Gun Owners on Verge of Huge Right to Carry Victory
Get ready to pinch yourself.
After eight years of clashing with anti-gun bureaucrats and congressional leadership hostile to gun rights, we have never been closer to victory in the battle to repeal the National Park Service (NPS) gun ban.
As you are by now undoubtedly aware, NPS land is subject to a blanket gun ban. A Bush administration regulation partially reversing the ban was singlehandedly negated recently by an activist judge in Washington, D.C.
Gun Owners of America reported last week about an amendment to repeal the gun ban, sponsored by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), that passed by an overwhelming 67-29 vote. Senator Coburn attached his amendment to a fast-moving "must pass bill," H.R. 627, dealing with credit card industry reform.
The Coburn amendment simply allows for state law -- not unelected bureaucrats and activist judges -- to govern the carrying of firearms on NPS land.
"Visitors to national parks also should have the right to defend themselves in accordance with the laws of their states," Sen. Coburn said.
The Senate wrapped up business on the underlying bill today, while the House passed its version of the bill several weeks ago. The measure now heads back to the House to be "reconciled" with the Senate bill.
The problem for anti-gun House leaders is that their priority bill, H.R. 627, now contains a pro-gun amendment. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is forced to either delay the entire bill in order to try to strip the popular pro-gun amendment out later in the year, or allow the underlying bill to move through the House before Memorial Day with the Coburn amendment intact.
Sources close to the situation tell GOA that the Democrat leadership, which has opposed the NPS gun ban repeal at every turn, may have finally run out of options. The enormous outpouring of grassroots activism from GOA supporters may have at last convinced congressional leaders that if they bury this measure yet again, the repercussions will reverberate into the next election.
President Obama wants to sign this credit card legislation before Memorial Day. So it is possible that there will be just one more vote on this issue in the House this week. As of today, it appears the leadership plans to bring the underlying bill to the floor in two pieces for two separate votes -- one on the main bill and one on the Coburn amendment.
If both pieces pass the House, then they can be combined together as one bill and sent directly to the President without going to a House-Senate conference committee. (There would be no need to iron out differences in conference committee since the Senate would have already passed the exact same version of the bill.)
Bottom line: we just need to make certain that the gun ban repeal= amendment passes in the House, after which it will be joined back up with the main bill and signed into law.
This could be the last strike in a long battle, but even on the cusp of winning GOA has also learned that some -- supposedly on the pro-gun side -- are willing to compromise away this victory.
Read an Opposing View from the Freedom States Alliance, We Must Keep Guns Out of National Parks
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"We must let them know now that loaded guns have no place in our National Parks." Then, disarm the Park Rangers and all law enforcement personnel who enter the park, too. Hey. You said "No loaded guns." didn't you? There is NOT a 'privileged' class in this country to whom the 2nd Amendment applies, while permitting infringement on the other classes. As has been pointed out, the guy carrying concealed legally at the local Publics doesn't magically transform into a maniac upon entering a National Park. Your position is entirely emotionally-driven, devoid of logic. And, guess what? MY RIGHTS AREN'T SUBJECT TO YOUR ILLOGICAL EMOTIONS.
It is about time that this arbitrary law based on location gets overturned. A law abiding gun owner just does not become so rampaging criminal just because they drive across a line into a State or Federal park. If you are worried about them shooting the animals , we hunt where it is legal to hunt and don't hunt where it is not. Again, don't legislate against people that already abide by the laws if they do not illegally conflict with the Constitutiuon of the United States.
If the government would just abide by the highest written law of the land they would realize that they have no authority to even debate this issue. The Second Amendment makes it illegal for government to pass or enforce ANY gun "laws" whatsoever. We already have a concealed carry permit in the 2nd Amendment, but it isn't needed. The basic human right of every human everywhere to own and to carry any type of weapon they wish, everywhere they go, without asking permission of ANYONE is inborn in each of us at birth. Government can either respect that right, or violate that right.
The "Opposing Views" editorial about guns in national parks further proves their ignorance and bias. I defy them to show us proof of their claims that lawfully carried firearms , borne by law -abiding citizens, present a threat to anyone, especially park rangers and law enforcement.
In case they didn't get the memo, CRIMINALS are already carrying, and using, guns in national parks, to commit crimes, including murder.
Law enforcement, including park rangers, arrive after the fact, and cannot possibly prevent criminal acts. Add to this that law enforcement has NO LEGAL OBLIGATION OR DUTY TO PROTECT AN INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN, and it is clear that self defense is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
Being as how the National Parks belong to We, the People, and it is our CONSTITUTIONALLY AFFIRMED (NOT GRANTED) RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS, our servants, the "government", HAVE NO LEGAL OR MORAL AUTHORITY TO DENY OUR RIGHTS. THEY work for US, and I'm damned sick of my employees telling me what to do.
Opposing Views: you obviously have some mental issues. Please get help. To be afraid of an inanimate object is just not normal.
TSgt B: This is a piece that was written by the Gun Owners of America, not us. We don't have a bias... we allow groups and inidividuals on all sides to publish or discuss. Your points are well taken, although there are opposing perspectives.