Urgent: American Epidemic

In the first unit of my junior Humanities class "Policy," we have been discussing legislation and government policy. We looked at legislation surrounding WWI and how those policies then worked for WWII. For our field experiences, we virtually met with public defender Akio Katano and former United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. We visited the National Veterans Art Museum and looked at art made by veterans deployed during the Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan war. For class we had to read The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien to better understand the Vietnam war. For this action project, we then had the chance to choose a bill that has not been passed and write a letter to our representatives voicing our opinions on the bill. In my letter below, I have written a letter to my house of representatives to vote on a bill that I believe to be really important. Throughout this, we have to continue using rhetoric, policy, and a great argument!

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CH

GCE Lab School

9 W. Washington St. 

Fourth Floor 

Chicago, IL 60602

04 May 2021

Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García,

5624 W Diversey Ave 

Chicago, IL 60639

Dear Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García,

The CDC announced the first US death from COVID-19 on March 1, 2020. One year later, the US recorded 32.8 million cases and a little over 583,500 deaths. Over this same year, the US gun violence epidemic has grown. It is talked about on the news and in the media. Not many have directly experienced gun violence, yet it affects everyone's safety. I believe that this bill will help ensure the safety of many people all over the United States, especially here in Chicago. There is nearly one mass shooting per day in the United States—355 mass shootings in 2015. Gun death rates are generally lower in states with restrictions such as safe storage requirements or assault weapons bans. More than 75 percent of the weapons used in mass shootings between 1982 and 2012 were obtained legally. Therefore, stronger legislation is needed to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands.

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the impact of our country’s gun violence crisis.  The pandemic has highlighted the danger of having weak gun laws that enable firearms to fall into the wrong hands. Every day, on average, 92 Americans are victims of gun violence, resulting in more than 33,000 deaths annually. Gun homicides and non-suicide-related shootings took approximately 19,300 lives, a 25 percent increase from 2019. Gun sales have surged during the coronavirus pandemic. Based on the number of background checks, Everytown estimates that people purchased 22 million guns in 2020, a 64 percent increase over 2019.  This surge in gun sales has continued into 2021. In January 2021, it is estimated that 2.1 million guns were sold. Then an estimated 5.9 million guns sold in the period from January to March 2021. 

At the beginning of the pandemic, governments implemented stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines. There was a hope that these acts would not only help slow the spread of Covid-19 but also help reduce city-based violence. Starting in the summer of 2020, it was clear that that wasn’t the case. Continuing through the rest of the year, city gun violence surged. We are at a higher risk for gun violence because of the covid-19 pandemic. As a resident of Chicago, I have been inadvertently affected by the increase in gun violence. I believe that I possess the qualifications to propose this legislation as a member of Moms Demand Action, Everytown for Gun Safety, and a resident of Chicago.

You(Mr.  Jesús “Chuy” García) voted for the Bipartisan Gun Violence Prevention Legislation and understand the importance of strengthening US gun laws. Although I have not personally been a victim of gun violence, I have many friends and family who have been victims of gun violence.  I know the devastating impacts that gun violence can cause. I turn on the news every night to see where shootings happened in the US and Chicago. I listen carefully to make sure that I haven’t lost a friend or family member. It is sad, but it is the state of the country we live in. It will stay this way until we strengthen our gun laws with national policy.   

I am writing to you as a constituent, and to encourage you to vote for HR, bill 125. If you are not aware, this is the Gun Safety: Not Sorry Act of 2021 which would amend Section 922(t) of title 18 of the United States Code. The amendment would add a 7-day waiting period required before transferring a semiautomatic firearm, a silencer, armor piercing ammunition, or a large capacity ammunition magazine. Opponents(NRA) might say that “There is no evidence that waiting periods reduce suicides, homicides, or mass shootings.“ However, a recent study by Harvard Business School found that waiting period laws that delay the purchase of firearms by a few days reduce gun homicides by roughly 17%.

With an ongoing global pandemic and national gun violence epidemic, the Gun Safety: Not Sorry Act of 2021 may bring us closer to ensuring domestic tranquility for our community and our country as a whole. I hope after reading this, you take into consideration the points I have made to make the best decision not only for your constituents and Chicago but for the United States. Thank you for taking the time to examine my views on this matter and for taking them into account when determining your decision on H.R. bill 125.

Sincerely, 

CH

CH. "Power Map." google drawing, 2021.