Monday, February 22, the ban on loaded firearms in National Parks will end once more. That is when the rule change goes into effect and National Parks will follow state law in determining what rights visitors are allowed to have. In Ohio, gun rights are not taken away when you enter a park so the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio's only National Park) as well as the several national wildlife refuges will permit lawfully armed citizens to enjoy the same rights they've had for many years in city parks, county parks, Metroparks, state parks, national forests, etc.
As happens whenever a change to the law occurs which returns gun freedoms, some are predicting dire consequences.
The new rule is "sad to me" and greatly increases the risk to park visitors, said Toby Hoover of the Toledo-based Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence [to Bob Downing of the Akron Beacon Journal].
"The big problem is that park visitors will now be forced to rely on the judgment of those carrying weapons in our parks for our safety . . . and that's not an ideal recipe," she said.
Those fears are unfounded as has been proven in all other parks in Ohio. If there hasn't been a problem in local and state parks, why would a National Park be any different. It won't, of course, but that doesn't fit the agenda. Or, you could just lie about it and hope people believe you.
Greg Murray and Emily Savage say guns are obstacles skiers should not have to avoid.
"The risks are way too high. I work in a hospital so we see a lot of issues with hunters in the park misfiring and accidentally hitting pedestrians so it's definitely not a good idea," Emily Savage said.
Really? Raise your hand if you believe hunters are regularly shooting pedestrians and nobody is talking about it. You can't just make up stories and use those lies to justify your position. Fortunately for those that prefer non-fiction, WKYC news presented the other side of the story.
"You just don't see it happening. Every park in the state of Ohio except this national park allows it and has since 2004," Ohioans for Conceal Carry President Jeff Garvas said.
The Beacon Journal also points out that "officials in the Cuyahoga Valley park do not expect a major impact with the easing of firearm restrictions." There won't be. Law abiding citizens have never been the problem when it comes to crime, it is the criminals who would prey upon them. This change won't change the fact that criminals have been armed in National Parks all along. Now, they just have to consider that their intended victim might be able to fight back.
Comments
You mean guns really don't go crazy and start killing people?
Gee I work in a hospital too. In fact I have ER experience in a and guess how many hunters I have seen in the last 20 years that shoot pedestrians in the park. Zero! Hmmmmm.
"If guns cause crime, all of mine are defective."
- Ted Nugent
The National Park which Ms. Savage refers to does not allow hunting with a gun. Only professional sharpshooters get to kill deer in the National Forest in and around Cleveland. I would lay a bet down that she has never seen a gunshot wound, from a hunter, from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
In fact, there has not been a hunting accident in Cuyahoga county for the last ten years (that I can find referenced on the internet). The State of Ohio tracks such incidents and makes it public knowledge.
Unless her hospital is in Rural Southern Ohio, the likelyness that she has seen more than one gunshot wound from a hunting accident is extremely low.
If the only way that you can support your position is to lie then maybe your position is unsupportable. The reality is emergency wards will see less injuries because it is not longer a gun free zone.
Oh Hell, watch the video. Everytime she lies she opens her eyes as wide as they will go. Watch it again and see if that seem like the oversell you have come to expect from every liar you have ever known.
I'm ok with the guns but for God's sake, please keep the airplanes out (I'm from Austin).
She makes me want to go out today and buy another gun for my collection. Have a video camera on all of them 24/7 and so far they have not caused any crime.
Many years back a commenter stated something like--if the new-age liberals are so proud of their moral elitism and their beliefs that no matter what crimes a person has committed, all persons are really good people inside and criminals have simply made ‘bad life choices'...then they outta have no problem wearing those stick on badges you see at conventions that read
“Hello, My Name Is” and underneath their name the words
"Please Don’t Shoot Me, I’m a Liberal”.
That way, when a person who's taken responsibility for their own defense sees a badge-wearing lib getting mugged or assaulted, the armed citizen can make an informed decision as to whether or not to intervene at all on their behalf, or how long to delay before they do.
Same applies for ‘no-guns-in parks’ types, stupid enough to be unarmed in the woods. If attacked by any four-legged animal, I say let nature take its course.
The beast gets a snack and society gets one less annoying liberal. That's a twofer in my book.
Maybe she could tell it to the family of the 2 female hikers that were murdered in Yosemite Nation Park. Too bad those hikers weren't carrying. Those murders are "REAL" life examples of THE "DIRE" consequences of NOT being allowed to carry. Were the park rangers able to protect those hikers? Why not? Because that's not how it is in "REAL" life. Law enforcement can't be everywhere all the time. It's situations like this that justify concealed carry in the national parks, not to mention it is in the constitution. Everyone has the right to self defense.
Hey Toby, I guess you would rather rely on the armed thug to determine your safety in the park. Not me. I would rather trust my neighbor or myself than an armed thug. I trust my neighbor and myself, I don't trust criminals. Of course, this is your right. So don't carry and place yourself at risk of robbery, rape, assault, or even death. I choose safety and life.
Really KP??
When I visited the Grand Canyon last year, I broke the law. I hope my next visit will be legal and just as enjoyable.
Snapshot has a really good idea going there. How about instead of badges though, we tattoo "unarmed freak" on their forehead?
I do not like dogs,wolves,bear,lynx,mountain lion,cougar,skunk,feral cats or any other animal that roams the woods of this country and could attack me while hiking or camping.I don't go out of my way to tell people to clean up after their pet or children,but i will mention it to them. I am not aganist sking or any thing a citizen wants to do in the parks or woods because we the citizen owns them and the sportsmen and women take care of them. Don't tell me i can't carry a firearm in a woods or park just because you people can't stand the Freedom of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution,enjoy the earth and leave everyone else alone.
Thanks ralpherus. Inspired by your line of thinking, somehow I get images of ‘em sitting on a broomstick with “SUCKER’ painted on their foreheads.
Hoping to save my post from getting deleted, some of those people whining about legislators (who’ve only decriminalized otherwise lawful carry by rescinding laws enacted which were unconstitutional to begin with) just prove stupidity really has no bounds. On one count for not providing for their own defense and another for having no idea how many stand-up citizens like jwtexas there have been doing the sensible thing and carrying all along.
I’d bet my best rifle jwtexas would come to their defense in a heartbeat, even knowing they were libs. If I knew for sure they were libs I’d eventually help too, but knowing most of ‘em are not only dumb and obnoxious but generally ungrateful to boot, I’d make a point to wait at least long enough to see they got a good thrashing or scratching first, just on general principles.
I am a retired Police Officer with over 30 years experience in New York City and Florida. I have never encountered an incident where a legal gun owner has used that weapon in a commission of a crime. On the other hand I could cite several situations where legal gun owners have assisted police officers and put there one lives in danger doing so. Gun control is a lot os BS
I don't know what scares me more, an armed "thug" or a sorry, soulless, armed piece of white trash like SNAPSHOT.
I support gun rights, but someone of you guys are flat out morons and should focus on not procreating.
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