Friday, March 13, 2009
GUNS GUNS GUNS!!!!
When I was reading a article in Backpacker magazine, I noticed that the article was talking about how the government was going to change a law that required any gun the will be passing through or in an national park be unloaded and packed away. The new law will allow loaded, concealed firearms in national parks. Well when I was looking for a news release to write about for the 3rd blog, I came across a press release about this. The new law has taken effect as of January 9th which mean that if you wanted to you could be packing heat in a national park provided that you have a canceled weapons permit. The lawsuit to put an injunction against the new law was filed in U.S. District Court by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. The new law was pushed by the Bush Administration failed to provide adequate reasons for passing the new law. National Rifle Association was the major backer of the new law which wanted to expand the 2nd amendment, the right to bear arms to include national parks. The Backpacker magazine article talked about how people were more afraid of people in the park then a chance encounter with wildlife and this was shown with statistics within the article. Which stated that more park related deaths accord by human’s crimes then animal mauling accidents. My personal opinion about this new law is that I too think that concealed firearms should not be allowed within the boundaries of a national park. This is because this would cause more problems for the national park staff having to deal with people and guns. The new law would not only cause an increase in cost to the park for more law enforcement. The increase confrontation between camp neighbors would be a direct cause of this law because people when packing heat tend to get bolder with their views…. Throw a few beers in them and you got the next episode of cops. The park staff with their family also lives within the park boundaries and having kids around people with loaded concealed firearms would make me a nervous parent. This press release is in the general format found in chapter ten of our PR book and the handout that we received while we were discussing chapter 10. The press release follows the format of news release by having the required information on the top of the release and has the ### at the end.
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Steve has a good point with this blog. Guns and national parks just don’t mix. If people are allowed to have concealed weapons at national parks they may be tempted to shoot animals in the park. Also as Steve stated, if people are drinking while at the park and they have a weapon with them, it is likely that someone may become injured. There is no need for people to have firearms in a national park.
ReplyDeleteI was an NRA member for 5 years and I have to admit, I didn't like the organization. Don't get me wrong, the 2nd amendment is written in stone and should never be messed with. If that is a problem, then a test should be made law that if you want to purchase, own, or fire a firearm, you have to successful pass a lengthy test in order to do any of these things. I mean guns don't kill people, it's the finger behind the trigger that kills... With that being said, National Parks are not allowed to have hunting of any sort in the parks, except for a few cases. So why would they allow or not want to fight something like this that makes absolutely no sense to me. Firearms can't be in our National Parks, enuf said. So with those few exceptions, those people should have to take a test, a long and intense test to make sure they are more than qualified to use the firearm properly and effectively...
ReplyDeleteThis is not a good deal. I am a Park Ranger and had to deal with many people in the campgrounds last summer. Like you said the more alcohol, the harder it is to deal with SOME people. We do not allow any firearms in the campgrounds and I hope this does not change. They have had people shooting in the Ahtabula campgrounds in the past, and it has not ended up good. I believe in the right to carry firearms, but not in a campground setting or in a National Park Setting. TO MANY PEOPLE IN NOT A VERY LARGE SPACE! It seems there are very few wildlife issues in which firepower is required. Isn't that what they pay us to do??? Us rangers only carry Pepper Spray, if a situation escalates with a camper it would be very unnerving knowing that he/she may have a gun present.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good example of a great press release!
Good blog
THIS MAY MAKE RANGERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT HANDLE SITUATIONS MUCH DIFFERENT........or maybe even wrong...." Its dark out, situation escalates with camper, camper gets pist, goes to vehicle reaches in to grab something, (Might not be a gun), starts threatening Law enforcement....................you can finish the possible outcome of this case.
ReplyDeleteMany of you probably don't know this, but there has been guns going into the Theodore Roosevelt National Park for many years. If you are a lucky recipient of an elk tag in western ND, you will have to go through the park with your gun. I have been out there twice and both times we have had our guns cased and not once were the guns checked in any way to see if they were unloaded. If anyone would want to get a gun into the park with criminal intent, no one would be able to stop them. I like this bill because any bill that expands our 2nd amendment is a good bill!
ReplyDeleteI am kind of on the fence on this issue, because I understand why people want to carry a pistol in the parks for protection against say grizzly bears. But, I also understand the parks point of view as well in feeling that it would raise the crime levels in national parks. I think that concealed weapons will again be banned in national parks, but there will be some loopholes when this law is reenacted.
ReplyDeleteA law isn't going to keep the people you're worried about from causing trouble.
ReplyDeleteIf it did you'd already be covered because ... IT'S ALREADY ILLEGAL TO SHOOT SOMEONE.
Gun control reducing crime is a steaming load of statist bullshit.
http://www.johnlott.org/
To the person who commented that this will change the behavior of "law enforcement" ...
ReplyDeleteThey treat everyone as potentially armed already. Do do otherwise would be folly in that line of work.