Dear Future President,

There are many different issues in today’s society that are causing controversy in the United States of America. One of these issues is gun control. The issue of gun control has caused many public outcries and protest in America. Mass shootings are happening all over the globe. But it seems like they are happening in America more than anywhere else. That is because they are. According to the article “A visual guide: Mass shootings in America” on CNN.com from 1966 to 2012, a third of the mass shootings recorded happened in America alone. With that being said, something needs to be done to limit these shootings and the second amendment.

The issue of gun control is important because it is endangering the people of America and not much has been done to stop it. People in America don’t feel comfortable going to work or school because of these shootings. The article “A visual guide: Mass shootings in America” on CNN.com also says that “People have a greater chance of dying in mass shootings if they’re at school or work”. The article also said that 7/10 mass shootings in America happen at school or work. This makes people have to fear for their lives going to work or school because work and school are two very important aspects of many people’s lives.

Many people will argue that because of the mass shootings, everyone needs guns to protect themselves and the government shouldn’t be limiting that. Although that makes sense, JustFacts.com says that roughly 14,249 murders were committed in the United States in 2014 and 9,675 of them or 68% were committed using firearms. The same website says that, “Based on survey data from the U.S. Department of Justice, roughly 5.9 million violent crimes were committed in the United States during 2014. “ The website would go on to say “Of these, about 600,000 or 10% were committed by offenders visibly armed with a gun. 88 out of every 100 American citizens own a gun. So if 88% of U.S. citizens own guns, then why are they not protecting themselves? Why are the murder and crime rates so high? JustFacts.com found that 5% of households with people who own guns were in situations where they thought somewhat might be killed. This is a very low number.

In order to bring down crime and murder rates, and to save American lives, something has to be done to solve the issues of gun control. Maybe making it harder to purchase a gun is the answer. On the John Hopkins University website (Hub.JHU.edu), people conducted research and made great observations. The website says “Webster found that fire-arm related homicides in Connecticut dropped 40 percent after the state adopted a 1995 law that required anyone seeking to buy a handgun to apply for a permit with the local police, complete at least 8 hours of safety training, and be 21 years old.”

Overall, the murder and crime rates need to go down, the number of mass shootings needs to go down, and American people need to feel safe in their workplace and at school. Stricter background checks and a harder process to purchase a firearm could be the answer. Whatever the answer is, gun control needs to be limited and action needs to be taken to make America a better and safer place to live.

Sincerely,

Aaron G.