Let's go to Make My Day Nat'l Park, kids!

A U.S. senator from Idaho -- not the men's restroom partyhound, the other one -- wants to lift the ban on concealed weapons in our National Parks. Right now you're not allowed to bring guns into the Parks at all, which has been rough on certain Americans, like Yosemite Sam:


As you can imagine, this topic has generated a healthy debate online -- and by "healthy," I mean "wild-eyed apocalyptic den of gunnuttery."

It would be nice to live in a Utopian society where all the bad people stay at home and we can count on individuals to live up to the social morals we hold dear to us. That would be beautiful. It would be nice if we could count on everyone to drink responsibly and not get behind a wheel of a car. It would be great if we didn't have to worry about a pervert putting an image of an erection in Disney movie just so he can laugh with his cartoonist buddies.

Yeah, those cartoonists and their damn buddies. Where's my gun?

There is no facility for checking my weapon when entering a local National Park. My choice is leaving the weapon at home (not an option) or locking it in my car. Another poor choice.

And MY choice is to abstain from mocking frustrated right-wingers who would rather clean a gun than kiss a girl (not an option) or merely point out that no one was holding a gun to your head when you decided to pack the ankle holster, just in case the Grand Canyon tried anything funny. So settle down.

You are a product of modern media. What if you are wrong on guns? What if Bruce or I had our gun in a N.P. and saved you or your family from someone who intended you horrible harm? Should we go to jail? Should we have our gun taken?

Okay, first of all, leave Springsteen out of this. You don't know where he stands. Secondly: a guy who always packs a gun and can't wait to be a hero is a FAR BIGGER THREAT than the hypothetical boogeymen in his own head. And that's without adding booze to the equation.

What if I had a grenade, and Charles Manson had escaped from prison and was camping at Yellowstone, and he came after your family with a rusty hatchet, and I totally blew him up? Shouldn't EVERYONE have to carry at least one grenade before they head out to enjoy nature?

Remember: just because you're exploring some of the most beautiful areas in the world, doesn't mean you should stop being scared of Bad Guys.