President
Obama,
I received
the worst phone call of my life on March 24, 2007. I was told that my college
sorority sister and friend Chiara Levin had been killed after getting shot in
the head. She was visiting Boston for her great aunt’s 90th birthday
when she got caught in the crossfire of a shootout. She was 22 years old and
was about to start a new job in New York City. She was in the wrong place at
the wrong time and lost her life because of it.
About one
year later I received another terrifying report; this time it was over the
scanner at the television station I was working at in Rockford. A gunman had
opened fire on Northern Illinois University in DeKalb killing six people and
injuring 21 others. It was Valentine’s Day. I produced that evening’s elongated
newscast detailing the horrific incident. I’ve never celebrated Valentine’s Day
since, but instead tried to remember the underserving victims who lost their
lives that day.
I first
learned about the Newtown shooting on Friday around 11 a.m. I am currently the
Director of Communications for Township High School District 113 right outside
of Chicago and immediately notified the principals of our two high schools. I
remained glued to my computer for the rest of the day trying to piece together
different news reports. Our staff was put on high alert and we increased police
presence on both campuses. We are meeting with other school districts in the
area this week to discuss safety measures and procedures. My biggest worry is
that no matter how much or how hard we plan, we’ll never be able to protect our
students well enough.
These three
incidents are examples of how senseless gun violence has impacted my life. Are
we willing to live in a country where everyone has their own “three” examples? I’m
not and I urge you – as my representative – to do something about gun control
immediately. Our forefathers had no way of knowing that a constitutional right
to bear arms would lead to this. But since it has, it’s time for someone else
to take control. We need to better
regulate the types of guns being sold as well as heighten background checks on
the individuals buying them.
The time for
action on gun control is now. As my President, I am relying on you to
facilitate change and make my hometown, my working environment, and my country
a better and safer place to live. I will no longer tolerate procrastination,
NRA bullying, or partisan politics on this issue and I hope you won’t either.
Thank you
for your time,
Natalie
Kaplan
