Gov. Janet Mills said she has thought long and hard and is deeply conflicted about gun reform legislation passed by the Legislature. So she let one bill pass without her signature (a 72-hour waiting period) and vetoed the banning of bump stocks.

No need to recite the hundreds of mass shootings that have occurred and are an American phenomenon.

The 27 words of the Second Amendment offer no definitive guidance in today’s rapid-fire technology, so common sense seems necessary in trying to control or reduce the carnage. A reasonable waiting period for vetting a person’s ability to purchase a lethal weapon? A red flag law that works with fearful family members to remove a lethal weapon from a person who could be suicidal, or worse, for a time-out period?

We’ve come a long way from muskets, powder horns and well-trained militias.

This is not Gov. Mills’ finest hour or a profiles in courage moment for our chief executive. Worse, we will only have a replay of the same very sad and tragic gun violence conversation very soon.

Ken MacLean
Scarborough