U.S. Senator To Make Bid to Allow National Park Visitors to Carry Guns

[JoeSF]

Follow the link and let Senator Coburn know you support him. You can leave a comment at the bottom of the page as well.



http://www.nationalparkstraveler.co...e-bid-allow-national-park-visitors-carry-guns


U.S. Senator To Make Bid to Allow National Park Visitors to Carry Guns

 

[Javelin]

Haha. That law is so funny. I mean does the government really think that someone is going to go hiking/camping in an area that is heavily wooded, secluded (for the most part), and full of wild animals without protection.

>>> not to mention the fact this recipe is perfect for predators of the two legged kind (and has). I for one won't end up on a "missing list" and neither will any of my family.

I seriously laughed so hard when I saw that liberal crap on the entrance of Yellowstone.

 

[LT1coupe]

I'd love to see the law changed. My wife & I like to hike. Some of the area's wild animals are a very real threat & the two legged predators are always plotting.
Carrying in a national park can cost you your CCW forever, so be aware.
I saw a man arrested at a park that had not concealed his 1911 well enough.

 

[green-grizzly]

I wonder if the site moderators will allow any pro-gun comments.

I hadn't read that Coburn was introducing an amendment. Is the website making that up, or are they confusing an amendment with that letter sent by the 47 Senators?

Hopefully something can be done. That ban really cramps my style.

 

[JoeSF]

If you comment it will be posted. Be sure to write the Senator Coburn expressing support as well.

 

[dm1333]

The bias towards guns and hunters exhibited in a few of those posts disgusted me. I love being characterized as a neanderthal, a beer swilling idiot who will shoot someone in the back as I lounge around my campsite after I spent the day shooting animals in the woods. What elitist crap! I wonder how many of those yahoos I've run into on the trail, whether I was running, cycling or hiking, who had no idea that I was armed.

 

[Leatherneck]

It's probably not wise to admit breaking federal regulations that have the force of law on the internet.

TC

 

[armoredman]

Go hiking in National Forests - no fed restrictions there. I don't go to places that restrict my right to self defense.

 

[Desertdog]

I wonder if the Washington DC, a Federal Government controlled area, total ban on citizens owning guns is overturned, could it be used as a reason to overturn all Federal government bans on possession of firearms.

The Constitution is supposed to limit the Federal Government: so why not in this case?

 

[Ridgeway]

I would love to see this passed.

I reside near a park which has the nearest express way access.
It's asinine to have to drive miles around it if I want to carry (w/ccw) or go to the range...IE just driving, not even talking about walking in the park.


Wonder if it has a snowball's chance of passing. Doubtful?

 

[tsidorus]

I for one would love to get federal restrictions overturned. One of the reasons I dont carry often is I LIVE and work on a military installation makes it way inconvenient . Well that and an unfortunate but lawful order to not carry concealed by the commanding general (open is my only legal by UCMJ option) ... Why is a profession that is centered around firearms and weapons so scared of them?

-Tsi

 

[XD_fan]

A friend and I got to sit in a tree all night once in Glacier National after a bear decided we just had to have food inside the tent. While we listened to the progressively angrier bear (we've always thought the wind was carrying the scent of our food from where it was tied up between two trees, several hundred yards away) tear our equipment up I sat there thinking about the .44 locked up in the truck. Never again.

 

[Ridgeway]

A friend and I got to sit in a tree all night

can't bears climb?






seriously though, that would be quite scary i would think

 

[alsaqr]

Would like to see the restriction on carry in National Parks rescinded. Coburn is our OK senator. One thing about the guy: He does not care what the Bush administration likes or does not like. Hope that Coburn is able to force this one through congress. Coburn is just as likely to hold up something that the administration wants badly and do a trade off.

 

[roscoe]

Bush could simply issue an executive order that would make this law unnecessary. That he has not says something.

 

[Crimp]

For what it's worth, I had written my senators last year about cc in national parks. One of them actually sent an inquiry to the NPS. Here was their response (Any typos are mine).

National Park Service
1849 C street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240

Apr 30 2007

Dear Senator:

Thank you for your letter regarding the National Park Service (NPS) firearms regulation. Your letter has been referred to my office for reply.

The NPS firearms regulation has provided necessary and consistent enforcement parameters throughout the Agency. Overall, the crime rates in our national park areas are very low. In 2006, there were over 272 million visits to the 390 park units. During that same year, there were approximately 384 violent crimes committed within the National Park System, including numbers reported by the United States Park Police, which focuses the majority of its law enforcement efforts in metropolitan areas such as Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco. The probability of becoming a victim of violent crime in a national park area is roughly 0.0001422% or 1 in 708,333.

Regarding concerns about wildlife, there have been over 1.3 billion visits to our national parks since 2002. During this timeframe, NPS records show two fatalities and 16 other reported serious injuries resulting from encounters with non-domestic animals. Again, a very low number of incidents relative to our number of visitors.

At this time, we do not think there is a compelling need to change the existing firearms regulation. Thank you again for your interest in our national park system. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Karen Taylor-Goodrich
Associate Director, Visitor and Resource Protection

 

[LAR-15]

Is that the same woman who claimed to be a ballistics expert?

 

[LAR-15]

Get Hysterical:

Senator Coburn’s amendment could dramatically degrade the experience of park visitors and put their safety at risk if units of the National Park System were compelled to follow state gun laws. For example, since Wyoming has limited gun restrictions, visitors could see persons with semi-automatic weapons attending campground programs, hiking down park trails or picnicking along park shorelines at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Moreover, many rangers can recite stories about incidents where the risk to other visitors – as well as to the ranger – would have been exacerbated if a gun had been readily-accessible. This amendment would compromise the safe atmosphere that is valued by Americans and expected by international tourists traveling to the United States.

There is simply no legitimate or substantive reason for a thoughtful sportsman or gun owner to carry a loaded gun in a national park unless that park permits hunting. The requirement that guns in parks are unloaded and put away is a reasonable and limited restriction to facilitate legitimate purposes—the protection of precious park resources and safety of visitors.

So protection from being attacked by a rabid bay lynx is not a valid reason to pack a rifle?

 

[Desertdog]

At this time, we do not think there is a compelling need to change the existing firearms regulation. Thank you again for your interest in our national park system. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

Maybe you can give her the statistics from park areas that permit the carrying of firearms and see how they compare. Especially stats where firearms saved people from serious injury or death.

Also, ask her why doesn't the 2nd Amendment apply on federal land?