It seems our liberties slip away more every year. This spring, there are two alarming bills in the Maine Legislature. The first is the “red flag” bill (L.D. 1312), which gives government unprecedented power to confiscate a person’s firearms before they are proven guilty of any crime.

In the U.S., we have the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment, which asserts that no person shall “be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” In other words, innocent until proven guilty. Under this bill, someone merely has to make an accusation and the accused must relinquish all firearms for up to a year, possibly indefinitely.

The second bill, L.D. 798, removes philosophical and religious exemptions from vaccinations. If it’s enacted, government could force adults and children to be injected with vaccines in order to receive an education. I guess “my body, my choice” applies only to those aborting a baby in the third trimester.

History proves that a government’s appetite for power is never satiated, that is, until people push back and say, “Enough is enough!” We need to contact our legislators and let them know we will not stand for this nonsense.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Our legislators felt that some rights are worth preserving with the introduction of L.D. 326, “An Act to Decriminalize Engaging in Prostitution.” At least some Maine citizens will enjoy greater freedoms!

Donna Dodge

Denmark

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