Dear Next President,

Congratulations on your win in the election. I hope I can persuade you into not banning guns. Guns aren't the problem but the people behind the guns are. If you put a gun on the table and tell it to shoot you, will it? No. What I am trying to say is that even without a gun people will still kill, it just depends on their mentality

So you know that Chicago is one of the most dangerous places to be in the U.S.; well they tried to ban guns there and it didn't work out so well. According to the Huffington Post Media Group (HPMG), “Chicago boasts some of the USA’s most draconian gun laws but 10 people were shot in Chicago on Friday alone. It’s considered ‘the deadliest global city’ and the murder rate is 25% higher than last year, gun murders rose by 19% and armed robberies by 69% after a gun ban was introduced in 1997”. Also from HPMG News, “The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the supply of arms to the underdogs is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty.” So said that nice fellow, Adolf.”

Guns can be used more than to harm others, it can also be use as intimidation to protect you and your loved ones. According to Pros And Cons Of Gun Control: Gun Safety and Security, “Criminals don't like finding themselves on the business end of a gun barrel any more than the rest of us do, which is why 74% of them actively try to avoid breaking into houses when the owners are home. In other words, just the fear of being shot is often enough to dissuade criminals from targeting certain homes.” Remember when I said “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” in the thesis statement, well according to The Clause “the cause of mass shootings isn’t guns; it is mental health. “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” at first seems like a stupid pro-gun argument. It sounds juvenile, and it is much too easy for liberals to counter with, “Well, people need the guns to kill people,” which is true. The point is, we need to target the source of the problem, not the tools used. We need to talk about mental illness and how we can help provide services, resources and other support to those who need it.” This next story will show that it is the people behind the gun that kills not the gun. “ One mother posted her struggles with her mentally ill son onto her website titled “The Anarchist Soccer Mom.” She writes about how her son transitions between a sweet boy who loves Harry Potter and a terrifying, screaming boy who threatens to kill her. She pleads for people to realize the real problem behind mass shootings: “I am sharing this story because I am Adam Lanza’s mother. I am Dylan Klebold’s and Eric Harris’s mother. I am James Holmes’s mother. I am Jared Loughner’s mother. I am Seung-Hui Cho’s mother. And these boys—and their mothers—need help. In the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it’s easy to talk about guns. But it’s time to talk about mental illness” (The Clause).

Some people say that guns have no place in today's society. According to BBC News, “we have seen in the Jonesboro tragedy. It should be noted that this tragedy comes after several other shootings in the South.” Although this isn’t wrong, they are blaming the wrong thing. What they should be blaming isn’t the gun but the person behind the gun’s mentality. According to Star Tribune, “Hillary Clinton called for measures to ensure background checks are completed before a gun sale goes forward, mandating such checks for gun-show sales and repealing a law that shields gun manufacturers from liability.” Honestly I agree with what Hillary Clinton is doing here because she is being fair to the other side as well. According to Pros And Cons Of Gun Control: Gun Safety and Security, “Unfortunately, guns can't discriminate between criminals and innocent bystanders. Studies have shown that unintentional shootings are four times as common as occurrences of gun use in legitimate home defense situations. You'd actually be more likely, statistically speaking, to shoot someone by accident than you are to shoot a home invader.” Although this statement isn't wrong, it isn't always true. If you have been training in firearm safety, you know not to put your finger on the trigger, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, keep the gun unloaded, and to not always rely on the “safety.” According to National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) this is just some of the basics of firearms safety.

Again, Next President, rather than placing bans on guns, put a restriction on who can buy guns and who can't because some gun store cashiers call National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) while some don't check with the NICS. Plus if you ban guns, underground gun stores will sell more guns maybe even explosives (which is highly likely) to criminals and arsonists which is more dangerous because public gun stores have a restriction on what they can sell. This is a lot of work to do but please consider trying because trying is better than not trying because it shows that you care.

Sincerely,

Shai Peter Xiong