Dear Future President,

My name is Za’Kari Simmons and I am a resident of Miami, FL, and am writing to you on the basis of gun control laws in our country.

Described in an article by everytownresearch.org, each year on average there are nearly 12,000 gun related homicides, 62% of suicides are from guns, and the U.S. gun related homicides are “25 times the average of other high income countries.” While according to Business Insider, New Orleans is ranked #32 in violent cities around the world with 41.44 homicides per 1000,000 residents, Detroit ranked #28 with 43.89 homicides per 100,000 residents, Baltimore ranked #19 with 54.98 homicides per 1000,000 residents, and St. Louis ranked #15 with 59.23 homicides per 100,000 per residents on a list with countries of predominantly low income. This is unacceptable for being the leading economic country in the world.

Each year, guns are sold to easily because of improper background checks. Take the nightclub shooting that happened recently in Orlando, the shooter was on the FBI watch list yet he still got a weapon. How is that possible? How can someone who is being watched for terrorism still be able to get a gun?

In my family, my uncle owns firearms. He never allowed his children or nieces/nephews to access them. I do not understand how he acquired said weapons but I fear that maybe it wasn’t in the most ethical of ways. Not only does my uncle have guns, but also my friend bought a shotgun last year. He didn’t even graduate from high school yet and he bought a really powerful weapon at the age of 18.

As the future president of the United States, how are you going to stop gun violence? Even still, how are you going to increase gun laws and gun restrictions? The effects of flimsy gun control laws has had a big impact on the United States and needs to be changed.

Sincerely,

Zakari Simmons

12th Grade

Miami, FL