Dear future president,

In the U.S, we have had our fair share of mass shootings, and terrorist attacks. Though we have dealt with these situations in the past, each time it happens it sends the country into a panicked frenzy and everyone is more cautious than they would normally be. After we have these mass shootings, everyone seems to want to change our country's policy on gun control, simply because something bad happened. Though we already have policies in place, there is always room to improve and some changes could result in a safer country.

I was 6 years old, never yet have I had the chance to drive a car, graduate high school let alone elementary school, didn’t even know how to do long division. Think of all of the small things you have gotten to do in your life, I will never have the chance to do even a portion of that list. The things we take for granted every day could be stripped away in the time it takes to pull the trigger. Imagine yourself in place of this six year old. Is this what we have to deal with in order to keep our freedom? To protect ourselves, we feel the need to carry around the killing machines right on our hips. The more people who we let carry them, the bigger risk we are taking when it comes to the shooting of innocent people. Are all of the thousands of lives lost because guns worth the freedom?

Laws that deal with criminal behavior won’t prevent terrorism. Many times when a terrorist has a plan to place an attack on an area, they have their mind set on what they are doing and it won’t be changed. Before the Orlando night club shooting in early June, the terrorist called 911 and pledged his loyalty to the Islamic state and it’s leader. The terrorist had made up his mind about his attack and there was no turning back. Though there are not a lot of preventions we as a country could take, there are some that could lower the number of deaths..

Adapting our gun restrictions, and gun laws to fit our needs for today could prove to be very helpful. Though it will not stop all terrorist attacks, it may prevent the number that we have currently. The more restrictions you put on something, the harder it is for the wrong people to get their hands on it. The federal government says that to reduce the mortality related to firearms, the federal government should implement universal background checks, and national identification. By increasing the amount of background checking done, and identification needed to receive and carry a concealed weapon, this could make it significantly more difficult for criminals to get ahold of these deadly weapons. A study was found saying that by doing these nationally, it could decrease the amount of deaths relating to guns by 90%. By reducing the amount of deaths so drastically, it could improve the safety of the united states as a whole.

Recently, Missouri has passed a law the no longer requires people to go through extensive background checks to receive a gun. This new law takes away law enforcement's authority to deny firearms to those with a criminal background. By allowing such laws to be put into place, they are allowing for people with criminal backgrounds as well as domestic violence backgrounds to receive and carry these concealed weapons when they could be a serious threat. These people had done enough dealing with the law beforehand to receive a punishment that would keep them from being able to receive a permit before the new laws were passed. Now nearly anyone is able to receive a gun under the new laws which can cause a threat to those innocent individuals who happen to cross paths with the wrong person on the wrong day.

Sincerely,

Jewely C.