Tuesday, December 07, 2010

New York Times False Premise Headline of the Day

"In The Wild, A Big Threat To Rangers: Humans."

Let me just fix that up for you a bit:

In The Wild, A Big Threat To Rangers: Criminals.

The article posits the premise that park rangers are under more threat than ever from armed humans in wilderness areas, and that this is a result of the 2009 law that gave law-abiding citizens the right to be armed in national parks. Yet every example cited in the article is a criminal misuse of a gun or the possession of a gun during a crime, which the 2009 law had no effect over. You didn't have a bunch of criminals waiting for the 2009 law to pass so that they could carry guns in national parks; they did so already.

Rangers are in no danger from law-abiding citizens with guns, which is what the 2009 law addressed. Just the opposite may someday occur, in fact: an armed citizen may come to the aid of a ranger in conflict with a criminal.

4 comments:

Butch Cassidy said...

A forest ranger (National Forest, so she was a fed no less) once threatended to fine me for missing the "pay two dollars to park here" sign.

I was holding my rifle the whole time. She had been standing behind me while I was shooting and complimented my marksmanship before she told me I had to pay the fee.

Insanity I say. That poor ranger was in such peril.

The Packetman said...

This post actually brings to mind something I've thought for a while.

Perhaps normal policemen should take a cue from park rangers about dealing calmly and rationally with armed citizens.

TOTWTYTR said...

Not just Rangers, but law abiding citizens are at danger from criminals in our national parks. Which is all the more reason that law abiding citizens MUST be allowed to carry firearms for their own protection and that of their families.

KurtP said...

I wonder how much that article was the result of that new reality show about rangers and poachers that I won't bother to watch?