Guns in National Parks
US Senate and House of Representatives sell out to gun lobby again.
Ohio May 20th, 2009: Shamefully, the Senate amended and the House approved the carrying of guns in our national Parks.
The Senate passed the Colburn amendment to allow guns in parks 67 to 29 and the House today passed it 279 to147 against the advice of: U.S. Park Rangers Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police; National Parks Conservation Association; Coalition of National Park Service Retirees: and National and State Gun Violence Prevention groups.
Legislators allowed the gun lobby to hijack the credit card bill, confirming the way to do business in Washington is to find an issue that needs to be fixed and then attach unrelated amendments that have no merit if debated alone. The President and the administration let us down by not speaking out against this manipulation.
History, the national parks, violence prevention groups, victims and survivors asked for them to maintain the peaceful recreation the national parks have always provided.
Too many legislators took an opportunity to take advantage of their constituents by claiming to get the credit card rights for them while they slyly included catering to the gun lobby to take away families freedom to feel secure on land that is owned by all of us.
The violent crime rate is almost non-existent in our national parks but the gun lobby manages to sell its freedom, rights and paranoia to our legislators by claiming to be able to unseat them if they don’t carry the gun banner.
We should hold them responsible for explaining to our children why we now will have to be aware and take precautions because there will be people carrying all kinds of firearms in our national parks. All this time we have been telling our children that our national parks were a prized possession and safe place to appreciate our natural resources, a gift that is their right.
The elected will be responsible when violence increases in our once envied parks.
Toby Hoover, executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence said: “If only American families knew the price they paid for their credit card rights!”
US Representatives from Ohio that voted for your family: Fudge, Kaptur, Kilroy, Kucinich, Sutton. Senator Brown voted for safety.
US Representatives from Ohio voting for the NRA and guns in parks: Austria, Boehner, Boccieri, Driehaus, Jordan, Latta, LaTourette, Ryan, Schmidt, Space, Tiberi, Turner, Wilson. Senator Voinovich voted to allow guns.
