement agencies.

Although the sheriff and police were the only agencies named in the lawsuit, the judge's order could have a chilling effect on suburban police departments and other agencies.

The "practical effect" of the judge's order is to ban enforcement of the law in Hamilton County, said Todd Boyer, spokesman for Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery.

In court Tuesday, attorneys for the city and county argued that a ban on enforcement would rob the government of its right to protect public safety.

"They have no fundamental constitutional right to carry a concealed weapon," said Richard Ganulin, an assistant city solicitor. "The right to bear arms ... has never been construed as a right to carry concealed weapons.

"It is, at best, a privilege."

He said some form of concealed weapons law has been on the books in Ohio for 80 years. And whenever it has been challenged, he said, Ohio courts have upheld it.

Mr. Ganulin also suggested that Mr. Ferrier and the others should take the issue to state lawmakers, not a judge.

"They want the court to stand in the shoes of the state legislature to create public policy," Mr. Ganulin said.

But Mr. Smith said his clients have good reason to go to court.

He said the law violates the Ohio and U.S. constitutions because it prevents his clients - a personal trainer, a private detective, a deliveryman and Mr. Ferrier - from defending themselves.

He said his clients need guns because they are physically unable to defend themselves or because they fear being robbed or attacked while on the job.

But under Ohio law, Mr. Smith said, only a judge can decide if those reasons are good enough to justify carrying a gun.

And to get a judge, he said, they must first get arrested.

"The state of Ohio has set up a system in which you cannot defend yourself against criminals," Mr. Smith said.

It is the same argument the National Rifle Association and other gun lobbyists have been making for most of the past decade as states have grappled with concealed weapons laws.

To date, 43 states allow some form of permits to carry concealed weapons. Seven, including Ohio, do not.

Mr. Smith suggested that Ohio could resolve the constitutional issues in its existing law by adopting a licensing procedure for concealed weapons.

Judge Ruehlman's decision Tuesday is the second controversial ruling he has made recently in a gun-related case.

Last fall, he threw out the city of Cincinnati's lawsuit against gun manufacturers, saying the misuse of firearms is beyond the control of gun makers.

Mr. Ferrier said the judge made the right call. He said he is not an activist, only a businessman who wants to protect himself.

"My involvement in this is not so I can be armed everywhere I go," he said. "It's so I can be armed if I choose to be."

Hope you all have some good news to share also.

Little Bit farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), July 21, 2000

Answers

Thank you! We all need to think about all that we have to be thankful for even the little things. I also thank Mr. Ferrier and all those other people who are working hard for us!!!!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), July 21, 2000.

Let's see, if someone is carrying a weapon concealed and a cop has no probable cause to search him, how could a cop ever arrest someone for carrying a concealed weapon? Criminals almost always carry their weapons concealed why shouldn't a law-abiding citizen?

BTW, here in Texas since we got the right to carry law violent crime against persons had gone way down. The thugs just don't know who is unarmed and helpless anymore.

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), July 21, 2000.

I've said it before -- I'll say it again -- ain't no way to hide an AK47....

Here in Canada our guns laws are a BIT more strict than stateside -- however, time and again, it has been proven -- outlawing guns, making them inaccessible to your average person, does NOTHING to stop gun- related crime. Look at the statistics -- a good portion of gun- related crime is committed with STOLEN or ILLEGAL weapons. Do those that make the laws really believe that if your friendly neighborhood thug wants a gun, he can't get one, regardless of the laws? It's not like these folks carry legally registered weapons, now is it??? Not unless they're REALLY stupid -- and let's face it, few of them are stupid. That's the scary part. The criminals are more intelligent than the law-makers. Think about it.

When they stop making laws about guns, and start enforcing laws about criminals, you'll see a swift decline in gun-related crime. If they could manage to keep a few of these guys in jail longer than it took them to plan their crime, that might help too.

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), July 21, 2000.

BACK TO GOOD NEWS: The boys are home from church camp and we are a family again. Everyone is healthy (though tired). The garden is getting ahead of us (a good year). My wife has tried jelly and pickling this year (first time) and is on the prowl for anything that could possibly go into a jelly, LOL! I will finally get some REALLY GOOD hot sauce this year (as soon as I make it). We have a great church and a great place to live. The Lord's blessings are all around!!!!!!!!

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), July 21, 2000.

First batch of green beans are picked and put up (48qts), first picking of tomatoes made into 6 qts salsa, and gobs and gobs of potatoes! Lots more of everyting coming on, am thankful for that!! Kids are healthy and discovering all that there is to discover in the country. Husband has lots of business and extended family are doing well. I am so thankful to my Lord. Oh, and momma guinea (2,actually) are nearing the end of thier "setting" on 24 eggs between the 2 of them! This will be thier second family this summer..the last batch, 9 in all, are doing great and have started to roam and consume bugs, yea!! Wendy

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), July 22, 2000.

Heehee! This guy must live under a rock!!

"This misdirected ruling opens the barn door for every violent criminal to carry a weapon and get away scot free," said Keith Fangman, president of the Fraternal Order of Police.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), July 22, 2000.

Rogo -- I'd be interested in what he thinks they've been carrying up until now, brass knuckles????

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), July 22, 2000.

Good news, let's see . . . there are lots of flowers in the front yard to take to church tomorrow. Starting to get green tomatoes on (the weather has been so cool this summer that it will be a minor miracle if they get ripe, but even green ones have some uses!). I'm finally almost finished with the four bridesmaids dresses that I've been working on for far too long (I really have no business being on the computer right now, though!! LOL!!). Greg's bees are doing well, after having to restart from scratch this spring (lost all twenty to a bear last year), and he's actually gotten some comb honey off the hives already! I started eating a low-carb diet a couple of months ago, have lost about fifteen pounds and feel much better than I have in years -- and honestly don't miss most of the stuff I used to eat (notice I said *most* -- homemade bread is hard to give up, but I don't crave it anymore). I'm going to be a grandma again in a couple of weeks :-)

I hope that the gun law decision holds -- it is a shame that people are so foolish about guns. I can't believe that the police departments have bought into the gun control garbage -- they of all people ought to know better! It's only law-abiding people who obey the laws. Sometimes I almost believe there really is a *conspiracy* to inflict a totalitarian form of government on us, because that is the only possible reason for the gun control movement. Well, this doesn't sound much like good news. The sun just peeked through the clouds -- is that better?!?

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), July 22, 2000.

Good news? I'm almost finished mowing the lawn. Bad news? It started to rain. Gotta go put the lawnmower in. In a tearing hurry,

-- Abigail F. (treeoflife@sws.nb.ca), July 22, 2000.

We have not yet succombed here in Maine. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the decision on whether to issue a concealed permit rests with the local Police Dept, or for towns lacking one, with the State Police. But it IS an "issue in absence of evidence to the contrary" rule. Hence, most of us who are in smaller communities, where everybody is pretty well known by Our Finest as well as the general populace, do not have a difficulty getting a permit. There is a requirement to demonstrate proficiency, by passing a "defense" course, which my gun club and others offer very reasonably(read: just a bit below cost). Now in Maine's biggest city, Portland, we have a Police Chief transplanted from Philadelphia. Mike Chitwood, aka "Media Mike", who likes nothing better than to see his image and babbling on TV, radio,(imagined image) or in the very liberal daily rag, the Portland Press Herald, which paper considers the Clintons to be far right. He (Media Mike)has lobbied, without success, to have permits restricted to the town of issue, not statewide as it is and should be. Too many logical folks still live here (outside of Portland) for him to be successful, SO FAR! This should be NATION-WIDE! If I can be trusted in Maine, why not in Tennessee, WVA, or anywhere else? Bottom line: Thank God we still have some freedoms in some areas, (NYC not included, nor the cesspool seat of national gov't). Remember the old saw: "I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6!" Good luck to all, and long live the Constitution!

Brad the meek.

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), July 24, 2000.

there is just too much good news. people do focus a lot on bad news, but it is a little bit exaggerated. this summer has been remarkably cool, at least here in ohio. pretty wet. too. i'm able to put off putting in a second cistern, cause the 1000 gallon one is fine for now. garden is doing great. we have 2 baby chicks. goat due in a couple of weeks. i have a couple of craft shows coming up in the next few weeks (time will tell if that will be good news or not). all in all, this world is a great place to live. i don't know of any better...john

-- john houser (farmrjon@juno.com), July 27, 2000.

I've been enjoying my little granddaughter this week. Her baby brother has been determined to arrive too early and so my daughter and granddaugher are staying with me. Emily is such a delight. She love the animals at Grandma's house. She follows the cats everywhere. They have learned to just head thru the baby gate or get on the top of the bookcases when they want an undisturbed nap. The heat wave broke last night. It gets too hot during the day when it doesn't cool off at night. These good things follow some really bad things around here so I glad to be reminded to remember the good. Thanks.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), July 28, 2000.

Good news: one of my hens that I thought was taken by predators came out of the woods with 12 babies. Not so good news: we watched a bobcat run through our front yard yesterday. Another predator!

-- Peg (NW WI) (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), July 28, 2000.

Hi LBF,

I never responded to your Good News. So, here's mine. After two years, some frogs took up residence in our little lily pad pond by our back door. Enough wild flowers and other annuals have grown up around the water to give the frogs plenty of cover. Hope they spend the summer.

BTW - I don't agree with all the "flowers" you plant, but you have a fascinating garden, never-the-less.

(:raig

-- Craig Miller (CMiller@ssd.com), July 31, 2000.

I shall feel much more secure knowing that my hair care professional is "able to protect himself" I only wish the school bus driver, the grocer and th enewspaper delivery guy were packing heat too, the I could bask in the glory of living in complete security.

-- DC (flies169@cs.com), April 27, 2001.