Dear Future President of the United States,

Imagine a world where people walk the streets with a handgun holstered to their hip. How would some people react? In my opinion, I believe that people would be scared to step outside in fear that their loved ones may be injured. Some might be scared because people may not know how to responsibly use a gun. By carrying a concealed handgun you can make yourself a target to shooters, you aren’t trained to use the gun in case of an emergency, and many children injure or kill a friend due to easy accessible guns.

Nowadays, it may be easier to have a target on your back if you are seen with a handgun. This is possible because the harmful shooter may try to pull their gun on you because he/she may believe that you are trying to stop them, for instance like how a policeman would. In other situations if the gun is seen by a criminal they may rob you of everything including your gun. “ According to Coleman, the individual said, “I like your gun. Give it to me.” The robber then pulled his own pistol from his waistband and pointed it at Coleman.” (Guns America) There are various ways to conceal your handgun but, some are more obvious than others. One way that is very obvious is holstering it on your hip then wearing form fitting clothes over the handgun. This can cause people to either become suspicious or to see the gun, and this may give some anxiety or fear.

When carrying a concealed handgun it may give you a bit more confidence while it isn’t being used but, when it has to be used you might forget how to use your gun. This would be because you weren’t trained in emergencies. Perhaps in an emergency situation you were ready and didn’t forget how to use your gun and you shot the correct person but in the wrong area where they could easily die. How would that look as a concealed owner? When some people have personal issues going on with ill family members they may not be able to mentally handle the pressure so they might turn to using guns as a solution. That person can hunt someone else's loved one down and kill them to make that person feel what they might have been felling. “Guns were used in 11,078 homicides in the U.S. in 2010, comprising almost 35% of all gun deaths, and over 68% of all homicides.” (Gun Laws)

It’s often known that guns can lead to unintentional deaths and injuries between children. These deaths and injuries occur when the parents of these kids leave their gun in open spaces where kids can easily reach it, or they give their kids the password to the safe where the guns are stored. When children know their parents own guns they can easily unlock the safe and show off the gun to their friends, but then accidentally shoot their friend and severely injure the kid or kill them. “Every year, far too many Tennessee kids are injured or killed when they or another child gains easy access to loaded, unsecured guns. In most cases, these shooting incidents are accidental.” (Safe Tennessee) Many of these kids aren’t considerate of what may happen when playing with their parents guns. The parents of these kids should be teaching them gun safety if guns are in the home. “By the end of 2015, about 265 children under 18 picked up a firearm and shot someone by accident, and 83 of those shootings were fatal, according to research compiled by the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety. Some 41 of those deaths involved the shooters themselves, and most of the shootings involved toddlers or teens who were playing recklessly with the guns.” (ibtimes)

Many people don’t understand the risks and responsibility of owning a concealed handgun. Owning a concealed handgun can give people a false sense of security because shooters can take you as a threat, you aren’t prepared in real life scenarios, and kids don’t understand how safe they have to be around guns.

Sincerely

~Kaia Ramirez

Works Cited

Blannelberry, S.H. "Does Carrying Openly Make You a Target?" Guns America News and Reviews. N.p., 9 Oct. 2010. Web.

“CHILDREN INJURED OR KILLED DUE TO ACCESSIBLE LOADED FIREARMS." Safe Tennessee Project. N.p., 31 Oct. 2016. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

Lidgett, Adam. "Accidental Gun Deaths Involving Children Are A Major Problem In The US." International Business Times. N.p., 06 Jan. 2016. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

"Statistics on Gun Deaths & Injuries." Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.