pro-2nd amendment bill for national parks - good idea

[4§©®]

[Only registered and activated users can see links][crappy]nytimes.com/2006/11/22/opinion/...and&emc=rss ([Only registered and activated users can see links])



As a last little gift to America, Senator George Allen, who was narrowly defeated by James Webb this month, has introduced what may be his final piece of legislation: a bill that would allow the carrying of concealed weapons in national parks. The argument behind the bill is that national park regulations unfairly strip many Americans of a right they may enjoy outside the parks. The bill has passed to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, where we hope it will die the miserable death it deserves.

what a dumbass thing to say.

[ANewie]

what a dumbass thing to say.
How come? What is the benefit of carrying a concealed weapon in the parks? Are the bears going to be surprised? It doesn't speak of carrying weapons openly.

[4§©®]

How come? What is the benefit of carrying a concealed weapon in the parks? Are the bears going to be surprised? It doesn't speak of carrying weapons openly.

we have a 2nd amendment right. maybe its about time we start
respecting the constitution. instead of debating it to death and
making the words of it near meaningless.

[ANewie]

we have a 2nd amendment right. maybe its about time we start respecting the constitution. instead of debating it to death and
making the words of it near meaningless.
But I am sorrry I do not see how that affects the parks, ?

[GymGeekAus]

Obviously Allen misread the amendment.

Amendment II - Right to Bear Arms. Ratified ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) 12/15/1791.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed ([Only registered and activated users can see links]). Note, it says "bear Arms," not "arm bears."

I do not see any connection between concealing a firearm inside of a national park and maintaining a well regulated militia. Calling this a 2nd Amendment right discussion is, in my opinion, weak and unfounded. The language of this amendment has already been interpreted and blunted by SCOTUS. And there's nothing in that amendment about concealing your weaponry.

Either way, it seems completely appropriate and within the powers of Congress to regulate firearms within the confines of a national park. One would hope, however, that they evaluate each circumstance on its own merit as opposed to making blanket assumptions. You might need a gun in some parks to protect yourself, say from bears, whereas another park you wouldn't, say like the National Mall.

[leftysergeant]

Actually, your chances of being mugged on the National Mall are greater than your chances of being eaten by a grizzly bear.

[rightiswrong]

The thread from the undead.:GrimReaper:

[Xena]

:rofl:

[big sky brad]

Well, I didn't want to get into this, but currently the law states that you may not carry a loaded firearm in a national park, not even in your vehicle. The firearm may not be assembled or within easy reach if it is in your vehicle, and this applies to all people who visit the national parks, whether they are police officers, citizens who hold valid concealed weapons permits, people who are members of the military currently active in the armed services, or anyone else.

That's the law.

Allen's bill went nowhere.
And the Democrats sure as hell don't have a bill to let people carry firearms in national parks on their agenda, so this issue is dead, right?

Not so fast, porky!

Senator Mike Crapo, junior asshole Republican from IDAHO, has worked behind the scenes for the last year to have the National Park rules changed.

See, if you can't get the laws changed, you simply change the rules or the regulations that enforce those laws. It's the bureaucratic solution they use to manipulate the system when they can't change the legislation on issues like this.

This is what Reagan did during the entire 8 years he was in the White House when the Democrats controlled Congress. Reagan set the precedent for a Republican fucker like him to just go around changing rules and regulations used by the bureaucracy when he couldn't get the laws changed.

So, who controls the National Park system?
The Department of the Interior.

And guess who is currently serving as the Secretary of the Interior for Bush these days?

Dirk Kempthorne, the former asshole Republican Governor of IDAHO, who was also a 1-term asshole Republican U.S. Senator for IDAHO, who got his start in the political arena as the asshole Republican mayor of Boise in the 80's.

Kempthorne and Crapo are buddies within the GOP party and they will work together, behind the scenes, to change the rules because they can't change the law. Crapo has already gathered the signatures of 27 other Republican Senators and 7 Democrat Senators to sign on to his letter urging Kempthorne to make this change affecting the entire National Park system.

:FrigginMorons: