Dear Editor:

Let’s not make any mistake about it; on its face, the Question 3 proposal on the November 8 ballot seems like a straightforward answer to reduce crime. But if you dig beneath the surface just a little, you will find that it is another attempt to further deprive U.S. citizens of their hard won, constitutional rights.

Under the popular guise of “significantly” diminishing crime (which is, of course, what we all would wish to do) this proposal would strip us of the ability to gift or loan, much less sell our firearms to friends and family unless they fall under very vague exemptions of listed members without going through an FFL (federal firearms license) background check. On its face that may seem reasonable to some, but what about the gent on the TV who is seen teaching his child proper gun safety, talking about how his father had given him that cherished gun, and how he wants his child to learn proper gun responsibility with this same gun. Under prop 3, unless he files paperwork to establish his child on a special list, he can’t even share his gun in the field, much less gift it without paying an FFL and putting his son’s name on a federal register, or failing to do so, committing a misdemeanor punishable by a stiff fine and up to a year in jail.

As I see it, this is a continuing effort on the part of the gun control people to eventually get all guns registered, owners licensed, and then remove them from our hands at their will. To those who say our government would never do that – depriving us of our constitutional right to defend our lives – I say you had best think long and hard on that and look at what history has shown us through the experience of other countries.

Guard your hard fought for rights, defend the Constitution of the United States, and let these gun control people know absolutely they can’t have their way.

Jeff Wheeler

Boothbay