SHANTA KATIPAMULA, Richland

I find it absolutely ridiculous the number of tragic shootings we've had here in the United States in just the past few weeks. The Second Amendment guarantees the right for citizens to keep and bear arms. In order to legally possess a gun, you must have a gun permit. The purpose of the permit is to keep guns out of the wrong hands. This system is not working.

At this point, there are two paths we can go down. The first one would be to leave legislation as is and simply harden our hearts to the fact that tragedies such as the shooting in Connecticut are simply going to become more and more common. The second path that we can take is to call on our lawmakers, who are in office representing us, to create stricter legislation and keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people.

If you have a heart, if you've cried for the victims of these tragic shootings, call your representatives in the House and the Senate. Write to them. Send an email. Let them know the will of the people. It's time for something to be done.