Nearly three years ago I sat down and I wrote a letter to my representatives. I was then a senior in high school, and I had watched on television yet another reporting of a tragic shooting- this one in Parkland, FL. The shooting was an act of terrorism and hatred, and it shook the nation with horror; however, our response was empowering: we, as a nation, stood together for a change that we would now demand.

I know both this message and this unity have not died, but I do believe we have grown complacent in them - and that is yet another tragedy.

I am nineteen years old, and I am too young and too capable to live my life quiet, scared and desensitized. Instead, I will speak up; I will fight for the change that I desperately want to see.

Nearly three years. Nearly three years ago I wrote this letter to my representatives, and I still cannot justify why I never sent it.

So today: I will.

February 21, 2017

To whom it may concern:

My name is Sarah Brady and I am a senior at Central Catholic High School in Bloomington, IL.

I am writing to you today in regards to the horrible tragedy that our world is facing in the light of gun violence. I am here to let you know that gun violence will no longer be tolerated and that this country's youth are ready to fight for a change.

I am blessed: I have never been personally victim or subject to gun violence or threat; however, I can no longer sit idly by and watch those who have, suffer. I can longer watch the news outlets report yet another school shooting or concert attack and merely "choose to forget" about it the next week.

Our nation is in desperate need of change.

I am not oblivious nor ignorant enough to believe that simply changing gun laws will fix all our problems. I know the horrible tragedies our nation faces today are not altogether new nor are they simple fixes. I believe our nation's mental health largely at risk, and I believe the responsibility to do better falls upon our families, our educators, and our representatives. Something must be done.

I fear our families are not doing enough at home to educate children on the precious matters of life, and because of this, our generation is growing desensitized to the horrors surrounding them- horrifyingly recognizing them as the commonplace.

If families are not educating their children, that responsibility falls upon our teachers. Our teachers are not nearly respected or emphasized enough. The youth is our country's future, and we entrust them to our teachers for 180 days a year, eight hours a day. I believe more must be done to ensure our teachers are of the highest integrity, brightest intelligence, and are appropriately compensated.

Despite how important I believe both the matters of family and education to be, I know these are- plausible, but- difficult fixes, which brings me to you: our representatives.

You were elected to protect us and stand by us. You were elected to be our voice. You were elected to make an already great country even better. Most importantly, you were elected by the people for the people.

The people are speaking. We are sick of seeing loved ones being killed by horrible tragedies such as the one in Parkland [updated: Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Virginia Beach, El Paso, Dayton, etc.]. We are sick of talking about it for a week and then letting the conversation die off until the next unspeakable tragedy. We are sick of allowing monsters to harm our children and make us fear something so simple as going to school, attending a concert, or even walking down the street.

Today, I am proposing to you- not for the first nor the last time: fight to illegalize the private ownership of semiautomatic rifles and the purchase of any tactical attachments such as high-capacity magazines, detachable magazines, flash suppressors, binary triggers, and adjustable stocks for all rifles; furthermore, fight for stricter federal background checks as a prerequisite for owning any gun.

By doing so, I am proposing to you the idea of fighting for our lives. I am proposing to you the idea of fighting for our nation's future.

If logic prevails, the common man has absolutely no need for one- let alone many- semi-automatic rifle. I do understand our Founding Fathers granted us the right to bear arms, and I respect and support that right to bear arms; however, again if logic prevails, the Founding Fathers could have never dreamed of such dangerous and malicious weapons such as the modified semi-automatic weapons we see today. To be blunt, using the Second Amendment as the sole backing for such menacing weapons is simply allowing America's pride to get in the way of America's safety.

If logic prevails, there is no reason for criminals, mentally ill, or suspected terrorists to have any access to any sort of gun.

If logic prevails, there is no reason hundreds of people should be dying because of legal weapons like the ones used in the Sandy Hook, Orlando, and Parkland [updated: Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, El Paso, Dayton, etc.] mass shootings. This is something we can change. This is something we must change.

A first step needs to be taken. It is time for you, our state and federal representatives, to show our nation that you care enough about our well-being to make a change and to take a stand no matter what side of the aisle you sit on.

I understand you fighting for this cause will not put an end to our nation's troubles all together; however, I do believe it will make a difference. If new, modernized gun laws save just one life, as far as I am concerned these laws are more than worth the fight.

There is not always going to be a simple fix to our nation's problems, but here, there is a start: fight for our country's safety and enact stronger gun laws.

Every child deserves to go to school without fearing for their life, and every adult deserves to send their child to a school without fearing for their child's life. And so I ask you all: set aside your partisan walls and stand for America's future: stand for justice; stand for logic; stand for American values. Stand for American life.

Cordially,

Sarah Brady

For more on gun control history, see: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/07/31/us/assault-weapons-ban.html