Yet another solution looking for a problem...Stupid....

LD 1737 should be amended to allow for people with carry concealed permits to register Park officials. CCP owners are vetted, law-abiding people. When guns are outlawed only corporations will have free speech.

12:50 AM, midcoastconservative;

Very well put, and a huge ditto on the stupid. I can't see which idiot wrote this article though.

****** As Speaker Pingree noted, LD 1737 would keep consistent the rules for Baxter State Park and Acadia National Park. She also noted that public policy identifies places where carrying a gun is not appropriate, such as in schools, courts and the State House.

Acadia, the St. Croix Historic Site and the Appalachian Trail also should be gun-free zones.*****

These places where guns cannot be carried are all places with dense concentrations of people, where if you are attacked by some deranged whackjob, help will be only seconds away. Acadia National Park has NOTHING in common with them except that it's owned by the government.

If a law abiding citizen has a concealed weapons permit, his right to carry should not be taken away unless there is a compelling reason. It does NOT make park rangers jobs easier if guns are taken out of the hands of law abiding citizens. Those who would use guns against the rangers are criminals and are not the ones who have concealed carry permits.

I don't doubt that the violent crime rate is much lower in Acadia than many other places. The same can be said of my rural neighborhood. But that's no argument for repealing the second amendment in either of these areas. I really don't understand the instinct by some politicians to constantly try to attack second amendment rights for law abiding citizens. Why do they so quickly seem to forget they were put in place to uphold (not attack its most basic provisions) the Constitution and to try to figure out how to solve real problems?

The area of Baxter State Park with the highest number of visitors, the southern area, allows hunting with a firearm. There hasn't been any issues with people carrying firearms in this, or the northern section, of the park. Those folks that have fears about people that carry concealed firearms are concerned about nothing. If, while you are in these areas, you knew how many people around you have concealed firearms you may be shocked to know the truth.

Let's be honest, in Maine the only reason to carry a concealed weapon is to protect you and yours from the the two-legged creatures that prowl the land. A bear, coyote, fisher, etc. is long gone before you see them.

It's too bad that you are overly concerned about banning concealed carry firearms in the woods when it's schools and post offices where they have been often needed to protect innocent lives- but not allowed to be possessed by the law abiding, right-minded individual. Those criminals that have killed and maimed in our schools and post offices had no regard for 'the rules' and your innocent family members have paid the ultimate price. Sad commentary.

Ya. Sure. Pack up the wife and kids, head for Acadia for a nice walk on the carriage trails, and, of COURSE, strap on the ACP to make sure everyone is safe. Pretty weak. I'm not interested in "sharing" the park with anyone whose brain works that way. And you don't need a CCW to carry fully visible. Anyone that is so scared (BOO!) they have to carry in Acadia shouldn't be carrying at all. The AT, on the other hand, is another animal. And a totally different situation. While I see no reason to carry on the AT, eh. It's remote enough so I don't really give a crap. Let me add another BOO! for those claiming this is somehow related to the second amendment.

Dear Bangorean,

I stand shoulder to shoulder with you at the movie theater, at the bagel shop, and on the BAT. I have small children, a beautiful wife, and a charming smile. I am highly educated and very accomplished in my line of work. I am polite, friendly, and I return my shopping cart to its proper place in the Hannaford parking lot as to not scratch any SUVs.

I also carry a firearm everywhere I am allowed to by law. My main purpose in life is to protect and provide for my family. I would also like the opportunity to be able to protect my family during our visits to Acadia. I, for one, hope to be able to legally carry a firearm while enjoying a popover and tea at the Jordan Pond House in the near future.

We all know that people who don't follow the law will think twice about going into Acadia with a firearm because there's a law against it. This shows just how hard it is for a moron to understand that law abiding citizens who have a permit to carry concealed are not the people who would be at issue if firearms were allowed. Oh, did I accidentally call our politicians morons? Darn!

How many of you even know where St. Croix Island is? What are the incident records of people being attacked by anything at the St. Croix park? Has anyone ever had a problem finding a parking spot at St. Croix park, that is if the can even find it???

Banning guns one step at a time. Incrementally so you don't notice it too much. THAT'S THE GAME PLAN, FOLKS. You know, like slowly boiling a frog. We hear, well, "there are certain places where the 2d Amendment is infringed": densely populated areas, schools, etc. Those are just the places where we need armed law-abiding citizens to take out any crazies who have a death wish and open up on a crowd. Remember the case about 20 years ago on the Long Island Railroad? The guy opened up in the train car and killed a bunch of people. How about Columbine, where the "brave cops" waited outside until the shooting stopped and found pools of blood all over the place. If people were armed IN THE SCHOOL (oh, please don't wet your pants) a lot less people would've been hurt. The second amendment says, "...SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED". What part of that don't our "representatives" understand?

It seems to me that (in my memory serves) that a senior staffer at the BDN was fired for his anti-gun views.

I also had a dear friend, Susan Ramsey, who with her friend Bob Mountford, was murdered on the AT by Randall Lee Smith, perhaps if they had been armed, the outcome would have been different. Mr Smith attempted to kill two more people on the trail when he was released form prison in the early nineties. Since 1974, 9 people have been murdered on the AT. Oh, BTW guys like Randall Lee Smith do not pay much attention to laws which say they should leave their guns home.

ALSO I would like to know if the Bangor Daily intends to advocate for the outlawing of knives, baseball bats, and steel toed boots in National parks and on the AT.

Don't lose any sleep over this one folks, the NRA will make sure that it doesn't happen. Thank goodness we have them to protect us from the likes of the nut job that wrote this editorial opinion.

This bill is totally unconstitutional.

Article 1, Section 16 of the Maine constitution is very clear about this matter.

"To keep and bear arms. Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms and this right shall never be questioned."

Our rights are ours to exercise. They are not subject to the government telling us when and where we "need" to exercise them. Who do we get in touch with to start the constitutional challenge?

Bangorean...let me see if I have this right. Some people want a law which prohibits people from carrying a weapon in the park woods and trails, but that law has nothing to do with the "right to bear arms?" Interesting....

Stay out of the Parks, away from political rallies, schools, Tea Parties, those of you that carry..BTW...

Seems like the people that are least in need of concealed weapons are those that carry.

stewie, don't be a fool. The NRA is a sell-out organization. The real deal is at gunowners.org.

Paranoia Destroys Ya!

Yeah... ban those guns! cuz you know, nobody has ever been murdered in a Federal Park before...

http://www.aldha.org/murders.htm - Shenandoah National Park

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/14/us/national-briefing-west-california-death-for-yosemite-killer.html - Yosemite National Park

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2009/02/fbi-help-investigate-deaths-inside-grand-canyon-national-park - Grand Canyon National Park

Paranoid? No... I'm well beyond that. I know first hand that you can be abducted/raped/murdered from anywhere at any time. Paranoia ends when it happens to someone you love.

And every citizen has the right to defend against that for themselves and their loved ones. If it hasn't happened to you: good. I hope it never does.

But don't believe for a minute that it can't.

Yah know too bad no one a recorded the hunting trip of the former Vice President , the video could be used a a fund raiser for SAM?

NO MORE GUN CONTROL . HOW CAN STATE LAW SUPERCEDE FEDERAL?????

Ohhh - Are the widdle park visitors afraid of the big, bad wolf? Then stay out of the park.

shoe68 State law may be MORE restrictive then Federal law. It may not be less restrictive.

i.e. Federal law say you may not purchase a handgun until you are 18 years of age. The state could pass a law that moves the age to 21 which is more restrictive. On the other hand, they could not pass a law which set the age to purchase a handgun at 16 years of age which would be less restrictive.

The unconstitutional argument is a crock: there are many places, like a plane, where you can't carry a weapon.

I don't get this obsession with carrying a weapon. Overcompensation, perhaps...LOL

why would someone need to carry a loaded gun in a park with families and children anyway? I am glad for this bill.

This is one more step in removing Constitutionally-guaranteed rights of citizens. Unlike driving a car, or practicing medicine, the right to carry a firearm is a protected individual right that needs no further explanation or justification. Simply posing the question of why someone would NEED to carry a weapon in a park, near children, or families, obviates the basis of the right. There should be no justification required. It's like asking a black man why he feels he should vote, or why someone accused of a crime decides to avail himself of a public defender. The rights exist for the benefit of the individual - and no reason or explanation is required. Yes, there are limits to every right - but the act of carrying a weapon in and of itself provides no basis for such limitation. The act of carrying a weapon harms no one. It's the aiming and shooting that prove problematic.

Just because you don't understand why someone may feel the need to exercise one's right to protect himself, his family, etc. does not provide a basis for limiting that person's right to do so. If freedom of speech doesn't end at a park boundary, then why should the right to bear arms?

And, those of you who are concerned about creating gun free zones where you can supposedly feel safer - imagine how many folks you pass each day have guns on their persons - and you never even know it. Creating a gun-free park environment does not ensure that no one in the park has a gun. It only ensures that you have removed the rights of someone else who likely would have been no threat in the first place - and any criminal who chooses to disregard the law will be freely carrying anything they choose.

On 2/9/10 at 6:45 PM, debutante wrote: Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

why would someone need to carry a loaded gun in a park with families and children anyway? I am glad for this bill.

Because there is no guarantee that the list of park visitors will only include families and children. There is nothing to prevent murderers and drug dealers and rapists from visiting these same parks.

Besides, since the second amendment DOES exist, it's not up to gun owners to prove why they should be allowed to carry their weapons in a particular place, it's up to those who want an exception to the second amendment in a particular place to prove why it is necessary.

you better stop yeah whats that sound.

everybody look whats comming down

Sorry Maine but you have voted to restrict rights, rights to marry being your most recent example. It's a different story when it falls to something that you want to practice, something that you think infringes on your rights. I'm all for the limiting of guns across a variety of areas, planes, trains, restaurants, bars, and yes state parks filled with campers, children and squirrels.....let's see how this plays with the voters of maine.....

By outlawing guns in planes, trains, restaurants, bars, and parks you are making it a more dangerous environment for yourself and everyone else around you. Bandits are not going to obey these laws, only the good law-abiding citizens. Now what good would that do? Wake up guys.....

"Acadia National Park is not the same as Glacier or Denali national parks, where an attack by a grizzly bear or other predator is a real threat."

The number of grizzly attacks in Denali is next to nil and it too should be free of guns. If you choose to go into grizzly country you should be willing to take the risk and go without firearms. It is your choice to go or not to go. If you do go, know what you need to know to lower your chances of attack. Usually a person does something stupid to provoke it. Yes, you might come across a bear, most likely you will not be attacked. I've been there, seen the bears, the bears have seen me and never once did I feel threatened. It is too easy to misunderstand a bears intention and too easy to pull the trigger. Guns should be out of ALL national parks. This is an issue of politics and is as bogus as attaching it to a credit card bill.

"Acadia National Park is not the same as Glacier or Denali national parks, where an attack by a grizzly bear or other predator is a real threat."

But it's pretty much the same as Shenandoah, Yosemite, or Grand Canyon in that there are people there.

More people kill people every year than bears.

hophead wrote:

"The unconstitutional argument is a crock: there are many places, like a plane, where you can't carry a weapon."

Mr head, we don't own the plane, and as to other places we do own (like Federal buildings/schools/etc) give me time, I'll fight those battles too.

"Mr head, we don't own the plane, and as to other places we do own (like Federal buildings/schools/etc) give me time, I'll fight those battles too.

Report abuse"

Guns in schools! What a great idea...

When I first read this ridiculous editorial I wanted to write a letter in response in the worst way. However, I chose not to because BDN is so notoriously anti gun, and I have written so many times before all to no avail that I figured it would just be a waste of time. At least in this forum things do get published. My comment is simply this: There is no such thing as a gun free zone UNLESS, and I'll get to the unless in a moment. The correct term is criminal protection zone. I would like to see a law passed that would absolutely prohibit any entity from denying people with concealed carry licenses from accessing any premises with their firearm, UNLESS said entity had metal detectors at all entrances to said premises. I mean every thing. Not to mean that I would agree with the prohibition, but it's just that if they had to do that, it would reasonably assure that it would be gun free for EVERYONE, not just law abiding citizens. As we all know, criminals don't obey laws, or signs that say no guns. When will the gun grabbers ever get this?

Doesn't matter to me one iota. I have a concealed weapons permit and will continue to pack my loaded small caliber gun no matter where I am. No one knows I have it and I'm not going to shoot someone unless I feel that my life is in danger. No harm done uness someone harms me. I am guessing this is what most of us concealed weapons permit carriers will do and have done over the years. Nothing has changed for us. We're responsible and know when we need to use our weapons. If I'm on the Appalacian trail, alone and in danger, I want my gun!

windfuture, excellent post. viper13, very true statements. You and I both carry where ever we go. No one knows, but us. Yes I have been to Acadia and Baxter many times and this last summer I spent fourteen nights in Denali National park. Yes, I was armed 100% of the time and I can honestly report that my weapon was only out of my holster one time, and that was for cleaning. I am college educated, employed full time, own a home, pay my taxes, and attend church on a regular basis. Does carrying concealed make me a "bad' person? I think not. I will protect my family and myself, any LEO who may find themself in trouble, and any other citizen that I determind to be in emenient danger as long as my protection does not add to the problem. //jonboy2//