Dear Mr. or Mrs. President,

     America needs to change for the better. And we cannot do that if we still do not have strong gun control laws. When guns are sold, a lot of the time background checks are not done. If background checks aren’t done, guns can be sold to people who shouldn’t possess them.

     On July 20, 2012 James E. Holmes took a gun to a theater in Aurora, Colombia and shot 82 people. That resulted in 12 deaths and 70 injuries. Innocent people died because they were unlucky enough to be in that theater, on that day, at that time. 12 children, friends, parents, family members dead. For exactly what reason? Because James E. Holmes was sold a gun without getting a background check. According to the New York Times and their article “How They Got Their Guns,” James Holmes was “ seeing a psychiatrist” and was mentally unstable and had a serious mental illness. But he was still able to buy a gun legally. If there was a law that would have prevented Mr. Holmes from shooting all those people, that could have saved 82 people all that heartache, trauma, and probably more than that Think about it: all those families, suffering through deaths and debts. Some families don't have the money to pay for the expenses that come with the deaths and injuries. Wouldn't it be so much easier on them if that's person wasn't shot? 

     About 40% of 300 million firearms are obtained by civilians without going through a background check according to The Trace’s article “Just How Many People Get Guns Without a Background Check?”. That's about 120 million people getting guns without going through a background check. 120 million people that are given the opportunity to shoot innocent people because they were sold a gun without a background check. Tell me that isn’t unsafe for our country. Tell me I shouldn't be worried for my own and other people’s safety if a portion 120 million people can shoot anyone if they wanted to because they have possession of a gun that some of them shouldn't have.

     Think about how you would feel if it was your family member, then would you feel as strongly about the laws as the victims? I have a brother that goes to school in the Bronx which isn’t the safest neighborhood. So how am I supposed to know that he is safe? I can’t control what goes on around me or any of my family. None of us can. But if there were more laws that restricted who had guns, I could be a little less on edge about his safety. People these days can pretty much get guns if they want to. There are so many gun violence situations that can be easily averted. We need gun control laws for our country’s best interest.

      Mr. or Mrs. President, please make a change for the better in our country. These additional laws on gun control are necessary for progress to be made. Assault weapons were made for war and shouldn’t be in the possession of a civilian . Think about someone close to you being shot dead or injured and left financially unsupported. Think about the ways you can prevent that so people don’t have to suffer. Laws can be enforced. Like the Prevention Institute article “ Gun Violence Must Stop. Here’s What We Can Do To Prevent Gun Violence” reads, “We must insist that assault weapons have no place beyond the battlefield-not in our schools, not in our movie theaters, not in our places of worship, not in our streets and communities." Banning these assault weapons can make such a drastic change. Your country will thank you.

                                                                                                           Thank you for your loyalty to our country,

                                                                                                                                                                       Alexa W.

Sources:

Buchanan, Larry, Josh Keller, Richard A. Oppel, Jr., and Daniel Victor. "How They Got Their Guns." The New York Times. N.p., 12 June 2016. Web. 7 Nov. 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/03/us/how-mass-shooters-got-their-guns.html?_r=0

"Gun Violence Must Stop. What We Can Do To Prevent More Deaths." Prevention Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2016. https://www.preventioninstitute.org/focus-areas/preventing-violence-and-reducing-injury/preventing-violence-advocacy

"Just How Many People Get Guns Without a Background Check? Fast-Tracked Research Is Set to Provide an Answer." Thetrace.org. N.p., 21 Oct. 2015. Web.  https://www.thetrace.org/2015/10/private-sale-loophole-background-check-harvard-research/