It’s no secret that Americans have been purchasing guns at unprecedented levels. According to the ATF, January 2016 was the ninth consecutive month of record-breaking background checks. However, the background-check system is not perfect. The FBI, which processes gun sale denial appeals, recently had 7,100 appeals put on hold until manpower can be increased to handle the workload.

If voters approve the universal background-check referendum, most options of buying a gun via private sale without a background check would be eliminated. Given the stress on the background-check system and the suspension of denial appeals processing, Mainers wrongfully denied a gun sale would be out of luck.

There has also been a steady growth of so-called prohibited persons.

Most would agree that convicted violent criminals and adjudicated mental incompetents should be prohibited from owning guns. However, more and more people are being added. According to the Los Angeles Times (July 18, 2015), recipients of Social Security who have a designee handle their financial affairs are slated to be added. There is also pressure to add persons on the secret “Terrorist Watch List” — a Kafkaesque hole that no one seems to escape.

What would stop a tyrannical government from wielding “veto power” over gun sales by shutting down background checks, continuing to suspend gun-sale denial appeals and classifying more people as prohibited persons?

Maine voters have a chance to keep their freedom safety valve of responsible private sales by voting “no” on the universal background check referendum.

Alex Giger, Naples