Gun laws and common sense

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    I haven’t seen this many political ads since Bruce Poliquin and Emily Cain locked horns in the 2nd District Congressional race.
    You can barely turn on your radio, television or computer without seeing ads deploring LD 652, a bill that would effectively eliminate the requirement for concealed weapons permits in Maine.

    The bill was introduced by freshman Sen. Eric Brakey (R-Auburn) and backed by 96 legislators including Sen. Paul Davis, Rep. Paul Stearns and Rep. Ray Wallace.
    But this isn’t primarily a conservative bill. Some liberal Democrats like Rep. Jeff McCabe of Skowhegan are also on board; and Brakey – Maine’s Ron Paul campaign coordinator in 2012 – leans toward the libertarian side.
    Simply put, LD 652 “allows law-abiding citizens, who are already legally eligible to carry a visible handgun, to also carry a concealed handgun. Under current Maine law, the simple act of putting on a jacket turns a law-abiding gun owner into a law breaker,” according to Brakey.
    But the coalition behind the anti-LD 652 ads – Everytown for Gun Safety – strongly disagrees. Passing the bill would mean that “people with no safety training, even violent criminals, would be able to carry hidden, loaded guns in public.”
    Stuck in the middle of the debate is the often-quoted 2nd Amendment which gives American citizens the right to bear arms.
    So is this bill the worst idea to come out of the current legislative session or just a tweak to an existing law?
    Let’s call it a mixed bag. In Maine, any attempt to regulate, license or control access to firearms is considered unconstitutional by supporters and reasonable regulations by proponents.
    One fact lost in the shuffle is that many people may own handguns but don’t necessarily have concealed weapons permits.
    I haven’t had a permit for about 20 years. It’s not that I’m too cheap to get the license, but I prefer not to tell people if I own firearms. If you want to find out, try breaking into my home at 1 a.m.
    As Brakey pointed out, if you’re legally allowed to purchase a handgun, you can openly carry it almost anywhere. But once the pistol is covered up, then you’re breaking the law if you don’t have a concealed weapons permit.
    We have plenty of laws already on the books regulating who can own firearms, requirements needed to buy them and conditions under which they can be confiscated by law enforcement officers.
    But criminals don’t obey laws. They either steal firearms or buy them from a private owner who needs quick cash with no questions asked.
    By the time this column lands in print, the issue may be settled as the bill was headed for the House and Senate this week.
    LD 652 may not be the best idea to come before the session.
    But if it passes, it’s not going to turn Maine into Wild West, either.
    Mike Lange is a staff writer with the Piscataquis Observer. His opinions are his own and don’t necessarily reflect those of this newspaper.