I read with interest “Absurdities of the SAVE America Act are offered in bad faith,” March 25, which enumerated the dissimilarities between the license to vote and car or gun ownership. The piece correctly pointed out the potential dangers of cars and guns and the skill required for proper use, if not ownership, thereof.

I believe the writer incorrectly infers that “… licenses are how our communities ensure that those who own cars and guns know how to use them.” 

I say incorrectly because, at least in the case of guns, “our community,” i.e., Maine, has no licensing requirement for guns. Maine is a “constitutional carry” state, meaning residents ages 21 or older can carry them openly without a permit. In Maine, firearms, from AR-15 style rifles to semi-automatic handguns, are legal for adults to own, purchase and open carry, with no state-level permit, registration, licensing or knowledge of their use or effects required.

The writer may be heartened to know, however, that on the Department of Public Safety website, the state offers this strongly worded advice, in bold: “This agency strongly recommends that all persons carrying firearms be familiar with firearms safety and the circumstances under which deadly force may be used.”

Maybe a similarly authoritative public admonition is all we need to eliminate the de minimis examples of voter fraud that Sen. Susan Collins and others are worried about.

Mike Del Tergo
Falmouth