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NPS Retirees Oppose Carrying Guns in National Parks

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The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees opposes a change in gun laws in the national park system.

The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees sees no need to change gun laws in the national parks, saying that allowing the public to carry weapons in the parks could jeopardize the safety of visitors.

Last month, you might recall, the Traveler pointed to an effort by nearly half the U.S. Senate to allow concealed weapons to be carried in the parks. Current Park Service policy allows permitted weapons to be transported through the parks, but they must be unloaded and stored so as they're not readily accessible.

Forty-seven senators, led by Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, don't think that's good enough. He says varying gun laws on federal lands can be confusing to gun holders. (The New York Times pointed out, though, that if gun holders are confused, perhaps they shouldn't be permitted to carry guns.)

In a letter to Representative Nick Rahall, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, the coalition asked that if legislation proposing a change in the current regulations reaches his committee, that it not gain favorable consideration.

We believe that to change these regulations so that visitors might wear or keep firearms close at hand in national parks - guided by differing state laws -could significantly increase the danger to visitors in national parks. Equally worrisome is that such a practice would almost certainly put wildlife in many parks at greater risk, wrote the coalition. Poaching would become easier. And visitors who believe that carrying a firearm provides them with extra “security” and the authority to shoot animals would be far more likely to use deadly force whenever they feel the slightest threat. Information gathered by State and Federal wildlife management organizations throughout the country overwhelmingly indicates that both people and wildlife are safer when guns are not the first choice when people feel threatened.

Comments

Finally...an actual reasonable response to the topic instead of "guns are bad" and those who believe in the second amendment are somehow kooks. Barky, you do well by illustrating a good point that I had heretofore not thought of with regards to the loss of, as you put it, fear of wildlife(perhaps healthy respect may be better). This is such a valid point I actually smiled that there was someone as well thought out in the world that could go against my viewpoint.

I thought about what you said and have this as a response. I am only marginally afraid of myself causing trouble in the wilderness with regards to disturbing animals in a dangerous way; perhaps this has to do with the 6 years I spent in the army (callsign Prophet) but I feel I have a good sense of how to move through nature. Of course, thats me and while I wish everyone were as careful as you and I not to endanger the public AND the wildlife (ie feeding bears is basically giving them a death sentence when they begin to rely on people instead of themselves) I do worry that the public as a whole is not so carry and it is very possible that a nuisance bear may come looking for some food around my campsite. Throw in some of baby bears for her to protect and things can get really dicey really quick. Perhaps a few shots in the air can do a little more to spook her off than simply waving my arms and yelling. And I agree barky, if we start allowing hunting rifles into the parks then that will probably lead to hunting, but I am for allowing pistols in the park because one rarely needs to protect themselves at 200 yards but at 20ft the need may arise and a pistol is a suitable firearm for defense.

But as I said, I am only marginally afraid of that scenario. The scenario I am more wary of is the one that has been brought up before in that, while the legal minded citizens of this land will invariably follow such restrictions the criminal element will not. And what better place for a criminal to partake in crime than in places where they face little resistence from an armed victim. This is one of the main reasons why cities such as Washington DC and Detroit are such dangerous places, when you ban guns for legal citizens then you open criminals up to running roughshod over the people. Not one week ago the VP of columbia artists in NYC was pistol whipped and held up and lost $150,000 in broad daylight. He was lucky to escape with his life but the NYC gun ban did little to stop the brazen robber from using a pistol in his crime.

Have we all ready forgotten Meredith Emerson, the 24 year old girl from Georgia who was beheaded while on a hiking trip by some drifter that crossed her path? Maybe she never saw the deathblow coming...but if she did maybe if she was armed the results may have been different.

Someone mentioned how if we're so afraid of terrorists we should stay home...firstly, its not about terrorists, its about the fact that we live in a world that has danger in it both from abroad, nature, and the random person you meet on the trail. Secondly, we shouldn't have to hide in our homes in order to remain safe. If people legally carrying weapons in a National Park bothers you detractors so much then you should take your own advice and stay home. Or better yet pick up some iron and hit the shooting range. I mean, you wouldnt go hiking with the bare minimum amount of water...even if you were only planning to go out for an hour would you? You never know how that one hour hike may get you turned around and end up being 10 days. Its a matter of prevention.

While I can respect the well thought out arguments that people like Barky can bring forth, too often people rely on hysterical sensationalism like references to the old west and espound on how much guns are evil and so is the NRA. Despite the fact that most layman peoples understanding of how the old west "really" was is based off of spaghetti westerns and dime store novels. To think the old west was really like that is to say that when i watch the news I only hear about planes that crash land therefore the majority of planes that fly end in crashes.

But I digress. Barky, I hope that people would try and use some common sense when dealing with nature at all times, be it armed or unarmed though I think you are onto something that may need to be dealt with when this bill passes. But as the adage goes you shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater.


If you don't want loaded guns in national parks, use the following link to send an e-mail saying so to your reps. in Washington.

http://ga1.org/campaign/Coburn_Amendment?qp_source=adv%5fhme


That's funny that you think that folks who carry have any intention of harming another human or wildlife in a national park. Will you be thinking that when when of those "fools" is saving your life when you're being attacked by a bear? You are more likely to be attacked by wildlife because you're wearing perfume than you are being attacked by a citizen acting on his 2nd amendment right to bear arms and protect himself. Good luck to you, you're going to need it.


T-Fly

Tell your sob story to the women who are raped or killed in our national parks each year. I am a gun owner and I have a PhD so am I too stupid to protect myself? You are not getting any points with me sugar. Perhaps you're scared of guns in parks because you have not had experience with them? An individual with a CCW permit can current carry that gun into the grocery store near the park but not into the park per se. The main reason for the establishment of these laws was to reduce poaching. The unintended consequence has been to create victims. Gun free zones don't work. Why do you think mass murders often happen in gun free zones but not at gun clubs or gun shows?? Come on put your thinking cap T-Fly on I am sure you can come up with a fantastic reason to account for this well known fact.


Linda, you obviously know nothing about bears. Just ask an Alaskan about bears. People who know about bears will not even put out their garbage without a gun. As people encroach on the space of bears they lose their fear of humans. This in turn increases the likelihood of an attack. And I sorry to tell you my friend but bear spray is virtually useless in most real life situations. But you should be safe since it sounds like you never go in the back country anyway. If you ever do go in the woods please don't feed the bears so I would need to shoot em.


The anti-gun gang hysteria never ceases to amaze me. "We're afraid that people with permits might have guns and we won't know it!. Eeewwww!" Why don't you whine about all of the gun-carrying criminals you pass every day? For your information, since gun -banners never do the research, as of the 2006 FBI data, there were appx 14,000 non-suicide firearm deaths in the U.S. Of that number appx 7800 were committed with handguns. The trend in firearm deaths is that typically around 70% are committed as a result of criminal behavior by actual criminals who didn't bother to get a background check or permit for the stolen gun they used. Law-abiding citizens used guns more than a million times each year to stop crimes. Concealed carry permit revocation rates are typically less than 1% and usually for non-violent behavior. Except Philthadelphia which has a revocation rate of more than 10%. It's not a gun problem it's a Philthadelphia crime problem But that new $45 million sports complex sure helped take a bite out of crime, eh? Stop the anti-gun bigotry. You have absolutely no proof that citizens with concealed carry permits will change your national park experience. Except to make it safer. Yes, safer. Because criminals now might think the next person they try to rape, kill or rob might actually be able to defend themselves. Don't ell me about the park rangers because we all know when you're on a 10 mile hike you never see one ranger. People complaining about this don't have a clue what it means to have their lives threatened and being defenseless.


Rick, good to see you back at the Traveler, although I'm sorry it took the gun issue to bring you back.

That aside, if you could provide a link to your FBI data that'd be helpful. Here are some other numbers, from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence:

Gun Deaths and Injury - The United States Leads the World in Firearm Violence

• In 2004, 29,569 people in the United States died from firearm-related deaths – 11,624
(39%) of those were murdered; 16,750 (57%) were suicides; 649 (2.2%) were accidents;
and in 235 (.8%) the intent was unknown. [5] In comparison, 33,651 Americans were
killed in the Korean War and 58,193 Americans were killed in the Vietnam War.[6]

• For every firearm fatality in the United States in 2005, there were estimated to be more
than two non-fatal firearm injuries.[7]

• In 2004, firearms were used to murder 56 people in Australia, 184 people in Canada, 73
people in England and Wales, 5 people in New Zealand, and 37 people in Sweden.[8] In
comparison, firearms were used to murder 11,624 people in the United States.[9]

• In 2005, there were only 143 justifiable homicides by private citizens using handguns in
the United States.[10]

You can find the entire report here.

One thing I find interesting in your data and the above is that, if I interpret your numbers correctly, there has been an increase in murders by roughly 2,400 from 2004 to 2006. Now, I'm not suggesting that the rise in murders is associated with law-abiding citizens with gun permits. Indeed, if you believe the Brady numbers, in 2005 just 143 justifiable homicides could be attributed to private citizens with permitted weapons, so private citizens don't seem to be that involved in gun play.

But some might argue that arming more Americans with weapons isn't decreasing murders but is leading to more suicides, accidental deaths, and accidental shootings that didn't lead to a death. Plus, as the Brady Campaign points out, more and more youth are being killed because of our gun culture:

Gun Violence - Young Lives Cut Short

• In 2004, nearly 8 children and teenagers, ages 19 and under, were killed with guns
every day.[11] (My emphasis)

• In 2004, firearm homicide was the second-leading cause of injury death for men and
women 10-24 years of age - second only to motor vehicle crashes.[12]

• In 2004, firearm homicide was the leading cause of death for black males ages 15-34.[13]

• From 1999 through 2004, an average of 916 children and teenagers took their own lives
with guns each year.[14]

• Each year during 1993 through 1997, an average of 1,621 murderers who had not
reached their 18th birthdays took someone's life with a gun.[15]

And, as Brady points out, the mere existence of a gun in the home leads to more shootings:

Guns in the Home - A Greater Risk to Family and Friends

• For every time a gun is used in a home in a legally-justifiable shooting there are 22
criminal, unintentional, and suicide-related shootings.[16]

• The presence of a gun in the home triples the risk of homicide in the home.[17]

• The presence of a gun in the home increases the risk of suicide fivefold.[18]

How do those numbers square with your contention that a better-armed America is a safer America? I don't doubt that there are plenty of criminals out and about with illegally obtained guns. But from the above statistics, it doesn't seem to me that the answer is simply to arm more folks.


Wow! Kurt, these stats are most alarming and frightening. It will be no wonder with these hard cold facts that the NRA will distort this report to benefit the holy-then-thou gun lobby. My first encounter with a gun slaying was when I worked at the local hospital years ago as a surgical tech. The young slain peace officer was in his thirties and did leave a wife with two kids. I will never forget that blood stained blue uniform with bullets holes drilled into it. Never! Until this day, I will always swear off the NRA as an organization that glamorizes gun and bullets which places less emphasis on gun safety and more on gun sales. RicK, I definitely think Kurt's FBI facts speaks well for it's self: A better armed America is not safer.


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