It may be a little hard to explain to my boys why in the case of the Brady Campaign (BDN, Feb. 4) an “F” is good for Maine when I keep after them to work hard in school to get “A’s.” But they will understand. We need to be afraid of those bent on Maine having the same restrictive gun laws that the crime capitals do.

Where did Cathie Whittenberg get the “fact” that criminals from Massachusetts “will hop up to Maine to buy their guns”? Guns in private hands are used 2.5 million times a year, 6,849 times a day, to prevent crime. I will make a bet that the other seven states with the failing grades have the low crime rates that we have. Thank you, Rep. Edward Povich, for expressing the common sense that the majority of Mainers feel.

Terry Shortt

Orono