Dear President-elect Trump:

As you are about to go into office, I have a request for you. One of the biggest controversies of today is gun control laws. Gun control is, supposedly, supposed to protect people from criminals with guns as weapons. But recent studies show that gun laws aren’t doing what they are supposed to do.

According to the ProCon website, “Of 62 mass shootings in the United States between 1982 and 2012, 49 of the shooters used legally obtained guns. Collectively, 143 guns were possessed by the killers with about 75% obtained legally...Despite Chicago’s ban on gun shops, shooting ranges, assault weapons, and high capacity magazines, in 2014 Chicago had 2,089 shooting victims including at least 390 murders.” These laws aren’t effective towards criminals, and these laws just take away guns from civilians, while would-be criminals ignore them. Also, gun control laws would give the government too much power over citizens. In a survey conducted at Pew Research in 2013, 57% of people said gun laws would give the government too much authority over the people.

Many people would disagree with me. Others would point out that “Of the 29,618,300 violent crimes committed between 2007 and 2011, 0.79% of victims (235,700) protected themselves with a threat of use or use of a firearm, the least-employed protective behavior.” It is true that guns are rarely used in self-defense, but that doesn't change the fact that gun laws infringe upon the Second amendment. Nelson Lund, JD, PhD, Professor at George Mason University School of Law, said that, “The right to self-defense and to the means of defending oneself is a basic natural right that grows out the right to life.” The Second amendment of the Constitution states, “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Gun laws directly contradict that article, and those who support these laws obviously haven’t read the Constitution. The right for citizens to own guns is a defining quality in what makes America and its people American. To take away that right would strip us of our sense of nationality, as well as increase crime rate and gun-related murders.

In conclusion, future President Trump, gun laws should not be enacted for many reasons. They don’t stop criminals from obtaining guns, they give the government to much power over citizens, they strip us of our American nationality, and they infringe upon the right to self-defense. I believe that any gun laws existing in states should be redacted for the above reasons. If this issue is finally settled, then America will be one step closer to being great again.

Sincerely,

Kyle N. Luebke