Dear Editor:

Mr. Levin (Letter to the Editor) was correct – government can ban guns. Many governments have: Hitler's Germany, Mao's China, Stalin's Russia, Castro's Cuba.

Where he went astray is by attempting to distinguish the AR-15 from any other “sporting” rifle. There is no significant difference other than cosmetic. The AR-15 fires a smaller round than many rifles. It fires one round per trigger pull just like all the others. It just looks "scarier" to people who have no knowledge of guns beyond watching Arnold Schwarzenegger movies. Time for you to do some research: learn about the AR-15 and its 60-year history (it is not a new weapon). Learn about the Second Amendment and why it was written. It was written specifically to make sure the mass of the people are armed against central government. My direct ancestor was the first American officer killed in the Revolution when General Gage sent his men to confiscate arms from the colonists. He died April 19, 1775 at Concord Bridge leaving his wife and young children.

After April 23's tragic incident in Toronto are you calling for a ban on assault vans? Maybe we should limit gas tanks to 10 gallons, why would you need more than 10 gallons in a single tank? We should ban vehicle silencers (aka, mufflers). Also ban cruise control that allows a vehicle to drive at a high rate of speed just by pushing a button. Ban full semi-automatic driving. Speaking of which obviously automatic transmissions are a major part of the problem.

We cannot afford a society where adults and children are afraid to walk on the sidewalk. Loss of freedom? Well worth the price.

Obviously this tragedy could have been prevented simply by requiring people to have licenses to drive, requiring insurance, having a speed limit, having a registration of all vehicles ... oh wait ..

Evil will always find a way to inflict pain and death, particularly on helpless people. Don't be helpless. Don't let the government take away your inherent right to protect yourself and your family. For sure, don’t try to take my right to do so away from me.

Bill Hunt

Orono, Minnesota

and Southport, Maine