Originally printed as a letter to the editor in the Portland Press Herald

The news of the Tucson, Ariz., shootings is shocking. Understandably, we are asking ourselves how did the level of political discourse in our country deteriorate to the point where such violence is involved.

Since biblical times, humans have been committing despicable acts of violence against each other.

The shooting in Tucson by Jared Loughner is yet another instance. Much as we pray for improvement in human behavior, there will always be Jared Loughners out there.

What has not always been the case, however, is easy access to weapons. Under pressure from the gun lobby, guns have become too easily accessible to dangerous individuals. In hindsight, Loughner should never have been allowed to buy the gun that he used to kill six and injure 13 more.

Because Congress refused to renew the assault weapons ban, he was allowed to acquire a gun that was specially designed to kill large numbers of humans as quickly as possible.

As a society we need to ask ourselves some hard questions:
Should high-capacity pistol magazines be sold to private citizens?
Is it too easy for those who are mentally ill to buy a gun?

Unless we have a serious and thoughtful discussion about these issues, we have no one but ourselves to blame if a Maine political leader is the next to be attacked.

Here in Maine, the Legislature has refused to ban the sale of assault weapons and refused to add all those who have been adjudicated to be mentally ill to the government's official list of those prohibited from buying guns. How much longer will this continue?

There will always be disturbed, angry and dangerous people. But we can limit the amount of violence they commit by restricting their access to guns.

Bill Harwood
Yarmouth

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