--- thomas w kavanagh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Unless the NPS has gotten sloppy (or underfunded for such things) the
> trainers/training should not be blamed for the stupidity of the trainees.

I think overall the NPS training is pretty good. But the NPS has some flat out
stupid regulations and they assume that anyone else with guns or cannons is
stupid as well. Instead of critically evaluating the people who come and do
reenactments on their property, they have enacted a bunch of silly rules which
have little to do with safety.

For example, you cannot have opposing fire on NPS property, no matter how far
away the other troops are. But you can come right next to the audience on the
side and fire right at them. The people sitting 5 feet away (behind a rope) are
in more danger of getting a piece of buring wadding blown at them or be
temporarily deafened by the gunfire than if an opposing force was 300 yards
away across the field out of range of the guns even if they were loaded with
real shot.

Or at another park, my cav unit could not draw their swords and point them at
the audience, even though they were well over 10 feet away and standing still,
but they could point an unloaded pistol at them. So in other words, they were
allowed to violate the first rule of gun safety - never point a weapon at
someone unless you intend to use it - but not draw a blunt sword.

The above examples and many others are reasons why some units will not
participate at NPS events. This is a real shame because the NPS is a big draw
and they are loosing out on some really good living historians and not really
being that safe to begin with.

Deb

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