Dear Mister or Madam President,

     As you have surely observed from the news and the media, mass shootings have become such an ingrained part of American life, we almost accept it as a given. However, it is possible that we can prevent as many of these tragedies as much as possible. That’s why I would like to request for you to call on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to research gun violence in America.

     Although crime has been overall declining according to the US Justice Department, mass shooting have become more frequent according to the Harvard School of Public Health and Northeastern University, as we have seen some of the most violent mass shooting in the past few years, from Aurora to Newtown to Orlando. I remember reading about the Orlando shooting from my phone as I was heading to church, and was completely shattered. I also remember being in the midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises at the same time as the attendants of a Colorado theatre were being terrorized while watching the same movie. I am glad to see that the conversation around shootings and gun violence has changed so much in just 5 years, with US senators like Chris Murphy and Tim Kaine, two politicians who held public office during the two crises that swept their states, Connecticut and Virginia, respectively; however, words are meaningless without action.

     As President, I know that you care about the lives of the American people and how to create policy that lets them live the best lives possible. The President has high influence in activating change. That’s why I think that the CDC would listen to the free leader of the world to conduct research on this epidemic. I believe that if the CDC researches this issue, we can find ways to prevent more of this type of violence without infringing on the citizen’s Second Amendment rights.

     I write this to the President because I feel that they are the one person who can communicate the need for change in this country, that gun violence is a serious issue that must be addressed by candidates for any public office. I hope that this reaches you, and you will consider my request.

Sincerely,

Trey M.