Why would anyone think there is any place so safe that with certainly one could know they would never have need of self defense tools?  All of the threats listed by Mr. Carey, the first commenter on this petition, are legitimate.  Need does exist occasionally to defend against "certain animals and those carrying handguns."  And the certain animals carrying handguns are not the ones who seek legality before doing so. 

Honest citizens seeing to their own safety do not pose a threat to other honest citizens.  This is a tautology on which civilized society is based.  Public policy should not be based on feelings of a few irrationally fearful individuals, but on logic and facts.  Whether Mr. Carey *feels* safe or not does not change the fact of whether he *is* safe. 

And he does not understand freedom.  He speaks of state employees being required to carry (limiting their freedom), but no attention is paid to other citizens' freedom to choose the level of their own safety by legally choosing to carry or not.  His "RIGHT to enjoy the woods without the fear of walking upon someone carrying a handgun" cannot be exercised because it is irrational and non-existent:  if guns are banned in state forests, the *only* people he will have to fear "walking upon ... carrying a handgun" will be criminals with the "ill intentions" he deftly pointed out himself.  By definition criminals cannot be counted on to obey government prohibitions. 

On the other hand, what does my right mean to keep and bear arms if I cannot do so in such large areas of the state as are covered by state forests?  And contrary to the right he claims, *my* right is guaranteed by the Virginia and U.S. bills of rights which were written by wiser men than he or I. 

Mr. Carey says he is for the right to "bare" arms, but he immediately lists a number of places where for some reason it is better to allow only those who carry with "ill intentions" to carry.  Of course we don't really *allow* them to do so.  But there will always be a certain percentage of the population that will be in public places who are carrying illegally and with "ill intentions".  Until we can actually prevent them somehow from doing so, there is no such thing as a gun free zone.  To declare them by law or regulation is to pretend otherwise and is simply irrational and counterproductive public policy.  The fact is law-abiding citizens who train, obtain licenses, and cooperate with the authorities reduce the crime rates for all citizens, even those like Mr. Carey who feel less safe while enjoying the safer environment. 

This is not about what may seem to be working  or what seems to have always worked in the past.  It is about freedom, individual responsibility, government duty (to do no harm), and reason and fact-based public policy decisions.

Please therefore grant this petition immediately.