DOVER, DELAWARE — Two Delaware concealed carriers challenged the state’s decision to ban non-hunting firearms in Delaware state parks and recreational areas. Unfortunately, the judge decided that it was better to have law-abiding gun owners go unarmed into these areas.
via the Washington Times
“We do not believe that the unrestricted ability to carry weapons is consistent with our mission to provide every visitor with safe, enjoyable recreational experiences in our treasured and nationally-renowned state park system,” State environmental secretary David Small said in a prepared statement.
Quick question for the reading audience. Which fundamental liberty is enshrined in our constitution and guaranteed by the Bill of Rights?
A.) The right to keep and bear arms.
B.) The right to “feel safe” in state parks and recreational areas.
If you chose “B”, you may want to apply for a job with the environmental secretary for the state of Delaware. David Small has a great job lined up for you.
If you chose “A”, however, you would be right. Unfortunately, no points are awarded because there is a judicial and executive system in Delaware that doesn’t want to acknowledge that fundamental right. When two citizens from that state tried to get a decision overturned that was inconsistent with our basic civil liberties, they were shot down for absolutely no discernible logic or reason.
A right being inconsistent with a government bureaucrat’s personal mission means that bureaucrat needs to realign himself to the reality that government serves its people, not the other way around.
Disregarding even the federal mandate for a basic Bill of Rights, this judge’s decision is inconsistent with Delaware’s own state constitution.
via the Washington Times
Delaware’s Constitution, meanwhile, states that a person has the right to keep and bear arms “for the defense of self, family, home and state, and for hunting and recreational use.”
Taking into account that we are talking about a class of citizens who have fulfilled all the obligations made upon them by the state of Delaware to pursue and obtain a concealed carry permit — no small feat in that state — and now they are being denied that basic right on grounds that it could potentially make other visitors feel unsafe.
Do you know what makes me feel unsafe? The idea that if I’m jumped in the middle of a state park, I’m not legally allowed to use any and all means to protect myself or my family but the bad guys have free reign to do as they wish.
That’s ridiculous.
This is one of the few cases I hope gets appealed to a higher court because it’s absolutely unfathomable that a judge — who is supposed to be competent in the laws of his own state — somehow managed to interpret very explicit enshrined fundamentals in his own state’s constitution as somehow inconvenient.
Stay tuned. Carry everywhere you legally can and be cognizant of ridiculous state-level restrictions that don’t make any sense.