Dear Future President,

If you’re reading this letter it means you’ve won the 2016 election - congratulations. I wish you the best of luck at one of the toughest jobs in the world. As a student who grew up in a state with one of the worst mass murders in US history, I care deeply about the issue of gun control. As I write this, the CDC reports that 91 Americans are killed with guns every day. While some Americans believe the second amendment gives citizens the unrestricted right to bear arms, the majority of us do feel that some restrictions are necessary to ensure public safety.

I agree with the majority of Americans on this issue and hope that you make gun safety a priority of your administration. Mrs. Clinton, I support your promise to expand the use of background checks and to keep military-style weapons away from civilians. This is important as weapons with large magazine sizes can kill more civilians at once. They are not needed for hunting or home protection. I’m also encouraged that you want to keep guns out the hands of people with a criminal background or history of mental illness.

Mr. Trump, although you believe the right to bear arms should not be infringed on, I support your willingness to enforce existing laws. Also, by offering harsher punishments for those who break the law you may discourage some gun crime. I do however, hope that you would listen to the majority of Americans who would like you to go further. According to gallup 55% of Americans support stricter gun control. Pew also reports that “85% of Americans – including large majorities of Democrats (88%) and Republicans (79%) – favor expanded background checks.” It is the role of a President to keep all Americans safe and I believe you can make a difference by at least supporting background checks.

In conclusion, the issue of gun safe in America is extremely important to me. It is an issue that divides many of us but there are areas that the majority of citizens agree upon. I hope that you will listen to those of us who see this as a major problem that you know have the power to impact in a positive way.