Dear Next President,

According to the article 15 statistics that tell you the story of gun violence this year by The Trace, Twice a day someone under 18 is killed by a gun. We need your help with reducing the number of gun deaths and crimes in communities all over the United States. We need to regulate gun use in America and get guns out of the hands of people who should not have them. Just simple steps like those could make America a much safer place for all citizens.

Studies show that people living in America are more likely to die of a gun than in other countries. According to the article How U.S gun deaths compared to other countries, by CBS, Americans are 10 times more likely to be killed by guns than people in other developed countries. This could be because of the easy access, our system for treating mental health, or our failure to register and track gun use throughout the country. Whatever the reason behind it is, the number is far too high. We must do something to stop this.

Guns are far too accessible in America.Guns can be bought in countless of stores and trade shows all across America. According to CNN article This is how easy it is to buy guns in America, background checks are only required for in store purchases. Anybody else can go to a gun show or a private seller and buy any sort of gun, no questions asked. This needs to change.

Americans also own more guns than anybody else in the world. According to the Washington Post article One map shows why America’s gun violence is so much worse than anywhere else, Americans make up only 5 percent of the population, yet we own between one third, and one half of the world’s guns. This is obviously an overwhelming statistic. With that many guns in our country, it is hard to believe that we don’t have a better system for tracking and regulating them.

Now, I am aware that there are people who say that the 2nd amendment protects our right to own as many guns as we want. That it states that our right to own guns may not be taken away. That may be true however, the 2nd amendment states that we are entitled to a “well - regulated militia” so there for, the government has a right to track and regulate guns, and gun use.

Overall I hope you see how big of a problem guns are in our country. I hope you will be interested in helping to save the lives of many American citizens. Even the slightest change in gun buying and regulation policies, will make all the difference in the world when it comes to saving an American’s life.

Sincerely,

Peggy Dunn

10th grade

West saint paul, MN