Dear Next President,

On July 12th, 2016, in Orlando, Florida,the 2016 Orlando Nightclub shooting occurred, resulting in 49 dead and 53 people left injured. In our nation’s 250 year past, this was the largest and most devastating shooting announced in the United States. The Orlando shooting shocked the nation and will never be forgotten. But, if there were to have been background checks to those wanting to purchase a gun, this incident may not have happened.

According to bradycampaign.org, around 33,000 people die each year due to gun violence. Every year, people die by the thousands by gun violence and the numbers are continuing to grow. Nowadays, anyone from a high school student to a registered criminal is able to purchase a gun. Why is it that you must take a series of tests and are to have a license to drive a car? Why is it that you need background checks and an age regulation to vote? Yet, why is it that you do not need a license, a background check, or an age regulation to purchase a gun? All I believe, that you can do while in office, to make our nation feel and be safer is background checks. Simply put, if people want to purchase a gun, which is a weapon, they should have to take a criminal record check, an age regulation, and a mentality check. That is all there is to it; no more no less. However, the main reason that our nation doesn’t have background checks is because every time a gun is bought, somebody, the NRA, is being paid.

Many may associate background checks with the taking away of their guns; that’s not the case. Background checks don’t mean that your guns are to be taken away. Rather, the prevention of guns to those who cannot handle, are not qualifiable, or are too unstable to own one. Some claim that according to the 2nd Amendment in the U.S. Constitution, that it is in their right to own a gun. However, when the amendment was written, the writers were referring to the small muskets, and the guns were only used by the people to defend themselves from the British who they feared would come back and attack; the writers didn’t think that the muskets would evolve into killing machines like revolvers or machine guns. It was never their intention for the future nation to possess such weaponry. They only wanted to protect their citizens, but now people don’t even feel safe around their neighbors without a rifle by their side.

On April 20th, 1999, the Columbine High School Massacre, a school shooting, occurred which was the first major, United States shooting. The shooting persecutors were two of the students who were enraged by bullying. If there were background checks, the guns wouldn’t have been sold to two underage men who were even too young to vote. On April 16th, 2007, the Virginia Tech shooting took place, leaving 32 people dead, including the persecutor who was even said to have had severe anxiety problems and had to go to therapy. If there were background check, his mental unstability would have been noted before the incident. Even yesterday, October 25th, according to gunviolencearchive.org, there were two shootings with a combined total of three killed and six injured. These numbers are far too high but with background checks, these numbers will drop significantly.

It is time that our country called for an environment where all people of diverse races, cultures, ethnicities, and religions feel safe. It is time for our country to again be united with guns no longer an issue. It is time that we have background checks for guns. Just think, without background checks, your very neighbor could serve as a threat to your safety and your life.

Thank you for your consideration,

Emma B.