After all the school shootings and mass shootings, including one that put my town on a “shelter in place” order last week, it is now time for all those good guys with guns to take a stand. These law abiding gun owners could show how they care about America by advocating for reasonable gun reforms. They could distinguish themselves from gun extremists, who believe any restrictions on gun ownership is a “slippery slope” to the government taking all their guns away.
If one is a reasonable person, who uses a gun for hunting or for home defense, why should that person mind if he has to pass a background check, complete a waiting period, register his weapon and have a license to prove his ability to safely store and use his weapon? If he uses his firearms for reasonable purposes, why should he want high-capacity magazines or assault weapons?
We unfortunately have none of these laws in Maine currently. In fact, our gun laws are amongst the most lax state laws in the country. But a culture of gun safety should be what all Americans, gun owners included, should strive for.
Erin Lichtenstein
Yarmouth
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