Maine Allows Permitless Firearm Carry, Now The Safest State

[HankD]

Maine Allows Permitless Firearm Carry, Now The Safest State In The Nation

" Four years ago, Maine took a political gamble and enacted a law which would allow its residents to carry a firearm without the need for a special permit or conceal carry license.

At the time, the bill was described as radical by anti-gun groups, who vigorously fought against its passage. As the Western Journal reports, an opponent of the bill in the state legislature argued that citizens would be fearful to go out in public. Another opponent said it would help criminals obtain and carry firearms easier.

...
But, years later, Maine is the safest state in the entire country, according to U.S. News:

A higher state ranking indicates a lower crime rate for these metrics. Maine ranks first in the nation for public safety. Fellow New England state Vermont places second in this subcategory, followed by New Hampshire, New Jersey and Idaho."

 

[Adonia]

Maine Allows Permitless Firearm Carry, Now The Safest State In The Nation

" Four years ago, Maine took a political gamble and enacted a law which would allow its residents to carry a firearm without the need for a special permit or conceal carry license.

At the time, the bill was described as radical by anti-gun groups, who vigorously fought against its passage. As the Western Journal reports, an opponent of the bill in the state legislature argued that citizens would be fearful to go out in public. Another opponent said it would help criminals obtain and carry firearms easier.

...
But, years later, Maine is the safest state in the entire country, according to U.S. News:

A higher state ranking indicates a lower crime rate for these metrics. Maine ranks first in the nation for public safety. Fellow New England state Vermont places second in this subcategory, followed by New Hampshire, New Jersey and Idaho."

And the politicos in NJ will say this is because of their stringent gun control laws.

 

[Salty]

In a somewhat related story - The slogan of New Hampshire is "Live Free or Die"
As such - adults (18+) are NOT required to wear a seat belt.
With such a law - you would think they would have a high mortality rate.
Yet -stats from several years - they were # 25 out of 50 states.
The most recent stats ---
Deaths per 100,000 population.....................---- 7.6 Tied for as the 6th safest State/commonwealth
Deaths/ 100 Million vehicle miles traveled....-- .76 -- the 3rd safest State/Commonwealth

Interesting how laws don't always have the desired results that we want.

Stats for 2017

 

[Adonia]

In a somewhat related story - The slogan of New Hampshire is "Live Free or Die"
As such - adults (18+) are NOT required to wear a seat belt.
With such a law - you would think they would have a high mortality rate.
Yet -stats from several years - they were # 25 out of 50 states.
The most recent stats ---
Deaths per 100,000 population.....................---- 7.6 Tied for as the 6th safest State/commonwealth
Deaths/ 100 Million vehicle miles traveled....-- .76 -- the 3rd safest State/Commonwealth

Interesting how laws don't always have the desired results that we want.

Stats for 2017

I go through Missouri quite a bit and they have a sign that says: "300 automobile crash death's so far this year. Of those death's, 59% were not wearing seatbelts".

Face it, one is safer if buckled in, there can be no doubt about that. I look at it this way, if you die while buckled in then it was your time to go. Plus, those who are injured have less severe injuries. Your face going through the windshield is not going to give you a positive result.

 

[just-want-peace]

When I started work for the DOT of SC (about a hunnert years ago) I had the opportunity to observe some patrol cars that had been in accidents. Many of them were results of high speed chases that mangled the vehicle bodies so badly that you would have to find the mfg emblem to identify the brand - if you didn't know what they drove.
After asking a few questions I learned that in quite a few cases the patrolman escaped with minimal bodily damage because he was wearing a seat belt. This was long before they became mandatory & prior to the shoulder strap being added.
I've been an avid seat belt fan ever since.

 

[MartyF]

The fact that they are the furthest away from the the massive illegal immigration influx across the U.S. southern border has nothing to do with it.

 

[Salty]

I go through Missouri quite a bit and they have a sign that says: "300 automobile crash death's so far this year. Of those death's, 59% were not wearing seatbelts".

Face it, one is safer if buckled in, there can be no doubt about that. I look at it this way, if you die while buckled in then it was your time to go. Plus, those who are injured have less severe injuries. Your face going through the windshield is not going to give you a positive result.

Adonia - you are absolutely correct that overall it is safer to be buckled in.
BUT - it is NOT a guarantee that you will survive. In fact some people have
died BECAUSE they had on their seat belt - and /or air bag.

All I am saying is that a person should have a choice.
One thing, I would endorse - is that an insurance company would pay double indemnity
for any injury if the person was properly buckled.

Let me ask you this: Should we pass a law:
1) that you must wear a helmet in a vehicle to prevent head injuries?
2) that a light be installed on the top of your vehicle to alert LEO if an occupant is not buckled up.


In, when people tell me that they say abortion should be legal because "a woman should have the right over her body"
I will then say - "I am so glad you are against the seat belt law"

 

[Reynolds]

Adonia - you are absolutely correct that overall it is safer to be buckled in.
BUT - it is NOT a guarantee that you will survive. In fact some people have
died BECAUSE they had on their seat belt - and /or air bag.

All I am saying is that a person should have a choice.
One thing, I would endorse - is that an insurance company would pay double indemnity
for any injury if the person was properly buckled.

Let me ask you this: Should we pass a law:
1) that you must wear a helmet in a vehicle to prevent head injuries?
2) that a light be installed on the top of your vehicle to alert LEO if an occupant is not buckled up.


In, when people tell me that they say abortion should be legal because "a woman should have the right over her body"
I will then say - "I am so glad you are against the seat belt law"

You know when govt is given an inch they take a mile.

 

[Adonia]

All I am saying is that a person should have a choice.

I agree. After getting the appropriate knowledge concerning a particular issue, people still have the right to act in the way of their choosing and I never said that I was for laws mandating that seatbelts be used. The statistics however concerning vehicle accidents and survival coupled with less severe injuries sustain my position. Like I said, if I die while buckled in it was simply my time to go.

When I fly I also remain buckled in at all times except when using the restroom. Once again it is better to be secure in your seat than to have your head implanted into the ceiling in case the aircraft runs into severe turbulence.

 

[Reynolds]

I agree. After getting the appropriate knowledge concerning a particular issue, people still have the right to act in the way of their choosing and I never said that I was for laws mandating that seatbelts be used. The statistics however concerning vehicle accidents and survival coupled with less severe injuries sustain my position. Like I said, if I die while buckled in it was simply my time to go.

When I fly I also remain buckled in at all times except when using the restroom. Once again it is better to be secure in your seat than to have your head implanted into the ceiling in case the aircraft runs into severe turbulence.

In my many years of law enforcement, I have seen countless people saved by seat belts. I have seen many people die that would have lived had they been wearing their seatbelt. I have also seen a few who died that would have lived had they not been wearing their seatbelt.

 

[robycop3]

Six years ago, I was T-boned at an intersection by a person who ran the red light. I was driving a little Ford Festiva & was hit by a Chevy Cavalier going 35-40 MPH. Had I not been wearing my seatbelt, I woulda been thrown against the passenger-side door, which was stove in & jagged. I was alone; had I had a passenger, he/she woulds likely been severely injured if not killed. (The other driver simply had a lapse of attention. He was hurt when his airbag deployed.) I escaped with a badly-bruised shoulder from the seatbelt & a wrenched back. Thankfully , my airbag didn't deploy.

Those airbags are more-harmful than good! people are often injured by the cover flying off in their faces. They're the legacy of Joan Claybrook, the 1st person Reagan fired when he took office.

All in all, I agree with Reynolds that seatbelts do more good than harm, as I have proof from my own accident. (Bruised shoulder vs. who-knows-what without the belt)

 

[robycop3]

WV has had permitless CC for awhile, & the violent crime rate has dropped a little. Most shootings there come from dope deals gone bad, or domestic quarrels.

 

[Salty]

Hank,
Please accept my apology for hijacking your thread.
I thought just my one point would make a point .
Well, it was much more a point then I realized;

So I have started a new thread to continue discussion about vehicles:


and now back to the argument (opps, I mean discussion) about firearms.

 

[HankD]

Apart from the new law here is an experience I once had.
On evening in Maine my dog baked out an alert "someone's here!".

Turns out a man and his wife were at the side door knocking though they had already entered (yes door was unlocked) and were calling out a "HELLO!".

Their car had broken down and they needed to use our phone to call a family member to help (this was a few years before cell phones). It was winter. I invited them into the family room to be by the wood stove to get warm and make their call.

As soon we got into the family room the man saw my gun tucked into my belt and said "Why the h**l do you have that!"
Maine is super liberal but no stranger to guns. He was quite angry.
I explained that I didn't know what caused my dog to loose his cool, might be a bear, who knows.

He immediately went back out to the side door entry to wait for his help. He wouldn't come back in.
His wife said he was a veteran.

 

[robycop3]

I had a similar experience one evening. Dude asked me why I had a piece. Being in my own home, I didn't like that, but I simply smiled & said, "Because I CAN." He said, Well, I aint no crook, so please don't pull it !" I wordlessly handed him my mobile phone; he used it & almost ran off my property. I didn't know if he was a crook or not; didn't bother to find out.

 

[HankD]

I had a similar experience one evening. Dude asked me why I had a piece. Being in my own home, I didn't like that, but I simply smiled & said, "Because I CAN." He said, Well, I aint no crook, so please don't pull it !" I wordlessly handed him my mobile phone; he used it & almost ran off my property. I didn't know if he was a crook or not; didn't bother to find out.

Seems people love them or hate them.

When my mother remarried one day my step father took me to a friends house where his friends son and i spent the afternoon at their private shooting range. I was totally hooked.

 

[Reynolds]

I had a similar experience one evening. Dude asked me why I had a piece. Being in my own home, I didn't like that, but I simply smiled & said, "Because I CAN." He said, Well, I aint no crook, so please don't pull it !" I wordlessly handed him my mobile phone; he used it & almost ran off my property. I didn't know if he was a crook or not; didn't bother to find out.

A person was beating on my door about 2 am. I went to the door carrying a mini 30. He left out right quick. I found out the next morning he was running from the Sheriff's office.