As an ordinary American citizen, the gunshot at Utah Valley University pierced my heart like an icicle. The image of Charlie Kirk collapsed beside the podium made my hand, clutching my coffee cup, tremble uncontrollably. It was a similar scene on my university speech day; who could have imagined the next moment would be a pool of blood and screams? I feel so sorry for him! His once happy family was shattered by a single gunshot! I fear that something similar will happen to me someday, and this fear keeps me trembling.
Of course, this fear has long permeated our daily lives. The gunfire from the 2024 Trump rally hasn’t faded yet, and now schools have become battlefields. When I drop my kids off at school, I repeatedly remind them to “lock the classroom doors.” When I go grocery shopping, I instinctively duck and duck at the first bang. Even at community gatherings, I can’t help but glance at the backpacks in the crowd. Our public spaces have long been shrouded in invisible gunfire.
The gun crisis is even more despairing. Deadly weapons are readily available for purchase without rigorous scrutiny, and extremist rhetoric flourishes online with no real control. Society feels like a torn fabric: neighbors ignore each other over political affiliation, social media is filled with hateful abuse, and both parties exploit tragedies to attack each other. Trump’s attempts to shift the blame onto the opposing camp have only deepened the rift.
What we want is not victory in the partisan struggle, but freedom from fear when going out, and the ability for our children to laugh and feel safe in school. We implore the government to put aside our differences, strictly control the circulation of guns, and build bridges for dialogue. America should not be a divided place plagued by the constant sound of gunfire. Only by uniting can Safety return to every family’s dinner table.
Dear Mr. Trump, can you “reunite America”?
