Today, the long-standing ban against carrying guns in national parks passed into history. If you’re legal to carry in the given jurisdiction, you’re now legal to carry in a National Park situated there.

It’s about time.  It’s no secret that criminals strike as far from the eyes of the police as they can, and you don’t get much farther from them than in the wilderness of National Parks.  It’s equally well known that predators prefer helpless prey.  As a result, National Parks and such attracted some evildoers who thought “Deliverance” was a training film.  A few years ago, a man from the Gainesville area was murdered in such a sanctuary by a psycho who said he wanted to find out what it felt like to kill someone. The victim, who normally carried a licensed gun, had told friends that he was uncomfortable camping without a firearm with him but was scrupulous about obeying the law. This left him helpless to defend himself.

Our friends, the Gun Rights Examiners, are all over this.  Liston Matthews explains in his segment HERE how, contrary to the false wailings of those who would ban private ownership of firearms, self-protection is covered by religious mandate.  It is so in virtually every belief system. I recently met Liston for the first time, and found him as sharp in person as he is in print.

Meanwhile, old friend Dave Workman notes how the anti-gunners and their sympathizers in the mass media are putting a grotesquely false spin on this simple return to a basic American freedom, not to mention the cornerstone Human Right of self-defense. You can read his incisive take on the matter HERE.

I expect to see a reduction in violent crimes against the person committed in public parks next year, as a direct result of this wise change in the law.

Heck, I can almost hear the banjo music fading now…

1 COMMENT

  1. It’s about time! Now all we need is ammo to put in those guns. Next on the agenda is hunting in National Parks.

  4. It’s about time. Our local “fari and balanced” news has been trying hard to report this as a tragedy for the National Parks. The head ranger for one of the local national parks simply put it that his rangers had already assumed that anyone they encounter might be armed and to be appropriately cautious.

    The news didn’t bother to mention the National Parks along the Mexico Border where it is recommended you don’t stay after dark.

  5. We finally get to overturn the unjust and wrongly enacted law that Ronald Reagan signed. His worst one, from what I know.

    I’m crankin’ up the Banjo music and will never think of Ned Beatty the same way again. Deliverence was a training film for people I deal with on a daily basis. It’s only fitting that people have the ability to defend themselves no matter where they may be, as I learned a long time ago, “THERE IS NO SAFE PLACE!”

    Biker

  6. I get so tired of the anti’s and media- the old west and rivers of blood and doom B S. That’s all they know and it’s unrelenting. Never happens of course but that doesn’t stop them. I wonder how many murders, rapes, and other attacks happened while the anointed one pushed this common sense law back from last year.

  7. It will be a great relief for people who visit Glacier NP in Montana and Denali NP in Alaska. My wife’s cousin was a regular ranger ( worker) at both parks. He and his wife are now armed ranger police so they have handguns. When he went to Denali, he was issued and trained with a .375 H&H rifle. At Glacier, he was a back country worker ranger and had nothing.

    The year we visited him at Glacier, two tourists were eaten by brown bears. One tourist was from Wisconsin, one from Switzerland. All hikers were told to wear bells on their clothing to alert the bears they were coming. A ranger friend of my wife’s cousin was a bear enthusiast. He had great (pre-digital) photos of being treed by a brown bear. He was up in the tree taking photos of the grizzly reaching up for him. At that time, ranger workers were not even allowed to use power tools of any type at Glacier (i.e chain saws).

    At Denali, better sense prevailed and all back country rangers were given bolt action .375 H&H rifles. Power tools were allowed and obviously everyone was alert to the presence of dangerous mammals.

    Criminals are not the only danger in National Parks. These two parks are pretty safe from crooks, but not from apex predators.

  8. “If you’re legal to carry in the given jurisdiction, you’re now legal to carry in a National Park situated there”. Will national parks follow the same reciprocity agreements as the states they’re located in?

  9. Mas,

    This is off the subject, but do you know if MAGNA PORT has gone out of business. I tried to go to their website and could not get on.

    Jim CARROLL

  11. I visited Denali NP four years ago on a solo trip to Alaska. I *really* wanted to venture a bit into the back country for camping, but just wouldn’t because of the bears.

    Then too there were the mountain lions in Olympic NP when I was camping there as well as the bears I’ve run into in New York and Maine (not national parks and not grizzly/brown bears, but still concerning given that I was alone.)

    I don’t hunt nor am I looking for an excuse to shoot wildlife, but I’d rather not be mauled or killed either.

    By the way, they now make these really cool electric fence set ups for campers to set up around their campsites in serious bear country – not that we’d need permission for using one, I don’t think anyway.

  12. akvusn: my understanding is that if reciprocity is legal in the state where the park is located, it’s good in the park. If in doubt, call the park service or check on http://www.handgunlaw.us.

    Jim Carroll, I’d hate to think that MagnaPort is out of business. They’ve done some truly great work over the years. I’ll check and get back to you. If you don’t hear back, just assume their website is down.

    best,
    Mas

  13. For Steven B: When we were at Glacier, there was a high cyclone fence enclosure that had a self closing door. All tent campers ( at the main area) were required to stay inside this enclosure. If one had a “hard sided” camper ( we had a plain Ford full size van), one could sleep inside of it. I don’t believe the fence had electric current at that time.

    Many people complain at the main Denali park that they need to take the bus. Some of this bus ride may be for bear protection. I forgot to mention that my wife’s cousin also worked on Kodiak Island and I believe that island contains the largest grizzlies in the world. One of those new S&W fifty caliber revolvers would be a comfort there alongside a .375 H&H rifle.

    On the trip to Glacier we crossed over into Canada and a woman was killed by a mountain lion who attacked as the woman was riding a horse. Her unarmed husband tried to stop the cat but was unable with his bare hands. (California has many of these attacks.) That particular attack was in a Canadian National Park, so many years of jail would have ensued had one been caught with a handgun.

    Here in Florida, alligators are the problem, but I understand that it takes a carefully aimed rifle shot to kill one. A fascinating series of books that mentions shooting African Crocs was written by Peter Capstick. I don’t think any handgun without a perfect brain placement shot would kill one in time. Like brown bears, they can outrun a human. They cannot run as far and fast as a brown bear, but they are fast.

  14. James Carroll, I’ve just been able through my friends at Harris Publications to confirm that MagnaPort is indeed still in business, and apparently doing quite well. You can reach the company by phone at (586)469-6727, or by email at email@magnaport.com.

    best,
    Mas

  15. Yup, the hoplophobes here in the great state of Maine have decided to make a State law banning the posession of firearms in Acadia National Park. All in the name of public safety of course. Bill number LD1737 was introduced on January 14th, 2010 as “An Act To Clarify Safety Requirements in Acadia National Park.”

    http://www.mainelegislature.org/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280035294

    This, in spite of the fact that the Maine Constitution, Article 1, Section 16 clearly states: “Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms and this right shall never be questioned.”

    Exceptions are made for “hunters” and federal, state and local law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties.

    Maine is an open carry State, and you are not required to have a concealed carry permit to carry in the open. Maine is also a “shall-issue” state for concealed firearm permits.

    The bill has made it out of committee (Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee) with their blessing, and also has the blessing of the Speaker of the House.

  16. John:

    So you’re saying Maine municipal/state police patrol ANP? That’d be a curious conversation at the least: “Your Honor, I plead not guilty and BTW, since when did this guy have jurisdiction in a national park?” That’d be like getting arrested by a sheriff on an Indian reservation (which, in Montana, is possible IF the two entities have an agreement).

    TXCOMT

  17. TXCOMT,

    No, I doubt they “patrol” ANP. The legislation isn’t about who patrols the park, it’s about banning citizens from carrying a sidearm in the park. In the mind of the anti-gun crowd, somehow normal citizens who are responsible enough to carry sidearms everywhere else can’t be trusted to do so in parks (or college campuses or ).

    They think the mere presence of a firearm constitutes an “unsafe” situation.

    “A government which does not trust its citizens to be armed is not itself to be trusted.” — Niccolo Machiavelli

  18. …This from the National Park Service (DOI)

    Golden Gate National Recreation Area (CA)
    Open Carry Gun Enthusiasts Demonstrate In Park

    An unidentified open carry enthusiast group recently contacted Golden Gate’s special park uses office to discuss plans to volunteer for their own beach cleanup day on Baker Beach. They advised that during the event they intended to exercise their right to openly carry firearms, pursuant to California Penal Code 12025(f) and Public Law 111-23, Section 512, which now allow firearms in the park. Park Police and Golden Gate command staff met to organize a training and situational plan to address the possible scenarios associated with the organized demonstration. On the morning of February 27th, a joint briefing was held for assigned Park Police officers and rangers. At 11:30 a.m., a Park Police Officer reported seeing several people gathered together in the south parking lot of Baker Beach. Several members of the group displayed holstered, openly carried pistols. At the same time. a separate event was developing, as a tsunami warning was being broadcast for the bay area. The rangers who were assigned to the open carry demonstration were reassigned to the coastline areas to assist with emergency closures. Park Police officers contacted three separate groups that were actively engaged in cleaning the beach area. Several members within these groups were displaying open carry pistols. Pursuant to California Penal Code 12031(e), the weapons were only inspected to determine if they were loaded. Seven members within the groups were checked and were found to be in compliance with federal and state laws. The groups that were contacted were found to be extremely knowledgeable of the law and how it pertained to their constitutional rights. The contacts were filmed by multiple people within the groups and a local news reporter was present to document the event. No identification or further searches were conducted on any of the individuals during these brief contacts. There were no reports from the public and there was no significant impact on the park due to this specific incident. [Submitted by Sergeant Todd Roth, US Park Police]

  19. I retired from a big City PD and am now a small town Police Chief. I always carry for obvious reasons. I hunt with an S&W 29 but this day was walking my one eyed Yorkie in a remote area. I was carrying a Glock Model 32 in .357 Sig. Not for critters. For some reason I turned around to look for Sophie and saw her running at full tilt with a brown phased black bear right behind her. I hit the bear with one shot at ten yards just under his chin. Game over. Would I hunt for bear with this gun? Not in a million years. But it sure got the job done. Keep up the good work. I’m 65 now and will probably retire next year but I won’t stop carrying.