Dear Mr. Trump,

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to the unmistakable sound of glass shattering. You immediately expect the worst; an armed robber is in the house. You look over at your bed-side table and all you see is a phone. The only thing you are able to do is call the cops and hope they arrive quick enough. Wouldn’t you prefer to have a gun readily available to protect your family than hope that the cops arrive fast enough? The National Rifle Association states that guns are used for self-defense 2.5 million times a year. What would happen to those 2.5 million people each year if guns were taken away? The right to own guns is stated in the Bill of Rights and is a necessity in today’s society.

While stricter gun laws seem like a good idea, they deny people a sense of safety and violate rights clearly stated in the Bill of Rights. These laws affect law abiding citizens who buy guns for hunting, who buy guns for protection, and who buy guns for recreation. So changing the laws will not reduce the amount of gun crimes that are committed. In turn, it will actually increase the number of gun crimes. As the NRA states, “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” Taking away guns from the good people and making it more difficult for them to purchase guns will only encourage criminals to commit violent crimes. A survey of convicted felons in 2013 proved that 48% of these felons admitted they avoided committing crimes where they knew the victim was armed. Similarly, an argument presented by gun control supporters is that more gun control leads to fewer suicides. An obvious contradictory example is the country of Lithuania. Lithuania has one of the lowest gun ownership rates (.7 guns per 100 people), but it has the highest suicide rate among 71 countries with available information. This leads to the probable conclusion that similar results would occur in America. The undeniably terrible fact is, when a person makes the decision to take their own life, they will do it, it doesn’t matter if it is with a gun or some other method. The anti-gun population of this country believes it would be best to have all guns removed from private ownership. This seems like a good idea, but when this great nation was created we were breaking away from a tyrannical king that infringed upon our basic rights. Of course we revolted, but how successful would the revolution have been if Americans couldn’t use guns and the British could? A people wanting to revolt against their government but no means to do it. Although a far-fetched idea, this could become a reality.

One of man’s instincts is to protect what is his, his family, household, cars, etc. So if guns were taken away, like some people want, man’s ability to exercise his instinct is weakened. It’s a terrible thing when a person is stripped of the ability to use a firearm to protect himself and the people he loves. Enacting stricter gun control laws take away the ability of Americans to keep the peace, to protect this nation, and to fight back against invaders. These laws have not been proven effective in other countries. Mexico has a higher number of gun murders and they have some of the strictest gun control laws in the world. The solution to the gun violence we face in today’s world does not involve stricter laws. It involves education. The value of life needs to be taught to children. When a person grows up disrespecting the dignity of people and their worth, they are desensitized to the destruction that can be done to a person. This translates to people not understanding the full effect of murder.

Gun ownership is a right expressed in the Bill of Rights and is a necessary aspect of life in today’s world. Especially now, when there are constant terrorist threats. If guns were to be taken away, able bodied men would not be able to form militias to defend our great country. This was one of the very reason for the right to own guns. Taking away guns and being stricter on gun laws is not only a foolish thing to do, it clearly violates the second amendment that has been in place for 240 years. Leave guns in the hands of law abiding citizens for protection and recreation.

Bibliography

Cohen, David S. "Why It's Time to Repeal the Second Amendment." Rolling Stone, 13 June 2016, www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-its-time-to-repeal-the-second-amendment-right-bear-arms-20160613. Accessed 14 Nov. 2016.

Ebeling, Richard. "The Importance of the Second Amendment." The Daily Bell, 27 May 2016. The Daily Bell, www.thedailybell.com/editorials/richard-ebeling-the-importance-of-the-second-amendment/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2016. Editorial.

"Should More Gun Control Laws Be Enacted?" ProCon.org, 28 June 2016, gun-control.procon.org/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2016.