Legal Carry In National Parks! Feel Safer?

The purpose of the story was to make a point. If you carry know when and how to use it and use it for the purpose you are carrying it, as the one in the story did.
Who is snopes, how do you know their information is "just the facts". I am sure they post nothing but the truth. Where do they get their information?

 

To get hit six times in the back with any type of hand gun would be a trick to see. I have used guns for 60 plus years now and do not see how anyone could stand up and take six shots to the back. Did this wild story say she shot the last five shots as he was face down on the street. I doubt it. Good way to spent a long time in jail if you did this act. What is cost to replace a paycheck and handbag? No court system would overlook this act or let it go.

 

When in high school, a bunch of us boys made the mistake of going back to the same watermelon patch two nights and a row and I got shot in the back with birdshot from a shotgun. It hurt a lot but we didn’t get any medical attention. A lots different than getting shot with a pistol. In training my wife to fire my 380 Auto, it is amazing how inaccurate a new shooter can be. The adrenalin flowing makes things worse. In our area Central Florida, a homeowner was not charged in shooting and killing an intruder in his yard who came to rob him. (see link).


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Snopes.com is a searchable internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, email hoaxes, rumors, and misinformation. As with anything on the internet I am sure that not all of their information is accurate, but I think they generally do a good job debunking the scams that are out there. There are several other sources for verifying information (urbanlegends.about.com, truthorfiction.com, scambusters.org/legends.html), but Snopes is a good place to start.

I understand the first part of your post, and I agree 100% that anyone who choses to carry a hand gun should definitely be trained to know how to use it correctly. I just don't think the story you used illustrates that idea. Sorry, that's just my opinion.

 

I bow out not realizing this would be taken so negatively. Should have known there will always be some that will not see anyone else point.
I will be gone permanently from these forums.

 

I thought it was supposed to be a joke...

 

I thought he was just trying to impress others about how much he knew but he just ended up embarrassing himself. His anecdote sure wasn't supportive of whatever side a person wanted to take. There are plenty of truthful incidents that could be reported without resorting to something made up and completely bogus.

 

I don't know until it happens, what I would do if confronted. I just know that if I am, I rather be armed than unarmed.

I do know this; a bunch of years ago, when I owned my own pay phones and collected and serviced pay phones for a couple other companies, I carried.

Pay phones were never in the good part of town, the best phones that had to be collected 3 times a week (each phone held $150.00 in coin) and each location had 2, 3, or 4 phones. The first time I collected, I drew a crowd... I guess they wanted to see what I would do, the next time, this time with the black grips of a pistol very visable, NO ONE came to see what I was doing. Another time, while sitting my my truck, I had a couple people try to open my doors, they were introduced to Misters Smith & Wesson. The muzzle end must have looked 2 feet wide to them, cause they turned and ran and I never saw them again.

Back then Ohio did not have a carry permit, we had a George Voinovich who was anti personal protection. We also had a defense, called the "prudent man defense". The idea was if you felt that in your normal course of business, you felt the need to be armed, you would have a valid defense. Of course, this would not prevent you from being arrested, having your firearm taken, have to defend yourself, sue to get your gun back.

We (God knows why) sent Voinovich to Washington, well at least we got him OUT of Ohio, and we got a carry permit. The bad thing, the preudent man defense went away, so that meant that Ohio was able to extort more money out of a citizen to be able to protect ones self.

 

Carrying a weapon is a huge responsibility, ALMOST as huge as being able to drive a multi-ton vehicle down the highway without killing anyone else. Personally, I feel safer being around people that have gone thru the necessary training and have obtained their carry permit than sharing the highways with a lot of people that have stepped out of their family sedan and into a 40' motor home with no requirements to have any special driver training or testing. A person only has to look at the thousands of highway deaths each year to see where the real risk is in our lives as we enjoy our RV hobby.
The greater risk in our National Parks is not from someone that is carrying a concealed weapon, it comes from your fellow travelers that are behind the wheel. I believe each year that there are upwards of 300 people killed in our National Parks from accidents ranging from traffic accidents to drownings, to someone just doing something stupid.
I guaranty that many of you, that now say you feel less safe in our National Parks, just don't realize how often you have been around people that are carrying a concealed weapon as you explore this great country. Those of us that do carry don't have a red flag to alert strangers. The weapon is hidden and will remain hidden, just like our spare tire, with the hopes that we will never need it to protect our loved ones, or maybe even protect a total stranger, if things go bad.
Relax and enjoy your adventure and be careful on the highways. That is where the greater danger lies.

 

I usually try to avoid getting involved in discussions on this topic because they, as others have noted, seldom change anyone's opinion and can tend to get very volatile. Using the much maligned "Houston woman" story as a starting point, I'd like to ask a question. For the sake of argument, let's assume the basic set up for the story is true - woman working a job gets off late and has to take public transportation home in a big city. This is a regular scenario for miillions of people in this country. I certainly do not deny that this can be a precarious situation. These folks might have a legitmate argument for routinely being armed for their protection. My question: How many folks on this forum are in this type of potentially dangerous situation on a daily basis?

 

QUOTE(Jerry S. @ Mar 2 2010, 12:20 AM) [snapback]21117[/snapback]

How many folks on this forum are in this type of potentially dangerous situation on a daily basis?



That is a good question and I guess the best answer is that any of us, with a motor home, could potentially get into a dangerous situation at any time. According to our state troopers, motor homes are a target of many criminals, especially if they are broken down at the side of the road. Any criminal, with a lick of sense, knows that as opposed to an automobile, a motor home will definitely have credit cards, cash, cameras, and maybe several other things of value. Since none of us can predict when we will beak down, and where, and since none of us can predict who we will be parked next to at the next rest center, I have decided that it is better to plan for the very REMOTE possibility that something could go bad, rather than to be unprepared all of the time. My life and my wife's life are too important to ignore the possibility that sometimes bad things happen to good people.
A young tourist lost his life at a rest center because some criminal decided that he wanted to rob him. Who knows if the criminal would have left with just the man's money? Once the criminal realizes you have seen him, you become a witness. Will he eliminate all witnesses? Who knows?
For those that do not feel comfortable carrying a weapon, there is ONLY once answer, DO NOT carry one. I would never try to convince everyone to carry a deadly weapon.
For those with the proper training, that they keep current, I hope we never have to use our weapon just like I hoped I would never have to use my emergency training as a pilot.

 

I retired from the Army with 20 years of service. I have been to Iraq twice. I grew up around guns all of my life and am an avid hunter. The only thing that scares me worse than a person carrying a gun without any real training/experience, is the individual who wants to take away my gun rights because they are afraid of guns. Dont be afraid of guns, be afraid of the criminals who would use them. Persecute them with stiffer penalties and laws, such as the death penalty for those crimes committed with a weapon that results in the death of anyone. And Im not talking just guns. Any thing used to kill a person is considered a weapon, a shovel, hammer, crowbar, knife etc.

How many people die every year because of DUI's??? Lots. Have we banned alcohol?? Nope. Gotten stiffer on the perps?? Nope. But yet the same people you see in the local paper every week keep coming up on the list for DUI's. 2nd, 3rd and 4th offenders.

My point is, guns dont kill people, people kill people. If a criminal wants to kill someone or commit a crime and guns arent available, he/she will use something else!

I am a law abiding citizen with a carry concealed permit. You will never know I have a carry conceal, as I dont flash my weapon. I dont carry for any macho reason. I carry because I dont trust people. To me, its like owning a 4X4 truck (which I do ). Its better to have it and never need it, than to not have it and need it.

My father worked for law enforcement for 12 years, and I used to go out on call with him. You always saw the same people getting into trouble, and always the criminal minded. Criminals will always be criminals, and the law abiding citizens are just that. I had to get a background check to get my permit, and the permit can be revoked if I were to abuse it or get into trouble. Therefore, I am a law abiding citizen, and I give to my community. I am active with the Boyscouts. I am a normal American citizen, not some crazy person carrying guns.

I just dont get why someone would say "Now I feel less safe knowing people can legally carry in parks now." To me that is just silly. I will tell you, I dont feel any different, and I hope people exercise their rights to carry. The only thing is, I hope that people will use good judgment and not mix alcohol with guns. That is not a good mixture, kind of like, drinking and driving!!!

The knee jerk response to this new law by those anti-gun activists just drives me nuts. I dont get them. Just like the animal rights activists that have gone to the extreme. I personally think they are out of touch with reality and have never experienced life outside of their little bubble. The world is a big and dangerous place, get out and explore and see how the world really is, not just your little make believe "perfect world".

I expect to get flamed on this post, however, that is fine, as this IS America, and I have fought in combat to give you that right. But remember this, I have seen more than the average American, and am pretty thick skinned. And I wont change my beliefs.

 

Thanks for your service!

I think you posted a well thought out and informative reply.

 

I have carried a gun most of my adult life. I was with the government and a Police officer. I am now a civilian and I still carry. I believe that having the right to carry is important and does reduce crime. I live in Northern VA and there is a county in MD that is very similar as to demogarpahics. the one difference is gun ownership and crime rates. VA has much lower crime rates. That study has been proven and vetted by actual peer review and the numbers can be seen from the justice department relating to crime.

Now a second part of my arguement is that law enforcement responds not really prevents problems. It is an accident if we see it happening or if we are waiting for it to happen it means it has happened before. I now live in the country. My county is 500 sq miles and has a total of 35 deputies. If you figure three shifts and time off and court time that is about 5 guys and gals a night. Sure there is mutual aid but if they are tied up it might be 30 mins before help comes. The national parks are worse. You can wait two hours for the buffalo to move.

I favor people being trained but having the rights to own and carry. It should be like our drivers license. The new case before the supreme court will further the rights at the state level and some of the cities who are so opposed might see a drop that they can be pleased about but the spin will be we did it not the guns.

I know of a guy who was arrested a few years ago. He was released from prison with his buddy and drove into VA to rob a bank. He was chased into DC by Fairfax county police and when stopped the officer used his shotgun and held them at gunpoint. The passenger was moving his hand and the officer responded, I would sit still or you see your buddy over there, your brains will be all over him. The response was " I told you, I tol you they kill you in Virginia."

That being repeated in the local jails will do more for crime reduction than any program.

ANd yes it is true. You can not check it on snopes but it is true none the less. There were witness and a police report. But the officer went home to see his grandkids to travel.