A bill proposed in the Pittsburgh City Council would prohibit guns in the city’s parks, violating state firearms pre-emption laws and leaving law-abiding gun owners at the mercy of violent criminals.
The bill’s author, councilmember Dan Gilman, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he penned the bill after a group of demonstrators with “assault rifles” gathered in Mellon Park last month. Despite the fact that the protest was peaceful, and all the demonstrators reportedly followed the law and refrained from disturbing other park-goers, Gilman apparently found the mere sight of the guns offensive enough that he feels justified in disarming all law-abiding park-goers forever.
“We treat [our parks] uniquely under city code because of the kids’ sports activities and the playgrounds that are there—recognizing that children are different … When people are out there, we want them to feel safe and secure because parks are family-friendly.”
Of course, Gilman neglected to explain how stripping law-abiding adults of their ability to protect their families is supposed to make anyone “safe and secure,” or accomplish anything other than emboldening criminals.
