Bush Administration: Allow CCW in National Parks
Or at least have federal laws defer to state laws. From Environment News Service:
The Bush administration on Wednesday announced its intent to shoot down federal rules that prohibit individuals from carrying loaded firearms in U.S. national parks and wildlife refuges. The proposal would permit individuals to carry loaded and concealed weapons if permitted by state laws in the state where the park or refuge is located, a change many current and retired park rangers contend is unnecessary and potentially dangerous.
U.S. Interior Department officials said the proposed change would clarify conflicting state and federal restrictions. The 61 units of the National Park Service where hunting is permitted, as well as the public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, follow state laws on firearms.
Needless to say, there’s plenty of opposition to this. Not from me. . .
We’re always reading about bicyclers or hikers being attacked by mountain lions or bears. If for no other reason than that, it’d be nice to have a bit of protection. More than that, though, there have been attacks by mutants. I do know that two lesbians were killed on the Appalachian Trail a few years ago. I don’t remember the details but again, why would folks who have already passed the appropriate state CCW permit laws NOT be qualified to carry in a park?
This particular article is somewhat biased against the idea of CCW in parks and raises all the old canards:
“Do visitors want other visitors with concealed handguns sitting next to them in park concession restaurants, or in park visitor center auditoriums during interpretive programs, or walking with them during ranger-guided walks?” asked Wade, former superintendent at Shenandoah National Park . “Will parks and concessionaires now have to install metal detectors at the entrances to lodges and visitor centers and other administrative facilities?”
Personally, I’d feel safer knowing that some of my fellow citizens are able to protect us all from unknown dangers but that’s just me.
By the way, it’s nice to see the Bush administration actually supporting some gun rights for a change. Remember, he had said that he’d sign another “assault weapons ban” if it crossed his desk and didn’t they also file a brief in the Heller vs DC case before the Supreme Court supporting DC’s gun ban?
12 Responses to “Bush Administration: Allow CCW in National Parks”
on 02 May 2008 at 10:34 am # doug in Colorado
If a person is judged safe, sane and suitable for a concealed carry permit, or if the laws of the state(s) surrounding the park allow for open carry, there’s no reason why someone should have to go unarmed in a wilderness area where witnesses, shelters, and communications are sparse and either crime or animal attack can easily occur. It should be significantly more difficult for a Park Ranger to deal with a lawfully armed citizen than it is for any regular LEO to do so. Evil people are going to ignore the rules anyway, if they plan evil deeds. Up to now, lawful people who wanted to defend their own lives and their families have had to either stay out of parks or violate the rules. The sooner this gets implemented the safer the Parks will be.
on 02 May 2008 at 10:35 am # doug in Colorado
Whoops…that should read “It should NOT be significantly more difficult..”
on 02 May 2008 at 10:56 am # ScottG
“Do visitors want other visitors with concealed handguns sitting next to them in park concession restaurants, or in park visitor center auditoriums during interpretive programs, or walking with them during ranger-guided walks?” asked Wade, former superintendent at Shenandoah National Park ….”
Er, how would they know if the guns are concealed? Well, it doesn’t matter to elites like Wade anyway….
on 02 May 2008 at 11:02 am # ThomasD
“Will parks and concessionaires now have to install metal detectors at the entrances to lodges and visitor centers and other administrative facilities?”
If concealed carry is legal, metal detectors in lodges and visotors centers would be illogical and unnecessary. So all we are left with is those administrative facilities, and that gets to the real heart of the Park Service’s attitude towards the very people they are supposed to serve.
The Park Service sees you as a nuisance, and at best, a necessary evil. Park Rangers routinely carry firearms (and not just for law enforcement purposes) so they understand the value of guns, they just don’t want you to share that privilege.
on 02 May 2008 at 12:25 pm # geekWithA.45
>>“Do visitors want other visitors with concealed handguns sitting next to them in park concession restaurants, or in park visitor center auditoriums during interpretive programs, or walking with them during ranger-guided walks?”
EEEEW! get that icky gun away from me!
You know, I get really, really sick of being a gun leper. As I recall from Sunday school, they made lepers wear bells in the old days, and shout “unclean! unclean!” everywhere they went.
on 02 May 2008 at 1:05 pm # ron
It keeps the meth heads with their plantation facilities at bay. Big problem here in CA, meth heads run the forests and parks so you must be on the look out.
on 02 May 2008 at 1:43 pm # KCSteve
As the man says, if you can’t trust someone with a gun, why are they running around unsupervised?
on 03 May 2008 at 10:09 pm # OldeForce
Rangers at both Great Sand Dunes and Rocky Mtn in Colorado have commented to me that they have no problem with concealed carry in the parks. Reference was made to bear and cougar preditation - and that they believe the wolves are coming in.
on 04 May 2008 at 2:52 am # RedneckInNY
Park rangers, like the police, cannot be everywhere and cannot protect you 24/7. I’m not sure, but I don’t think they have a constitutional duty to protect you and an individual in a state park either, just as the police do not have that duty everywhere else.
on 04 May 2008 at 8:19 pm # J Richardson
Don’t be so quick to praise the Bush Administration on this. The way it is worded concealed carry is OK if it is OK in a similar state park or wildlife area. This is the Trojan Horse in their little rule change. Many states forbid carrying in a park or other state-owned property. North Carolina makes it a misdemeanor to have a weapon in state wildlife area, rest stop, etc. We are home to the Great Smoky Mtns NP, Cape Hatteras Nat. Seashore, and Cape Lookout Nat. Seashore. Under this rule, though NC is a “shall issue” state, I couldn’t carry concealed or open in the Smokies.
on 05 May 2008 at 1:42 pm # RAH
Actually this is a bad change. It makes a two tier system on gun rights in National Parks. Those who do not have CCW or live in states that disallow would be unable to carry. It would be better if the regulation just allowed carry open or concealed loaded or not without any such restrictions. WE want to get rid of restrictions not clutter up Park regulation with more regulations.
Back in the 1970 we could carry in National Parks or carry with us and that now would be considered concealed. Lets fix this with getting rid of restriction not a narrowing of rights.
on 06 May 2008 at 2:08 am # straightarrow
I can carry in all those places now, if I so choose.
Do not tell me I can’t ignore laws that I think shouldn’t be laws or that i think are unconstitutional. I have been doing it my entire life.
And I have stated the same to police who made the same objection.
A park ranger here, once told me that he needed his M-16 because he never knew when he would be attacked by meth cookers or marijuana growers when in the park. His life isn’t a damn bit more valuable than mine. Nor less valuable, for that matter, until he decides I am not entitled to the same right to protect myself as he is. Then he becomes the enemy, and I placed no value on his life.