Our leaders in Washington are expected to resume discussion on gun control – will we impose a limit on the purchase of guns, and if so, how far will we go? It’s a heated issue, and our own Maine Senator, Susan Collins, has introduced a bill which she hopes will be accepted as a compromise by both sides. While some portions of her no fly, no buy recommendation have some support, it sounds like there will be further amendments before both Democrats and Republicans can agree on when prospective purchasers should be checked out, and how many terrorist lists should be established. Some argue that no fly, no buy is unconstitutional.

Most members of the House and Senate agree we’ve reached the point where some restrictions must apply.  Maine natives are, for the most part, strong supporters of the right to bear arms and don’t want Washington trying to take that privilege away from them.  Most of them do agree, however, that the time may have come to limit the sale of assault weapons.  Hunters don’t need high capacity magazine clips that some sickos are using to wipe out hundreds of innocent victims in a matter of seconds. What we do want is the right to own a gun for hunting and for our own protection.

There is also strong support for background checks prior to gun purchases, something Maine already requires. It’s an accepted practice, and most folks don’t object to being checked out before they’re allowed to go home from the store with a gun. Likewise, if you’re on a no fly list because you’re a potential threat, we don’t know why you should be authorized to purchase a gun.

The debate over gun control – yes, no, how much, how little – has gone on for a long time, and moves front and center every time there’s a mass shooting in our country. We all know that in between these horrific acts, scores of individuals are dying in shootings every day from the Atlantic to the Pacific, in cities and in rural areas.

We can’t believe that somewhere between complete freedom to buy any weapon you desire, and controls which infringe on your rights as an American citizen, there isn’t a common-sense compromise that we can all live   with. Senator Susan Collins has a reputation for devising compromise bills to satisfy House and Senate members of both political parties. We hope she can pull it off again.