Lewiston
Maine is often referred to as a one big, small town. It is also recognized as the safest state in the country. Yet we are still not immune from unspeakable acts of violence. Following the horrific events that unfolded last week in Lewiston, the people of Maine have many questions about what happened. As the ugly and uncomfortable facts slowly emerge, the Mainers want answers, not new useless, feelgood laws.
The immediate reaction for most Mainers to the shooting and shelter in place warning while the manhunt continued was to be prepared. Those with firearms had them ready. Those without quickly sought them. Maine is a constitutional carry state, one of the contributing factors to our safest state in the nation rating.
But this didn’t stop the gun control politicians, lobbyists, and ultra-left zealots from immediately stepping up to the cameras and announcing their traditional post-tragedy solution, the ONLY solution to the problem, MORE gun control. This began within HOURS of the shooting, while victims were still bleeding, fighting for their lives and the dead not even cold. The ONLY cause for this was declared to be so-called “assault weapons” and “large capacity” magazines. Although one local politician also stated this was a racist attack even though the shooter and all the victims were white. According to this politician, “The motive is he’s white”.
Gun control politicians from the President and Vice President on down called for a ban on so-called “assault weapons” and “large capacity” magazines, an Australian-style mandatory “buy back” and door-to-door confiscations.
While we wait for all the pieces to be put together, there are some disturbing things to contend with.
Following threats to shoot up an Army Reserve base, the shooter, who clearly had mental health issues, was sent to a military hospital in New York for two-weeks of evaluation and treatment for schizophrenia and hearing voices. It is still unresolved if this would constitute an involuntary commitment, and thus render him prohibited to buy or possess firearms. Local law enforcement in Maine were made aware of his threats to commit mass murder and that he had guns by local colleagues and family members. Local law enforcement made ‘some’ attempts to contact him, but apparently did not follow through with it. Finger pointing about this incident has already begun.
Maine has what is called a “yellow flag” law which allows police, and the police only, to petition a judge to force someone to temporarily give up their guns and blocks them from buying additional firearms if they are deemed to pose a threat to themselves or others. Unlike so-called “red flag” laws, Maine’s law requires a mental health evaluation before a judge decides to take away a person’s guns. In addition, Maine, like all 50 states and the federal government also have civil or involuntary commitment laws. Yet despite the credible threats to the public, neither route was ever pursued.
Then there is the question of the venues themselves. At least one of the two where the shootings occurred was posted as a “gun free” zone, and the second is believed to be also.
Maine is a constitutional carry state where no government issued permit is required to carry a concealed firearm in public for self-defense. However, Maine law does allow establishments which sell alcohol to post their property as a gun free zone. Lewiston is also in the more left leaning area of the state, so the possibility of running into armed citizens is likely going to be less.
It is well established that 98% of all mass shootings in the United States since 1950 have occurred in gun free zones. The reason is deadly simple. Shooters prefer places where nobody can shoot back at them so they can kill more people.
Keep in mind civilian owned firearms stop crime five times more frequently than to commit them. In just the last few years, armed civilians have stopped dozens of what otherwise would have been mass public shootings and dozens more active shooting attacks.
Sadly, in response to this horrific tragedy, all three of Maine’s congressional members have crumbled, turned their backs on their oaths of office and prior pledges to defend the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of their state and the rest of the country. Each has now committed to passing more ineffective gun control laws. As always following the senseless loss of life, and without waiting to determine the facts of the case, they listened to the loudest voices in the room. Well, let’s just say the only voices they allowed in the room with them, the gun control lobbyists.
Another federal or state “assault weapon” ban would produce the exact same results as the last federal “assault weapon” ban, and every state “assault weapon” ban in existence today. No measurable reduction in crime or homicides. What it would do is deprive the honest, law-abiding citizenry the ability to use the best suited and most effective tools to defend themselves and their families against criminals who for some odd reason choose to ignore gun control laws when they seek to rape, rob, assault, and kill.
Banning firearms because of their cosmetic ‘features’ or so-called “large capacity” magazines is simply a bottomless legal trap to continue to add more and more firearms to it, such as all semi-automatics, pump actions, lever actions, “sniper (hunting) rifles”, etc. etc. until the people are effectively disarmed.
Remember, gun control does absolutely nothing to increase public safety and the answer to fix that shortcoming is always to implement more gun control.
Perhaps if our elected officials want to pass a new knee jerk reaction law, they can start by making one that says all the previously passed laws have to be used before new ones are considered. The government’s failure to use all the tools already at their disposal is NOT a valid reason to add more laws just to make depriving people of their rights easier.
A recent quote from Dana Loesch sums it up nicely. “The rights of the innocent are not determined by the evil of criminals.”
Bob
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