Congress will lift restrictions on guns in national parks. Visitors will now be able to carry concealed and loaded guns into the parks, The Obama administration declined to appeal the ruling, and the law passed without comment as part of a credit card reform package!!!!!!
Bill Wade, President of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, said that “…the new law will erase the park system’s reputation as a place of solitude and safety.” Scot McElveen, President of the Association of National Park Rangers, said, “… readily accessible firearms in parks is one that will lead to lessened preservation of park resources.”
Critics are also concerned about an increase in illegal hunting. McElveen further said, “…there’s also a group …that can be tempted by opportunity when they think that no one’s around and no one will find out.”
See The Washington Post article by Ed O’Keefe on 2/19/2010.