Wayne Hare's opinion column, "The right to bear qualms" (Herald, June 7) misses the mark (so to speak) in several ways. The legislation he referred to is not about tourists protecting themselves from wild animals. It is about having the ability to exercise the individual's right to bear arms. Hare is of the opinion that he doesn't need to carry a firearm. No one is telling him he must.
The rest of us may feel differently. The neat thing about the Bill of Rights is that all Americans are free to exercise those rights as we feel necessary. No one is required to speak his or her opinion, but everyone has that right. Likewise, all Americans are free to arm themselves when they feel so inclined. To Hare, the thought of someone carrying a concealed weapon in his national parks is unsettling - even though he will never actually see a firearm (that's why its called concealed).
I respect the fact that Hare is a backcountry ranger and also appreciate his professed love of firearms. However, when speaking of the NRA, he might consider that were it not for the organization's political activism, he might not be able to keep that loaded revolver in his nightstand.
Howard White, Bayfield
