In answer to David Ryder’s question, in his Oct. 2 letter to the editor (“Clarification needed on red and yellow flag laws“), the proposed red flag law (Question 2) will not eliminate the yellow flag law but will provide another option for families when someone is in crisis.
Maine’s yellow flag law only gives families one choice: call the police on a loved one, have them taken into custody and then evaluated. Question 2 will empower families (as well as law enforcement) to go directly to court themselves.
In the case of Lewiston, our current law failed. Question 2 would have enabled Robert Card’s family to go directly to the court to ask a judge to remove his guns. The police could have then removed Mr. Card’s guns while he was away from his home.
By providing this tool to family members as an additional option, we can keep our police safer, and also reduce Maine’s high gun suicide rate.
Peggy McGehee
Retired attorney
Yarmouth
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