I find it heartbreaking that the Maine House of Representatives voted against a measure to enshrine a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases. I believe a new generation of Mainers reject America’s gun violence epidemic, and will hold disengaged politicians on both sides of the aisle accountable at the ballot box.

I reluctantly admit that at times, I’m guilty of turning away from the news when there’s a mass shooting. I don’t want to face the body count of children or witness the unimaginable grief of parents robbed of another day with their dearest.

However, I know I can’t keep looking away. That doesn’t solve anything. Together, Mainers need to stare the crisis of gun violence right in the eyes and create laws that reflect our modern world, as sobering as that may be.

Aaron Bergeron
Portland