In letters, children ask Obama to change gun laws

January 16, 2013 @ 10:06 am


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Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Three days after six teachers and 20 students were killed by a rampaging gunman at a Connecticut elementary school, an 8-year-old Maryland boy pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote President Barack Obama, asking for "some changes in the laws with guns."

"It's a free country but I recommend there needs (to) be a limit with guns," Grant Fritz said in the Dec. 17 letter. "Please don't let people own machine guns or other powerful guns like that."

In the days after the Dec. 14 shooting in Newtown, Conn., children around the country apparently had the same idea as Grant. They put their feelings about the massacre on paper and began sending letters to a receptive White House.

"I am writing to ask you to STOP gun violence," wrote Taejah Goode, a 10-year-old from Georgia. "I am very sad about the children who lost their lives. So, I thought I would write to you to STOP gun violence."

On Wednesday, when Obama announced a package of proposals to reduce gun violence, he was joined on stage by Grant, Taejah and two other children. Each had expressed their concerns about gun violence and school safety to the one person they think can make a difference _ the president.

Obama read from their letters for the group of Cabinet secretaries, administration officials and others in a White House auditorium for the long-awaited announcement.

"These are some pretty smart letters from some pretty smart young people," Obama said. "So what we should be thinking about, is our responsibility to care for them, and shield them from harm, and give them the tools they need to grow up, and do everything that they're capable of doing. Not just to pursue their own dreams, but to help build this country. This is our first task as a society, keeping our children safe. This is how we will be judged. And their voices should compel us to change."

Obama called on Congress to require background checks for every gun buyer, to ban assault-style weapons and to limit high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Before the announcement, the White House shared letters from Grant, Taejah and 11-year-old Julia Stokes with The Associated Press. None of the writers, including Grant, who is closest in age to the 6- and 7-year-olds killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, said they opposed efforts to tighten access to guns. The White House did not immediately respond when asked whether it had received letters from children who disagreed with Obama on the need for stricter gun control.

The National Rifle Association, the powerful lobbying group for gun owners, has pledged to fight attempts by Congress to enact new restrictions, viewing such efforts as an infringement on the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Some sportsmen and people who own guns for protection also oppose many gun control laws.

Julia, who lives in the District of Columbia and dotted the "I" in her name with a heart, wrote that she has four brothers and sisters and "I know I would not be able to bear the thought of losing any of them." She closed her letter by acknowledging that Obama can't make all the changes people want by on his own.

"I know that laws have to be passed by Congress but I beg you to try very hard to make guns not allowed. Not just for me, but for the whole United States," Julia wrote, signing the letter with "my love and regrets."

From the stage, Obama responded: "Julia, I will try very hard."

The White House also did not give a reason for withholding the hometowns for Grant, Taejah and a fourth student also on stage, 8-year-old Hinna Zeejah.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (3)


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  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    i thought the president was supposed to listen to "we the people"
    January 16, 2013 5:52 am
    not one 8 year old.
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  • TwoTrees wrote...
    'Second Amendment. Right to bear arms. Lobbying group. None of that was mentioned in the letters...'
    January 16, 2013 7:40 am
    "Hey, look at that! ALL the letters from public school children want us to ban guns nation-wide, by any means necessary. What a coincidence! With such solidarity amongst 6 & 7 year olds, what choice do we have? In fact, anyone with an opposing view, then, MUST be against school children! To the Oval Office! We've got Executive action to commence!"
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  • Cbrew wrote...
    Why do people from the cities in America think they know what's best for the rest of us?
    January 16, 2013 7:52 am
    This is the way it always ends up happening... stupid laws are created by morons that live in big cities and have no idea what rural life is about. Of course the purpose for guns in a facking city is limited and therefor most folks in cities think guns are just for killing people. Great conclusion you morons but if you ever lived outside of a big city you know that guns are a way of life, I grew up with guns, I hunted when i was younger, I target practiced etc. as well. To me shooting is almost the same as playing a sport. The problem is you get a bunch of idiots from the big cities or the suburbs in America trying to apply big city solutions to problems like gang violence on folks like me that could shoot out my back window and the only thing i'd hit is trees.... WE don't live like you stupid city folks do. We do not have a problem with gun violence and gang violence like you do. Why do you think banning an AR-15 is going to make a difference anyway? I keep hearing morons spout off about how there's no need for this kind of Gun, How is it any different? In the wrong hands any gun can be dangerous just like cars etc, but taking away my rights because idiots in the cities can't handle having rights doesn't make sense to me.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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