Philly Gets it Wrong on National Parks Carry

Elmer Smith at the Philadelphia Inquirer is furious at his Senators and the NRA for a rider in the Credit Card bill that reinstates the right to carry within National Parks. His view of the bill is limited to his local National Historic Park that is run by the Park Service - Independence Hall. He attempts to scare readers with the "threat" of not only armed citizens with concealed pistols, but also visitors walking around those hallowed grounds with "AK-47s and other assorted assault weapons."

As is often the case in anti-gun editorials, Smith leaves out many facts about the issue at hand. The most important is that the bill will simply remove the Federal ban on concealed carry with National Park land, and return control of the issue to the States that are host to these parks. For example, Independence Hall would simply follow the very same gun laws that the entire other 46,500 square miles of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are subject to. Smith believes that this will somehow lead to more violence, and does not afford any protection to the people. But as the law currently exists, a man with a valid PA carry permit could travel the entire State with his family. If they were visiting the city of Philadelphia, he could continue to carry if he felt the need to protect and defend himself and his loved ones. But if he wants to cross the imaginary line between Independence Hall and the rest of the city, he cannot carry his weapon. He may be forced to secure the weapon a great distance from the Hall, and could leave him vulnerable that entire time. This disenfranchises him of his right to carry within the state. Furthermore, it is foolish to believe that the current Federal ban on firearms would somehow stop a criminal from entering the building and causing harm to people or the property.

Smith's local perspective on the bill is also quite myopic. While Independence Hall comprises only one building and a small piece of property, there are parks - especially in the American West - that are comprised of hundreds of remote under-patrolled areas.

If Smith is so gravely concerned about the carrying of concealed weapons at Independence Hall, he should lobby the state of Pennsylvania to change its laws. Relinquishing control to the states means that PA could easily add a park ban (or bans on specific areas such as Independence Hall), or remove state preemption and let Philadelphia make the decision on its own.