Maine's Red Flag Law: A Closer Look at the Facts

Maine's current yellow flag law, passed in 2019, allows police to take guns from people who might harm themselves or others. It's not perfect, but it's a start. The law wasn't used much at first, but that's not because it doesn't work. It's because people didn't know about it. The Lewiston shooting happened because people didn't follow the rules, not because the law was weak. Some people want to replace the yellow flag law with a red flag law. They say it will make Maine safer without taking away gun rights. But there's no proof that it will make things safer. And it might take away people's rights unfairly.The red flag law would let anyone, like a neighbor or ex-partner, ask a court to take someone's guns away. The court would have to decide quickly, in just 14 days. This could lead to people abusing the system. It could also lead to courts making quick decisions that take away people's rights. The red flag law is weaker than the current law in another way. It doesn't require a mental health check. The current law does. This means the red flag law could take away people's rights without knowing if it's really necessary. Gun control advocates keep pushing for new laws. They say each new law will solve the problem. But none of them have worked so far. Instead of making new laws, maybe we should focus on making sure the laws we have are enforced. We should also make sure people get the mental health help they need.