Reader Responses

Editor's Note: Comments this week are on the topic: Do you think the Department of Interior should adopt a proposed rule to allow visitors in some national parks, wildlife refugees and monuments to carry loaded, concealed weapons?

The Feds are long overdue in restoring the Constitutional right of the Second Amendment to citizens visiting the parks.

It's obvious that the honest, well-meaning visitors will be safer if more of them have access to weapons of defense. In any location, the "bad" guys always have their weapons, because the only meaning to them of gun regulation laws is that it makes them safer from the good guys.

In any cities and countries where repressive gun laws have been enacted, violent crimes have dramatically increased, because the populace is left easy prey to the armed perpetrator.

This is a very elementary concept that all rational people should be able to appreciate.

Gary Jorgensen
Canton

I strongly believe that properly trained and licensed persons should be allowed to carry their guns in national parks. As for the opposition who thinks it will ruin the family environment of the parks what they should know is, their family friendly shopping malls and grocery stores are already being frequented by law abiding licensed concealed carry patrons. That is what keeps the unlicensed carriers at bay. If done properly no one will ever even know they are carrying anyway. And as far as the fact of "little crime" in the parks ... one crime is too many especially if it is perpetrated against you. It's like the definition of minor surgery...

Laws against carrying a weapon will not stop a criminal from carrying a weapon only a law abiding citizen, so why do we need laws to prevent carrying weapons by licensed trained law abiding citizens. Criminals will do it anyway. Who would you prefer to have armed, someone who wishes to do you harm or someone who is there to protect you from that person? The choice is simple from my vantage point.

Let them carry!

J. Mettlen
Tyler

Why not!

You have people that carry a badge that use their guns in the wrong way. Why not let the people who want to do what is right have that chance. You can not stop crime. You can spend the rest of the people's money that is not going in their gas tanks and you still won't stop crime.

Face it, if you are going to give a person a license then he should be trusted anywhere.

Sherman Williams Sr.
Tyler

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