Last week, a young couple was watching the sun set from the Blue Ridge Parkway when they were shot by a local man for no apparent reason.  The perpetrator has been apprehended.  Unfortunately, the young man has died from his  wounds.  The young girl that was with him went after the the shooter.  She was unarmed.  She fought him and asked why he did what he did.  The perpetrator said, " I'm crazy."  He fled the scene when others arrived.

  The point here is that had she been armed, the prepetrator would not have got away.  Criminals will carry weapons where ever they want because they have no respect for the law.  That is what makes them criminals.  To deny the average law abiding citizen the right to carry on the Parkway, the National or State forests and parks is to deny the right of an individual to protect him or herself.

  Let this young man's death be not in vain.  I pray it opens the eyes of our representatives and legislation will get passed so that every law abiding citizen can have their God given right to defend themselves and their loved ones from this type of predation.

May God bless that young man, his girl friend and their families.