CCW in National Parks! Your Help Needed!

[Old Ironsights]

**URGENT** **URGENT** **URGENT**

VCDL has just learned from our sources on Capitol Hill that the Department of the Interior (DOI) is **livid** over the National Park Service's (NPS) asinine rejection letter sent to VCDL concerning VCDL's Petition for Rule Making!

(http://www.vcdl.org/pdf/NPS_Denial_of_VCDL_PRM.pdf)

That petition would allow a law-abiding citizen to carry a handgun for self-defense in a National Park if the state in which the park is located allows such carry.

Apparently the National Park Service DID NOT CLEAR that rejection letter with their parent - the Department of the Interior!

The Department of Interior had been telling VCDL and key Congressional members that DOI would seriously consider VCDL's petition.

The ensuing NPS rejection letter made DOI look like fools and liars. DOI doesn't like that at all, and I don't blame them.

The word that I am hearing is that the Department of the Interior is investigating how to OVERTURN that rejection letter and soon!!!

We have an incredible opportunity to save TWO years of work and pull off a victory for all gun owners! But we must make our voices heard LOUD AND CLEAR.

I need all of you to do the following FOUR things NOW and URGENTLY no matter where you live, as this this is a NATIONAL effort:

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1. CALL the DOI Legislative Affairs and leave a message for the Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne.


Say something like this:

"I encourage Secretary Kempthorne to implement the Virginia Citizens Defense League's Petition for Rule Making that the National Park Service has rejected out-of-hand. Law-abiding citizens should be allowed to protect themselves and their families while visiting a National Park."

PLEASE MAKE THAT CALL - WE WANT DOI'S TELEPHONE LINE LIT UP BIG TIME!

Mr. Kempthorne's telephone number in Washington, DC is: 202-208-7351

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2. Call your U.S. Senators and Congressman. Their names, phone numbers and email addresses can be found by clicking here and entering your zip and address:

http://capwiz.com/nra/officials/congress

Say something like this:

"Please have the Senator [Congressman] contact the Department of the Interior's Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne, and ask him to overturn the National Park Service's rejection of the Virginia Citizens Defense League's Petition for Rule Making. Law-abiding citizens should be allowed to carry a handgun to defend themselves while visiting a National Park if the state in which the park is located allows such carry!"

PLEASE MAKE THAT CALL - WE WANT CONGRESS' TELEPHONE LINES TO LIGHT UP AS BRIGHTLY AS DOI'S!

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3. After calling your Senators and Congressman, follow up with an email.

Here is a sample email you can use:

Please ask the Department of the Interior's Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne, to overturn the National Park Service's arbitrary rejection of the Virginia Citizens Defense League's Petition for Rule Making and to implement that petition!

VCDL's Petition for Rule Making, representing over ONE MILLION gun owners, would allow law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun for self-defense in a National Park as long as the state in which that National Park is located allows such carry.

The National Park Service's rejection letter was not only asinine, but condescending towards America's gun owners.

My family member and I are given but one life each. I ask that you make sure that I can defend those lives while visiting a National Park!

Please let me know what you are going to do.

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4. After calling and leaving a message for DOI, follow up with an email to Secretary Kempthorne:

Email address:

exsec@ios.doi.gov

Suggested email subject:

Please approve VCDL's Petition for Rule Making!

Suggested email text:

Dear Secretary Kempthorne,

I ask that you approve and implement the Virginia Citizens Defense League's (VCDL) Petition for Rule Making that would allow a law-abiding citizen to carry a handgun for self-defense in a National Park as long the state in which the park is located allows such carry.

The National Park Service sent a rejection letter to VCDL listing four very poor reasons for the rejection. None of the reasons listed legitimately justifies denying a person the right to defend the only life they have been given.

The Petition, representing over ONE MILLION gun owners, was basically rejected out-of-hand.

Please let me know what the Department of the Interior is going to do regarding this matter.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]

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OK, ladies and gentlemen - let's ROLL!

Please spread this alert far and wide! We need gun owners from all over the country to make this happen!

************************************************** *************************
VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL).
VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to
defending the human rights of all Virginians. The membership considers the
Right to Keep and Bear Arms to be an essential human right.

VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org

[montana_charlie]

My email...hope it helps.
CM

Secretary Kempthorne,

I strongly recommend your approval of the petition by the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) which would allow a law-abiding citizen to carry a handgun for self-defense in a National Park when located in a state that allows such carry.

The four reasons given by the National Park Service for rejecting the VCDL petition were perfunctory and not well-supported by fact. The fourth answer was clearly the most useless. If a wife can drive an attacking bear away from her husband (thereby saving his life) by stabbing it in the eye with a ball point pen, a person of equal intelligence can surely be more effective if a firearm is available.

The Petition represents a desire by gun owners to take more responsibility for their personal safety (and that of others nearby), but was rejected out-of-hand by NPS.
It was my understanding that Department of the Interior was to be the deciding body for this issue. Does NPS no longer answer to DOI?

Please let me know what the Department of the Interior is going to do regarding this matter.

[Blackwater]

Done ... all but the phone call. That'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Thanks for the heads up.

[fatnhappy]

My Senators are Schumer and Clinton. My congresswoman is just as anti-gun.

I might as well try to make the Mississippi flow uphill. :(

[tanstafl10]

Sent e-mail, will work on phone calls

thanks for heads up!

[Old Ironsights]

I am so appalled I can hardly type.

If anyone ever wondered who deserved the epither "Fudd" or why it exists, look here to find your answer:

http://www.indianasportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5829&goto=newpost

Un effing believeable. [smilie=b:

[waksupi]

Up in Glacier National park, when they see a 7 county license plate, they assume we are already carrying a gun.

[fatnhappy]

unreal. Un------- real. I find it almost unimaginable that sportsmen are so intellectually stunted as to believe a couple karate moves will save your bacon when you stumble on a meth lab. As for "bear attacks" on armed hunters, hey retard, who spends more man hours in the woods, hunters or the granola crowd? Which one is trying to maintain stealth? Which one then is more likely to meet Ursus Badattitudeus at statistical range. Duh.

Seems not to long ago 3 unarmed women were preyed upon by Corey Strayner in a National park. It took a month to find their bodies.

Were their lives not worth defending?

unfreakin real.

[Dale53]

I am an Old Backpacker (in fact. for many years that was my "moniker") of many, many single person trips. Most of my trips did not exceed nine days (one week plus a weekend-I had to work for a living). One trip in the Smokies, I was by myself and was treed for seven hours by a momma bear with two cubs. That is, treed in a three wall shelter with NO protection (these shelters are now protected with a chain link fence). I made a promise to myself to absolutely NEVER AGAIN go into wild country unarmed. NEVER. NEVER, NEVER as in NEVER!! I did not break my promise. For what it is worth, I never had to use it in self defense, but I slept better many nights because of it.

Don't believe that was an isolated incident. I had a bear in camp within feet (once within inches) on three separate occasions. One COULD say that I am an "expert" on the subject:(

Dale53

[bart55]

Have been a backpacker for most of my 57 years , had a pack of wild dogs tree me and my cousin when we were about 10 or 11 years old . they were chasing a deer and we yelled at them.WE stayed in that tree it seemed forever then hi tailed it home . We got to my uncles farm and he told me to never go in the woods unarmed . just never know what you might come upon. I have been doing the same since then and have had a few times I was very happy to have followed that advice.I don't think I ever had to use it but it sure did put my mind at ease

[NVcurmudgeon]

I have packed, discreetly, in a couple of National Parks within a state which allows CCW only for prominent members of one of the political parties. Being neither prominent nor a member of that party, I remember the words a wise man
told me when I first got my CCW. "Don't leave home without it." And "concealed means concealed."

[lovedogs]

I hope we can be heard... but I doubt it will happen. I'm retired from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which is part of Department of the Interior, so I know how things work there. Though I was retired on a disability (due to a horse wreck) it was one of my happiest days. I no longer had to live under their rules. Some of those people are okay but most are parasites too screwed up to work anywhere else, and the ones in management postitions are the worst. No common sense at all.

Since I know how they work I no longer visit our National Parks. You may get away with keeping a firearm hidden and going there but if you ever get caught and prosecuted by the wrong people you'll rue the day. Not only can they ruin your life and bank account, they can really cause you a lot of grief for a long time in the future. I personally know of one man who shot a grizzly up by Glacier Park in his defense. It took him about ten years to get clear of that. It cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars to stay out of prison. He still lost his case and was fined thousands of dollars. He almost lost his ranch and is in debt for a long time. He has a criminal record for life and is scrutinized constantly by law enforcement. All this because he defended himself from one of their bears. It's not worth it. I, too, have a rule of not leaving home without being armed. In this day and age a man (or woman) is a d___ fool to venture anywhere without being armed, whether you are protecting against wildlife or thugs. I have to go to some places but I don't have to go to the Parks. I'd like to, as I'm an avid outdoorsman but it's not worth the grief to go there and get caught packing a gun. Until things change I'll just go wherever I can go armed and stay out of the Parks. And if you think you're upset over this situation you should be standing in my boots. I worked for the real preservation of our wildlife for many years and now I can't even go look at it and exercise my basic right to defend myself where they are.

[brshooter]

It would do me no good to contact my senators. We have Schumer (AKA "The Clown") and Clinton (AKA"The Bit*h"), both rabid anti-gunners of the first order. Our State (NY) is ruled by the metropolitan areas. The cities with their crime rates and liberal welfare determine our legislative make-up. They normally make it almost impossible to obtain a CCW permit, the cops are a joke everywhere in the cities. Main function eating donuts and arresting normal people for traffic infractions. They will not interfer with organized crime, or any other criminals that may bodily harm them. Granted there are a few good ones, but that is the exception. Report a mugging in any cityand the cops just scrug it off and say you shouldn't have been there in the first place....... I live in northen NY and the crime rate is extremely low, for everyone is a hunter or someone in the family is and every home usually has several firearms. But it is changing slowly, city people are attracted because of the low cost of living and housing here and are bringing their foolish attitudes with them, more cops and no firearms. Enough to make a locomotive turnoff onto a dirt road.