Maine has the lowest rate of violent crime in the entire nation.
Not one of the lowest, but the lowest. And, with the odd exception of slipping to number two here and there, that ranking has remained a constant for decades. This level of safety has been achieved with what most gun control groups call the weakest gun laws in the county. Desperate to prop up the “you can’t be safe without surrendering your rights” narrative, a handful of Maine politicians are pushing big-city gun laws guaranteed to sacrifice your freedoms and make it more difficult to defend yourself, your loved ones, and your homes.
[RELATED: FBI Stats Show Maine Crime Fell Following 2015 Repeal of Gun Control Law…]
They’re reintroducing the same universal background check (UBC) voters rejected a few years ago. Also up are formerly failed proposals to extend waiting periods, institute magazine bans, eliminate the right to due process with red flag laws, and more. These bills aren’t back to make you safe, they’re back because the Bloomberg-backed gun control groups and their blank checks are filling anti-gun politicians’ campaign accounts in a desperate attempt for a win in the northeast.
As we learned during the days of Question 3, UBCs will never be universal because criminals (by definition) break the law. They get their guns through robbery, the black market, or other illicit means. Even ignoring that simple fact, the truth is that UBCs can only be effective if the federal government creates a national firearm registry – an act that is prohibited by federal law.
Put simply, UBCs are nothing more than feel-good regulations that will serve as a stepping stone toward a national gun registry.
Extended waiting periods are another useless action that will only burden law-abiding gun owners. Once again the criminals will easily bypass this hurdle since they don’t get their guns from federally licensed firearm dealers. The people such regulations truly affect are folks living in a high-crime neighborhood looking for a little protection or the average joe trying to feel safe while making a late-night bank deposit after the restaurant he manages closes.
[RELATED: Maine Democrats Plan to Pursue New Gun Control Laws…]
Those are just two of the anti-gun bills headed to the floor this session in Augusta. All are sure to generate splashy headlines and plenty of media coverage until the public learns what these bills really do. Or, better yet, what they don’t do. And what they don’t do is address the criminal misuse of firearms. That’s because their goal isn’t to stop the criminals, it’s to criminalize the use and ownership of firearms by law-abiding Mainers.
Maine is home to rolling hills of abundant forests, stunning shorelines, and a sense of ruggedness most in the lower 48 can’t begin to appreciate. Maine is also home to fairness and freedom. Is it fair to penalize those who follow the law for the actions of those who break the law?
No!
But, that’s what these laws do. Every one of these proposed bills – UBCs, extended waiting periods, magazine bans, and red flag laws – assumes anyone who legally purchases or possesses a firearm is a criminal. That’s big-city gun control thinking at its best. Maine is better than that. Let’s embrace the freedom every man, woman, and child is promised at birth.
That’s the way Maine is and should be.
