Dear Next President, 

Guns are very dangerous objects and should not be allowed on the streets. I get it if you use a firearm to hunt or you are a policeman, but if you aren't any of those things, then why would you need a gun? Lots of deaths are caused by gun violence. According to Johns Hopkins Center For Gun Policy And Research, "more than 31,000 people a year in the United States die from gunshot wounds." Not are deaths caused by a firearm traumatic and scary, but they also cost a lot too. According to Johns Hopkins Center For Gun Policy And Research, " When lost quality of life, psychological and emotional trauma, decline in property values, and other legal and societal consequences are included, the cost of gun violence in the U.S was estimated to be about $100 billion annually in 1998." That means that we have to pay higher taxes for gun violence. If the laws were stricter about gun control, then we shouldn't have these problems. 

Gun control laws should be stricter, especially for the fault of kids. Kids are getting into their parent's/guardian's firearms, and some not so good results have came from that. Most kids don't know how to use a gun. Adam Lidgett was informed on a horrific story involving a kid with a gun from a lady named Misty Uribe. "It was a gorgeous Sunday in March when Misty Uribe's son one of his neighborhood friends accidentally get shot in the face", she said. " Uribe never thought an eight year old boy next door would find a loaded rifle in his family shed, take it outside during a cops and robbers game, and shoot a boy", she said. "Uribe's son was shaking from head to toe". Uribe did not think it was a real gun. She thought it was a nerf gun or bb gun. Uribe's son kept on saying,"no mommy, it was a real gun." Not only parents, but kids can be scarred from deadly incidents with guns. Luckily, in the incident above, the child who was shot with the loaded rifle did not end up passing away. Think of how scarred you would be if you saw one of your neighborhood friends getting shot at the age of eight. 

A lot of people who are against making gun control laws stricter will try to tell you that guns are used for self defence in mass shootings. Well, according to procon.org,"between 2007 to 2011 0.79% of victims (235,700) protected themselves with a threat of use or use of firearm." That proves that a low percentage of people actually protects themself. Also, if there were stricter gun control laws, there would be fewer suicides. According to procon.org, " between 1999 and 2013, there were 270, 237 firearm suicides in the United States, accounting for 52% of all suicides during those years." Both of those facts add up to one thing. Gun control laws should be stricter. 

I really hope that those three paragraphs opened your mind up about why gun control laws should be stricter. Whoever you are, Trump or Hillary, I hope you make gun control laws stricter. I get it if you are a policeman or a hunter, but if you are neither one of those, then why would you need a gun?

"Should More Gun Control Laws Be Enacted?". The Leading Source For Pros And Cons Of Controversial Issues, gun-control.procon.org. June 28, 2016.

Lidgett, Adam. "Accidental Gun Deaths Involving Children Are A Major Problem In The U.S." International Business Times, www.ibtimes.com/accidental-gun-deaths-involving-children-are-major-problem-us-2250568. January 6, 2016.

"The Case For Gun Policy Reforms In America." Johns Hopkins Center For Gun Policy And Research, www.jhsph.edu/research/center-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-gunpolicy-and-research/publications/whitePaper020514_CaseForGunPolicyReform.pdf. October, 2012