April 21, 2018

My name is Ricky Kirk and I go to HSPVA, or the Highschool for the Performing and
Visual Arts. I participated in the Houston Youth Walkout and although I agree with their points,
I also want to express my opinions on gun reform.
To protect students and people from malicious people and gun violence, we must pass
common-sense gun laws. Three important concepts that need to be put in law are a permit-to-
purchase (PTP) policy, to keep guns out of domestic violence perpetrators, and enforce stricter
consumer safety practices on gun manufacturers.
The most important way we as a nation can decrease gun violence is by requiring people
to have a gun permit, which requires a comprehensive background check, before purchasing a
gun. This includes purchasing from wholesalers and gun shows. Studies in Missouri and
Connecticut have both shown reduced homicide and suicide rates with the enforcement of PTP
policy. When the policy was repealed in Missouri in 2007, there was a 14 percent increase in the
murder rate and 16 percent increase in the suicide rate. When the policy was enforced in
Connecticut in 1995, a study over the next ten years saw a 40 percent reduction in firearm
homicide and a 15 percent reduction in firearm suicide cases. This evidence clearly shows how
permit-to-purchase, same with purchasing a car is already, can reduce gun violence.
Another way we can reduce gun violence in intimate partner relationships is preventing
people with domestic violence charges and domestic violence restraining orders from purchasing
guns. Also, preventing people with violent misdemeanor charges from purchasing guns can
reduce gun violence. A study by Webster and Michigan State’s April M. Zeoli with precise data
and controls showed a 19 percent reduction in intimate partner homicides in places where these
policies were in place. Also, a 1999 study by Wintemute and two others showed that felons that
got their crimes demoted to misdemeanors were two to four more times likely to commit a
firearm or violent offense later in life.
Looking ahead to future technology allows more safety features on firearms, but without
legal intervention, firearm manufactures are not motivated to include any ways of increasing
public safety. Also, manufactures can be involved with illegal straw purchases, where someone
buys a firearm for someone that cannot legally own one or does not want to be associated with
that purchase. By enforcing stricter regulations on firearm manufactures to increase safety
devices and ethical and legal selling practices, we can keep firearms out of dangerous peoples’
hands.
Common-sense gun laws do not involve the confiscation of any already owned firearm,
hence the name “common-sense”. These merely involve the purchase of new firearms to prevent
future gun violence incidents. Unfortunately, with financial backing from the NRA, politicians
are essentially paid off to allow unsafe and unethical firearm laws to pass and to block much-
needed restrictions. As a student who attends a public high school in Downtown Houston, I urge
you to push towards safer and correct firearm laws and practices. With new laws in place,
hopefully we can see a decrease in horrifying events such as the Parkland shooting. I can trust
that you also do not want to see more mass murders from firearms, and pushing towards these
laws is a suitable place to start.

Sincerely,

Ricky Kirk
906 Arlington St.
Houston, TX 77008