The Bush administration has finalized a decision to allow concealed, loaded firearms at 388 of 391 national park sites. That includes the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The administration did not listen to the vast majority of comments from people who said "no" to allowing guns in National Parks. Nor did they listen to the professionals such as the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, the Association of National Park Rangers, the Ranger Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, and the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).

What gets me upset is that these folks have never spent a night (as an adult) sleeping cheek to jowl in a shelter or discussed (argued??) about where to put up a tent. I wonder when and if they've ever camped or backpacked in a national park.

Look at the ruling. Yes, that can be overturned with the next administration but are we going to have the will and energy to do it? Again, write to the Secretary of the Interior:

Dirk Kempthorne
1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20240
Dirk_Kempthorne@ios.doi.gov