Multi-Modal Advocacy Campaign

Dear Samantha Paige Rosen,
I recently read your piece written on limiting gun ownership in the United States, and I must say you opened my eyes on some of the major issues we have as a country. As a college aged student, it concerns me when I see shootings at Virginia Tech, the University of Texas, and Sandy Hook. With plans to join the military after my time in school, I also worry about the shootings that have occurred at Fort Hood as well as the Washington D.C. Naval Yard. It seems as if every time we, collectively as a society, turn on a major news network there is a mass shooting occurring somewhere in America, and we are not making forward progress towards stopping the violence. You and I are alike, as we both want to stop gun violence in the United States, and if you would consider, I think we could work together to come up with a solution that all citizens can be satisfied with.
Correct me if I am wrong in saying so, but it seems as if you feel that we should limit all handguns to military and special police forces only, create an extensive registry of all gun owners, and implement much stricter screening processes when purchasing guns. While creating stricter and safer checks on all of those who wish to purchase guns was one of my solutions, I didn’t even consider your other two options. I personally enjoyed and agree with your statement, “modest measures won’t by themselves stop those who are set on murdering with guns.” It is true, those who have full intentions of causing harm with guns will do so, doing whatever it takes to get their hands on the necessary weapons. I myself feel as if we need to change the way in which we control our guns, and your proposed plan has offered me a multitude of ideas in which I can brainstorm off of, and strategically attack the situation on our hands, while pleasing both myself and you.
Samantha, you and I both understand that gun violence is at an all time high in the country, and, whether drastic or not, change needs to be made. You noted that “the United States firearm murder rate is about 15 times the average for all developed nations.” While I knew our gun control issues were bad, I never knew that this was the statistic, and a scary one for the matter. Being raised in a fairly conservative area, Virginia Beach, which is surrounded with military and those who support the military, I have always been slightly biased on my view of the second amendment, thinking that anyone and everyone should own a gun if they desire. Typically, I would be appalled by anyone who believed that taking away handguns from the citizens of the United States as well as creating a registry of all gun owners was the right thing to do in any case; however, after reading your article and your propositions, I have found these views less threatening. While reading your proposed gun control solutions, I took a liking to the part about a stricter screening process, where you say, in order to acquire a gun, “Applicants would take written and practical courses followed by exams and pass mental-health and drug screenings — simple measures that we don’t currently require.” While I am on board with the stricter screening process, I think that some of your proponents of gun control are still slightly on the extreme side, which may scare away National Rifle Association supporters as well as right wing thinkers, and I am willing to offer my proposition in hopes that we can reach a conclusion satisfying to both parties.
The way guns are circulating the market and getting into criminal’s hands with such ease is an issue that needs actions taken immediately. My proposal is that the government mandates that all legal gun owners, re-register their guns, updating information on their gun’s use, how long they have had the gun and who they bought/ received the gun from. I will not say that certain guns may be allowed and other guns will not be allowed because doing so may spark anger amongst gun owners, and the government wants their support. By collecting this information on the gun’s out there, law enforcement will then be able to quickly spot those who own guns legally and those who don’t when they ask to see their updated registration information. The next step would be to implement a screening process which allows all who wish to practice their second amendment rights the ability to do so, but enforces a security measure that stops all of those who have ill intentions for their gun, from purchasing any type of gun. A possible screening could include a background check, a questionnaire asking what the gun will be used for, and who the gun will be given to if the purchase is not for the buying individual them self. Where I oppose your screening process is the exams that you propose as well as the drug screenings. If we make the process so strict, it will deter gun buyers from openly stating that their intentions are with the gun, feeling as if they are in the wrong by purchasing the gun. What we want to do is have safe gun ownership, but not a system in which acts as if it has supreme control. One way that I think we could implement your idea of a registry, but in less of a totalitarian way, is a monthly, or bi- monthly weapon check. All gun owners will bring their weapons in to be checked, making sure they are still in the correct gun owners hands, and that all guns are accounted for. This way, if any guns have gone missing, authorities could begin to track them down using the serial numbers engraved on the guns. This benefits both parties, implementing stricter gun control laws, but still allows second amendment users to practice safe gun ownership.
I believe that my proposed idea for gun control would benefit both those who oppose second amendment rights, as well as those who wish to practice gun use. I have enjoyed reading your article and gaining insight from the “other side” and hope that we can work together, creating a safer gun-using America.

Respectfully,
Michael Bertram