On October 25, 2023, Robert Card, using a semi-automatic rifle killed eighteen people and wounded thirteen more. This was the tenth worst mass shooting in U.S. history. It served as a wake-up call to Mainers who believed it couldn’t happen here. Well it could and it did.
Robert Card was a white Mainer and a military veteran. If Maine had had a red flag law to allow his family to petition the court, both Mr. Card and his victims might be alive today.
Maine’s population is growing as more and more people from away are moving here. While most new arrivals are moving to Maine for the right reasons, some are not. As our population is increasing, so is crime. This is not to say that new arrivals are completely responsible. We should welcome legal immigrants to Maine and the diversity, job skills, energy and new ideas that they bring. The world is changing rapidly and we must learn to accept it.
I support common sense gun safety legislation such as a red flag law. In fact, I collected signatures to put the proposal for this law on the ballot. I believe in democracy and I support the right of citizens to act when the government fails or refuses to. I support the U.S. Constitution but I believe the Second Amendment has been misinterpreted by the courts. It was never intended to permit unfettered, limitless access to firearms regardless of their potential to kill.
I believe in two major principles:
- Human safety and lives come first. I value the right to life over the right to own a firearm.
- I support the public interest over the special interest. Special interest, pro-gun lobbying organizations such as the National Rifle Association will not hold sway over me or my administration.
As a former enforcer of Maine’s water quality laws, I know that laws that are not enforced are not worth the paper they are written on. As governor, I will support expanding the size and capabilities of our law enforcement and legal justice systems.
I recently testified at the Maine State House in opposition to three pieces of legislation to roll back gun safety measures. I was appalled at the testimony provided by the pro-gun people, especially the NRA and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. Their cold statistics and legalese reflected their real lack of concern for people other than themselves. There was no mention of mass shootings or of the 40-50,000 Americans killed each year by people with guns (many of these suicide). There was no mention of the pain and suffering endured by tens of thousands of American families due to gun deaths. They spoke only of their so-called “right” to own firearms. This is how cold and selfish this country has become. Disgusting.
As governor, I will stand up for human lives and safety above all else.