“No Guns In National Parks Campaign” Claims Initial Victory! But We Need To Keep the Pressure On President Obama.
On March 19th, 2009, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit brought by gun-control advocates and environmental groups to block a last-minute rule by the Bush administration to permit deadly guns being carried in our National Parks. But this fight is not over.
Sign our petition below to tell President Obama to reverse the Bush administration's dangerous policy. The American people simply do not want guns in our pristine wilderness areas and National Parks.
Most upsetting is that before leaving office, the Bush administration completely and utterly dismissed the advice of the career professionals who protect our national parks, including our park rangers, law enforcement officials, and conservationists. In a letter sent to Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne on April 3, 2008, seven former directors of the National Park Service said that there is no need to change the existing regulation.
Serious crimes in the parks are rare and there is no data showing a need for visitors to carry concealed firearms. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, there were 1.65 violent crimes per 100,000 national park visitors in 2006—making national parks some of the safest places in the United States. Allowing people "with minimal or no training to carry firearms in national park areas will not lower the already negligible crime rate but will most likely increase the possibilities of basic altercations turning into something much more serious," Park Service spokesman David Barna told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Will you join us in saying no to carrying hidden and loaded guns in our National Parks by signing our urgent petition today? I call on President Obama to immediately reverse George Bush's dangerous provision to permit carrying hidden and loaded guns into our national parks. I want to keep our National Parks free of crime and deadly firearms. I believe that our National Parks are a refuge where we, as Americans can seek inspiration, tranquility, and peace. I've had enough of the gun lobby's extremist agenda dictating our safety and security. Please sign our urgent online petition below, then forward this petition on to your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family. We also encourage you to post this petition on your social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, to help us spread the word to protect our national parks.
After signing this statement, you will receive e-mail updating you on the activities of Freedom States Alliance. For additional information on Freedom States Alliance and our mission, visit freedomstatesalliance.com.
