Maine students ask Sen. Collins to support stricter gun laws

PORTLAND, Maine — June 3 is Nationwide Gun Violence Consciousness Day, and within the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Tulsa up to now few weeks, Mainers are taking a stand hoping to result in change.

“It is very easy to say I reside in Maine. I reside in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Nothing goes to occur to me there, however it will possibly occur to anybody, anyplace,” Stella Crawford, a Cape Elizabeth Excessive Faculty junior, stated.

Crawford organized a walkout Friday. About 200 college students from Cape, South Portland, Portland, and Scarborough joined her in marching to Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ Portland workplace to offer her a letter detailing why she ought to assist gun reform.

Collins was working in her workplace in Bangor on Friday, however a handful of scholars have been capable of speak with members of her workers.

“It positively feels good to be invited into the workplace. I feel that was positively a step ahead from what now we have skilled to this point,” Eben Harrison, a Cape Elizabeth junior, stated.

“We wish her to see us. We wish her to know that we’re right here. We’re uninterested in this. We do not need to be right here proper now, however we’ll be right here, and we’ll preserve doing what we’re doing till we see change,” Crawford added.

College students are asking Collins to cease taking marketing campaign cash from the NRA and to assist gun reform.

In keeping with the Federal Elections Fee, Collins has not taken cash from the NRA for at the least a decade. NEWS CENTER Maine was capable of verify that she acquired contributions from the NRA Political Victory Fund throughout the 2002 marketing campaign season for at whole of $9,900.

In an announcement, her workplace wrote that she is a part of a bipartisan group of senators who’re discussing gun security laws.

“They’re making speedy progress towards a standard sense bundle that would garner assist from each Republicans and Democrats,” Collins’ assertion stated. 

College students additionally stated the dialog surrounding weapons must cross this time.

“They have been saying she’s been engaged on stuff in 2013 and 2018, however that should not be one thing that is nonetheless being labored on,” Harrison stated referring to the dialog with Collins’ workers.

In 2013 Collins voted in favor of expanded background checks, nevertheless it didn’t cross with the bulk wanted.

And in 2018 she supported a “no fly, no purchase” regulation, which might have improved background checks and wouldn’t enable people who find themselves not allowed to fly to purchase weapons.

College students stated Friday such a gun reform is taking too lengthy.

“We wish options now, not a compromise,” Crawford stated.