Dear future president:

You are no doubt under a lot of pressure being the new leader of the free world, but I hope you can spare a moment to consider the following topic near and dear to my heart: the people. Everyone lives from day to day in different circumstances, from the wealthy to the poor, the immigrant to citizen, the republican to the democrat. We all have our own experiences and a set of values passed down to us by our mothers and fathers that define who we are and what we believe in. This oft muddles the waters of politics, and can lead to the suffering of others. Our concerns are just, but we tend to demonize each other based on our differences. We forget that all inundating truth that we are all citizens of this great nation and should work together for its betterment. Below are just some of the many issues facing our great nation today.

Gun control in the United States is one of the most controversial topics amongst a sea of others. I understand that some fear it, as they believe the government would take away all guns, or make it incredibly difficult to purchase one. However, we cannot deny the damage a lack of regulation has had. In fact, so many people die annually from gunfire in the us, that the death toll between 1968 and 2011 eclipses all wars ever fought by the country.

Most legislation having to do with gun control is often shot down by members of congress out of fear/loyalty to the lobbyist giant known as the NRA. In fact, republicans refused the no gun fly list proposal, which would have prevented those suspected of terrorist activities from purchasing guns. Their opposition is often contradictory of public opinion, in that multiple polls reported 90 percent out of a thousand voters supported such legislation. These polls consisted of republicans, independents, and democrats.

Often Mass shootings are the worst side effects of such negligence and cowardice. There were 375 mass shootings last year alone, resulting in 475 deaths and 1,870 wounded. Of those, 62 were school shootings. I hope you will fight with a fiery ambition for the families of these victims, so that no child, no father, no mother, no brother, and no sister becomes another statistic. So that these shootings don't become a normality.

Whenever one of these mass shootings occurs, one issue is often thrust forward: mental illness. Approximately one in five adults-43.8million-or 18.5%- suffer from mental illness. A majority of which are non violent. In fact fewer than 5% of the 120,000 gun related killings between 2001 and 2010 were perpetrated by those with mental illness. One of the most horrifying facts about our mental health care system is the fact that there are 10x as many diagnosed with mental illness in jail, than there are in state funded institutions. Not to mention that funding for mental health was partially cut during the recession. I hope that you will improve our system, so that those suffering from mental illness can get the help they need, and live a long and prosperous life.

Finally, a problem that has plagued the United States and many other countries for centuries:hate. Racism, polarized partisanship, homophobia, xenophobia, and sexism, are just a few aspects of this hate. We as a nation must stand together, regardless of what we believe in, our race, gender, or who we love. As the constitution states, all men are created equal. I hope that you, as the leader of this great nation,  will work to bring us together in these trials ahead. I hope that you put partisanship aside, so that compromise may take its place. I hope that you devote your very being to the prosperity of the people, and peace amongst the world.