Dear Next President:

In 2014 according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there were 10,945 firearm related homicides in the United States (US). To many, this number seems insignificant. To those people I ask you to imagine it was someone you loved and suddenly they were killed by a gun. The consequences of gun violence include not only emotional trauma, but financial trauma as well. The deceased person may have been a father or a mother, and now their children are without a parent. This makes getting food on the table much harder. Now I ask, is that number still insignificant.

To illustrate the ability and power of guns it is important to understand, guns can kill from a distance with little effort, or even intent. Four Presidents have been killed by a gun, including John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. Other important people in society that have been murdered by firearms include: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Mahatma Gandhi. This is only a small list of the people who have been killed by guns. Gun are too easy to obtain, too easy to use, and too effective at murdering even protected officials. Guns are abundant and it is the time they are regulated.

As the next President, gun violence requires your complete and focused attention. However many pro-gun activists will debate otherwise. Pro-gun authorities, such as the National Rifle Association (NRA), will declare: “Guns don’t kill people, People kill people.” This statement holds partial truth. After a person hears that quotation will understand why this problem is controversial. People have difficulties admitting a fault, and pro-gun activists will deflect blame to the perpetrator and not the weapon. Many activists will also state that gun violence is not a new problem. Guns have become a bigger issue because mass shootings have received increased attention due to media and internet. Pro-Second Amendment will also preach about the benefits of guns. The Second Amendment provide the right to bear arms. This critical piece of the Bill of Rights creates difficulty when anti-gun activists attempt to restrict access to guns. In addition, the pro-gun activist will state, the only way to stop a person with a gun, is with another gun. By eliminating the right to bear arms, pro-gun activists will say, you are eliminating their right to self-defense. But, is that really the type of world you want to live in? A place where the only way to stop violence is with more violence.

These arguments appear to be legitimate and reasonable, but they are wrong. Guns kill people not the other way around. It is the person who pulls the trigger, but they can do it by accident, and still the action results in death. You never accidentally stab someone, but you can have an accidental shooting. The Second Amendment grants the right to bear arms, but at no point in the amendment does it give the right to own weapons that cause mass violence, like a fully automatic assault rifle. Pro-gun activists, in addition, will say people buy guns purely for self-defence, but there are other options. Including mace, knives, and even tasers. These weapon which would be as effective at stopping a felon as a gun.

The NRA is correct, that US citizens, should have the right to bear arms. They are incorrect in their assumption that citizens should be able to own fully automatic assault rifles. If nothing is done, the problem will only worsen. I propose that you investigate the problem and evaluate solutions. The best way to create a solution to gun violence is to create a bipartisan effort and a commission, in order to stop gun violence. When efforts to stop gun violence begin, then the US can protect itself from gun violence.

As President your time is important and precious, I thank you for taking the time to read my letter. This recent election has been very controversial, therefore I hope the incoming President can to fulfill the responcibilty of the position properly. Thank you for your time, effort and dilligence regarding gun control.

Sincerely,

Avi F.