My condolences to all the people of the area who have suffered in this horrible event.

I am pleased to see Jared Golden change his position on an assault rifle ban. I hope he is absolutely sincere. Why it takes some the sight of their neighbors being killed or wounded to see the truth of the matter is a mystery of human nature.

With 566 mass murder events in this country in this year alone, one would think we all understand this is a nationwide travesty. No one is immune. No one is safe.

Observe the extraordinary effects of a single individual with such a weapon, spreading terror throughout a large swath of communities, liberty restrictions, school closings, and other social dislocations.

A single weapon.

Of course, others will use the mental health angle as argument in this specific incident. I wonder if they know how many mentally ill people there are in this country.

That is a futile endeavor, considering the scope and complexity of the problem and the inherent failure rate in the system.

Assault rifles are killing-machines. Despite individuals quoting only half of the Second Amendment, there is no individual constitutional right to carry such weaponry.

All the death and misery caused by such weaponry should give us pause.

And for those who feel compelled to own such a weapon or have an overwhelming desire to bear one in hand, I feel it fair and appropriate to ask the following question: What is your mental health issue?

Kenneth Burke, New Portland

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