Why Can't We Protect Ourselves Everywhere?

State’s laws vary across America in who can own a gun, when, where and how many, as well as what type. Anti gunners make the argument that guns kill people therefore we need to rid the world of them. Gun rights people say that if more law abiding citizens were armed, fewer idiots would be robbing and murdering.

Even in states where gun rights are pretty liberal, there are places where you are not allowed to have a gun, even if you have a permit to carry concealed – school property, courthouses, state parks, etc.

In Florida, a bill is racing through the Legislature that would lift the ban on guns in state parks. This bill comes of the heals of the two campers who were murdered in the Ocala National Forest.

Proponents of the bill are saying that if the campers had been able to possess a weapon, they might have been able to defend themselves. Similar instances like this occur more often in parks than we might know. Last week a mother and her two children were attacked by a bear. One of the children, a six-year old girl, was killed. Shouldn’t this woman have had the opportunity to defend herself and protect her children?

I’ve already asked what would have happened, if anything at all, if passengers on planes had been armed on September 11, 2001.

I think the bill is a good idea. I believe that lawful citizens deserve the right to choose whether or not they can defend themselves. Opponents are saying that visitors to the park will now be in danger because guns are going to kill park recreationalists. Why is it that lawful people own and carry guns all the time responsibly and somehow if we let them have them in a park in an outdoor setting, these same responsible human beings are going to start acting badly and killing other people?

Give me a break! In Tennessee where the bear attacked the mother and two kids, there are bears everywhere. This is true in and around the Ocala National Forest. We hear time and again about people being attacked by bears. I wouldn’t argue with anyone that bears don’t roam about the forest seeking which humans they may devour. Humans usually carry food and bears are gluttons. Let’s stop telling the public that bear attacks on humans are very rare. In Alaska if you head into the woods to go fishing and you don’t bring a sidearm with you, you’ll more than likely lose your fish or your life. Bears don’t know whether they’re in the Kenai National Forest or the Ocala National Forest.

There are some places where it only makes sense that we the people should be able to protect ourselves, whether it be from hungry bears of psycho-maniacs out for a Saturday night murder.

It is easy for the anti-gunners to rant and rave about how awful guns are and we need to rid the world of them but it is not so easy if it is your family member mauled by a bear or murdered by some lunatic.

Any American who is a law abiding person and can legally carry or own a gun, should be able to choose how they want to protect themselves and their families and where.

We’ll keep an eye on this bill making its way through the Florida Legislature and see if it begins a domino affect across the rest of the nation.

Tom Remington