Farewell To The Fair

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​FAREWELL TO THE FAIR

​    If there's anyone who loves the Ohio State Fair, it's me.
​    In fact, Tom and I have been always been the most stalwart of Fairophiles,

...and rarely  missed a State Fair for all the years we lived in Columbus, even those years when we were dragging around a passle of  babies, toddlers and little kids and, back in those pre-restroom changing station days, changing diapers on the grass. 
        But then the pandemic came along and closed down the Fair in 2020. And again in 2021. 
        But now it's 2022 and the Ohio State Fair is back on again!
        "Should we go?" I asked my mate.
        "Heck, yeah, we should go!" was his reply.
        We figured we'd go next week, on a weekday, a day or two after the Fair opened. I was looking forward to it.
          But as of yesterday, we're not going to the State Fair this year. Chances are we'll never go to the Fair again.
          Because yesterday I saw this:    

     The above article, posted by the Columbus NPR news network, stated that, "As of last month Ohio law allows people to be armed without a permit. Ohio State Fair Assistant General Manager Alicia Shoults said that means gun owners can both carry concealed weapons and openly carry at the fair."
        Could Ohio lawmakers have sent an engraved invitation to crazy homicidal shooters everywhere to come one, come all, to our State Fair? Could they hang a banner over the Fair entrance that reads, "Welcome Unhinged AR-15-toting Mass Murderers"?
       They might as well. But get this: There will still be Ohio Highway Patrol officers manning the entrances and requiring all Fairgoers to pass through metal detectors. But what for? Why bother having police and metal detectors when any wild-eyed dude openly carrying an assault rifle or two with ammunition bandoliers crisscrossed over his chest and rocking a Glock on one hip and a SIG Sauer on the other must be waived through in compliance with State law?
            So what are the metal detectors there to detect? Knives?  Machetes? Knitting needles? Bobby pins? 
            The thing is, Fairgoers can openly or secretly schlepp their guns all over the outdoor Fair grounds. They are not, however, permitted to bring their weapons inside any of the buildings on the grounds, such as the exhibit or commercial buildings. Does this make sense? Is it any less dangerous to bring a gun to a crowded outdoor venue than to a crowded indoor venue?
            Which begs another question: If the powers that be can ban guns on part of the Fair grounds - the indoor part - why can't they ban guns on the outdoor part of the Fair grounds as well? And how does this rule apply to the spaces, such as some of the animal shelters and covered entertainment and food areas that aren't strictly outdoors or indoors?
​              Whatever. My Fair-going days are over and I'm heart-broken.

Reference
https://www.wksu.org/community/2022-07-18/ohioans-can-carry-guns-at-first-full-ohio-state-fair-in-three-years