An open letter to America

Dear America,

Upon arrival in your country I was excited; I was greeted at the airport, went through your thorough security system, was questioned about my visa for at least 10 minutes (Where am I going? What is my purpose? How much money do I have?) and was met by someone from my host institution. It was good to be in a different country, somewhere new and so exciting, somewhere they call the land of opportunity … until I realised from a sticker on the window of the van that had come to collect me, a sticker with a white background featuring a black gun with a red cross through it – in America, it is legal for nearly everyone in your country to own a gun.

In England our gun laws are strict: in order to own a firearm one must go through the necessary checks and interviews to gain a certificate. High-velocity guns, some rifles, machine guns and pepper spray are illegal in my country – they are prohibited against all odds. So, it was a surprise to me that one of my roommates carries pepper spray in her bag at the request of her father, in case she finds herself in danger. I would argue that where I come from this type of protection is unnecessary. I do not feel it is necessary to carry a gun, I do not believe it is my right to carry a gun, and I trust that my neighbours feel the same way. I have no reason to carry a weapon, so why do your people think they do?

For an outsider, this reason is obvious: Americans carry guns because other Americans carry guns.

Micheal Moore’s documentary “Bowling for Columbine” (about the 1999 school shooting in Colorado) sees so many interviews with so many Americans who, despite the horror of the event they are initially asked about, believe it is their right to carry and own a gun. And to a certain degree they are correct. The Second Amendment of your Constitution does state: “the right of the people to keep and bare arms shall not be infringed”. However, this was written in 1787, if you abide to this law then you should consider abiding to other laws of the time, such as the slavery in the southern states. This law is obviously wrong and outdated – but the ownership of guns isn’t? How many shootings does it take for your people to realise their right to life is greater than their right to own a weapon? Wake up, America.

Nearly 13,000 people died in America from gun violence in 2015. That’s a shocking average of 36 people per day. Yet you continue to carry.

The international students at my American college had various meetings and activities during our induction week. One of the sessions included discussing what made us most nervous about moving to America; the top answer on the list? Guns. It turns out my peers are right to be nervous, 88 of every 100 people in the USA own at least one firearm. Of these 88, 8 percent own 10 or more firearms.

Upon viewing that sticker on the van for the first time, I asked myself: is this necessary? Would someone even think to bring a gun into a car? And that’s when I realised the silent danger that haunts many of your people every day. I was interviewed upon my arrival into your country so thoroughly – they took my picture, medical details, fingerprints – but someone purchasing a firearm, something which has the purpose to kill, you almost willingly hand over to anyone? Problems like this make me scared for you, America. It makes me scared for your children and their future. It makes me scared for your visitors and it makes your visitors scared of you.