We really do live in a country full of gun "nuts" don't we?
A bill was just passed in the House by a vote of 279-147 that will allow visitors to national parks and wildlife refuges to carry a loaded gun so long as they abide by state weapons laws. The bill was attached as a provision to the overhaul of the credit card industry. A bill that Obama supports, so it puts him in a real dilemma. Read more of the story here.
I for one, as a naturalist and wilderness educator do not want to have the possibility of staring down a gun when I'm leading a group out in nature. I can also imagine what it will be like for those idiots that are trigger happy to do some potential harm to rare and endangered wildlife.
I am and always have been a strong supporter of gun control and see this as a step backwards on that issue. All that we can do now is to urge Obama to veto the bill but that puts us in a catch 22 since it is attached to the credit industry bill which I think most Americans support.
Here's the irony, that it was Reagan that first required guns to be stored or inoperable in national parks 25 years ago and now we have the potential for that to be undone by one of the more liberal Presidents we've had. Think about that one for a moment and your head will explode!
2 comments:
Hi Randall, it appears that your mind is made up that packing a weapon in nat'l parks is a bad thing. As a gun nut and former police officer, I am comfortable with the decision to carry in nat'l parks. Of course, I'll carry, so that if I or my loved ones are in danger of great harm or death, I can defend them. You can find yourself in some pretty remote areas in a nat'l park and you are without formal assistance. Let me also say that if I ran across you in danger from someone who meant you great harm or kill you, I would put myself in harms way to defend you also. I've learned that there are some bad folks in the world, and if they decide you are their next "opportunity", you are not going to talk them out of it.
Anon,
Thanks for the honest response. Yes, I believe that carrying a loaded gun into a nat'l park is a bad idea. Knives are considered weapons as well and I know a lot of folks out there (myself included) who carry a knife especially in nature settings. But knives aren't primarily a weapon (for some folks they are) they have many more useful purposes and aren't one dimensional.
Until someone can show me what useful purpose a gun has other than to inflict pain, injury, death and illicit fear then I will never be convinced that anyone should have them.
I understand the argument of protecting loved ones but it begs the question, "Why would your violence be okay and someone else's be wrong?" It's violence in any form and I believe that you will see more violence and crime in nat'l parks if this legislation is passed.
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