Victory! Gun Ban in National Parks Repealed
Good news!
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill today that included an amendment to repeal the gun ban on National Park Service (NPS) land and wildlife refuges.
The amendment, sponsored by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) and attached to a credit card industry reform bill, passed the House overwhelmingly by a vote of 279-147.
For decades, law-abiding citizens have been prohibited from exercising their Second Amendment rights on NPS land and wildlife refuges, even if the state in which the land is located allows carrying firearms.
With some limited exceptions for hunting, the only way to legally possess a firearm anywhere in a national park is by having it unloaded and inaccessible, such as locked up in an automobile trunk. A Bush administration regulation partially reversed the ban, but that action was singlehandedly negated recently by an activist judge in Washington, D.C. The Department of Interior decided not to appeal that ruling.
Senator Coburn believes, like you do, that Americans should not be forced to sacrifice their Second Amendment rights when entering NPS land and wildlife refuges.
GOA worked with Coburn on an amendment that simply allows for state and local laws -- instead of unelected bureaucrats and anti gun activist judges -- to govern firearm possession on these lands.
The anti-gun leadership in both the House and Senate went berserk and fought to keep the Coburn amendment from being attached to the underlying bill. Sparks were flying on the floor of the House of Representatives today.
Anti-gun Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) whined that a "very good" credit card bill had been "hijacked" by the Coburn amendment. To this, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) pointed out that gun control is the policy of tyrants, as evidenced by the British attempt to confiscate firearms at Lexington and Concord in 1775.
Congressional leaders and entrenched bureaucrats have fought GOA over the NPS gun ban for the past eight years.
But your activism has finally broken through. The late Senator Everett Dirksen said, "When I feel the heat, I see the light!" Well, you have applied a lot of heat. Members of Congress know that they oppose your Second Amendment rights at their own peril.
As it stands today, both houses of Congress have now passed the Coburn amendment -- and President Obama is expected to sign the provision into law (only because it is part of a larger credit card bill that he really wants).
So, congratulate yourself for winning this long, hard battle. GOA was the leading, and often only, national gun group involved in this fight. Your involvement was absolutely vital to achieving this win.
Of course, many more battles lie ahead. President Obama continues to push for the Senate to ratify massive international gun control treaties. There is a battle over a Supreme Court nominee coming up. Anti-gun zealots in Congress are aggressively pushing to renew the Clinton gun ban and close down gun shows.
And as the health care debate picks up steam in the coming weeks and months, GOA is battling efforts to create a computerized national healthcare database. Such a database can be used to deny people their Second Amendment rights in the same way that so many veterans have lost their gun rights based only on the diagnoses of a doctor for things like combat-related stress.
GOA will be calling for action on these and other Second Amendment issues as they move through Congress.
In the meantime, have a safe Memorial Day as we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that America would remain "Land of the Free."
Read an Opposing View from the Brady Campaign, Brady Campaign Decries Guns in National Parks Law
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Poor deluded Stabby. I have worked a lot in Canada and spoke with many people who were not particularly happy that they could not purchase and own pretty much any gun that they wanted to like we can in the U.S. No one breaks into anyones home in Canada and hurts the homeowners? If that is true what a paradise. If it is not true, then for homeowners not being able to defend themselves;it is a tragedy. I assume that being disarmed you will now gladly step up into the railcar headed for the gas chamber as the Jews had no choice but to do after their government had taken away all its citizens guns . You hold just a little too much trust in government's good intentions.
Most of the crime down here in the U.S. is perpetrated by those who sell and/or use drugs and also by those who steal instead of choose to work. I would surmise that 99% of them would call themselves liberal Democrats. Do you begin to see the picture of where the problem truly lies? They would just love to see the law abiding citizens be disarmed so that they could rape and pillage to their hearts content (assuming they do have a heart, which doubtful).
I am a Chemical Engineer and now a Drilling Fluids Engineer who works in the Gulf of Mexico drilling for more oil for use in the U.S. Yes, my wife is home alone for two weeks at a time and will shoot to kill anyone who breaks into our house in my absence. If that makes me a Redneck, so be it!
Thanks for the setup, Stabby.
1. Reasonably-well educated: two post-HS degrees (one from a private Liberal Arts college known for its student political liberalism and typically academically ranked in the top five or so such colleges in the US).
2. Former HS English Teacher.
3. Adjunct training and course work in counselling psychology. Extensive volunteer work in adolescent crisis counselling.
4. Child Care Worker, then Social Worker IN CANADA (briefly).
5. NRA instructor (now inactive) in five different certifications, including firearms safety and handguns.
6. Former director of Marksmanship program at a high-end boys' camp. I trained and supervised approximately 400 10-14 yr.olds each summer shooting about 35-40,000 rounds of .22LR with marksmanship rifles--and I oversaw the BB gun and archery ranges as well.
7. Former small business ower / online entrepreneuR; currently semi-retired for health reasons.
8. Owner of 20+ firearms, all legally acquired per federal and state laws.
9. Possessor of a state-issued carry license--and I carry everywhere it's legal to do so.
10. And, although I have shot about 22,000 rounds in the last two years--and that's in my handguns, primarily my carry guns --I've never shot a thing except paper and reactive targets.
How about you, Stabby? What are your bona fides for calling gunnies rednecks?
gun control: the belief that a woman raped and strangled with her own hose is morally superior to one who defends herself with a firearm.
Get the name right next time. I am neither angry or paranoid when I shoot things. I do so because I have the right and it is enjoyable. Unlike Canada, which I assume your from, we still have our civil liberties such as the 2nd Amendment. So Stabby, I glad there are people like you, it makes my point of view seem so much sweeter. Oh, by the way, my wife just looked. She said I Do have a red neck. I'll be damned....
Gun owners of American eh? Is that a nicer way of saying angry, paranoid rednecks with nothing better to do than shoot things?
In the civilized nations of the world we just don't have guns and nobody shoots each other.
Civilized? Canada's head of state is the Queen of England. You are a subject, not a citizen. And despite this, gun ownership in Canada is second only to the USA in the Americas. But you didn't know that because you are uneducated. Sucks to be you.
...I'd call them American citizens from all corners of our nation that support the Constitution of the United States and the freedoms it ensures. They are united in a concern that these freedoms are in jeopardy by a well funded source that blames illegal or offensive behavior on an inanimate object (firearm) such as a car, cigarette or a broken condom. Although most of their activities are centralized on competitive marksmanship, they are aware that we do not live in a perfected civilized world absent of ill-will, and there is an unfortunate necessity to preserve the ability to protect yourself or family. I can’t comment of the color of their necks but you are correct; they do like to shoot things. Just my observation from looking at their web site.