This is in response to a letter from Geoffrey Leighton (Feb. 13) and a story by Terry Karkos (Feb. 2) regarding LD146, which will remove prohibitions on loaded firearms or crossbows in a motor vehicle.

There is a flaw in both pieces. There are no “common sense gun laws.” Criminals and persons willing to break the law don’t follow the law, so LD146 would change none of that. LD146 is intended for the Maine residents who feel they need and deserve the right to protect themselves and their families.

Police are not responsible for a person’s protection as an individual; they protect society as a whole. Likewise, there is no way that a policeman can always be by an individual’s side to keep him or her safe. We need to take responsibility for our safety and no longer be made victims of crime. This law would help us protect ourselves.

A permit to carry a firearm in a house for self-defense isn’t needed, so why should we need one to protect ourselves in our vehicles? Likewise, open carry is legal for all law-abiding persons in Maine, until getting into a vehicle. The bill would change that.

What Mainers want is the right to protect themselves and the people they care about, and that is what Sen. Snowe-Mello and all other supporters of this bill are trying to give us.

I fully support LD146 and any other bill that will give us the strength to protect the ones we love.

Geoffrey Mitchell, Bangor

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