Dear World,  

Enough is enough. Too many lives are at stake, and too many have been taken. After the tragedy of the Stoneman Douglas High School, young people have decided that no more lives should be lost. Students of all ages shouldn’t need to fear for their lives while in school. The issue isn’t just guns or just mental health; it’s the two together. The nation has been debating this issue for years, but we have come to a turning point. Students all over the country have stopped standing by and just watching; they’ve become sick of being just put aside as kids, and they, as a whole, have stood out against politicians and our government. Our new generation is becoming stronger and more involved in our world, which is an amazing thing; however, protest will not come to an end, until something is done. There are those who believe in banning guns, but as mentioned, it is not just guns. Others think that it is just a mental health issue, but students like Emma Gonzalez say, “he [the shooter] wouldn’t have gotten so many [lives] if he had a knife!”.  The solution to this issue is middle ground between the two, where guns that are capable of mass shootings should never be able to be obtained by civilians and mentally ill people shouldn’t be able to get a weapon. It is easy to put on paper, but I truely call upon Congress and our President to do something. Not foolish ideas of arming our teachers, but the in between of banning guns and just blaming the mentally unstable. Clearly, the issue has blown up that kids and young people have decided to act. This is not just about politics; it is about the safety of students and our nation.

Sincerely,
Valeri G.