When you have a disease, medicine can treat the symptoms and you might feel better. But if the underlying cause of the symptoms is not treated the disease will continue to cause symptoms.

We have gun disease in America. For decades now, gun violence is happening with greater frequency. There’s a lot of talk about how to treat the symptoms: arm school teachers, arm everybody, blame it on the mentally ill and more excuses and Band-Aids. Yet nobody talks about the primary cause of our disease, which is the Second Amendment.

The Second Amendment was written in the 18th century, when the new country had neither a regular army nor local police enforcement. It was also a time of muskets. The second amendment is outdated, and even more so now in the 21st century. We need a new amendment. It could simply say: “The right to bear arms shall be well regulated.” We already have precedents where new amendments cancelled previous amendments. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment prohibiting the sale or drinking of alcohol. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery that was implied in the original Constitution.

It’s time that we the people address the underlying cause of our national sickness. Our national gun disease needs treatment. The treatment is a gun control amendment.

Richard Hackel
Chebeague Island