On Nov. 4, I plan to vote in favor of Question 2: “Do you want to allow courts to temporarily prohibit a person from having dangerous weapons if law enforcement, family, or household members show that the person poses a significant danger of causing physical injury to themselves or others?”
These Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) — which are law in 21 states including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York and New Jersey — would have allowed the family of the Lewiston man who killed 18 people to have his weapons removed. It would have allowed an old friend of mine to get help when her husband lost his job and, depressed, shot and killed himself in front of her and their little boy in their dining room.
Personal crises can happen in the best of families, and we need a way to seek help. Vote “Yes” on Question 2 to save lives.
Janice Vance
Kennebunk
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