Glitch
Member
One of the local liberals, a some-times quasi-governmental official (city council, etc.), currently voted out of office but still compelled to tell others what to do, got her letter to the editor published in the Durham Herald-Sun a few days ago. Usually I can ignore people like that, but I had to respond in this case. My response is supposed to be published in the next couple of days (by the way, the opinion page editor called it "beautiful"--I think he's on our side!). I thank this forum for my knowledge of the subject, and thought you might enjoy reading the letters. Note that the paper limits letters to 250 words, so they are necessarily condensed.
Her letter:
Campers with guns
As the school year draws to a close, families look forward to summer vacations. A note of caution: think twice before visiting America's National Parks. Why? A few weeks ago Congress passed legislation to reform the credit card industry and in the rush to do good, Congress did bad. The "good" bill could not get passed without an amendment, so with 105 Democratic votes, the U.S. House overwhelmingly passed the Coburn Amendment allowing individuals to carry loaded guns in our nation's parks.
If your plans include a visit to Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, or closer to home, Pisgah National Forest, be mindful that the folks standing next to you enjoying the wonders of nature might very well be carrying loaded guns. Could even be an AK-47.
If you are camping at one of our parks be sure you know exactly where your tent is at night -- heaven forbid that you brush against the wrong tent. The occupant might mistake you for a bear, a rabid fox or a criminal and shoot you -- or your child.
When will this insanity end? What is it going to take for our elected officials to finally stand up to the National Rifle Association's incessant march to the return of vigilante justice? I do not feel safer knowing that so many people are carrying concealed weapons in so many public places. Do you? For the record, Rep. David Price (D, 4th District) voted against this legislation.
SANDY OGBURN
Durham
June 13, 2009
My response:
Sandy Ogburn has done a public disservice with her misinformed diatribe about the new national park right-to-carry rules (Campers with guns, June 13). It is remarkable how many facts she got wrong in such a limited space.
First, the bill takes effect in 2010, so her effort to provoke hysteria over this summer’s vacation plans is pointless.
Second, the new law pertains only to national parks and wildlife refuges. Since firearms are already permitted in national forests, her dire predictions for Pisgah National Forest are ridiculous.
Third, far from “the return of vigilante justice”, the new rules simply replace Federal restrictions with the firearm laws of the states in which the parks are located.
Fourth, while concealed carry will be allowed for permit holders, an AK-47 is a military rifle highly unlikely to be concealed by “the folks standing next to you.” Was the AK-47 reference included solely to incite panic?
Fifth, while Ms. Ogburn “does not feel safer” with lawful concealed carry, many others do. There are 1,661 CCW permit holders in Durham County, 127,748 state-wide, and reciprocity with 30 other states. Each of these citizens has been thoroughly investigated, fingerprinted, and approved by the sheriff. If Ms. Ogburn is truly concerned about public safety, I suggest that she flip to the Crime Log section and redirect her crusade to that portion of the population.
Lastly, regarding the gratuitous slap at the NRA, I suspect that Ms. Ogburn’s understanding of that organization equals her negligible grasp of the national park right-to-carry law.
RICHARD GLISSON
Bahama
Her letter:
Campers with guns
As the school year draws to a close, families look forward to summer vacations. A note of caution: think twice before visiting America's National Parks. Why? A few weeks ago Congress passed legislation to reform the credit card industry and in the rush to do good, Congress did bad. The "good" bill could not get passed without an amendment, so with 105 Democratic votes, the U.S. House overwhelmingly passed the Coburn Amendment allowing individuals to carry loaded guns in our nation's parks.
If your plans include a visit to Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, or closer to home, Pisgah National Forest, be mindful that the folks standing next to you enjoying the wonders of nature might very well be carrying loaded guns. Could even be an AK-47.
If you are camping at one of our parks be sure you know exactly where your tent is at night -- heaven forbid that you brush against the wrong tent. The occupant might mistake you for a bear, a rabid fox or a criminal and shoot you -- or your child.
When will this insanity end? What is it going to take for our elected officials to finally stand up to the National Rifle Association's incessant march to the return of vigilante justice? I do not feel safer knowing that so many people are carrying concealed weapons in so many public places. Do you? For the record, Rep. David Price (D, 4th District) voted against this legislation.
SANDY OGBURN
Durham
June 13, 2009
My response:
Sandy Ogburn has done a public disservice with her misinformed diatribe about the new national park right-to-carry rules (Campers with guns, June 13). It is remarkable how many facts she got wrong in such a limited space.
First, the bill takes effect in 2010, so her effort to provoke hysteria over this summer’s vacation plans is pointless.
Second, the new law pertains only to national parks and wildlife refuges. Since firearms are already permitted in national forests, her dire predictions for Pisgah National Forest are ridiculous.
Third, far from “the return of vigilante justice”, the new rules simply replace Federal restrictions with the firearm laws of the states in which the parks are located.
Fourth, while concealed carry will be allowed for permit holders, an AK-47 is a military rifle highly unlikely to be concealed by “the folks standing next to you.” Was the AK-47 reference included solely to incite panic?
Fifth, while Ms. Ogburn “does not feel safer” with lawful concealed carry, many others do. There are 1,661 CCW permit holders in Durham County, 127,748 state-wide, and reciprocity with 30 other states. Each of these citizens has been thoroughly investigated, fingerprinted, and approved by the sheriff. If Ms. Ogburn is truly concerned about public safety, I suggest that she flip to the Crime Log section and redirect her crusade to that portion of the population.
Lastly, regarding the gratuitous slap at the NRA, I suspect that Ms. Ogburn’s understanding of that organization equals her negligible grasp of the national park right-to-carry law.
RICHARD GLISSON
Bahama
