Lax Gun Laws in Maine

The Portland Press Herald reports on the gun-law situation in Maine.

In light of the recent “open carry rally” in Portland (where firearms were openly displayed), it might be of interest to review the gun situation in Maine.

Maine has one of the highest gun ownership rates in the country and a higher rate of death from firearms than Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire and six other states.

About 13 children and 100 adults die in Maine each year from firearms. The most recent data from the Maine Center for Disease Control show that the suicide rate for people ages 20 to 24 is 30 percent above the national average, and firearms account for more than 50 percent of these deaths.

It is legal for a 16-year-old (with parental permission) to buy a rifle and an 18-year-old, a handgun. Drinking is legal at 21 and a driver’s license at 16.

Maine is the No. 1 supplier of guns used in crimes in Massachusetts. The U.S. attorney in Portland, working with federal agencies in Maine and Massachusetts, has targeted two-way traffic (guns to Massachusetts and drugs to Maine) with extensive use of undercover agents, informants, specialized Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and FBI agents from outside the region and cooperative programs with local and state law enforcement.

It's always the same story isn't it? The reasonable and sensible gun control folks are struggling to communicate with the close-minded and biased gun rights folks.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.