In the state Legislature, Bettyann Sheats – a graduate of West Point and a veteran Army helicopter pilot – has voted against any bills that would put a burden on responsible gun owners without significant impact on safety.

Sfter conferring with the Maine State Police, local police, and gun shops, she voted to require background checks on advertised gun sales, such as sales on Craigslist or Facebook which, while legal, add guns to the illegal gun trade. Safety is her primary concern.

She knows that many Mainers have guns to provide needed meat for the family table, for target shooting, for protection, or because they collect them. She knows this right to “bear arms” was written when muzzle loaders could shoot, at best, one round a minute. I trust her good thinking when future gun control issues arise.

Silver Moore-Leamon, Auburn