Dear Future P.O.T.U.S,

Hello. My name is Bryce. I’m 13 years old and in 8th grade.

I believe that people with no criminal background, no history of mental illness, or no records of drug and/or alcohol abuse should have equal access to firearms. 1.3% of the deaths in America are related to guns. I believe that the people died because they couldn’t protect themselves, not just because they were shot.

I had lived in Augusta, GA for 7 years. The crime rate down there is very high. My mother had lived down there for all of her life, and she knew the dangers. She told me to watch for signs of threat. She told me not to stray too far from the house. She told me to be aware of my surroundings. I knew that people were dying from guns. I had to live with the fear of being next, for 7 years.

This is as much as your problem as everyone else's. At the end of December of last year, a total of 12,942 people had died from gun related situations. (@JenniferMascia. The Trace Comments. N.p., 2016.) I believe if there were less restrictions on firearms, some of these people could be alive right now because they would have the means to protect themselves. The way I see it, if someone pulls a gun on someone, who also has a gun, the would-be victim could also pull his gun and shoot the perpetrator in an area that will incapacitate him. If someone has a gun for protection, I’m confident when I say that they will only protect themselves, not kill. Call me naive, but that’s what I think. With all due respect, these are your citizens. You're taking away something that could’ve saved people's’ lives. Of course, I think there should be restrictions for anyone with a criminal record, or mental illness in order to prevent deaths. But people that haven’t been convicted, or are mentally stable have no uses for guns other than protection. There is absolutely no reason for anyone in their right mind to kill someone. Besides, most of the citizens of the U.S think that there should be firearms available; 47% of them to be exact. Only 26% of the U.S think that there should be a ban (Scott Horsley, Jan 5, 2015, 12:09 PM). But according to (Gallup, Inc. "Guns." Gallup.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 30 Sept. 2016, ), numbers have been low and not necessarily rising. Of course, I think guns should be less restricted, so I would want the better stats, but these resources are the ones I found. I think you should care about this because if you become President, this will be your country. You would have to do something!

As P.O.T.U.S, you will have a lot of power and influence, as you already know. I’m not completely sure all what you can do, or how much power you will have, but I’m sure you do. I think you should make some kind of law or act. I know people are fighting for gun rights. People are sticking to the Constitution. There are a number of celebrities that support the 2nd Amendment ( John Blosser, Monday, 13 Jul 2015, 02:04 PM). Chuck Norris once said, “I want violent crimes curbed as much as anyone, but not at the expense of our Second Amendment rights — which are there to protect us.” Can’t really argue with that. Also, Bruce Willis said, “I think that you can't start to pick apart anything out of the Bill of Rights without thinking that it's all going to become undone...If you take one out or change one law, then why wouldn't they take all your rights away from you?”(Shaw |, By Jerry. "12 Quotes from Hollywood Actors Against Gun Control."Newsmax. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.) Both of these actors obviously support the 2nd Amendment, and they know what they’re talking about. Also, an actual expert, Adam Winkler. Mr. Winkler is a professor at UCLA School of Law. His scholarship is all about the 2nd Amendment. He says, “Federal gun control of the twentieth century has made machine guns unusual and uncommon, while the absence of serious restrictions on the availability of handguns has given people the opportunity to choose them for self-defense. The scope of the Second Amendment’s protections was not, in other words, defined by the original meaning of the Constitution. The protections were shaped instead by the marketplace choices of twentieth-century consumers, made within the confines of contemporary government regulation,” in his book “Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America.”("Adam Winkler Quotes (Author of Gunfight)." Adam Winkler Quotes (Author of Gunfight). N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.)

So if you decide to fight for gun rights, you won’t be alone. You and the celebrities will have a lot of influence on the citizens, which will make us want to follow you. Then hopefully, gun rights will most likely be met.

You will need to persist and stand your ground, be intense, passionate, and spirited, optimistic, and confident with overcoming this issue. But I’m sure you already knew that. And side note, you will probably need these traits in everything as President.

Thank you for reading this, and I hope you will take my argument into consideration when fighting for gun rights or gun control. We (the U.S citizens) are counting on you!

Yours truly,

Bryce