Monday, February 22, 2010

Bloodshed Predicted in the National Parks

Lake Expo reported on the lifting of the National Parks gun ban beginning today. We discussed this last year when the bill passed, you remember, this was the one slipped into the Credit Card bill.

Starting Monday, a new federal law will allow guns to be carried into national parks and wildlife refuges across the country, including the Gateway Arch grounds and Missouri's Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

And while critics say the presence of guns in parks will disrupt some of the country's most serene settings, it doesn't mean visitors can expect to share a tram ride up the Arch with someone who's got a pistol tucked in a boot.

Gun owners must still follow all applicable municipal, state and federal laws while visiting parks and refuges. And guns will still be prohibited in federal facilities that are regularly staffed by National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees.

At the Arch, for example, guns will continue to be banned in the visitors center, the Old Courthouse, offices, the parking garage and maintenance buildings.

The Arch grounds, however, will now be open to gun owners obeying the law, said Pete Swisher, chief ranger.

"I think the easiest way to describe that area is the area outside of the Arch," Swisher said. "Once someone with a gun tries to go inside the building, security is going to stop them."

U.S. Department of Interior officials say it will be up to gun owners to know the law before entering a park or wildlife refuge.

Some states allow only concealed weapons to be carried while others also permit open carry. And most have reciprocity agreements that allow guns licensed in other states to be carried in another.

Park officials concede the overlapping web of state gun laws may be difficult for visitors to untangle.

Often the gun crowd accuses gun control folks of things they themselves are guilty of. I often point these things out. One of the most common is they often accuse me of being repetitive and refusing to change my opinions, as if that doesn't apply to them also.

Well, I wondered if this National Parks business is an example of incrementalism. The very thing they often accuse gun control folks of attempting must be what's behind this mess in the national parks. "In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visitors will be allowed to openly carry weapons in North Carolina. But if they cross over into Tennessee, they'll need a carry permit."

How long will it be before other laws are proposed to equalize these state differences in favor of the gun owners?

What's your opinion? Is this tricky method of gradually implementing laws which eventually lead to something greater, practiced by both sides? Do you think it's a fair criticism that the pro-gun folks complain about us doing this while they're guilty of it too?

Please leave a comment.

6 comments:

  1. "What's your opinion? Is this tricky method of gradually implementing laws which eventually lead to something greater, practiced by both sides?"

    Yes.

    "Do you think it's a fair criticism that the pro-gun folks complain about us doing this while they're guilty of it too?"

    Yes. Because while the gun controllers use incrementalism to erode rights, the pro-gun people use incrementalism to restore rights.

    ReplyDelete
  2. “The Arch grounds, however, will now be open to gun owners obeying the law, said Pete Swisher, chief ranger.”

    Wait… so people who were *obeying the law* were not permitted at the arch grounds before? It is a damn good thing this law got passed then.

    These anti-gun bias reports always omit or gloss over the fact that you still need a permit to carry. This one at least mentions Tennessee as an example where you will need a permit. If someone were to ever trust what the Brady campaign says they will wind up in jail.

    -TS

    ReplyDelete
  3. The difference is, every pro-gun bill that is passed anywhere is removing a gun control law that was already incrementally added.

    ReplyDelete
  4. As I believer in nationally uniform gun laws, I support moves in that direction.

    HOWEVER

    I will not support a bad gun law just because it is nationally uniform.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anti-gunners like yourself have been predicting "blood in the streets" everytime restrictions fall, and everytime you get proven wrong.

    This is just another example of you folks being wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mike W: Anti-gunners like yourself have been predicting "blood in the streets" everytime restrictions fall, and everytime you get proven wrong.

    Yes, Mike W, but if someone who does not meet the requirements of the new law were to bring a gun ILLEGALLY into a national park and misuse it, gun control advocates would NOT make a fuss, because that has nothing to do with the new law.

    Gun control advocates are honest and logical and thus would not stoop to doing such a thing.

    ReplyDelete