So, let's see now...if I was a lunatic looking for a little action, and I wanted to avoid the possibility of getting hurt or whacked during my attempted chicanery, would I go to the nearest police station and try to rob/rape a cop, or would I go to a place where the rotten politicians have assured me there will be nothing but unarmed potential victims???? Decisions, decisions.....
If 1% of the population carries concealed, how many potential crimes would that thwart? The "Why can't we all just get along?" crowd has absolutely no sense at all.
Kilgore: Department lacks authority to ban guns from parks
LARRY O'DELL
Associated Press Writer Sep 11, 2002
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The state Department of Conservation has no authority to ban people with concealed weapon permits from carrying guns into Virginia state parks, Attorney General Jerry Kilgore said.
Del. Richard H. Black, R-Loudoun County, had asked Kilgore for an opinion on the validity of state regulations that prohibit guns in Virginia's 34 state parks, except in a few areas where hunting is allowed.
"A person's privilege to carry a concealed handgun is considered universal within the Commonwealth subject to limited circumstances," Kilgore said in a letter to Black dated Monday.
He noted that the General Assembly has prohibited concealed handguns in churches, courthouses, schools and bars _ but not state parks. Also, state law does not authorize the conservation department to prohibit the carrying of a concealed handgun by a valid permit holder, Kilgore wrote.
"It is solely within the discretion of the General Assembly to add parks to the list of places where the carrying of concealed handguns is prohibited, or to grant explicit statutory authorization to the Department for that purpose," he wrote.
The National Rifle Association praised Kilgore's opinion.
"Many permit holders carry guns to protect themselves and their loved ones," NRA chief lobbyist Chris Cox said. "No one is less immune to criminal attack just because they're on state property, whether it is a state park or a rest stop."
Jim Meisner, spokesman for the conservation department, said Kilgore's opinion is merely advisory and the regulation remains on the books. He said the regulation has existed for at least 20 years.
"As of today, nothing has changed," Meisner said Wednesday. "The director of the department, the secretary of natural resources and the governor's office are all reviewing the opinion."
Gov. Mark R. Warner's chief lawyer is examining the opinion and has not yet discussed it with the governor, Warner spokeswoman Ellen Qualls said.
Black said he is prepared to introduce legislation overriding the regulation if necessary.
"However, I would hope Governor Warner would want his departments to act in a lawful fashion," Black said. "They should rescind the regulation without legislative action."
The department also could propose legislation adding state parks to the list of facilities where concealed handguns are banned. Such a bill would be "one of the most absurd violations of the Second Amendment I've heard of," Black said.
"The idea that permit holders can't go out into a remote parklands and defend themselves is beyond the pale," he said.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/vaapwire/MGBF5QUNZ5D.html, I am aghast at not previously having heard of this epidemic of state park gun killings... I missed hearing about that epidemic myself. But, I do remember when a few years ago some homocidal maniac was killing unarmed hikers on the gun-free Appalachian Trail. I don't think he was ever caught, maybe he's hiding out in a VA state park?
Wasn't it out in Oregon where a serial killer was recently killing women joggers in some kind of park? I guess it would have been too risky to the public safety to have allowed those ladies to carry a .38 in their jogging outfit. Yeah, much better to let a few women get sliced and diced than to risk them shooting somebody, LIKE THE SERIAL KILLER FOR INSTANCE. MMM'ers would say so.