This seems like a good time to ask how Maine is working to improve gun safety laws. I saw on everytown.org that Maine ranks 26 in the nation on gun safety. We need to make this a priority.

I teach at Portland High School. The active shooter threats on Nov. 15 at several schools in Maine turned out to be a hoax, but we had to stay in lockdown for two-plus hours while police with giant guns checked every room in the school.

I want to point out that although no one was physically hurt, there was psychological violence perpetrated against thousands of students and school staff. I feel lucky that I have no past police or gun trauma, but many of our students do. And even though I knew it was a hoax, the fear that the situation incurred was real. It was truly an act of terrorism.

We should not just be trying to keep people safe when these situations occur; we should be working to prevent these situations from ever happening at all. Even if we’re not physically harmed, we are still harmed.

Rosalee Lamm
Portland

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