Visitors to National Parks Can Now Carry Guns

Packer praising an Obama Administration policy? I need to change my underwear

...So you can do what? Piss it off before it eats you?

Any weapon that's going to stop a grizzly ain't gonna be lightweight. You're better off just learning to bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.

 

I am all for the right to bear arms but:

Go spend a few days in Yellowstone and then tell me that those morons having guns is a good idea. If you can't trust people to responsibly operate cameras around wildlife why the hell would you give them weapons? Do you know how many people can't understand that they must keep away from these wild animals and get charged? I've seen on multiple occasions people try to carry their toddlers up to PET the elk/bison/ friendly bear, and be totally shocked to have it react in self defese. And oh, it was the animals fault...

now lets give someone in the crowd with that kind of common sense a weapon and see what happens...

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/02/17/obama-defends-bush-rule-permitting-guns-national-parks/



Obama himself has been pushing for this since this time last year.

 

As well as the rapes, thefts, and assaults along the appalachian trail...

 

Look let's be real here. This is about making laws consistent, not about strapping your AR to your back and going hiking...

 

Sure is. Funny though that it took a law to make it finally happen, huh?

 

Yeah, it's bizarre but it only took a law to make it legal. I've been to the GC a few times and I'm pretty sure I had a pistol on me every time. I could be mistaken though.

 

I always brought my .45 when I went to Yosemite...

 

Yeah...as a mountaineer I spend a lot of time in federally/state owned backcountry. Anyone in the mix knows that LEOs are few and far between out there and policing is largely taken care of on a self-serve basis.

People have been packing in parks long before this law. Signing it just made legal what everyone was already doing.

 

That's true. I've certainly seen more than 1 pistol on fellow backpackers.

 

It doesn't much matter to me how often it happens. The facts are that it does happen, and that's too often for me. A gun as "extra weight" has never caused me any problems, whether it be camping, or for backpacking. I mean, we are only talking about a couple extra pounds here, and it could save your life.

I'm thinking no, if someone is willing to break laws to commit gun violence, then I don't think they care if there is a restriction on guns in national parks either. There is also a very clear correlation that places with the most crime, have the most gun restrictions.

Further, carrying a concealed weapon in national forests has been legal, so it makes sense to make the law similar for national parks. A national park and a national forest are very similar (they both have bushes, lakes, trails, bears and people, so lets make the laws consistent). There has not been any gun related pandemonium in national forests, and it won't happen in national parks either.

Even further, you could always bring guns into national parks, they just had to be unloaded or disabled. The change is that licensed (i.e., trained) individuals can now carry concealed weapons into the park. So if all you have to do is just LOAD the gun, ( a simple 2-second task) then the violence and/or gun problems your afraid of would already by happening.

 

I didn't realize that part. Does this apply to other national places? Landmarks, gravesites, etc?

If you want to carry 2 extra pounds, go for it. I personally don't. Exceptions occur - when I was in AK for example. Ultimately, it's a risk-analysis on an individual basis. I'm glad the option is available. I personally won't excercise it often.

 

I'm not certain. what I meant about it being legal in national forests, is there is no federal restriction. But there could still be state laws. Where I'm from, I have always been able to carry concealed, without a license, in national forests, as long as I am not inside the confines of a city.

 

cool man thanks for posting

 

I hunt and carry in our national forests practically on a weekly basis.

My pleasure.