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Congressman Accuses Sec. Kempthorne of Pandering to NRA on Gun Issue

Jun 4th - 12:24pm | Anonymous

You said “Now Art, you can configure the statistics anyway you want, but you still end up with 27 murders/non-negligent manslaughters, two forcible rapes, five robberies, 376 aggravated assaults and 454 "other assaults" committed by CCW holders from 1996-1999.” As I said before, According to the Rocky Mountain News in 2006 .... And this is ONE YEAR

Jun 3rd - 23:28pm | Kurt Repanshek

Rick, Why do I need to look at more data? This whole back and forth started when you asked for proof that a single CCW permit holder had committed a crime, other than a "bureaucratic infraction," and the records you and Art provided, old or recent, amply provided that proof.

Jun 3rd - 21:25pm | Rick

Kurt: > Now Art, you can configure the statistics anyway you want, but you still end up with 27 murders/non-negligent manslaughters, two forcible rapes, > five robberies, 376 aggravated assaults and 454 "other assaults" committed by CCW holders from 1996-1999.

Jun 3rd - 18:05pm | Kurt Repanshek

Art, I am not -- I repeat, not -- asserting that "CCW holders are somehow more inclined to commit a crime once in possession of their licenses." All I'm pointing out, using statistics you yourself have pointed to, is that CCW holders have committed crimes, both violent and non-violent. Period.

Jun 3rd - 17:44pm | Art

Kurt,

Jun 3rd - 11:13am | Lone Hiker

most states' application process involves some questions about past mental health history

Jun 3rd - 11:03am | Kurt Repanshek

Anonymous, According to this report (which is eight years old, by the way), violent crimes by CCW permit holders in Texas increased every year from 1996 to 1999. Over that period, according to the study, there were 27 murders/non-negligent manslaughters, two forcible rapes, five robberies, 376 aggravated assaults, and 454 "other assaults."

Jun 3rd - 10:36am | Anonymous

Kurt: You need to actually read the report this information came from. The actual report is much different than the misinformation you are spreading. Read the study at: http://www.txchia.org/sturdevant.pdf

Jun 3rd - 07:37am | Anonymous

Anonymous pondered" > Don't you think Rick it might be wise to implement some kind of psychological testing before one can be issued a concealed (handgun) weapon?

Jun 2nd - 23:44pm | Art

Rick, "Many disagree with your assertion that carrying a weapon is guaranteed by the Constitution ..." That's why men like Patrick Henry and Gouverneur Morris insisted that certain rights be spelled out in the "Bill of Rights", they knew that unless they were, people like you would deny them.

Jun 2nd - 21:26pm | Rick Smith

Art--

Jun 2nd - 17:40pm | Art

Anonymous, "Don't you think Rick it might be wise to implement some kind of psychological testing before one can be issued a concealed (handgun) weapon?"

Jun 2nd - 15:15pm | Art

Hang on to your cutlery: [Ed. note: The link connects to an article about an incident in the UK described thusly: "The grandson of prominent anti-gun campaigner Pat Regan has been arrested on suspicion of stabbing her to death."] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_yorkshire/7430668.stm

Jun 2nd - 13:44pm | Anonymous

Don't you think Rick it might be wise to implement some kind of psychological testing before one can be issued a concealed (handgun) weapon?

Jun 2nd - 12:28pm | Rick

> The bottom line for me is that, in light of the relative lack of crime in national parks, and the odds of accidents happening and those accidents > becoming more dangerous when firearms are involved, I just don't see the need for park visitors to arm themselves

Jun 2nd - 10:53am | Kurt Repanshek

Rick/Art, OK, you guys win. I might have a fighting chance if I dwelled on guns, gun laws, and crime stats as much as I do on parks, but I don't. Here are my parting thoughts:

Jun 2nd - 10:22am | Anonymous

Anonymous writes: > Because of the threat of poaching, the presence of an assembled and loaded weapon is a reasonable threat ON ITS FACE. How about: "because of the threat of murder, rape and assault an assembled and loaded weapon is a reasonable defense ON ITS FACE"? > This is a real reason there have been no successful challenges to the existing regulation

Jun 2nd - 10:00am | Anonymous

Dear Fred: Because of the threat of poaching, the presence of an assembled and loaded weapon is a reasonable threat ON ITS FACE. This is a real reason there have been no successful challenges to the existing regulation on Second Amendment grounds. All judges and reasonable people would agree this is exactly the kind of reasonable regulation the Constitution is talking about.

Jun 2nd - 08:53am | Rick

> Ya know, we could bat this back and forth for years and we wouldn't see eye to eye. Art did a good job of presenting the factual Texas data. Thanks, Art.

Jun 1st - 22:27pm | Fred Miller

It's true to point out that we could argue about this for years. It would be a much better use of this valuable space to dissuade people's irrational fears of fellow Park visitors who might be armed. There have been more than 9,400 comments posted about the proposed firearm regulation change. It's probably safe to say that the rule change will take place.

National Park Quiz 5: Biggest This or That

Jun 4th - 09:30am | Kurt Repanshek

Hmmm, nice technicality, Owen. While there is water flowing nearby, none flows beneath Kolob.

Jun 4th - 09:26am | Bob Janiskee

"Must" is a bit too restrictive. That's because "water flowing through it" is a suggested standard definition. Several other definitions are in use and are considered at least technically correct, depending on the context. This much we can say with confidence: All natural bridges are arches, but not all arches should be considered natural bridges.

Jun 4th - 09:09am | pkrnger

Rick, Are you thinking perhaps about the Kolob Arch in Zion National Park? It's big, but it is not a natural bridge. To be considered a natural bridge, there must be water flowing underneath. I don't think this is the case with Zion's Kolob Arch. Owen Hoffman Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Jun 4th - 08:31am | Bob Janiskee

The answer is the one indicated in the quiz. The NPS describes the bridge thusly: "Rainbow Bridge is the world's largest known natural bridge........

Jun 4th - 07:40am | Rick Smith

Bob-- I'm resting on my laurels here in NM but wonder about question 7. I had always heard that the longest natural bridge in the world was in Zion. Did I get tripped up on the difference between "longest" and "biggest'? Or am I wrong about both? Rick Smith

Yosemite National Park Waterfalls Approaching Full Throttle

Jun 4th - 09:14am | pkrnger

I had the priviledge of living in Yosemite Valley for two years. The Valley is most exciting when the big waterfalls hit their peak in mid to late Spring. During this wonderful season of the year, one can literally "feel" the vibrations created by the sound of falling water.

Traveler's View: Concealed Weapons Have No Place In Our National Park System

Jun 3rd - 17:14pm | Fred Miller

Here's how I decide which states I will visit: http://carryconcealed.net/legal/utah-ccw-state-laws.php Those that aren't colored green on this map on not in my travel plans, except for Colorado. My brother lives there.

Jun 3rd - 16:36pm | Fred Miller

I've carried plenty, just NOT in a National Park.

Jun 3rd - 16:35pm | Fred Miller

Sorry Kurt, I won't tell. The whole idea of "concealed" is that you don't know that I'm carrying, and you certainly don't know WHERE it is on my body. One sure way for the bad guy to disarm you is to know these two pieces of information. Warm weather is a real problem for me and has been the hardest and most expensive to solve.

Jun 3rd - 16:34pm | Lone Hiker

Hey Fred, I thought we had both agreed you NEVER carried in the parks? C'mon amigo, which is it?

Jun 3rd - 16:26pm | Anonymous

Nothing personal, Fred but I don't think I would enjoy backpacking with someone like you. You sound a bit braggadocio about carrying a concealed weapon into the National Parks when it's clearly stated it's against the law.

Jun 3rd - 15:25pm | Fred Miller

How come everything is underlined??

Jun 3rd - 15:24pm | Fred Miller

I can't speak for all CCW holders, but I DON'T carry my pistol in my backpack. What if I wanted to take it off while I took a break? Would I just set it on the ground and then wander over to look at that pretty flower? Not me, brother!! My pistol is somewhere on my person every second, or it's in the lockbox. There are several thousand different types of holsters on the market.

Jun 3rd - 10:04am | Bob Moore

Adding guns to the National Parks is complete contrary to the concept of the parks being a sanctuary. Guns kill, people with guns murder. Allowing guns in parks will only increase the likelyhood of some idiot killing the very animals protected by the sanctuary of the Natioanl Parks.

Jun 2nd - 22:00pm | Kurt Repanshek

Jurjen, I think the statistics -- no matter whose you choose to use -- speak for themselves. The more guns in circulation, the more folks get shot, whether intentionally or accidentally, whether by criminals or by guns owned by any legal gun owner, whether they hold a CCW permit or not.

Jun 2nd - 21:07pm | Jurjen Smies

Bill Wade wrote: I say, give me one example of a citizen with a concealed carry permit who has averted a violent crime in our sacred national park system...

Jun 2nd - 13:50pm | Jurjen Smies

Rangertoo wrote: Not all parks are wild natural areas. Do we really want guns in Lincoln's Home or at Kennedy Birthplace?

Jun 2nd - 08:49am | Rick

Bill says, > I say, give me one example of a citizen with a concealed carry permit who has averted a violent crime in our sacred national park system...

Alexander Hamilton's "Country Home" on the Move in New York City

Jun 3rd - 11:44am | Rangertoo

Dear Anonymous - The NPS does not manage New York City and has no responsibility for city corruption. Hamilton Grange is a national park.

Artists' Paint Pots Area in Yellowstone National Park Temporarily Closed Due to Thin Surface Crust

Jun 3rd - 10:45am | Bob Janiskee

Being well prepared makes good sense to me, Bob. I do have a question about the snake bite kit, though. Here in South Carolina, where people are outdoorsy and snake bites are not just a theoretical hazard (we have four venomous species), medical authorities have told people very emphatically that they shouldn't fool around with snake bite kits.

Jun 3rd - 09:55am | Bob Moore

It's awesome to see the Park Rangers on top of the situation so quickly. Preparedness is #1. I've been group group leader several times down into the Grand Canyon NP and tell my folks to be over prepared for the worst. Carry a first aid kit and snake bite kit which includes both a sling for injured bones and a burn kit for accidents just as this.

National Park Service Director Bomar Scheduled to Meet With Mountain Bike Community

Jun 2nd - 23:57pm | Shirley

I am in my 40s and have been a bike rider since I was VERY little and a mountain biker since the mid 80s. I would have to agree with Marylander that most of us are very respectful of hikers, in truth most of us still hike on ocassion. There are places within National parks that I have dreams of returning to, yet haven't been able to because of time constraints.

Jun 2nd - 09:41am | Marylander

First of all, I am not a mountian biker. I wasn't born with the coordination needed to ride a regular bike on flat concrete, let alone a mountain bike on a rugged trail. However, I have done a lot of hiking over the years with mountain bikers in the National Forests of Colorado and I am happy to report that we've never had any sort of problem with mountain bikers.

Couple That Was Lost In Grand Canyon National Park Had Good Survival Plan

Jun 2nd - 23:28pm | Anonymous

I am so glad the two of you were found. Congrats!

Jun 2nd - 10:44am | Anonymous

I am so impressrd with the resiliance of this couple ...in the 1950s Dad took us camping at the Canyon and on several Indian reservations where he had friends and he taught us pretty much the same things...always let someone know your plans and check in with them as soon as you return and let them find you,wandering around creates panic and decreases survival.

Proposed Settlement Filed in Cape Hatteras National Seashore ORV Case

Jun 2nd - 11:43am | Cut off from th...

I would call myself a bird watcher or at least a friend to birds.

Battle Mounts Over Off-Road Vehicles at Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Jun 2nd - 06:19am | Stephanie Marshall

I don't think people realize that you CAN NOT access most beaches without a ORV. The picture above showing bumper to bumper vehicles also was done on a holiday and not pictured is the roped off area south of Cape Point for birds. That's why all the cars are so congested! Just feels like lies.

Electric Map Going Away at Gettysburg National Military Park

Jun 2nd - 05:01am | Fred Miller

My Grandfather took me to see this map when I was a little boy. I learned more about Civil War history with that one visit than I did in all my years of public school. It's "disappearance" would truly be a tragic loss.

Jun 1st - 23:31pm | Anonymous

I visited G'burg today and went in the new Visitors Center. There is *no equivalent* to the Electric Map there. It does a terrible job at providing a tactical perspective of the battle, something for which the Electric Map was perfect. The new Center is something like 20 times as big as the old one, yet they couldn't find room for the Electric Map? Unbelievable.

Groups Sue Cape Hatteras National Seashore Over ORV Traffic

Jun 1st - 21:47pm | Shawn R Turschak

Anonymous (from 10/21), You have clearly never stepped foot on Hatteras or Ocracoke Island. If you had, you would understand how utterly asinine and inaccurate your characterization of ORV activity there is.

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