31 October 2016

Letter to the President

Mr. President I would like to take the time to discuss with you something that I have had a concern about. I would like to know how we are going to handle our gun control laws. I know that over time there has been a lot of terrorism and mass shootings due to guns getting into the wrong people's hands. I’m just curious how we are going to handle this situation, and I would just like to express some of my opinions.

The former president wanted Congress to pass a law to stop people on the no-fly list from being able to buy guns because they are possible threats. According to Associated Press, “Obama also asked Congress to pass a law to stop guns from being sold to people on the no-fly list. People on the government list are considered possible threats and are not allowed to fly in or out of the United States.” Ever since 9-11 and the things ISIS has done involving terrorism the United States must monitor certain situations to make sure people in the country are not harmed. We need to have laws or rules on guns so they don’t get into the wrong person’s hands. Obama says, “It cannot be this easy for somebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun.” If the gun gets into the wrong person’s hands it could result in a lot of people getting hurt or killed. It’s a proven fact that people with bad intentions and a gun can cause harm to a lot of people. When buying a gun you must to get a background check, but a lot of people that are buying and selling guns haven’t been abiding by those rules. Associated Press states, "You pass a background check, you purchase a firearm. The problem is some gun sellers have been operating under a different set of rules." When you don’t properly sell a gun and do a background check on that person you have no idea what they could do with that weapon or what they have done with it in the past. You have no idea what they are capable of.

The former president stated that there needed to be better gun control. He said it’s up to government and its agencies to prevent potential shooters from owning guns, so they can’t harm the people. According to Associated Press, “Obama also repeated his call for better gun control legislation. He said that no matter how good law enforcement and intelligence agencies are, they cannot identify every would-be shooter. He called it a matter of national security to prevent potential killers from getting guns.” With the easy access to guns in general, there needs to be a way to stop the guns from getting into the wrong people’s hands. Just another way of making sure people aren’t harmed in our country. An example of this is Columbine. A lot of the gun owners in America are responsible with their guns and understand some new guns laws need to be made to make sure the people are safe. President Obama states, “There are scores of responsible gun owners in this country and they know that it's not true. We know because of the polling that says the majority of Americans understand we should be changing these laws — including the majority of responsible, law-abiding gun owners.” The more responsible gun owners we have in the United States, the safer the communities and world in general will be. If gun owners and politicians could agree on new gun laws there would be better understanding of what is trying to be accomplished. All these gun problems and arguments need to be examined by government officials. Government officials want to put these gun laws into place but are not certain how they are going to handle some of the big changes that need to be made. Associated Press says, “Officials do not know how many more gun sales could be subjected to background checks or how many currently unregistered gun sellers would have to obtain a license.” The government wants to make these gun laws and enforce them, but how are they going to do that when they are still uncertain of how to handle some aspects of the situation? I think a solid plan should be developed on how they will enforce the laws once they are put in place.

Gun control laws will be very hard to pass because Republicans will usually always oppose them. Gun rights supporters feel like they shouldn’t be punished just because other people don’t use their guns properly. According to Associated Press, “Obama stands little chance of getting Congress to agree to any gun control measures, as Republicans typically oppose gun control laws. Gun rights supporters say it would violate the rights of people who have not been convicted of crimes.” There are people that use their weapons for things that are legal while others use them for illegal things. It’s not right for people to be denied their rights to have a gun just because others don’t know how to use them correctly. People that support owning guns claim that it will be harder for them to purchase guns with the new laws, and also believe criminals will still find a way to get the guns even with the laws in place. Obama states, “So the idea that gun laws don't work, or just will make it harder for law-abiding citizens and criminals will still get their guns, is not borne out by the evidence.” These guns laws might be a waste of time considering the fact that if the criminal really wants the gun he find some way of getting it no matter what laws are in place. It’s not fair for the people that do the right things with their guns to have all these restrictions on their weapons, just because you can’t trust a select few people. No matter how you get guns you should have to get a background check because anyone who sells guns is should be considered an official gun dealer. If everyone has to do background check then it would make it harder for people to get guns that shouldn’t have them. Associated Press says, “To help ensure that guns are not sold without background checks, changes are being made. The new guidelines say that the government should consider anyone "in the business" of selling guns to be a dealer.” With the new law in place that everyone is considered a gun dealer, every person selling a gun would be required to do background check. The gun seller would keep from selling guns to criminals or people who may use the gun for the wrong reason. The laws would lead to a much safer environment for people in the United States.

Mr. President I hope you take the time to listen and take some of my opinions into consideration. I just want America to be a great, safe, and healthy place that is free of violence. I wish you the best of luck during your time as president and hope that everything goes the way you have it planned. Please make America great again!

Work Cited

1. By. “The Threat from Terrorism is Real but We Will Overcome It,” Obama Says.” Newsela. Associated Press, 9 Dec. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016

2. By. “President Appeals for Change in Gun Laws after Oregon Shooting.” Newsela. President Barack Obama, 5 Oct. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

3. By. “President, Moved to Tears by Memory of Victims, Unveils Gun Control Plan.” Newsela. Associated Press, 7 Jan. 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Dalton