The grieving residents of Oakland recently held a candlelight vigil for those who died in the mass murder on Nov. 4. It is wonderful that a community can come together to grieve and deal with the sorrow.

Yet, there have been 325 mass shootings in the United States so far this year. Can we name any other place in the world of such great lack of public safety and unwillingness to deal with this problem?

The common denominator, of course, is guns, and more guns do not prevent mass kills. They make tragedies like Oakland — 300 times per year, once per day in America — more likely.

I urge all Americans to write their legislators for common-sense laws to prevent this carnage. Who will take care of the 3-year-old girl left behind — and the hundreds of small children left behind in America annually?

Paul Josephson

Waterville