An 80’s Ronnie Reagan-era restriction on the accessibility of guns taken into National Parks is coming under attack in the form of an amendment tacked onto a public lands’ use bill now being considered by the Senate. Republicans want to make guns an issue in the upcoming elections, while Dems want to keep it on the down low. The bill under consideration contains roughly 60 proposals to expand wilderness protection areas in several states. The Republican amendment would allow for the “accessible” possession of firearms in national parks and wilderness areas, and is sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a longtime gun-rights advocate who would write into law a requirement that accessible guns cannot be restricted in national parks. “Unloaded and disassembled guns locked in your trunk are of no use when a rapist is attacking your family,” said Coburn’s spokesman.
A coalition of park rangers and park service retirees say the amendment could jeopardize public safety and make it more difficult to stop poaching. “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 groups said in a statement.
I don’t know about you, but I prefer experiencing our green public spaces, unencumbered by “accessible” sidearms. A fly-rod or a pair of binos maybe, a 38 Special not so much. Where hunting is permitted, so be it.
Gun control is heading in the wrong direction.
Politics as usual.
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amend the constitution, otherwise the federal government has no authority to restrict an American’s right to bear arms
We have enough death recently in “gun free” zones. If an American wants to arm himself for protection against a cougar, boar, bobcat, bear, or other animal then he is allowed to do so.
The people who legally purchase/own firearms aren’t the problem. The people who will legally carry firearms in national parks aren’t the problem. Democrats and people who don’t “feel” safe around guns ARE the problem. They are the ones who have a problem with the constitution. 38 states allow citizens who so choose to obtain concealed carry permits. The “Wild West” fantasies that gun grabbers have about people shooting each other over parking spaces simply aren’t coming true.
Many national parks happen to be in states where concealed carry is legal. That is silly. Especially since it is widely known that people — not wild animals — pose a threat to those who enjoy national parks. http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-4468666/A-growing-problem-criminals-are.html
Personally, I don’t prefer relying on police or the federal government for my personal protection. As they say, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
The good news is that you’ll never know the legally armed citizens are carrying in the parks (because they carry concealed). Just like you never know that people at the movies or at the mall or wherever are carrying. Your illusion of “feeling” safe may remain intact.
Thanks for the comment. As for firearms in National Parks, the Constitution was written a couple of hundred years ago when firearms were an integral part of every Americans lifestyle. Just because someone meets the “Constitutional” guidelines to carry or own a handgun doesn’t mean they are capable of the responsible use of one. Roughly 30,000 people a year get killed by firearms. We need more regulation, not less, we need more firearms education for people who do get permits and we need some steep rewards for tips on illegal guns to get them off the streets. There’s way too much political posturing on both sides of this issue and a dearth of logical thought regarding a device that is the second leading cause of injury deaths in the U.S. per year. There are vastly more crimes and deaths involving ‘legal’ guns than crimes prevented by gun toting amateur lawmen. Lastly gun manufacturers need to be accountable. No other industry causes as much havoc without any liability…