Letter to the Editor:

The following is my response to Lewiston Mayor Gilbert’s column on “sensible gun legislation” in the March 12, 2011 edition of Twin City TIMES.

Mayor Gilbert,

In response to your “Mayor’s Corner” weekly column in the Twin City TIMES, (“Patriots’ Ink sends subtle threat for my MAIG membership,” March 10, 2011) and to show that I support and agree with you about sensible gun legislation, I took your advice and signed the petition on the Fix Gun Checks website.

Unfortunately, folks like this Steven D. Lange of “Patriot’s Ink,” who you spoke about, and other similar organizations and their followers, who believe in the more radical approach of interpreting the Constitution, chose to ignore that the Founding Fathers were both reasonable and, more importantly, sensible about how they wanted the Constitution to be interpreted. “Sensible” being the operative word.

Closing the loopholes may someday save the life of one of those who follow the more radical interpretation of the Constitution or a friend or member of their family.

Even though they live law-abiding lives and play by the rules, we stop our elderly from driving a 3,000-pound deadly weapon by taking their driver’s license away from them when they suffer from age-related mental illness, as we do to others even younger who suffer from mental illness because it’s the sensible thing to do.

Why isn’t it sensible to do the same thing with guns in the hands of those who present a danger to themselves and others?

Best wishes Mayor Gilbert, and keep up the fight.

Guy Mahon

Auburn