Obama makes deadly campgrounds more secure

Visitors to national parks across the United States will be enjoying their last bullet free vacation this year.
That’s right. The Obama administration recently amended a bill that will allow guns to be carried within national parks and wildlife refuges. The new law will take effect in February 2010 and will replace the previous law that required all guns on park property to be locked or kept in a glove compartment or trunk.
Marie Cocco leads off her article “Packing Heat in the Parks” with a new checklist for vacationers, “Hiking boots, check. Sunscrean, check. Water bottles, check. Guns, clips, ammo. Check, check, check. It’s enough to make you sick before you’ve grilled a single hot dog.”
This checklist may seem comical, but could be exactly how residents of the campsite next to you packed.
Supporters of the bill use the second amendment (the right to bear arms), and the right to defend one’s self against wildlife and human threats.
Exactly what are these people defending themselves from? Yes, animals are dangerous, but these are park grounds and animal attacks are rare. As for protecting yourself from human threats, allowing people to carry guns only adds to the threat.
The Republicans comments supporting the new law included statements about the confusion of the old law, and how merely traveling from state-owned parks to national parks could mean visitors could be violating the law.
Frankly, if you feel the need to carry a gun, then you should be willing to accept all the potentially confusing laws that may or may not come with it. Laws are in place for our protection, not because someone feels like confusing an unsuspecting hunter.
These are camping grounds. Is it not enough that you are allowed to keep the gun unloaded and locked or in your vehicle? Why is it necessary to carry a loaded gun on your person through an area where children and their families are playing catch and roasting marshmallows?
Last checked, a marshmallow was not considered a deadly weapon.

Related links: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090524_packing_heat_in_parks/?ln