Brady Campaign Sues Over Guns in parks

[TC95GT]

Brady Campaign Sues Interior Department Over Rule Allowing Concealed Guns in Parks, Will Seek Court Injunction

Dec 30 12:09 PM US/Eastern

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence today filed suit in federal court asking that the court strike down a last-minute Bush Administration rule change allowing concealed, loaded firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and seeks an injunction to block the rule, which is scheduled to go into effect on January 9, 2009.

"The Bush Administration's last-minute gift to the gun lobby, allowing concealed semiautomatic weapons in national parks, jeopardizes the safety of park visitors in violation of federal law," said Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke. "We should not be making it easier for dangerous people to carry concealed firearms in our parks."

Attorneys with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence's Legal Action Project and the law firm Ropes & Gray in Washington, D.C. are representing the Brady Campaign in this case. To read the complaint, go to http://www.bradycenter.org/xshare/pdf/k ... plaint.pdf.

The rule will allow guns in rural and urban national park areas around the country, from Wyoming's Yellowstone and California's Yosemite to Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park, home of the Liberty Bell. The suit was filed on behalf of the Brady Campaign and its members, including school teachers in the New York and Washington, D.C. areas who are canceling or curtailing school trips to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty and the National Mall in Washington, D.C. now that the Bush Administration will be allowing guns in these national park areas.

The suit charges that the Interior Department violated several federal laws in its rush to implement the rule before President Bush leaves office, including failing to conduct any environmental review of the harm that the rule will cause, as is required by the National Environmental Policy Act. The Department also violated a White House directive that no rules should be issued after November 1, 2008, except in "extraordinary circumstances," issuing the last-minute rule change on December 10, 2008. The rule also violates the National Park Service Organic Act and the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, which created the parks and wildlife refuges as protected lands for safe enjoyment of all visitors.

Rules in place since the Reagan Administration have allowed visitors to transport guns in national parks and wildlife refuges if they are unloaded and stored or dismantled. These restrictions have helped make these areas some of the safest places to visit in the country. Yet at the behest of the gun lobby, the Interior Department announced earlier this year that it planned to allow concealed firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. Concealed carrying will be allowed in every state that allows concealed carrying, even if the state specifically bans the practice in state parks. Only Illinois and Wisconsin prohibit concealed carrying.

Numerous studies have confirmed that concealed carrying of firearms does not reduce crime and, if anything, leads to increased violent crime. Experience in states that have allowed concealed carrying of firearms has shown that thousands of dangerous people are able to get licenses. In Florida, for example, more than 4,200 licenses were revoked because many of these licensees committed a crime. Since becoming the first state to allow the concealed carrying of firearms in 1987, Florida consistently has had one of the highest rates of violent crime in the nation. Florida has been ranked as the state with the highest annual violent crime rate more often than any other state in the last two decades.

As the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations and public policies. The Brady Campaign is devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.

For continuing insight and comment on the gun issue, read Paul Helmke's blog at http://www.bradycampaign.org/blog/. Visit the Brady Campaign website at http://www.bradycampaign.org.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1

Contact: Peter Hamm, 202-898-0792, phamm@bradymail.org

[ttousi]

concealed semiautomatic weapons in national parks

I prefer a revolver anyway

[JoeH]

"We should not be making it easier for dangerous people to carry concealed firearms in our parks."

We aren't. We are making it easier for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves.

[cobb]

I would like to see this info -

Numerous studies have confirmed that concealed carrying of firearms does not reduce crime and, if anything, leads to increased violent crime.

I can understand if they said increased violence, I mean a bad guy catching a .45 slug has to be pretty violent.

And I love this one -

In Florida, for example, more than 4,200 licenses were revoked because many of these licensees committed a crime.

Notice they committed a crime, not that they committed a crime with a gun or any dangerous weapon for that fact. Don't remember where I saw a link on this info, but there were permits revoke for crimes committed, crimes like selling numbers on a sporting event, prostitution and other non violent crime that are no way related to carrying a firearm.

All BS that people see on the surface and believe.

[R.E.T.]

They always think so highly of us.

[Tabsr]

My math professor taught me over 45 years ago, Truth, then lies and finally use statistics.

[Srigs]

concealed semiautomatic weapons in national parks

I prefer a revolver anyway

I like my 357 for park duty anyway and open carry

[princewally]

And I love this one -

In Florida, for example, more than 4,200 licenses were revoked because many of these licensees committed a crime.

Notice they committed a crime, not that they committed a crime with a gun or any dangerous weapon for that fact.

IIRC, there are more than 500,000 permit holders in Florida. This is 0.8% revocation. Does any other demographic have a crime rate that low?

[ex-LT]

My math professor taught me over 45 years ago, Truth, then lies and finally use statistics.

To quote Benjamin Disraeli (later popularized by Mark Twain)....

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."