Whoever at KING 5 News in Seattle put together the accompanying video discussing the change in law that takes effect today in national parks is either: a) a bonehead, or b) deliberately trying to mislead the public regarding the effect of this new law. (Upon reflection, I HOPE it is the former).
The video includes an opening shot of somebody loading an AR-15 rifle in a gravel pit (presumably from an earlier story KING did on the Sultan gravel pit closure) and firing a round.
Note to KING: That is NOT what this new law allows, and you should know it. I was interviewed by KING’s Roberta Romero Sunday, during which I’m pretty certain it was mentioned that this change does not allow target shooting or hunting in the parks. This simply allows park visitors to legally carry loaded firearms for personal protection. (I wrote about this here last week.) Veteran reporter Romero seemed to understand all of this quite well, so someone over at KING evidently decided the video needed to be jazzed up with the image of a semiautomatic rifle being discharged. That’s a discredit to Romero, who has always seemed very competent and thorough, and very misleading to the public.
The new law does not give visitors permission or fire their weapons -- only to possess them.-Scripps News Service
KOMO News got it right, by picking up a story from the Peninsula Daily News, and to reporter Rob Ollikainen’s credit, he noted that “It is still illegal to discharge a firearm in a national park.” Scripps News Service also got it right in its report from the other day, so it is difficult to accept that a news agency simply goofed.
The rule also applies to national wildlife refuges, as pointed out by the National Rifle Association on its website this morning.
None of this kept Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke from continuing his diatribe of hysteria against this common-sense law change. Ollikainen’s story quoted Helmke – who must see demons in the closet and under his bed – doing his level best to spread fear and loathing by arguing, “Families should not have to stare down loaded AK-47s on nature hikes.”
Families should not have to stare down loaded AK-47's on nature hikes.”—Paul Helmke, president, Brady Campaign to prevent Gun Violence
It is this kind of ridiculous argument that is responsible for the Brady camp’s dramatic slide in credibility and relevance. Helmke must be a world-class hoplophobe, but just because he is terrified of firearms and legally-armed Americans – his fellow citizens – is no reason for him to try spreading that fear.
To see just how nutty the opponents of this new law are, and how far they will push their fear of guns, read the feedback columns under both the KING and KOMO stories on their websites.
Meanwhile, Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, released a statement regarding the NRA's delight with the ruling last week by Washington State's Supreme Court in State v. Sieyes that the court accepts the notion that the Second Amendment is incorporated to the states, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to hand down a ruling in McDonald v. Chicago.
That case will be argued before the high court on Tuesday, March 2.
One more note: My pal, Larry Keane (aka Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation) is now doing a blog accessible via the NSSF's oprganizational website, but also found here. It's called "Keane Insights"
It is well worth the read, as Keane is no dummy and he has, well, a keen insight into the firearms industry, and you could learn quite a bit. He's on my reading list!
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Comments
Is a Visitor Center really a 'Federal Building' that is off-limits to firearms?
"VC"
Yes, a visitor center, staffed by federal employees, IS a federal building that is off-limits to firearms.
KING 5 could have reported-
The concealed carry rule in our local, National Parks becomes the same as the rule in every county in Washington State.
KING 5 could have reported-
The concealed carry rule in our local, National Parks becomes the same as the rule in every county in Washington State.
Dave, they are BOTH A) and B).
"Whoever at KING 5 News in Seattle put together the accompanying video discussing the change in law that takes effect today in national parks is either: a) a bonehead, or b) deliberately trying to mislead the public regarding the effect of this new law."
Quite adept at Media Manipulation, aren't they? They used to care about how the public viewed them enough to *try* to be somewhat unbiased. We've been asleep for many years, many of us, thinking the media were our government watchdogs. All the while they, and our government have indoctrinated our children in the public education and our adults via the left-wing media outlets, advertising and plethora of "social justice" programs operating under the umbrella of acorn, the DNC and the obama administration..
I' glad to have the internet during these times. Can't imagine being able to get this much information without it.
The real losers are black bears. I'm sure shootings of bears will increase by visitors "fearing for their lives" when a bear raids their camp or comes with 50m of them. In packed campgrounds, the danger of stray bullets is real when someone decides to "protect their property" from a bear.
Sleepy gun owners waking to a bear raid in the night are the biggest danger to other Park visitors.
did they show an ejaculation of semen, supposedly from all the armed citizens who were going to hold bears at gunpoint and rape them. Do you think there is a chance we could get them to do an enactment, with a real bear?
Nearly 100 years ago, President Theodore Roosevelt, went on a bear hunt. He enjoyed nature and being out in the woods where animals lived. Because he was the President of the United States, the people organizing the hunt wanted to make sure the hunt was successful.
But after 3 days of walking and climbing and riding, no bears were found. Now what? The President's bear hunt would be a failure!
The next day the hunt guide and his hunting dogs finally found an old bear. The dogs and guide followed the bear for quite a distance until the bear was very, very tired. The dogs attacked and injured the old bear. The guides tied the bear to a tree and called for the President. Here was a bear for him to shoot!
But did he shoot?
No he had it euthanized, it was an old, tired, weak, helpless, frothing at the mouth, Bear of the Democratic Party!
Carrying firearms in Alaska's National Parks has been legal for decades. A fact that may not be lost on the media; they just don't want to acknowledge it.
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