Background checks a farce
Maine is again awash in out-of-state money as former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg marshals his forces to get a question on the November 2016 ballot that seeks to establish background checks for all gun sales in Maine, which will curtail the rights of honest and law-abiding residents.
Universal background checks are a farce. The only thing universal about them is that they will be universally ignored and bypassed by criminals. Without some form of registration, it’s unenforceable.
That registry is the next logical step. And just like we’ve seen in cities and states across the nation, gun and magazine bans, as well as taxes and bans on ammunition are sure to follow.
What these backdoor registration and confiscation schemes will actually do is turn Mainers into criminals. Mainers who want to loan a shotgun to the neighbor they’ve known for 10 years for grouse hunting will likely be a felon. If a Mainer wants to sell a firearm that is no longer needed or used to a lifelong friend, they will have to travel to a federal firearms licensee and pay a fee.
The people of Maine are decent and honest, with a long track record of safe and responsible gun ownership. We are not criminals. And we should not let Bloomberg and his money abuse our referendum process in his misguided attempt to turn us into criminals.
John Szarowski
Corinna
Cut carbon
On Aug. 21, I joined a dozen of my neighbors for a visit to Sen. Susan Collins’ office in Bangor to encourage her to support the president’s Clean Power Plan. We met with Collins’ state office representative, Carol Woodcock, for about a half hour to express our support for the plan. I found the meeting encouraging and felt we made an impact. I was glad to see the BDN strongly endorse the Clean Power Plan a few days before our meeting.
The Clean Power Plan sets a goal for the U.S. to reduce its CO2 emissions by 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. For the first time, our nation’s power plants will not be allowed to spew unlimited amounts of CO2 into our air. These landmark clean air standards will protect public health by reducing carbon pollution that worsens asthma attacks and other illnesses and by slowing down the acidification of the ocean. They will also help the economy by creating jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Maine is well positioned to comply and exceed emission reduction targets contained in the Clean Power Plan thanks to our participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Maine has everything to gain and nothing to lose from the Clean Power Plan.
Big polluters and their allies in Congress have tried and failed to block these landmark safeguards. They won’t stop trying.
I urge Collins and Sen. Angus King to take a stand for the Clean Power Plan and to defend it against attacks in Washington.
Adria Elskus
Old Town
Save the Millinocket library
Congratulations to the folks who came out in support of the fire horn and our traditions here in Millinocket. Now is the time to sound the alarm for our library. At the Aug. 27 meeting, the Millinocket Town Council attempted to shift the responsibility for the library being closed to the Friends of the Millinocket Library, who have worked to save the library.
The council said it had given the Friends a lease agreement. But what the council did not say is the agreement is 17 pages long. It will take a herd of lawyers to unravel the content and what it means.
The council voted months ago not to fund the library and now they are trying to shift the blame. Blow the horn, Millinocket, for the library. The people of this town have overwhelmingly supported efforts to keep this library alive.
Charlie Cirame
Millinocket