Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

The editorial board of the New York Times continues its unholy crusade to prevent law-abiding citizens from carrying concealed weapons in national parks and wildlife refuges. The board says that the evidence "suggests" that conceal-carry laws increase rather than decrease crime. What evidence? Wouldn't it be nice if the board backed up this implausible claim? Suppose, for the sake of argument, that there is such evidence. That doesn't end the debate; it begins it. Individuals have a right to protect themselves and their loved ones not only from dangerous people, but from dangerous animals. We're not talking about downtown Manhattan, folks; we're talking about national parks, some of which, such as Glacier, are quite wild.