NFOA MEMBERS FORUM
General Categories => Newsworthy => Topic started by: armed and humorous on January 03, 2012, 09:58:10 AM
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I would like to say it's unbelievable that anyone would associate the recent fatal shooting of a park ranger near Mt. Ranier with the change in law that allows firearms into the parks. You'd think no one could be that stupid. Unfortunately, it's not stupidity that brings up the association, but a sick, twisted attempt to manipulate public opinion by exploiting this tragedy for their own political or ideological goals.
I hope people all over the country will get both sides of this story, rather than the medias' slanted version, and realize that the law had nothing to do with this case. In fact, it is likely that this man not only broke the law long before he entered the park by simply possessing those weapons. He had history of mental health problems as well as charges against him for violating gun laws. Chances are he could not even legally own those guns. Regardless, his obvious disregard for the law, having already shot at other people, makes it equally obvious that he would not have left his guns at home before fleeing to the park had there been a ban still in effect.
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Hear, Hear!
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The remark about the change in law allowing weapons in Nat'l. Parks should not have even been in the media report as it had absolutely nothing to do with this situation. Unfortunately the majority of people believe whatever the media tells them whether it be directly or by inference. The anti's never allow a tragedy to go to waste...
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Yes, and although I didn't make it my specific point in my first post on this topic, I hope everyone will write letters to the editor, or make online comments, or whatever, to make sure the public at large realizes the change in law had nothing to do with this tragedy.
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link to article?
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HuskerXDM:
Sorry I didn't put a link in my post to start with. The article was in the LJS a couple days ago, and updates have appeared yesterday and today http://journalstar.com/news/national/mount-rainier-national-park-to-reopen-saturday/article_dd7f83bc-5e0e-5b64-a283-3a6d88abbc92.html (http://journalstar.com/news/national/mount-rainier-national-park-to-reopen-saturday/article_dd7f83bc-5e0e-5b64-a283-3a6d88abbc92.html) but the updates don't tell the whole story.
Basically, some veteran who got a less than honorable discharge for various reasons (including illegally transporting privately owned firearms), supposedly suffered from PTSD and had a restraining order placed on him by his wife who feared for her and her child's safety. The guy apparently shot (or shot at) a number of people and then fled to the park, presumably to escape authorities. He was being followed by a park ranger (I believe) for failing to stop at the park gate or something like that when he came upon another ranger in a vehicle. He shot the lady officer still in her car and fled on foot. Later, he was found dead along a creek, apparently having drowned, or succumed to hypothermia.
I apologize if my story isn't complete or has any inaccuracies, but that's how I remember it.
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BTW, the article included quotes and comments from people basically blaming the change in the law to allow guns in the parks for the death of the ranger.