Letter: Bump stock ban needed

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In my view, the glacial pace of enacting gun safety laws is more than frustrating. That’s why I deeply appreciate the BDN editorial board’s call for a ban on bump stocks . I share their belief that devices that turn semiautomatic weapons into the functional equivalent of machine guns should be illegal.

I also agree that state lawmakers should re-engage with Gov. Janet Mills in the next legislative session to create a definitive ban on bump stocks in Maine. It’s my hope our state representatives will inspire Mills to overcome what I respectfully perceive as her lack of urgency on the issue of gun safety.

Setbacks to meaningful gun laws can be exasperating, but, in my view, our communities (and local newspapers) need to remain vocal about our country’s ongoing mass shooting epidemic. I believe our state should continue to work to pass a ban on bump stocks and create a Maine safer from gun violence.

Aaron Bergeron
Portland