In letters, children ask Obama to change gun laws

WASHINGTON: Three days after 20 pupils and six teachers were killed by a rampaging gunman at a Connecticut school, an eight-year-old boy pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote to 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 shooting, children around the country put their feelings 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.

“I am very sad about the children who lost their lives.”

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.

Obama read from their letters for the group of Cabinet secretaries, administration officials and a television audience.

“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.

“This is our first task as a society, keeping our children safe. And their voices should compel us to change.” — AP