Dear Future President of the United States of America:

By some assessments 2015 was the year for mass shootings. At a Charleston, South Carolina, church, during a prayer service, one gunman killed nine people including the senior pastor. The topic I am trying to inform you about in this letter is about gun control. This issue has come up lately as more and more people die from firearms. This issue applies to me because I am a citizen the the United States and have realized that the thing you mostly hear about mass shootings and suicides is that the killers were triggered by something that happened in their life. What I think can help is instead of focusing on banning guns maybe we should start trying to progress in developing ways to detect people with mental health issues and people that are at risk of injuring themselves or others.

People like to look at the gun and blame it for killing so many people, but what if we are focusing too much on the weapon used for the killing rather than the person actually pulling the trigger. Mental Health issues are increasing in the United States. Many of them go undetected because they are only minor forms of mental illness, but small forms are still forms. If these people are triggered, weather that be stress of the fear of losing someone or something. If you put a gun in these people’s hands, or give them access to one, they are at a greater risk of using that weapon to injure others or themselves. But if we were able to diagnose those people with mental illnesses, even minor ones, then we could possibly slow down the rate of these mass shootings and suicides. “People with serious mental illness are three times more likely than those who are not mentally ill to commit violent acts against themselves or others.”(Grinberg) This quote is showing evidence that people with serious mental illness are more likely to lash out in violent ways when provoked. When I don’t agree with something I go to my friends about it using by words, in the viewpoint of someone with mental illness acting out violently seems like the only way they are able to deal with their emotions. If we were able to help and protect these people with mental illness that are at risk of hurting themselves or others by placing obstacles in their way so that it is harder for them to own a gun then why don’t we try to help these people. If some time of technology could possibly help them control their mental illness then why don’t we attempt to create something that could potentially do something like that and try to save lives with science instead of laws.

If we were able to detect things like depression and people with risks of suicide the we would be able to decrease the amount of suicides by a particular weapon. The gun is the easiest way to commit suicide because it is instant and you can’t come back from a gunshot to the head. “ When talking about gun deaths from suicide, epidemiologists say mental illness becomes an area of concern.”(Grinberg) This proves that people with mental illnesses committing suicide does tend to be the number one cause for firearm fatalities. “Suicides accounted for sixty one percent of all firearm fatalities in the United States in 2014.”(Grinberg) If the risk of suicide is detected the we should figure out a way to make it harder for them to gain access to a firearm without violating their second amendment. This method will not stop all gun deaths but maybe it will decrease the percentage and save some lives. These are important facts because you won’t be able to abolish the second amendment, the people will not allow it, but if you make laws or restrictions for people who actually want to purchase a gun especially people with mental illness. Then less people will own guns simply because they are too lazy to jump through hoops.

People will say that this detection device doesn’t exist, they would be right, but studies show that the human brain is becoming smarter and smarter with every generation and technology is advancing at a rapid pace. So how are we going to follow through on this plan I have just given you. The idea that I have just explained is just that, an idea, this will take years to complete or even figure out how to make it. But with every passing generation we have shown that we can do anything that we put blood sweat and tears into. Imagine if it was possible for doctors to scan your brain and find signs of mental illness before you even know you're sick. I have a feeling it would save a lot more lives. “ The government wants to change our way of life, takeaway our guns.”(Rienzi) The United States has the largest amount of guns compared to any other country. The government wants to control our every movement, every decision. But the constitution was created so the we could get away from one body of people controlling our every move. “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”(constitution) Many people say that we will stop mass shootings and suicides by firearm if we just ban them, then no one would have them. Except for the right to keep and bear arms is our second amendment, we have the right to protect ourselves and to not be oppressed by a higher power. Our founding fathers made it so difficult to alter the constitution so that not one political party controlled the country’s freedom. The idea that I have proposed to you is a way to restrict the output of guns into dangerous hands, but it would take many years to develop. Because we are unable to ban firearms then we will have to settle for restrictions and putting in a plan for the bigger picture rather than just taking all firearms out of the United States.

Because of the second amendment, as stated in the past paragraph, WE are unable to ban guns but instead we are able to focus on trying to detect the people who are at risk of hurting themselves or others. Suicide by firearm is one of the main reasons for firearm deaths in the United States. Which is why I proposed to try and figure out a way to detect signs of mental illness. Another reason why trying to detect mental illness is good because we are unable to ban guns because it is ort second amendment. The actions I believe need to be taken are setting aside a percentage of funds to put into research to get closer to a way you can detect mental illness. THis is a logical choice because other steps can seem like you are trying to control the American people instead of help them. On multiple occasions the American people have proven that the more and more government is trying to control their life the more people lash out and get angry of sad or unhappy and emotions like that lead to mass shootings, suicides, and hatred for our country.

Sincerely,

Onalee