I am very disappointed that state Sen. John Cleveland voted against my right to privacy in the exercise of my Second Amendment rights.

Late last month, Cleveland was one of only eight Maine senators to vote against LD 345, “An Act To Ensure the Confidentiality of Concealed Weapons Permit Holder Information.” That was a bi-partisan bill that protects the privacy rights of gun owners. The need for such a bill was highlighted when the Bangor Daily News recently requested the names of every Maine citizen with a concealed-carry permit.

Should the government have given my personal concealed-carry permit information over to the Bangor Daily News so it could publish it in that newspaper? Apparently Cleveland thinks the answer is “yes.”

With 24 senators from both parties voting in support of that common-sense bill to protect gun privacy, only the most severely anti-gun senators voted against it. Cleveland stood with gun-grabbers such as Justin Alfond (who sponsored legislation to ban certain gun magazines) and Margaret Craven (who sponsored legislation to ban certain semi-automatic rifles).

When Cleveland votes his anti-gun agenda, he should remember the rural communities that he represents, where many people value their right to bear arms.

I will never vote for anyone to represent me in Augusta who will not protect my Second Amendment rights.

November 2014 cannot come soon enough.

George Colby, New Gloucester