Gun Control. Now.

To be delivered to The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Barack Obama

How many more senseless and entirely preventable shootings have to occur before we do something about gun control?

As a citizen and constituent of this great country, I am asking that you take a firm stand and make a positive change by restricting access to guns and saving lives.

PETITION BACKGROUND

San Bernardino. Colorado Springs. Sandy Hook. Columbine. Red Lake, Minnesota. Essex, Vermont. Lancaster. Aurora. Virginia Tech. How many more innocent victims must die at the hands of an antiquated and oft-misinterpreted amendment? Enough.

It's time to stop the violence.

Gun control doesn't have to mean no guns. I'm not suggesting we take guns away. I'm suggesting we put tighter controls on acquiring and owning them.

Gun show loopholes must be stopped. Ammunition should not be sold online. Mandatory wait periods should be enforced, during which time a thorough background check, psychological and medical evaluation, and character references should be completed.

More accountability should be placed in the hands of retailers. When patrons refuse waiting periods, authorities should be notified. Training and testing should be mandatory, as should a renewal process that includes many of the above-mentioned evaluation terms. Gun owners should be required to carry insurance.

Gun owners and non-gun owners need to come together and agree on regulations that protect the right to own a firearm for sane, responsible adults and keep them out of the hands of the mentally unstable.

I would hope that we could all agree to submit ourselves to these terms when it's easier to go to a gun show and pick up a firearm than it is to go to the local pharmacy and buy cold medication. Acquiring and owning a gun should be at least as controlled as getting a learner's permit, license, and privilege to drive a car.

Gun control alone is not the whole of the solution, but it's a start. And if it keeps guns out of the hands of even one mentally unstable person and saves one sweet life, it's worth it.