Dear Mr/Ms President,

I’m writing this letter to express a concern about the violent use of guns in this nation. For the past few decades the United States has had the highest amount of shootings per year out of all the developed countries. This is because it is far too easy to obtain a firearm in the United States. I believe that the government should give mental health checks and in depth background checks to gun purchasers to make sure we don’t give guns to the wrong people, and I think that there should be a ban on handguns.

According to the American Sociological Association, the United States has 31% of the mass shooters in the world and yet only have 318 million residents or 5% of the world’s population. The reason for this comes mainly from the availability of firearms. In the United States there are almost as many guns as there are people and it is really easy to buy a gun. USA Today says that all you need to legally buy a gun is proof of age, identification, and to pass a firearm safety test. I think if it were mandatory to have a mental health check and in depth background check it would keep guns out of the wrong hands. Some people argue that most shooters get their guns illegally, but NBC news says that in reality more than 80% of shootings are with legally bought guns.

I think banning handguns would greatly decrease the number of shootings in the United States. There is an average of 400 shootings in the US every year and handguns are responsible for 50% of those shootings. The reason why handguns are used more than assault rifles and shot guns is because they are small, concealable and generally easier to come by. If we were to ban handguns it would decrease the number of yearly shootings greatly and in turn would save thousands of lives.

Some people argue that banning handguns and making restrictions goes against the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but I think otherwise. The second amendment 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.” In this it states that the right to bear arms is mainly meant to ensure a militia. I think that banning certain guns would not break the second amendment but instead would decrease violence in the nation.

By giving mental health checks, in depth background checks, and banning handguns the nation will become a safer place. It will likely halve the number of shootings and save around 15,000 lives every year. I think it's about time we improve our gun control when most other developed countries have already done so. I ask you to consider these ideas to help ensure the safety of your people.

Sincerely,

Emmett