I recently had the opportunity to review “Our View: There’s more to gun rights than ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys,’ ” the lead editorial that the Press Herald published Oct. 15, 2015, the day the permitless concealed-carry law went into effect in Maine.

Although the editorial seemed to predict or imply that we were in for dire consequences because of the new law, I’ve seen little indication in my area that Maine is any different than it was on Oct. 14, 2015: No drive-bys, no high noon shootouts in the streets, no O.K. Corral-style gunfights in the local park.

In short, the Wild West has not come to my part of Maine. Perhaps things are different in Portland, although, I would find it difficult to attribute much of what I see on the news to the new concealed-carry law. Most folks, myself included, are in far more danger on Maine’s roads from impaired, distracted, aggressive or abusive drivers than we are from law-abiding citizens who may be carrying concealed handguns.

The editorial did correctly state that a significant percentage of gun deaths in the nation each year are suicides. I do appreciate your concern for us older white guys, who apparently make up a large proportion of those deaths.

It would seem at this juncture that you or your representatives could research the suicide data for the state of Maine both before and after the permitless-carry law took effect to determine if there have been any impacts to the suicide rate that can possibly be attributed to the law. If there is no correlation, I will feel justified in considering your editorial to be a linguistic exercise full of sound of fury.

Greg L. Allard

Steep Falls