L.A. Times article



And as Les mentioned, one can unwittingly wander into nefarious goings-on.

Not to mention that a restriction on carrying a firearm is a restriction on a basic right.

Are you serious? I(and all the other concealed weapons permit holders in the USA) need the right to protect ourselves no matter where it might be. National parks are one of the most dangerous places because ccw is prohibited. Criminals can go there, and rob/attack/beat/_______ anyone because they know there is no penalt, or no chance that the weak elderly old couple has no defense against 4 thugs that want his wallet, and to beat them so bad they will lay there, and die.

I don't need a gun to enjoy ANYTHING but the right to protect myself, and others no matter where it is.

I don't know about this particular naysayer and this is not a personal attack, but generally people who are anti-guns have never had an experience where their lives were threatened by animals or others and are generally ignorant of human nature and underside of our society. They are also typically afraid of guns and weapons and have little experience with them.

They've never seen grows, never seen armed men hiding in cabins or tents on old trails. They've probably never been robbed or accosted out in the woods. They've probably never been stalked by a cougar or seen a bear rumage through their camp. They've never had a meth head out of his mind come after them with a baseball bat or take their wives or girlfriends at gun point.

In other words, they've been lucky. Just like most of us who haven't died in a car wreck yet, but aren't about to act like and assume it could never happen.

Its our right not to become victims, yet still the enjoy the wilderness that we collectively own.

With a history of LEO experience, I know very well what people are capable of and the woods is a great place to become a victim, because you are alone, concealed and help is far away if available at all. I almost never go into the woods, desert or mountains without a weapon. Yet, I don't carry in the city as often, even though I have the legal ability to do so. That is simply my choice.

A gun is not the first line of defense for a citizen..it is the last, not unlike a seatbelt. You don't drive like an idiot, just because you have a seatbelt and every option possible should be excersized in the woods to avoid confrontation with animals or people, but you wouldn't take away my right to wear a seatbelt, so don't you dare take away my right to carry a legally licensed firearm as my last line of defense.

Personally I'm libertarian. I don't care what you do, but you damn well better not attack my rights either. If everyone just allowed everyone else to excersize their rights and we all left each other alone, we'd be a lot happier and that goes for both political sides. Unfortunately, the socialists want to regulate everything and the conservatives want to ban every behavior they find "immoral" and so here we in a constant battle of imposing our views on other people.

Leave me and my rights alone and I'll leave you alone and we'll all be happy.

This is just my opinion, nothing more.

I'll bet someone would think twice about kidnapping, robbing, raping, and killing a young blond girl hiking the app. trail if they thought she might put a bullet in them.

Legal CCW's are not the problem. They are law abiding citizens. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Nothing stopped this guy from shooting people twice on the AT.
http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=104&sid=1400972

PEARISBURG, Va. (AP) - A convicted murderer is suspected of shooting and wounding two men on the Appalachian Trail a few miles from the spot where he killed two hikers in 1981, authorities said.

Randall Lee Smith, 54, will be charged with two counts of attempted capital murder, grand larceny and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Lt. Ron Hamlin of the Giles County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.
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He later died in his cell. Wierd thing is...they let him move back into his house....2 miles from the AT. That's like driving the pedophile to Toys r us.

Yeah. Lets take the guns away from people who haven't done anything wrong. That way there won't be any more gun crime, right?

LR--It's so responsible citizens can enjoy national parks, and not worry about being a target in a defenseless killing zone.

RRedd--oh my god has it come down to this? you need a gun to enjoy the wilderness? jeezus christ just build a bunker if yer that scared of the world.

Yeah right. This is why I don't tell the Rangers a flippin' thing:





<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" />

BTW, the document is FWS-R9-NSR-2008-0062-8875 if you have a hard time during the search.

You should see the horror on the faces on the hikers I pass in the Ventana Wilderness-Los Padres National Forest. I guess fully clad hunter with a 3K Rifle and $600 nikon binoculars is a scarry sight. I do my best to strike up a good conversation and let them know i'm a saving California from the non-native invasive wild boar and deer infestation <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> Then throw in that I'm a diver for the Aquarium and sometimes I make progress. Other times they are so far to the left it makes no difference. I also tell them I pack out the whole animal so the California Condor does not get lead poisoning from the guts <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

Sometimes I think I'm the only "natural predator" in northern California. A few mountain lions and myself have a tough job but somebody has to do it <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

Yeah, and if anyone were attacked by said cougar, they'd be pretty glad to see you.

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> guts and lead poison <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Guns are scary. Especially ones with barrel shrouds.