Portland for Safe Streets and Parks Rally

Imagine, you and your kids are leaving Portland's Children's Museum and decide to stop into Starbucks. While you are sitting, drinking your coffee, you look up and notice a man walk in with a large, black semi-automatic handgun in a holster strapped to his hip. How do you know what this man's intentions are? Is he going to rob the clerk? Shoot up the store? Or just order a cup of coffee. You watch him. He orders a cup of coffee and sits at the table next to you and your children. You look over and see that his gun is not securely fastened in the holster. What do you do? How does this whole event make you feel? Is this the city you want to live in?

This Sunday, April 25th, a group of gun owners who advocate the open carry of loaded firearms in public are gathering at Portland's Back Cove. They are trying to normalize this abnormal, threatening behavior.

Please join Portland For Safe Streets and Parks in speaking out against this intimidating and potentially dangerous behavior. It is not a good idea for untrained, ordinary individuals to carry loaded weapons in public.

Maine has no regulations on the open carrying of firearms. There is no requirement to complete any gun safety training or obtain any kind of license or permit before being able to carry a loaded, openly displayed gun in public.

The open carrying of firearms in public places is inherently threatening and intimidating and poses risks to those nearby, to law enforcement and to the community. If you see someone with a gun there is no way to determine whether or not they have criminal intent. This can create a volatile and potentially dangerous situation.

Gun accidents happen all the time. Even gun accidents by people who advocate and practice the open carry of firearms - http://ohhshoot.blogspot.com/2010/04/open-carry-advocate-shoots-ceiling-at.html

Our community relies on the judgment and sophistication of the police to decide when and where it is appropriate to fire a gun in public. The majority of Mainers choose to not own guns. Families taking their children on outings have the right to be out in public without being confronted with the threatening and potentially dangerous presence of openly displayed loaded guns.