Boy, the gun clubs passed the word this weekend about my post on outgoing Senator George Allen's last-gasp effort to legalize the carrying of concealed weapons in national parks.
    The flurry of comments against my post and in favor of Allen's bid was impressive. Not quite so impressive were the few comments that questioned my sexuality and maturity because I don't take glee in toting a 10 mm Glock or my ability to think critically.
    Under most of the counterarguments offered, the general thinking seems to be that to protect ourselves we all should be carrying our own gleaming, semi-automatic, or perhaps even automatic, pieces to ensure safety in society. Frankly, folks, I don't see how that's going to accomplish much beyond an increase in the number of shoot-outs.
    And yes, I'm well familiar with the old cliche that if you outlaw guns, only outlaws will own guns. Just the same, is mass arming how you measure 21st century progress?
    There's no doubt that there are some parts of the park system that are increasingly dangerous, be it from the drug operations in Sequoia or the illegal immigration coming through Organ Pipe. And that's why we have growing numbers of law enforcement rangers battling those problems. By and large, though, I don't see the parks as having become so dangerous that we need to revert to a freelance form of posse comitatus.
    And I certainly can't see the law enforcement arm of the National Park Service jumping on this proposal.
     Perhaps if those who believe they should be able to carry their weapons wherever they please focused that same fervor on lobbying Congress to properly fund the National Park Service the parks would become a safer place than they already are.
    That said, it's great to see so many comments on a topic that certainly needs some debate. And I encourage more discourse. Just please try to erase your juvenile insults before you push the "post" button.