Lions, Tigers & Loaded Guns??? Oh My.

OK, so there aren't really lions and tigers in our national parks.  Unless mountain lions count?  And bears, oh yeah.  Kept me awake plenty of nights in my flimsy tent.  But mamas, at least my fears were mostly related to the wild things that rarely cross my path.   Loaded, concealed guns is definitely not on my list of things I need to fret about while camping - with. my. kids.  Oh, but apparently it COULD BE. 

The National Parks Conservation Association (love them!) is working hard to prevent this from happening.  And they need our help to let Congress know that this is so not OK.  Here's what the NPCA says about it:

That's right, if Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) has his way, anyone and everyone would be allowed to carry loaded weapons into national parks. After attempting to amend a package of public lands bills he's been holding up for nearly a year - and subsequently being denied the opportunity, Coburn decided to introduce a free-standing bill to allow loaded weapons in parks. Our national parks are no place for loaded, ready-to-fire weapons. This bill is full of untruths: guns aren't actually prohibited in national parks, they just have to be unloaded and put away. And it could forever change visitor experience, threaten already endangered wildlife and further cripple the Park Service for years to come.

Not a fan of loaded guns in national parks?  Me either.  Let your Senators in Congress know that you don't want them to support this nutty bill - it's S.2619.  It's super easy to send an e-mail to Smith & Wyden, thanks to NPCA. If you're interested in learning more about the NPCA's work, or checking out its action center, go to it!

Comments

[Makeshift Mama]

Okay, question here. Do they actually search people for guns before they enter the parks? Because if anybody who wants to could waltz in with a gun, then the bad guys will already have them, anyway. Considering that forests and other secluded areas are very popular places to get raped, I would certainly want to carry a gun on me if I knew how to use one. Also, to protect myself from the aforementioned lions and bears, or even just a really mad bull elk. Can someone please refute this argument - I really want to understand the other side.

[LTF]

From what I understand, currently you can carry an unloaded gun into national parks,. but not a loaded one. that would be the change. as anywhere, people can hid whatever they wish. just seems like a good idea to not allow loaded guns into a park. that said, i imagine this issue is the same as the concealed weapon issue generally, in or out of parks. that's about all i know. personal fears, i guess.

[LTF]

The WW picked this up, too: http://wweek.com/editorial/3415/10419/ - Gordon SMith (surprise!) is all for it. Let 'er rip, mamas.

[LTF]

Ahhh, Tom Coburn. Same guy holding up the Mt Hood wilderness bill. He is one busy senator.

[Ethan]

Guns are the Guantanamo of the Left. Lberals (generally speaking) have no interest and little understanding of gun issues or the nuts and bolts of the second amendment. Because of this, they are as quick to erode this right as Conservatives have been for their hot list (privacy, due process, habeus corpus etc) over the last eight years.

Gun owners should be responsible for their guns, period. Your kids are much more likely to be killed by a car in a national park than by someone's gun. As was already pointed out, gun laws do not keep criminals from having, carrying, concealing or using guns.

The National Park system belongs to all Americans. I personally would like to see cars banned from Yosemite Valley (which would make it safer for your kids than a gun ban), but unfortunately I have to share too.

[BarronNELLIE]

If you want to buy a house, you would have to receive the home loans. Moreover, my father usually takes a commercial loan, which occurs to be really fast.